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Sarah (7800 KP) rated Dead Man's Shoes (2006) in Movies
Feb 3, 2019
Brilliantly savage
Finally managed to get a hold of this after borrowing it on DVD from my brother, I’ve been wanting to watch it again for a long time and it’s still a fantastic hard hitting film.
This is a darkly savage and fairly brutal story of revenge that makes for a powerful watch. The plot is straight forward and simple, but it just goes to show that you don’t need a massive budget or fancy Hollywood effects to make an outstanding film. From the effective story telling (colour current day scenes vs black and white flashbacks), to a clever script, bleak, creepy and almost gruesome scenes and some great performances. Paddy Considine is a fantastic actor, and probably deserves a lot more accolades, and Toby Kebbell has an outstanding yet fairly small and moving breakthrough performance as Anthony. The final twist at the end too is one of the few film endings that has always stuck with me. And I will admit to having a bit of a soft spot for films that are set in or around my local area, and Derbyshire isn’t too far away....
This is a darkly savage and fairly brutal story of revenge that makes for a powerful watch. The plot is straight forward and simple, but it just goes to show that you don’t need a massive budget or fancy Hollywood effects to make an outstanding film. From the effective story telling (colour current day scenes vs black and white flashbacks), to a clever script, bleak, creepy and almost gruesome scenes and some great performances. Paddy Considine is a fantastic actor, and probably deserves a lot more accolades, and Toby Kebbell has an outstanding yet fairly small and moving breakthrough performance as Anthony. The final twist at the end too is one of the few film endings that has always stuck with me. And I will admit to having a bit of a soft spot for films that are set in or around my local area, and Derbyshire isn’t too far away....
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Mule (2018) in Movies
Feb 11, 2019
Impressively good
I'm going to admit something now, but I don't think I've ever seen a Clint Eastwood starring film before. Ive seen some of his directing efforts (and really liked them), but this is the first time I've seen him acting - and after seeing this, I know I've been missing out.
This is very much a slow burner. It's not so slow that nothing happens but moves at its own steady pace that just about keeps your attention and hooks you in. This is helped mostly by a stellar performance from Clint Eastwood and a great script, which inserts some fairly humorous lines into what would otherwise be a very serious subject. The plot itself is a simple and enjoyable story that kept me enthralled for the entire 2 hours. The only downside is that most of the fantastic cast apart from Eastwood himself - Bradley Cooper, Michael Peña and Laurence Fishburne especially - are sadly underused. It's great to see them, it's just a shame that we don't see them enough.
Aside from this though, it's a very good enjoyable film that's absolutely worth a watch.
This is very much a slow burner. It's not so slow that nothing happens but moves at its own steady pace that just about keeps your attention and hooks you in. This is helped mostly by a stellar performance from Clint Eastwood and a great script, which inserts some fairly humorous lines into what would otherwise be a very serious subject. The plot itself is a simple and enjoyable story that kept me enthralled for the entire 2 hours. The only downside is that most of the fantastic cast apart from Eastwood himself - Bradley Cooper, Michael Peña and Laurence Fishburne especially - are sadly underused. It's great to see them, it's just a shame that we don't see them enough.
Aside from this though, it's a very good enjoyable film that's absolutely worth a watch.
Sam (228 KP) rated Aquaman (2018) in Movies
Mar 2, 2019
Humor (3 more)
Thorough Plotline
Great Character Growth
Heroic Imagery
Predictable (1 more)
Lots of Poster-Pause Moments
Wonderful for Anyone Who Loves Superheroes
As per everyone else I was waiting for the moment this movie cane out. I had watched minimal ads as I've found that the ads tend to reveal the most important of the plot points, ruining the excitement for those anticipating it's release. Due to my excitement I decided to actually go to the theater for this one and Lord did I make the right choice. Seeing it on the big screen was completely worth it, the sound and picture as epic as a superhero movie should be. The character growth and the script was well adept with both humor and depth. I was not disappointed. My only complaint was the multiple poster pauses throughout the film, by these I mean the epic scenes that suddenly slow down as though to be made into a poster later on, these I found happened every ten minutes throughout the movie and although it did add to the epic feel of the movie, I feel it took away some from the overall film.
Dingbat horror movie from him what made Get Out. A nice middle-class family goes on holiday to their beach house, but soon disturbing memories are a-stirring and their evil doppelgangers are blocking up the driveway.
One is often tempted to wonder what inspired a particular film. In this case I would hazard a guess it was somebody giving Jordan Peele $20 million and him vaguely remembering a nightmare he had the previous week, which (lacking any other ideas) he turned into a script. Being terrorised in your home by a brutish double is a great idea, but difficult to get a full-length movie out of, which may be why the film largely abandons logic and plausibility in its second half in favour of the fractured reality of a bad dream.
That said, I enjoyed the sheer madness of the escalating storyline even though I didn't honestly find it that scary. Some great performances and some good jokes along the way, but it feels more like an experiment in pushing narrative boundaries than a serious attempt at a horror movie. Nutty but fun.
One is often tempted to wonder what inspired a particular film. In this case I would hazard a guess it was somebody giving Jordan Peele $20 million and him vaguely remembering a nightmare he had the previous week, which (lacking any other ideas) he turned into a script. Being terrorised in your home by a brutish double is a great idea, but difficult to get a full-length movie out of, which may be why the film largely abandons logic and plausibility in its second half in favour of the fractured reality of a bad dream.
That said, I enjoyed the sheer madness of the escalating storyline even though I didn't honestly find it that scary. Some great performances and some good jokes along the way, but it feels more like an experiment in pushing narrative boundaries than a serious attempt at a horror movie. Nutty but fun.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Dumbo (2019) in Movies
Apr 10, 2019
A poor adaptation
I'm afraid to say that this version of Dumbo is probably the worst Disney live adaptation to date.
Other than having some mostly decent special effects and the nods to the original (Timothy Mouse, the songs and the pink elephants), I really can't find anything nice to say about this film. It has a great cast, who are sadly underused and struggle with the poor story and shoddy script. I hated Michael Keaton's villain Vandevere, he wasnt particularly villainous and I really don't know what was going on with Keaton's acting, he was really hamming it up to the point of being terrible. The kids were irritating too and such a poor substitute for Timothy Mouse. The entire film was just dull, boring, cheesy and cringeworthy, and I've never seen a Disney film that lacked heart as much as this one does. How can a film about the circus be so dull?! You also can't tell this is a Tim Burton film, and that is such a shame. Maybe if this had been a little creepy or dark, it might have turned out a lot better.
Other than having some mostly decent special effects and the nods to the original (Timothy Mouse, the songs and the pink elephants), I really can't find anything nice to say about this film. It has a great cast, who are sadly underused and struggle with the poor story and shoddy script. I hated Michael Keaton's villain Vandevere, he wasnt particularly villainous and I really don't know what was going on with Keaton's acting, he was really hamming it up to the point of being terrible. The kids were irritating too and such a poor substitute for Timothy Mouse. The entire film was just dull, boring, cheesy and cringeworthy, and I've never seen a Disney film that lacked heart as much as this one does. How can a film about the circus be so dull?! You also can't tell this is a Tim Burton film, and that is such a shame. Maybe if this had been a little creepy or dark, it might have turned out a lot better.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) in Movies
Apr 23, 2019 (Updated Apr 23, 2019)
Marvel #11 admirably resists the temptation to simply provide more of the same crash-bang-wallop and has a go at a story with more of a focus on character and ideas (it still includes a lot of very familiar crash-bang-wallop, naturally). This being a Marvel Comics story, two of the world's most brilliant minds decide it is a very good idea to use an alien weapon of unknown provenance to create an immensely powerful global defence system; everyone is still highly surprised when this goes wrong and spawns genocidal robot Ultron. Just another day at the office if you're in the Avengers, I suppose.
The usual supremely accomplished blend of lavish set-pieces, character bits and jokes; with nine Avengers on the roster for the climax of the story, plus various supporting turns, you can almost feel Joss Whedon's script and direction buckling under the pressure of fitting everything in, to say nothing of the various bits of meta-plot carpentry required to set up the next batch of films. Nevertheless, a film which meets all reasonable expectations - even if it isn't one of Marvel's absolute first rank, it's still within touching distance.
The usual supremely accomplished blend of lavish set-pieces, character bits and jokes; with nine Avengers on the roster for the climax of the story, plus various supporting turns, you can almost feel Joss Whedon's script and direction buckling under the pressure of fitting everything in, to say nothing of the various bits of meta-plot carpentry required to set up the next batch of films. Nevertheless, a film which meets all reasonable expectations - even if it isn't one of Marvel's absolute first rank, it's still within touching distance.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Captain America: Civil War (2016) in Movies
Mar 30, 2018 (Updated Feb 14, 2020)
Thirteenth MCU movie is a supremely confident and accomplished piece of entertainment. Attempts to bring the Avengers under political control cause tensions within the group; these are only exacerbated when the Winter Soldier resurfaces and apparently commits a deadly attack on an international summit.
Despite the title, this is basically the third Avengers movie, and possibly the best one yet, with great performances and superbly staged action built around a solid script. The directors marshal a big story with lots and lots of characters and make it look very easy; no wonder they were signed up for the next (proper) Avengers film. On the other hand, despite the exhilarating thrills of sequences like the stunning airport battle, this is ultimately quite a dark and introspective film about guilt, loyalty, responsibility, and friendships stretched to breaking point, and this and the fact it is so dependent on having seen many of the previous films in the series means it is probably not the most accessible of Marvel pictures. For those who've been following along, however, this is one of the best film in what's currently the most consistently impressive film franchise in the world. Plus, Black Panther's in it, too.
Despite the title, this is basically the third Avengers movie, and possibly the best one yet, with great performances and superbly staged action built around a solid script. The directors marshal a big story with lots and lots of characters and make it look very easy; no wonder they were signed up for the next (proper) Avengers film. On the other hand, despite the exhilarating thrills of sequences like the stunning airport battle, this is ultimately quite a dark and introspective film about guilt, loyalty, responsibility, and friendships stretched to breaking point, and this and the fact it is so dependent on having seen many of the previous films in the series means it is probably not the most accessible of Marvel pictures. For those who've been following along, however, this is one of the best film in what's currently the most consistently impressive film franchise in the world. Plus, Black Panther's in it, too.
Awix (3310 KP) rated She (1965) in Movies
Feb 24, 2018
Blue Flame Blues
Well-remembered Hammer fantasy has lavish production values, thoughtful script, terrific cast. World-weary explorers find themselves drawn to lost city in the mountains of North Africa, where they find a living legend and a blue flame with the power to grant immortality.
Obviously, you have to overlook the fact that the ancient Egyptian queen looks and sounds so Swiss, but apart from that there is a lot to enjoy here, although it is probably all a bit unreconstructed by modern standards (the whiter and blonder you are, the more important and beautiful). Peter Cushing does the business, as usual; Christopher Lee doesn't get enough to do. The main problem is that the film's central relationship (between Richardson and Andress) is just terribly tepid and not dramatic enough to power the second half of the film; as a result this is one of those movies that starts very strongly but discovers that the lost city is worth seeing, but not really worth the trouble of going to see. Probably still worth a look, overall, if 60s fantasy films are your cup of tea.
Obviously, you have to overlook the fact that the ancient Egyptian queen looks and sounds so Swiss, but apart from that there is a lot to enjoy here, although it is probably all a bit unreconstructed by modern standards (the whiter and blonder you are, the more important and beautiful). Peter Cushing does the business, as usual; Christopher Lee doesn't get enough to do. The main problem is that the film's central relationship (between Richardson and Andress) is just terribly tepid and not dramatic enough to power the second half of the film; as a result this is one of those movies that starts very strongly but discovers that the lost city is worth seeing, but not really worth the trouble of going to see. Probably still worth a look, overall, if 60s fantasy films are your cup of tea.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Incredibles 2 (2018) in Movies
Jul 19, 2018
A very good film by any objective standards, with a wonderful aesthetic, solid plot and brilliantly-directed animation. It's role-reversal time in the Parr household as Elastigirl is obliged to go out and fight crime while Mr Incredible has to stay at home and take care of the children - needless to say another supervillain is lurking who will require the whole family to come together in order for good to triumph.
The thing is, for a Pixar film (and especially an Incredibles sequel) to be simply 'very good' is somehow not quite good enough, especially when they've had 14 years to work on it. The script sort of lets the whole thing down a bit - it's not quite as sharp or as tight as it needs to be, with a middle section that feels distinctly saggy. Apparently the release date was moved up by a year, which may explain why the film has this not-quite-completely-done air about it. It's a good, entertaining watch, but not as smart or as original as the first one; it never quite grabs the emotions, either.
The thing is, for a Pixar film (and especially an Incredibles sequel) to be simply 'very good' is somehow not quite good enough, especially when they've had 14 years to work on it. The script sort of lets the whole thing down a bit - it's not quite as sharp or as tight as it needs to be, with a middle section that feels distinctly saggy. Apparently the release date was moved up by a year, which may explain why the film has this not-quite-completely-done air about it. It's a good, entertaining watch, but not as smart or as original as the first one; it never quite grabs the emotions, either.
Steve Fearon (84 KP) rated Found Footage 3D (2016) in Movies
Sep 19, 2018
Some Nice ideas, but a little less than good
Found Footage 3D is a fun idea...a meta horror about a small crew filming their own 'found-footage' horror, so you have a mixture of 'movie within a movie' scenes mixed with their own documentary about the making of their film.
The other aspects of the premise are all very much in keeping with tradition; the haunted cabin, the unseen "spectre", the paranoia etc
It is reasonably well made and well acted for a smaller budget film, and though the script offers few surprises, it is an easy watch, and makes some clever observations on the genre including a brilliant rant by one of the characters about how 'there have only ever been 2 half decent found footage movies, and one of those was 15 years ago!".
All in all, it is a good, fun, at times clever, at others predictable romp through a haunted cabin in the woods, with a self aware cast and an attitude of 'lets just enjoy the tropes'.
Worth a watch.
The other aspects of the premise are all very much in keeping with tradition; the haunted cabin, the unseen "spectre", the paranoia etc
It is reasonably well made and well acted for a smaller budget film, and though the script offers few surprises, it is an easy watch, and makes some clever observations on the genre including a brilliant rant by one of the characters about how 'there have only ever been 2 half decent found footage movies, and one of those was 15 years ago!".
All in all, it is a good, fun, at times clever, at others predictable romp through a haunted cabin in the woods, with a self aware cast and an attitude of 'lets just enjoy the tropes'.
Worth a watch.