Film Review - The Raid

A hugely enjoyable, viscerally violent film, this has you on the edge of your seat, heart pounding, face wincing, eyes desperately trying to keep up with the complicated, yet beautiful fight choreography.
The action isn't quite as non-stop as many reviews claim, but the film is better for that, as whilst the plot may be slight, there is more than enough to keep you invested and interested. The cast are superb, a recognisably diverse range of faces and characters, each giving their roles their all.
The first half of the film is brutal, and the fights feel real- this isn't a case of men lining up to be knocked out with one punch- they are seriously put out of action, and are left suffering in pain on the floor for the rest of the film. Unfortunately, the second half then lets this down as it becomes more and more generic, as the film's thrills peak well before the halfway point. But it is a minor gripe as I already can't wait to see it again.
Welsh director Gareth Evans is a star in the making. Hollywood will be beating down his door with the ferocity of his characters. Part of me hopes he turns them down, and stays in Indonesia, if this is what he continues to produce.

Film Review - Dark Shadows

Tim Burton is an acquired taste. I'm frequently finding myself questioning whether or not I've enjoyed his films, and over the last decade he's gone a bit mainstream, so I've generally leaned towards the positive. However, Dark Shadows is definitely more old-school Tim Burton, and again, I can't decide if it was good or terrible. I'd have to conclude that it's a bit of both.
The production values are as high as ever, as the visuals have a unique quirkiness that only Burton can bring, including its purple-heavy colour palette and distinctive art direction. The visual effects are, at times, amazing, particularly towards the end when Eva Green's porcelain skin cracks like an egg.
Helena Bonham Carter isn't given much to do, but doesn't do it very well. Johnny Lee Miller is similarly wasted, and it's only Michelle Pfeiffer who has enough screen presence to command your attention; only to have her vampish matriarchal role virtually disappear in the final act. Chloe Grace Moretz is certainly no better or worse than she's ever been, although she's growing up fast. Eva Green's mugging become very tiring very quickly, making her look both stunningly beautiful and oddly grotesque at the same time.
As for Johnny Depp, it's fair to say he's phoning it in. Ordinarily, you can see why women would fight over him, but Tim Burton has a unique knack of desexualising one of the world's most handsome men, and does so again here. His now familiar British accent has lost both its impact and novelty value, and his acting treads the fine line between larger than life and hammy- but fortunately avoiding the latter. Just.
And yet, the whole thing is rather tedious. Very patchy in style, story, and tone, it toys with elements of horror, melodrama, comedy... But never achieves any of them. It's never less than entertaining, but does get a little tiresome as you're wondering where it's going before discovering the answer is nowhere.

Film Review - 21 Jump Street

TV shows being made into movies is nothing new, and is a trend that is unlikely to end any time soon. I can't say I ever remember watching 21 Jump Street, but was aware that Richard Grieco was expected to be a big star thanks to this show (evidently, not to happen) and that Johnny Depp played a character I mistakenly, though understandably, thought was called Handsome (I believe it was actually Hanson).
So it's fair to say I came at this afresh, and as concepts go, it's a pretty decent one. Recently trained police officers who look younger than their age are sent back to high school, undercover. Whether either Jonah Hill or Channing Tatum fit this description is not actually relevant, since even the film itself takes pleasure in pointing out that they don't.
Such meta references are actually part of this film's success. For example, when they shoot a petrol tanker, they- and we- are surprised when it doesn't explode, and Ice Cube addresses that he is the "angry black captain", etc. You get the gist, but they are careful not to overdo it.
But ultimately it's no more than your average, run-of-the-mill action comedy. It's a fun way to pass a few hours, but is unlikely to leave a lasting impression, nor have you flocking back to see if again.

Film Review - Safe

Jason Statham is carving out quite a decent career for himself. He has the requisite looks, charisma and physicality to pull off the action hero not seen since Bruce Willis had hair. This adds very little new to his acting canon, but does at least maintain a standard of consistency he's kept up since (after) the last Crank film.
It's your basic McGuffin thriller about a man who has been (very and repeatedly) wronged, and sets out to set things right- not out of revenge per se, but to ensure the safety of the McGuffin- in this case, a young girl. Unfortunately, said young girl is not the greatest actress in the world, but she's not enough to weigh this film down to anywhere near intolerable levels. It does get pretty brutal and sways into some dodgy moral territory, but as a nuts and bolts thriller it does the job well.