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.

Film Review - Marvel Avengers Assemble (in 3D)

Having enjoyed all of the Marvel movies to date (especially Iron Man onwards), I was looking forward to this film, but not quite as much as a lot of others seemed to be. I've been far more excited about Prometheus, The Dark Knight Rises and Brave, but this has proven to be everything I hoped it could be and more.
Writer/director Joss Whedon has a proven track record when it comes to dealing with ensembles, big-named or not, and uses the same sharp wit seen in Firefly and Buffy here. He realises that this film has no one star, and it's the interactions that make the characters who they are.
Iron Man should be the obvious star, the ego-maniac with the sharp tongue, but he doesn't get to steal the limelight. Hawkeye and Black Widow get something to do here; the former is simply a flawless archer with a quiver of tricks, the latter a manipulator, an expert at extracting information under the guise of weakness. With Buffy-esque kick-ass skills to boot. Captain America is the grounding force, all sincerity and concern, a true soldier, lost in the future. Thor is the pretty-but-dim alien who feels responsibility for protecting Earth from his brother's machinations, whilst still feeling that sibling bond.
Which brings us to the Big Bad, Loki. After a (ahem) low-key presence in the Thor movie, the prospect of his return as the villain did not excite me. Yet Whedon has somehow managed to make Loki threatening. Not by beating anyone up, or smashing things, but by simpy lighting the blue touch paper of conversation and retreating to watch the fireworks with malicious glee.
One of my favourite moments in the film- blink and you'll miss it- is when a few of the heroes pause to rescue a group of people out of a bus before returning to the carnage. And it suddenly dawned on me what the superhero films since Superman II have been missing. The human victims. The people. It doesn't matter how bad the evil villain(s) is/are if we don't properly see the consequences. It's a nice touch that wasn't lost on me.
If there is a stand-out character, a star of the show, it's The Hulk. Apparently Joss Whedon was quoted as saying that his aim was for people to exit excited for the next Hulk movie. Given the previous two Hulk instalments have done the opposite, it's an unexpected delight to state that he's succeeded. The CGI may not have improved, but Hulk's impulse to "smash" certainly gets the film's two biggest laughs.
Avengers is not only an enjoyable action-fest, but also one of the funniest films I've seen in years, featuring moments I can't wait to share with people.
Incidentally, I saw this in IMAX 3D and have to say it didn't warrant either IMAX or 3D. Just see it, preferably in a packed cinema, as soon as you can. Obviously, you'll get more out of it if you've seen Iron Man, Thor and Captain America beforehand, but I wouldn't say it's essential. I'm off to rewatch them now.

Film Review - Wrath of the Titans (in 3D)

I'm a huge fan of the old Greek/Roman myths, and love to see them on-screen, in any guise. Even the Clash of the Titans remake, which was mostly terrible, did enough things right to get me into this sequel. Unfortunately, I should have heeded the first one's warning. Rather than concentrating on the story of Perseus's further adventures, we get lots of ramble and crowbarred-in back story involving a son and a new love interest. But there's giving a character depth and development, and then there's just wasting the audience's time. It's a fine line, but this definitely falls into the latter category.
For example, when Perseus is presented with the legendary labyrinth, it looks impressive and unachievable. A matter of minutes later, he's in the centre. But at least that means it's time for his legendary battle with the Minotaur, right? A matter of seconds later, it's all over. Seriously, what have I paid money to see here?
The final, climactic battle with the mighty [insert name of whatever the giant lava thing is called] is quite visually impressive. But it's too late, I've had far too many naps by this point to give a shit.
And the 3D is still crap.

Film Review - Titanic (in 3D)

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the real-life tragedy, I waited until this weekend to see one of my favourite movies back on the big screen, and it doesn't get much bigger than IMAX. And if any film deserves to be seen on the biggest of big screens, it's Titanic.
This is the film that reversed the fortunes of its inspiration. The Titanic was the largest ship ever built. Labelled as "unsinkable", it famously sank on its maiden voyage. Before it was even completed, the 1997 film "Titanic" had pretty much entered the history books as the biggest flop of all-time, having gone ridiculously over-budget, over-schedule, missed its summer release date and had a famously disgruntled cast and crew. It went on to become the highest-grossing film of all-time, winning rave reviews from even the sniffiest of critics, and 11 Oscars.
History has, however, been somewhat rewritten. Rather than remaining a beloved and acclaimed film, it has gone on to become one of the most mocked and derided films ever made. Many claim they never liked it to begin with, but plenty did, and there are times when I feel like one of the few people left who will stand by it. Yes, even the Celine Dion song.
If I'm going to invest three-plus hours in doing something, I'd rather go with it than cross my arms and sniff at it. Fortunately, the lengthy running time zooms by faster than most movies half its length.
It's by no means perfect. It does have some seriously dodgy dialogue, and for a film that was so lovingly, painstakingly researched to the nth degree, it features some glaring anachronisms, most notably the sinking of some famous works of art that hang in museums today.
But even taking such goofs into account, there is still a lot of bang for your buck. Even those "rooting for the iceberg" can't deny that the second half's scenes of devastation are spectacularly realised.
But, ultimately, the film is not a story about the Titanic, it's a love story that happens to be set aboard the Titanic. The historical detail is merely window-dressing, there to enhance the story- the romance between engaged socialite Rose and homeless vagabond Jack. If you're not invested in their story, then the film likely won't work for you. And the story of Jack and Rose captivates me every time.
Kate Winslet and the late Gloria Stuart both received Oscar nominations for their performances as Rose, young and old respectively. However, there are two other stand-out performances that deserved more credit in my eyes, and that's without mentioning Kathy Bates's terrific turn as "the unsinkable" Molly Brown.
First is Frances Fisher, who plays Rose's mother. What could have been a purely villainous role is entirely undone in one scene where we finally see things from her perspective. Selfish, certainly, but sympathetic and understandable. Fisher plays every moment- mostly without words- to perfection, in every scene.
But the other performance has to be that of Leonardo DiCaprio. An actor who has done his absolute best to make people forget this movie, it remains, hands-down, his best performance. He injects Jack with so much life and verve that his enthusiasm for life is infectious, and it's easy to see why Rose would prefer a "fruitless existence" with him to that with her mother and Cal. DiCaprio has gone on to become a rather samey actor, and it's interesting to look back at this star-making role to see why the world fell in love with him in a very different role.
The film does have its own equivalent of Jar Jar Binks, in the thankfully more attractive form of Billy Zane. His Cal is lumbered with the film's most facepalm-inducing lines, and all that's missing is a moustache to twirl. Each time he opens his mouth, you wish he'd just kept it closed.
However, the biggest elephant in the room this time around is that of the 3D. I've been very vocal in my criticism of 3D, but this is one of the increasing number of exceptions. There were a few moments that stood out because of the 3D, and for the most part it was a pretty faultless conversion, although after the first hour or so you don't really notice it anymore. Did it make it a better film? No. Did it make it a worse film? No. Either way, it's just a great excuse to see this big movie on a big screen, where it belongs. And 15 years later, none of the magic has been lost.