DC have done it again! Thrown loads of money at a massive CGI fest that forgets that the script is where some of the best films start. Aquaman is a ludicrous premise, and many people were unsure how DC would manage to well adapt this superhero in their dark cinematic universe. The answer is they haven’t, and what’s left is another inconsistent, dull and dragged out DC Superhero film.
Re-releasing Deadpool 2 as a PG-13 festive comedy sounded like a fun idea. Marketing showed Deadpool kidnapping Fred Savage before reading him the bedtime story of Deadpool 2 in a running joke about the premise of The Princess Bride. This interesting premise did not work, and in fact was just a shameless money maker that … Continue reading Festive Re-Release is a Cynical Flop (Once Upon a Deadpool review)
It’s rare to see a film debut as this, but Boots Riley’s absurdist dark comedy is just that. Telling the story of a young African American telemarketer who speaks in a ‘white voice’ to sell to his clients, it’s themes, tone and ideas are utterly bizarre and pretty original. If Black Mirror was to make an fuelled movie, this would be it.
It’s always going to be a bold claim to make after the hugely successful Infinity War coming out, but Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the best superhero movie of 2018. Infinity War, with it’s exciting scenes and bold ending, was still fairly by the numbers. Huge CGI action and a dreadful subplot about Thor’s axe brought it down in my rankings. This, however, is such a powerful film, with amazing humour, incredible design and heartbreaking emotion.
Ready Player One has competition! It now may not be 2018’s film with the most Pop-Culture references, as Wreck It Ralph takes a trip through the Internet. Following on from 2012 Disney animation, Ralph Breaks the Internet is a fun and colourful sequel through contemporary technology, but one that will ultimately be lost by time.
The Coen Brothers are back! The masters of dark comedy have returned to smaller screens this time with their Netflix distributed western anthology film ‘The Ballad of Buster Scroggs’. After a limited theatrical release, it’s the first of their films to be distributed on a streaming platform. Though it seems a shame that the majority of viewers (myself included) won’t get to see the beautiful frontier locations on the big screen, it actually makes a perfect film for Netflix and a wonderfully enjoyable piece of entertainment.
Nativity came out in 2009 and was a charming festive treat. Naturally, as is the case with half-decent films, it was followed by two sequels, one poor and the other utterly dreadful. This latest instalment, while a mild improvement on the previous films, still sits in the bad sequel camp rather than alongside the far superior original.
Robin Hood is one of the most iconic tales in British Folklore. This latest adaptation steals from the rich source material to deliver another tale of the poor rising against the powerful. Ditching the tights and feathered hat, this reboot delivers a gritty origin story which massively favours style over substance.
Based on the hugely successful Swedish thriller novels, ‘The Girl in The Spiders Web’ is the latest adaptation of Lisbeth Salander’s adventures. The first in the series, ‘The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo’, opened in 2011 and was directed by David Fincher. A stunningly powerful piece, it set a towering bar that unfortunately is not met by this by-the-numbers action thriller.
I must preface this review by saying that I am not a ‘Potterhead’. I like the original Potter films, I think they’re perfectly fine. I was NOT, however, a fan of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first prequel in J. K. Rowling’s ‘Wizarding World’. I found it boring, lacking in story and favouring style very much over substance. It’s with surprise that I announce this latest film is actually even worse, and highlights a lot of major issues in Hollywood’s Franchise-Saturated market.
