World War Z - "A week ago there was a memo sent from this installation containing the word Zombie"
A year before release red flags popped up, with one of the most plagued productions in history it was not looking good for World War Z. They had to re-shoot the entire 3rd act and Brad Pitt feuded with Director Marc Forster about script changes. Fast forward to release and ironically back from the dead World War Z is fantastic from beginning to end. A true blockbuster, a global trotting one that pretty much begins 3 minutes in and doesn't let up. Extremely fast paced we witness the initial spread of the virus that brings the dead back to life. They chose to use fast paced zombies as opposed to the brain dead walkers which I think for this film was a wise choice, they pose a more credible threat, harder to repel. Brad Pitt plays Gerry Lane an ex United Nations investigator who is pulled back into work to find the source of the outbreak in the hopes of creating a vaccine. After he is made a priority by the offshore US forces his family is evacuated to the safety of an aircraft carrier he is then given a choice, help stop the outbreak or be booted off the ship.
Gerry Lane is given a C-130 transport and a security team escort. This film really does feel global which was nice to see usually zombie films are set in the USA and we have to use out imagination but in this we see South Korea, Israel, India, America, Russia & Whales all go down as hoards of infected sweep the globe. I didn't mind the PG-13 rating as I didn't need the traditional zombie gore to be entertained. Brad Pitt really is a movie star, I cared about his character and his families well being, the film is also littered with cameos from famous actors who all deliver top notch performances. The set pieces in this film are amazing, particularly when they arrive in Israel where that have managed to erect giant walls to create a safe zone for survivors, and as seen in the trailer it doesn't last long. That entire set piece as we see the city fall is amazing, they run through hoards of screaming people and infected trying to get to a helicopter pad and it's heart pounding entertainment.
What makes this film a little more relatable is the fact that Gerry Lane isn't a hero or some amazingly skilled soldier he's just an investigator that doesn't fight unless he has to, essentially he's on the run for the whole film because it's pointless fighting millions of infected.
It's a great day for women it seems in the zombie apocalypse, the film brilliantly exploits the female soldiers in Israel, they are tough mother fuckers that aren't to be messed with, it was great to see it wasn't one big testosterone fest with men saving the day, through various circumstances a lone Israeli female soldier teams up with Brad and acts as his security force for the last half of the film and she is nothing but bad ass, a well trained killing machine. The re-shot 3rd act of the film is fantastic, this is where the horror elements come into play I won't spoil anything but it's the strongest segment of the film set in a semi-abandoned hospital. What's more to say really? It's fun, exciting, scary & overall a fantastic time at the theaters! I recommend everyone see it so we can get a sequel, I can't wait to see where he goes next. 5/5
Bechdel Test: There are multiple female characters however they don't converse, this film fails the Bechdel test
Sunday, 30 June 2013
Saturday, 22 June 2013
The Hunt Film Review
The Hunt - "I want a word with Theo. Look into my eyes. Look me in the eyes. What do you see? Do you see anything? Nothing. There's nothing."
Danish screenwriter and director Thomas Vinterberg's eighth feature film which he co-wrote with Danish screenwriter and director Tobias Lindholm and co-produced, premiered In competition at the 65th Cannes International Film Festival in 2012. A Danish production which was shot on location in Denmark and produced by Danish producer and screenwriter Morten Kaufmann and Danish producer Sisse Graum Jørgensen. It tells the story about Lucas, a recently divorced middle-aged man who just began working at a kindergarten and who wishes to spend more time with his teenage son Marcus who lives with his mother. After starting a romance with a foreign woman named Nadja things begin looking up for Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen), but one day during a conversation with Grethe who runs the day-care center, he learns that a girl named Klara has told her an unsettling story about him. In a matter of days a spark is turned into a flame and a harmonic village into an irrational witch-hunt against one individual.
One of the most moving pictures of the year and needs to be seen by radical feminists worldwide, not all men are untrustworthy rapists and child molesters, and when accusations are made evidence needs to be the number 1 priority. Innocent until proven guilty. Finely and acutely directed by Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg, this instantly involving fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints, draws a profoundly heartrending portrayal of a little girl who after being unintentionally hurt by a well-liked man whom she has a childhood crush on, unknowingly and with only a few words incriminates him by expressing her anger to the head of the kindergarten. While notable for it's naturalistic rural milieu depictions. This somewhat romantic, at times humorous, atmospheric and tangible intrigue about family relations, friendship and irrevocable accusations, where a friendship is tested, a hunter becomes the hunted and the question of guilt transforms ordinary people into paranoid savages is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, subtle character development, mysterious characters, brilliant writing, the tailor-made though distinct and accomplished acting performances by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, who is definitely at a high point in his career, recently starring in the hit show "Hannibal" & winning best actor at Cannes film festival for his brilliant performance in "The Hunt"
It's an unflinching drama where a mans life is ripped from his hands, his world implodes and one little lie from a hurt little girl ruins everything. It is not a story told tenderly, it shows you just how soul destroying this innocent mans journey is, but its thrilling at the same time because it is so unpredictable, I had no idea how this tale would end which is the way films should be made. The cast is by and large unknown to me but they are fantastic, doesn't matter how large the role they nail it. It's haunting, touching & thought provoking but most of all very recommendable and a must see. Please go out and see "The Hunt" 5/5
Danish screenwriter and director Thomas Vinterberg's eighth feature film which he co-wrote with Danish screenwriter and director Tobias Lindholm and co-produced, premiered In competition at the 65th Cannes International Film Festival in 2012. A Danish production which was shot on location in Denmark and produced by Danish producer and screenwriter Morten Kaufmann and Danish producer Sisse Graum Jørgensen. It tells the story about Lucas, a recently divorced middle-aged man who just began working at a kindergarten and who wishes to spend more time with his teenage son Marcus who lives with his mother. After starting a romance with a foreign woman named Nadja things begin looking up for Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen), but one day during a conversation with Grethe who runs the day-care center, he learns that a girl named Klara has told her an unsettling story about him. In a matter of days a spark is turned into a flame and a harmonic village into an irrational witch-hunt against one individual.
One of the most moving pictures of the year and needs to be seen by radical feminists worldwide, not all men are untrustworthy rapists and child molesters, and when accusations are made evidence needs to be the number 1 priority. Innocent until proven guilty. Finely and acutely directed by Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg, this instantly involving fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints, draws a profoundly heartrending portrayal of a little girl who after being unintentionally hurt by a well-liked man whom she has a childhood crush on, unknowingly and with only a few words incriminates him by expressing her anger to the head of the kindergarten. While notable for it's naturalistic rural milieu depictions. This somewhat romantic, at times humorous, atmospheric and tangible intrigue about family relations, friendship and irrevocable accusations, where a friendship is tested, a hunter becomes the hunted and the question of guilt transforms ordinary people into paranoid savages is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, subtle character development, mysterious characters, brilliant writing, the tailor-made though distinct and accomplished acting performances by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, who is definitely at a high point in his career, recently starring in the hit show "Hannibal" & winning best actor at Cannes film festival for his brilliant performance in "The Hunt"
It's an unflinching drama where a mans life is ripped from his hands, his world implodes and one little lie from a hurt little girl ruins everything. It is not a story told tenderly, it shows you just how soul destroying this innocent mans journey is, but its thrilling at the same time because it is so unpredictable, I had no idea how this tale would end which is the way films should be made. The cast is by and large unknown to me but they are fantastic, doesn't matter how large the role they nail it. It's haunting, touching & thought provoking but most of all very recommendable and a must see. Please go out and see "The Hunt" 5/5
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Evil Dead FIlm Review
Evil Dead - "If we want to help Mia... we're gonna have to kill her."
This is not the most terrifying film you will ever experience. The first evil dead still remains one of the greatest timeless horrors in film history, one of the original cabin in the woods tales with a terrifying twist. This Evil Dead was in capable hands and they did manage to make a half decent film, but there were a few unforgivable mistakes. Ash should have been the central character, whether you reinvent that character or make this Evil Dead a sequel and cast Bruce Campbell again I'm not sure but Jane Levy as "Mia" the heroin addict was a little lackluster. Shiloh Fernandez plays "David" Mia's older estranged brother, he enlists the help of 3 friends to try and get Mia to quit Heroin cold turkey over the course of a weekend at his grandfathers cabin in the woods. This in itself is actually a plausible plot line that lends itself to the initial craziness of the film. As Mia begins to feel the effects of withdrawal the evil within the woods awakes and starts to prey on the 5 friends which she just thinks is side effects of heroin withdrawal. Little did she no that her curious cat of a friend Eric stumbled upon the infamous book of the dead in the basement and unleashed the demon. This is when the film blows it's load a little early and after some brief character development the demon reveals itself and methodically starts picking off our cast 1 by 1.
In the original Evil Dead there was plenty of build up and suspense and the horror sequences were used more sparingly so we wouldn't be desensitized to quickly, in this film it's total overload from the vomiting a torrent of blood to slicing your own tongue open to the famous tree rape scene it's a little too much a little too soon. It's far from being a bad movie, it just fails to deliver genuine scares or a feeling of dread. The gore is extreme, if you love your gore then this is the film for you, it's done really well and really creatively, the iconic basement of the cabin is a little more modernized and expanded upon particularly in the prologue scene. The prologue scene is the best part of the whole film sadly, it sets such a fantastic tone for the film or at least I thought it was going to. The prologue could win "best short film" at any festival hands down, it's so well crafted and reminds you of original Evil Dead trilogy but then the actual film starts and it just doesn't quite live up the hype. The casting for the most part is fine, the score is fantastic, the acting is serviceable for a horror film but the film really shines in the camera work. They really exploit the slightly comedic 70's crash zooms on objects of interest in the film, those were a welcome sight. The speed runs through the woods are also prevalent as well as the looming trees over the dirt paths and roads. It basically looks like the original Evil Dead covered the art department and the story took over the modernized Evil Dead.
Still recommendable, non die-hard Evil Dead fans should love it, definitely the ballsiest horror film of the last decade, it didn't take any prisoners, everyone was fair game and it gave the censor a big middle finger, because of that it has my respect. It's a fun ride, even if it did feel a little long for a 90 minute horror film. See it with a good audience the atmosphere will take care of itself, stay after the credits for a "groovy" post credits scene and just try to have fun with it. Not perfect, not horrible, almost right. 3.6/5
Bechdel Test: There are 3 female characters they talk to each other sometimes about things other than men, this film passes the Bechdel Test
This is not the most terrifying film you will ever experience. The first evil dead still remains one of the greatest timeless horrors in film history, one of the original cabin in the woods tales with a terrifying twist. This Evil Dead was in capable hands and they did manage to make a half decent film, but there were a few unforgivable mistakes. Ash should have been the central character, whether you reinvent that character or make this Evil Dead a sequel and cast Bruce Campbell again I'm not sure but Jane Levy as "Mia" the heroin addict was a little lackluster. Shiloh Fernandez plays "David" Mia's older estranged brother, he enlists the help of 3 friends to try and get Mia to quit Heroin cold turkey over the course of a weekend at his grandfathers cabin in the woods. This in itself is actually a plausible plot line that lends itself to the initial craziness of the film. As Mia begins to feel the effects of withdrawal the evil within the woods awakes and starts to prey on the 5 friends which she just thinks is side effects of heroin withdrawal. Little did she no that her curious cat of a friend Eric stumbled upon the infamous book of the dead in the basement and unleashed the demon. This is when the film blows it's load a little early and after some brief character development the demon reveals itself and methodically starts picking off our cast 1 by 1.
In the original Evil Dead there was plenty of build up and suspense and the horror sequences were used more sparingly so we wouldn't be desensitized to quickly, in this film it's total overload from the vomiting a torrent of blood to slicing your own tongue open to the famous tree rape scene it's a little too much a little too soon. It's far from being a bad movie, it just fails to deliver genuine scares or a feeling of dread. The gore is extreme, if you love your gore then this is the film for you, it's done really well and really creatively, the iconic basement of the cabin is a little more modernized and expanded upon particularly in the prologue scene. The prologue scene is the best part of the whole film sadly, it sets such a fantastic tone for the film or at least I thought it was going to. The prologue could win "best short film" at any festival hands down, it's so well crafted and reminds you of original Evil Dead trilogy but then the actual film starts and it just doesn't quite live up the hype. The casting for the most part is fine, the score is fantastic, the acting is serviceable for a horror film but the film really shines in the camera work. They really exploit the slightly comedic 70's crash zooms on objects of interest in the film, those were a welcome sight. The speed runs through the woods are also prevalent as well as the looming trees over the dirt paths and roads. It basically looks like the original Evil Dead covered the art department and the story took over the modernized Evil Dead.
Still recommendable, non die-hard Evil Dead fans should love it, definitely the ballsiest horror film of the last decade, it didn't take any prisoners, everyone was fair game and it gave the censor a big middle finger, because of that it has my respect. It's a fun ride, even if it did feel a little long for a 90 minute horror film. See it with a good audience the atmosphere will take care of itself, stay after the credits for a "groovy" post credits scene and just try to have fun with it. Not perfect, not horrible, almost right. 3.6/5
Bechdel Test: There are 3 female characters they talk to each other sometimes about things other than men, this film passes the Bechdel Test
Saturday, 8 June 2013
Fast & Furious 6 Film Review
Fast & Furious 6 - "You've got the best crew in the world standing right in front of you, give them a reason to stay."
Our globe trotting team are back this time to take down a European criminal known as Owen Shaw, Luke Evans nails the villain, his mannerisms and tone of voice are perfectly suited to a sinister individual. This film exceeds where 5 lacked a little even though Fast 5 was extremely entertaining. Fast 6 is more focused on a villain that the crew faces as opposed to being a heist movie like Fast 5. It creates an interesting dynamic between a notorious heist crew and the law enforcement agencies that need their help. A sweet bromance starts brewing between Hobbs and Dom which is quite comedic they have some terrific banter a lot of great back and forth dialogue. Fast 6 was advertised as Michelle Rodriguez's return to the Fast & Furious franchise which was supposed to be a selling point I suppose but I didn't really care, her character is emotionless and shallow, she's really just an insignificant love interested for Vin Diesel. But alas she returns with amnesia which is why she doesn't recognize any of the original crew. In a small way it creates a little bit of drama for Dom as he tries to rescue her from the clutches of Owen Shaw but her character ark is predictable.
The action is why people see these films and there is plenty to feast on. Director Justin Lin throws in some street racing as homage to the earlier films but it's mostly Crew V. Crew. London is the films setting and the cinematography is gorgeous, many familiar buildings and landmarks are used to help make it relatable to the audience. The acting on behalf of the cast is serviceable and Director Justin Lin plays to their strengths, so comedic banter is prevalent and the dramatic scenes are glancing and rare. There are some wonderful additions to the cast such as Gina Carano from "Haywire", she was hired specifically for her mixed martial arts skills, she's not a good actress so she has very little line work but she does throw down with the best of them. The most interesting addition to the cast was Johannes Taslim aka Jah from "The Raid: Redemption". Again hired for his martial arts skills, he has a fantastic hand to hand combat scene in the tubes of London's underground train network, his English isn't terrific so he's basically a glorified stuntman but a damn good one.
The most breath taking action sequence albeit ridiculous I've seen all year is left for last, you've seen it in the trailer as the Russian cargo plane attempts to take off from a London airport and the crew have to stop it, the runway must be 50 kilometers because it is a long damn scene, the choreography and blocking of this action set piece must have taken weeks of rehearsal as it shifts from a speeding convoy to multiple hand to hand combat scenes in the plane. It's truly a sight to see. The whole film is physics defying fun, don't take it too seriously and just enjoy the ride. It did feel a little long in the middle as they try to flesh out some character development between Dom and Letty which could have been left on the cutting room floor but other than that it's a near perfect summer blockbuster. Can't wait for Fast 7, it's definitely in capable hands. 4.5/5
Our globe trotting team are back this time to take down a European criminal known as Owen Shaw, Luke Evans nails the villain, his mannerisms and tone of voice are perfectly suited to a sinister individual. This film exceeds where 5 lacked a little even though Fast 5 was extremely entertaining. Fast 6 is more focused on a villain that the crew faces as opposed to being a heist movie like Fast 5. It creates an interesting dynamic between a notorious heist crew and the law enforcement agencies that need their help. A sweet bromance starts brewing between Hobbs and Dom which is quite comedic they have some terrific banter a lot of great back and forth dialogue. Fast 6 was advertised as Michelle Rodriguez's return to the Fast & Furious franchise which was supposed to be a selling point I suppose but I didn't really care, her character is emotionless and shallow, she's really just an insignificant love interested for Vin Diesel. But alas she returns with amnesia which is why she doesn't recognize any of the original crew. In a small way it creates a little bit of drama for Dom as he tries to rescue her from the clutches of Owen Shaw but her character ark is predictable.
The action is why people see these films and there is plenty to feast on. Director Justin Lin throws in some street racing as homage to the earlier films but it's mostly Crew V. Crew. London is the films setting and the cinematography is gorgeous, many familiar buildings and landmarks are used to help make it relatable to the audience. The acting on behalf of the cast is serviceable and Director Justin Lin plays to their strengths, so comedic banter is prevalent and the dramatic scenes are glancing and rare. There are some wonderful additions to the cast such as Gina Carano from "Haywire", she was hired specifically for her mixed martial arts skills, she's not a good actress so she has very little line work but she does throw down with the best of them. The most interesting addition to the cast was Johannes Taslim aka Jah from "The Raid: Redemption". Again hired for his martial arts skills, he has a fantastic hand to hand combat scene in the tubes of London's underground train network, his English isn't terrific so he's basically a glorified stuntman but a damn good one.
The most breath taking action sequence albeit ridiculous I've seen all year is left for last, you've seen it in the trailer as the Russian cargo plane attempts to take off from a London airport and the crew have to stop it, the runway must be 50 kilometers because it is a long damn scene, the choreography and blocking of this action set piece must have taken weeks of rehearsal as it shifts from a speeding convoy to multiple hand to hand combat scenes in the plane. It's truly a sight to see. The whole film is physics defying fun, don't take it too seriously and just enjoy the ride. It did feel a little long in the middle as they try to flesh out some character development between Dom and Letty which could have been left on the cutting room floor but other than that it's a near perfect summer blockbuster. Can't wait for Fast 7, it's definitely in capable hands. 4.5/5
Sunday, 2 June 2013
The Hangover Part III Film Review
The Hangover Part III - "Did you know your name used to be Carlos? I think it suits you better."
The original Hangover was a very competent comedy film where the dynamics of the main characters clashed and created all sorts of hilarity, the structure was also different and interesting, a lot of people didn't like The Hangover Part II because it adhered to the same structure but that's the selling point for me, get drugged > wake up > find Doug > hilarity ensues. With The Hangover Part III the structure is thrown out the window and it's just to put it bluntly a very boring film with little to no plot. Alan's father dies at the beginning of the film which brings the Wolf-pack together and they notice than Alan has changed, he treats his family very poorly & is no longer on his medication so the Wolf-Pack decide they should send him to a rehab facility to get better. Here is red flag number 1, in the original two films Alan is the lovable idiot with funny lines, in this one he's turned into an asshole with no redeeming qualities, he's not likable anymore and he's arguably the funniest character of the franchise. Red flag number 2 Bradley Cooper as Phil is no longer the lovable foul mouthed asshole, in fact he's not anything, he isn't mean in his usual charming fashion, he doesn't call anyone a cunt he's just there and frankly as an actor way above this material. The film focuses way more on Ed Helms as Stu, Zach Galifianakis as Alan & Ken Jeong as Mr. Chow who is unbearably irritating.
Chow is a character you have to use sparingly, introduce him halfway through the film as an antagonist that adds to the drama but don't ever leave the spotlight on him too long. In this film he's in almost Every.Damn.Scene and he serves no other purpose but to move the paper thin plot along. The plot is a joke, it's as simple as John Goodman play's a rich man who kidnaps Doug & forces the Wolf-Pack to find Mr. Chow because Chow stole $21,000,000 dollars in gold bars from him. Mr. Chow proves difficult to catch, always JUST out of arms reach and hilarity is supposed to ensue except it doesn't. Even Melissa McCarthy couldn't save this film with her slightly amusing cameo. If you're going to throw out the structure and revisit the same setting as the first film which is risky then change up the cast, why not include Doug on the adventure this time? Why not have a woman join the cast and let Melissa McCarthy accompany them? I feel it would have been a much better movie to adhere to the Hangover structure and just have them in a wild new setting, even crazier than Bangkok. They always talked about using South Africa in the third film but people got angry about Part II so now we have this lazy, dull unfunny film set in Las Vegas and they don't even exploit Las Vegas like they did in the first film, they visit one casino, that's it.
Todd Philips the director also wrote the screenplay and should get a lot of credit for coming up with the franchise and characters. 2/3 ain't bad but sadly like with a lot of trilogies the third film jumped the shark and needs to be desperately laid to rest. If you didn't enjoy the second film because of the structure then by all means you might enjoy this film, if you like the Hangover structure then you might be in the same boat as me and dislike this film greatly. It's just so disappointing because the first two Hangover films were the first American comedies to make me laugh out loud in the cinema in years, this one didn't even get a chuckle and had no vulgarity laced into the plot. I'm glad it's over and the cast are moving on I look forward to see what Bradley Cooper does next. 1/5
Bechdel Test: there are 2 female characters, they do not speak to each other, this film fails the Bechdel test
The original Hangover was a very competent comedy film where the dynamics of the main characters clashed and created all sorts of hilarity, the structure was also different and interesting, a lot of people didn't like The Hangover Part II because it adhered to the same structure but that's the selling point for me, get drugged > wake up > find Doug > hilarity ensues. With The Hangover Part III the structure is thrown out the window and it's just to put it bluntly a very boring film with little to no plot. Alan's father dies at the beginning of the film which brings the Wolf-pack together and they notice than Alan has changed, he treats his family very poorly & is no longer on his medication so the Wolf-Pack decide they should send him to a rehab facility to get better. Here is red flag number 1, in the original two films Alan is the lovable idiot with funny lines, in this one he's turned into an asshole with no redeeming qualities, he's not likable anymore and he's arguably the funniest character of the franchise. Red flag number 2 Bradley Cooper as Phil is no longer the lovable foul mouthed asshole, in fact he's not anything, he isn't mean in his usual charming fashion, he doesn't call anyone a cunt he's just there and frankly as an actor way above this material. The film focuses way more on Ed Helms as Stu, Zach Galifianakis as Alan & Ken Jeong as Mr. Chow who is unbearably irritating.
Chow is a character you have to use sparingly, introduce him halfway through the film as an antagonist that adds to the drama but don't ever leave the spotlight on him too long. In this film he's in almost Every.Damn.Scene and he serves no other purpose but to move the paper thin plot along. The plot is a joke, it's as simple as John Goodman play's a rich man who kidnaps Doug & forces the Wolf-Pack to find Mr. Chow because Chow stole $21,000,000 dollars in gold bars from him. Mr. Chow proves difficult to catch, always JUST out of arms reach and hilarity is supposed to ensue except it doesn't. Even Melissa McCarthy couldn't save this film with her slightly amusing cameo. If you're going to throw out the structure and revisit the same setting as the first film which is risky then change up the cast, why not include Doug on the adventure this time? Why not have a woman join the cast and let Melissa McCarthy accompany them? I feel it would have been a much better movie to adhere to the Hangover structure and just have them in a wild new setting, even crazier than Bangkok. They always talked about using South Africa in the third film but people got angry about Part II so now we have this lazy, dull unfunny film set in Las Vegas and they don't even exploit Las Vegas like they did in the first film, they visit one casino, that's it.
Todd Philips the director also wrote the screenplay and should get a lot of credit for coming up with the franchise and characters. 2/3 ain't bad but sadly like with a lot of trilogies the third film jumped the shark and needs to be desperately laid to rest. If you didn't enjoy the second film because of the structure then by all means you might enjoy this film, if you like the Hangover structure then you might be in the same boat as me and dislike this film greatly. It's just so disappointing because the first two Hangover films were the first American comedies to make me laugh out loud in the cinema in years, this one didn't even get a chuckle and had no vulgarity laced into the plot. I'm glad it's over and the cast are moving on I look forward to see what Bradley Cooper does next. 1/5
Bechdel Test: there are 2 female characters, they do not speak to each other, this film fails the Bechdel test
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