We Have A Ghost: David Harbour Is Charming Even When Silent

Summary

A family moves into a house only to find it haunted.

I thought in some respects this was quite a sweet film. Very familiar, but sweet. I thought the friendship between Jahi Winston’s Kevin and David Harbour’s Ernest was fairly nice and heart-warming, I liked a lot of the awkward comedy they injected into the interactions between the two, especially after they go on the run. Likewise I thought that the relationship between Kevin and his father, played by Anthony Mackie, was also quite well done I liked how they showed the distance but also that the spark of their bond was still partially alive.

My criticism of this film would be that it leaves a lot on the table and doesn’t go as wild as I would have liked it to, for a film that has a secret government agency that hunts down ghosts this film is more interested in it’s characters relationships than anything else, which for me seemed like a missed opportunity. When looking at Landon’s other recent work with the Happy Death Day films and Freaky I was expecting something a little more zany, though maybe he was trying to rebalance the scales with this one.

A final aside before I bring this review to an end, I think that this film is absolutely stolen by Isabella Russo’s Joy, whenever she is on-screen she commands attention and without trying was easily my favourite character of the film, I liked her attitude and general vibe and I also thought she had a lot of the funniest lines in the picture.

Overall, a surprisingly sweet film but one that has been done before, arguably better, and one that doesn’t go as hard or as silly as you would like it to.

3/5

Pros.

Winston, Harbour and Mackie

The character work and relationships

Russo as the scene stealer

Cons.

A little too serious at times for what it is

Pacing issues galore

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The Mummy Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor: In Need Of Rachel Weisz

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The O’Connells, played by Brendan Fraser and now for some reason Maria Bello, take on a new undead foe in the form of the Dragon Emperor, played by Jet Li.

A lot of people hate on this film and for the most part I can totally see why, replacing Weisz with Bello is noticeable mostly because Weisz was as big a part of the series as Fraser so her absence feels odd, not to mention the fact that Fraser and Bello have no chemistry at all. I also don’t like that they make Fraser’s Rick some what of a deadbeat dad and give him a backseat in what should be his own film.

However, that said I do think this film has some redeemable parts to it. For me this mainly comes in seeing new undead threats and moving away from Ancient Egypt, I think this is a great idea as it really helps the film feel different, fresh and expands the world of the film to a great effect. Moreover, both Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh are fantastic in their new roles and really do bring a lot to the film. I think Li in particularly easily fills the shoes of Vosloo from the previous two films and is a commanding presence on screen.

I also really, really like that this film features Yetis, but that is just because I find that cryptid creature fascinating.

Overall, certainly the weakest film in the trilogy but not without redeemable moments.

2.5/5

Pros.

Moving away from Egypt

It feels fresh

The Yetis

Cons.

Weisz not returning

Making Jack a bit player in his own film and pushing the son

The pacing issues are quite noticeable

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The Mummy Returns: Some How They Managed To Make The Effects Even Worse

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The O’Connells, played by Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, do battle with Imhotep, played by Arnold Vosloo, all over again this time bringing their kid, played by Freddie Boath, along as well.

I think in many ways this film really tries to recapture the magic of the first film and in some ways really succeeds in that quest whilst at the same time drastically failing in other areas. I think on the whole this is a diminished sequel that fails to live up to the first film.

My two main issues with this film are that the iffy CGI and VFX work of the first film is turned up to one hundred here and becomes laughably bad. This really hurts the film as it stops it being scary anymore. In addition the child actor playing the O’Connells kid is really quite terrible and his distractingly bad performance also drags you out of the film. Child actors are rarely good in any film but this one is particularly annoying throughout and this is only made worse by how much the film likes to focus on him.

The two things I will give this film credit for however are, one that they raise the stakes from the first film and really start to flesh out the world as a whole and two that they bring back Ardeth, played by Oded Fehr, from the first film and give him a lot more to do which is nice considering he is one of the most interesting characters in the entire series. I would argue quite passionately that it should have been Ardeth that got the spin-off film and not Dwayne Johnson’s Scorpion King but hey.

Overall, a lesser sequel but one that still gets some stuff right.

3/5

Pros.

The wider scope

Brining back Ardeth and giving the character more to do

Still some good moments and scares

Cons.

The CGI work is awful

The kid is incredibly annoying and the film focuses on him way too much

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The Mummy: Peak Brendan Fraser

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A librarian, played by Rachel Weisz, and her brother, played by John Hannah, travel to Egypt to chase a legend and along the way they meet adventurer Rick O’Connell, played by Brendan Fraser.

I thought after all the recent buzz he has been getting from his performance in The Whale it would be interesting to go back to Brendan Fraser’s arguably biggest film and see if it still holds up. The result, for the most part I would say that yes this film does indeed hold up though in a few areas it wasn’t the classic I remembered it to be. I think this is mainly in the CGI, which is a mixed bag at best, but that is let down by some pretty bad early noughties effects work. This is why practical effects are just so much better because they last the test of time, whereas CGI quickly looks bad, rant over.

That said I still think that this is one of the best universal monster films, outside of the originals. I think what works so well about this film is just how escapist it is, the adventure this film presents is fun to go on be it just the once in the cinema or over and over again. Another feather in this film’s cap is that it works as both a family fantasy movie and a darker horror film for an older age group, both aspects feel represented without forcing the other out and into the cold, this is quite a feat in and off itself.

Finally, I really do think that the most powerful strength of this film is its cast, everyone is firing on all cylinders. Hannah, Weisz and Fraser make for a great trio of heroes, each bringing something different to the table and each giving you a reason to care about them, whilst also having a really strong villain in Arnold Vosloo’s Imhotep.

Overall, a classic in most regards even if the horribly dated effects do drag it down a little.

4/5

Pros.

Fraser, Weisz, Vosloo and Hannah

It is a fun adventure film

It also works as a horror film and has a number of good scares

It is paced well and feels engaging

Cons.

The effects don’t hold up.

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What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A documentary filmmaker, played by Lilly James, makes a film about her childhood friend’s, played by Shazad Latif, arranged marriage.

The romantic set-up in this film is incredibly obvious to the point where it crosses over into cliché, everyone knows going in that James’s character is going to fall for Latif’s that is part of the unspoken agreement of the film. However, what isn’t known is that this film is worlds away from other rom-coms such as Love Actually, Crazy Rich Asians, Boxing Day etc by the fact that it is not a comedy at all.

I would argue that this film is not a rom-com, more so a romantic drama film with a schmaltzy ending that tries to undo a lot of its more depressing aspects but doesn’t really come anywhere near close enough. This film is depressing at times manically so, and that really is its greatest fault. Whether it is Lilly James saying how all the Disney princesses were depressed, her incredibly toxic relationship with her mum, played by Emma Thompson, or the fact that the arranged marriage actually happens although you knowing the genre think it won’t, this film knows how to upset you. There were multiple moments in the film where I found myself wanting to leave as it was so depressing I was no longer having fun at the cinema.

I think the great bane of this film is that despite James and Latif giving reasonably serviceable performances this rom-com lacks any kind of warmth or charm at all and that makes the film off-putting.

Overall, this film does the one thing a rom-com never should do, be depressing.

1/5

Pros.

James and Latif try their best to save this film

Cons.

It is depressing

It is not by any means a fun watch

The ending feels like it is over compensating

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The Awakening: The Horrors Of A British Boarding School

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The film follows ghost hunter Florence Cathcart, played by Rebecca Hall, as she travels to an all-boys boarding school to investigate otherworldly goings on.

I think this is very much the quintessential British ghost story, and I mean that both as a compliment and also as a criticism. In many sense this delivers as you would want it to, there is a ghostly mystery and a few good scares, and a key element of the horror comes from the atmosphere and location. So far so good.

However, the issues become apparent when you have watched at least one other British ghost story horror film before as it becomes all very predictable quickly. Nothing that happens really catches you by surprise, the twist of the film I guessed early into the first act because it seemed so obvious. Perhaps this is a case of me watching too many horror films, as I both watch them for pleasure and also for an academic interest and as such I can see all the twists and turns coming but maybe also there is an element of weak writing here as well.

I think the two central performances from Dominic West and Rebecca Hall are both strong, I would say Hall is a the stronger of the two and her ghostly lost demeanour throughout the whole film only adds to the scare factor. I think the scene with Hall’s character down by the body of water where she looks as though she might throw herself in is truly haunting.

Overall, a good creepy ghost story if one that is also a little on the obvious side.

3/5

Pros.

The atmosphere

West and Hall

The scares

Cons.

It is a little obvious

Pacing issues

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The Godfather Part II

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

We follow the twin stories of the rise of Vito Corleone, played by Robert DeNiro, as well as the dominance of Michael, played by Al Pacino.

I thought this was a near perfect sequel and as such it gets the same top rating as the original. There is no fat to trim here which is incredibly surprising considering the incredibly long run time of this film

Both of the character journeys are equally fascinating and importance and the themes and such text of each feed into the other nicely. I think you can really tell that these are two young actors at the top of their games as it is a fierce fight between the two for who gives the better performance. I would lean to DeNiro, but maybe that is just personally preference.

The plot of the film about familial betrayal strikes hard and deep and it seems to effect both you watching and the characters at the same time. The first film teaches you to like Michael and to relate to him, but then this film highlights his monstrosity and shows you why that emotion was misplaced.

Overall, an incredibly well done sequel.

5/5

Pros.

The tension

The family drama

The performances

The pacing

The interconnectivity of the two split narratives

Cons.

None

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Till: A Mother’s Story

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A mother, played by Danielle Deadwyler, campaigns for justice after her son, played by Jalyn Hall is murdered.

You can’t say that this film doesn’t move you because it does. Whether you are a parent or not, whether you know the insidiously acidic taste of injustice or not, this film will stir you. This is an incredibly affecting film on many levels that screams out to be heard, and one that seeks to open your eyes to the horrors that are sometimes happening right under our noses on a daily basis.

However, I think the social awareness of this film also becomes somewhat of a double edged sword for it. This film is incredibly preachy, and though that is understandable to an extent this film is relentlessly so, not only that but it goes about its preachy in an incredibly smug way. Make no mistake dear reader that this film is Oscar bait and knows what it is and that makes the preaching all the more blatant. This film thinks it should win and Oscar.

I thinking putting real world issues to the side for a moment and turning instead to just focusing on the film we are met with a fairly middle of the road social commentary/drama film that though covering a new instance of injustice doesn’t do anything new with it the plot of the film is one we have seen many times before. Yes, I acknowledge that the reason we have seen this particular narrative so many times before is because these sort of issues are common place and happening all the time within our society and Hollywood is right to talk about them through film, however, from a film narrative perspective it is creatively repetitive.

Deadwyler is a terrific lead, and this along with The Harder They Fall highlights not only that she has a lot of talent but also a lot of range. I see big things in her future. Deadwyler really is the beating heart of this film and deftly carries the weight of it on her shoulders throughout.

Overall, a powerful film yet one that is brought down by being incredibly preachy.

3/5

Pros.

The emotion

It is a powerful story and a powerful message

Deadwyler

Cons.

The delivery of said message is incredibly heavy handed and the preaching does become incredibly too much at times

The narrative feels repetitive

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Infinity Pool: How Deep Does This Go?

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A group of wealthy tourists discover the pleasure of committing crimes and then having a double of them produced and executed.

So I have to say after his last outing I had high expectations for what Brandon Cronenberg was going to do next and was very much looking forward to this film, but after watching it I have to say it feels quite hollow.

Whilst again the visuals are there it lacks any kind of substance or deeper meaning, this film feels like it is trying to parrot the virtues that were taught to us by The Island but that was a long time ago and as far as dark science fiction goes probably the better film. I suppose time has moved on from that film and this one explores the idea of clones in a more up to date way, but still it lacks anything real to say.

I would say that in terms of scares or thrills this film does have a number of good moments and goes in directions I wasn’t expecting it to, however, sometimes this results in scenes that push the line of taste and veer slightly over into Ti West territory.

Mia Goth does her best to save this film and gives probably her most manic and intense performance yet, but even she can only do so much.

Overall, a surface level horror film that is crying out for something to fill the void.

2/5

Pros.

The visuals

Goth

Cons.

It feels a little too edgy at times

It is shallow and has nothing new to say

The pace is off

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Ant Man And The Wasp Quantumania: The Train-wreck You Heard It To Be?

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Antman, played by Paul Rudd, heads off to the Quantum Realm.

So I went into this film with incredibly low expectations, a lot of the bad reviews had got to me and I was going in expecting a trainwreck from start to finish, but, and I don’t know whether this was just because I went in with low expectations, I ended up enjoying it far more than I thought I would.

So first off let’s talk about what doesn’t work. Cassie, played by Kathryn Newton, is a deeply underdeveloped character and to make matters worse she is quite annoying. I don’t know what they were going for with making her an activist and having the cringey line ‘just because it is not happening to you doesn’t mean it isn’t happening’ but honestly it made her scenes ones where I tuned out. People don’t want to be preached to in a superhero film.

Other less appealing aspects of the film come from Corey Stroll’s Modok, and how they change him fairly drastically from the comics and then kill him off, wasting all of his in universe potential, though I suppose he could always come back at some point. The Modok CGI is horrible by the way, but you already knew that. Finally I will add that this film did make me miss the more street level Marvel fare as I am starting to get sick of these big CGI movies that all end up feeling the same.

Now into the positives. I thought both Michelle Phifer and Michael Douglas had really great moments here I enjoyed learning about Janet’s past and I thought Hank bringing the advanced ant civilisation to save the day at the last minute was both quite smart and also funny. I also really liked his line about socialism.

The new characters, bar Bill Murray’s Krylar, were very welcome I thought both Katy O’Brian and William Harper Jackson did a great job and I hope their characters come back in future sequels if they manage to find a way out of the Quantum realm. Of course in this regard I would be remiss to not talk about Jonathan Major’s Kang, who whilst not new as he appeared in Loki, is new in this variant. I thought Major’s was terrific and did a lot to make Kang feel like a serious threat in the MCU, I would argue he still has further to go to feel Thanos level, but I did really like seeing the Council of Kangs at the end of the film and think the MCU is going to have a lot of fun with him.

Finally, though it is a bit soppy I wanted to say that I enjoyed that the film continued the wholesome romance between Hope, played by Evangeline Lilly, and Scott, it is a nice throughline in these films and I was very worried that they were going to kill Ant-Man off and end it, I am glad they didn’t. The scene towards the end of the film wherein Hope saves Scott’s life during a fight with Kang and they hold each other after defeating him is probably my favourite of the whole film.

Overall, fairly enjoyable Marvel fare and better than most are saying.

3.5/5

Pros.

Douglas and Pfeiffer

The new characters

Kang

The romance

Cons.

Cassie

Modok

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