Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom ****

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Posted: 15/07/2018

The demise of the theme park or ‘Jurassic World’ was always on the cards in the previous 2013 film. Humans are just too tasty a treat on an island surrounded by carnivorous dinosaurs. The latest film feels very eerie indeed, given recent news events with an active volcano in Hawaii – the film-makers could never have known how topical their second ‘World’ film, Fallen Kingdom would become. This element of reality further bolsters the film’s credibility, ironically, given dinosaurs are involved. It also presents man’s blatant arrogance and greed in no uncertain, ugly terms.

This time Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) – who is now a dino-preservation convert – are called back to the island to help cage up some of the existing dinos for transportation to private land in the US, before the island’s volcano erupts.

They soon discover that regardless of the elderly financier’s wish to conserve, his business manager (played by Rafe Spall) has ulterior motives, involving the world’s richest people and biggest wallets. Owen and Claire have a race against time to save beasts from man – as well as a final decision to bring both closer than ever before.

The gravity-defying, lava-dodging moments in the first half are a CGI feast of silliness but sheer breath-stopping wonder. It’s because our likeable leads of Owen and Claire have an honest purpose and we are invested in them – even after three years – that we let the film-makers off. Indeed, Pratt and Dallas Howard still have a great deal of chemistry that will last well into the planned third ‘World’ film. They absolutely deliver.

The dinosaur effects are still superb to watch and the return of Blue gives that crucial link between us and them. The new fighting creature is kept as much of an enigma to tease fans’ tastebuds for more in 2021, complete with a brief but poignant appearance from Jeff Goldblum’s Dr Ian Malcolm.

The downside to being ‘film piggy in the middle’ is while there is still lots and lots of action and dino scares to enjoy here, it’s still a film setting us up for the epic confrontation in film three. And there is just no getting away from that. On the plus side, we can be appeased with knowing Owen and Claire still a strong team, ready to fight the final battle to come.

Fallen Kingdom obliterates the dinosaurs’ habitat but places them in our midst. It is a frightening concept, given the advances of DNA science and too much power in some corporation’s hands in reality. This film feeds off that, as well as has enough dino and man heroes to be a solid 12A contender at the box office.

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Show Dogs **

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Posted: 15/07/2018

Dog is a man’s best friend – or so they say. Show Dogs is the latest canine outing from Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Scooby-Doo director Raja Gosnell that ought to have some pedigree to it by now. Added to which, we just can’t get enough of cute animals showing humans up on film.

The plot is predictable: Max is a no-nonsense Rottweiler police dog (voiced by Ludacris) paired with a human cop partner in Frank (Will Arnett) to solve the mystery of a missing panda. This leads them to go undercover at a prestigious dog show in Las Vegas. They (naturally) don’t hit it off to begin with but warm to each other in the end. Oh and there are lots of other doggie personalities accompanying them along the way, including a papillon called Philippe (voiced by Stanley Tucci), a camp former show champion with a liking for human pampering and beds.

Dogs and human (Arnett) are ready to entertain in this latter-day Turner & Hooch but, as likeable as the ensemble is, it never rises to more than run-of-the-mill walkies in humour, plot or slapstick. Even adding a touch of canine Miss Congeniality to the equation fails to give it some bite in the action/crime stakes.

Arnett plays the human sidekick well, acting the fool when doggie co-star Max requires him to, while learning lots of valuable life lessons along the way. He also seems to be the only human questioning what the animals want/are thinking – the others, like the chief of police, seem to instinctively know what the dogs are thinking which goes unexplained.

The stars voicing the animals inject some much needed character into them, if it wasn’t for the off-putting, out-of-sync jaw moves that such animation suffers from. Only Tucci’s Philippe comes out unscathed as a rather twitchy dog, constantly living on frazzled nerves.

The gags are old, but still get kiddies’ sporadic laughs. In fact, anything toilet humour-related, although feeling somewhat lazy, always triggers the youngsters’ giggles – and this film certainly has that safety net to fall back on. Philippe may be a discarded dog show star, but he’s definitely the one the kids remember long after viewing, as the rest of the dog show is geared towards committed lovers of pets and animal talent shows.

Show Dogs does exactly what it says on the tin; feeds fans of such family entertainment but with little meaty substance. As much as you want to feel satisfied in laughs, the effect is as short-lived and superficial as some of the talent contest paraphernalia.

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Sherlock Gnomes **

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Posted: 15/07/2018

Making a movie about common garden gnomes was sheer genius back in 2011. That alone pricked curiosity enough to watch the animation. Add some Elton John songs, and you’re onto a musical winner. The first film also worked because it was set in a garden pocket of England with real-world problems that endeared the little cast to you.

Fast forward seven years to Sherlock Gnomes, and the film-makers believe our gnomes need a bigger setting and a bigger challenge to tackle. Gnomeo (James McAvoy) and Juliet (Emily Blunt) are moved to London with their extended families and friends, only to get caught up in a gnome kidnapping spree. Enter Sherlock Gnomes (Johnny Depp) and his trusted sidekick Dr Watson (Chiwetel Ejiofer) to help discover where the gnomes have gone and go head to head with the culprit.

There is nothing wrong with the new film in terms of providing adequate family entertainment, and the little cast have enough charisma to just about pull this through. Indeed, there’s always the opportunity to have a singalong to an Elton song.

It’s the plot that feels a bit samey. Perhaps there have been too many family-centric films recently in quaint old London-town, complete with its landmarks that end up with the standout in/around a museum, particularly the Natural History Museum (Paddington 2 etc). The latter must be loving all the promotion.

This is part of Sherlock Gnomes’ problem; there is nothing of interest that really stands, even though our characters are an ensemble piece of A-list voices. Placing garden gnomes in an action adventure might sound like the next progression in the franchise, but it must be one that is well-written, rather than opting for the lazy ‘sightseeing’ option.

The only thing that jogs the memory is the scene featuring Irene, a spurned stage doll with a chequered history with our famous detective, voiced by Mary J. Blige. That’s when things get interesting, just for s second. The rest, although cute, is rather predictable. It’s also an odd mix of a Sherlock Holmes angle interwoven with upbeat Elton songs too.

If there is a third outing, it does need a good screenwriting hand. These characters became little treasures out of nowhere before seven years ago, and there is still a feeling they should be preserved for future audiences to enjoy.

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The Strangers: Prey at Night ***

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Posted: 08/07/2018

The idea of strangers killing for no known reason still triggers a deep-rooted fear of ‘stranger danger’. It’s a primal fear so raw and designed to keep us on our toes that it always offers plenty of mileage on the big screen.

It’s been ten years since the last The Strangers film, an eerie home invasion horror that proves once again that going to isolated houses is never the best idea. This time it’s mobile holiday homes, widening the killing playing field outside of the four walls of the 2008 film. There are still three unknown, masked assailants hunting their innocent prey – this time in a misty holiday park.

Thanks to the first, we know there is no apparent motive for the strangers’ cold-bloodied killings – even though we still hold out hope to be enlightened. After this film’s family – including ‘Mom’ played by Christina Hendricks – arrives at its destination, the film builds a convincing gloomy, shadowy atmosphere, punctuated by bursts of light that give it a vivid 70s’ horror production value. The darkness seems to ‘feed’ off the negativity surrounding the family too.

Ironically, it’s the sense of being under siege that unites the troubled relatives – after a poignant moment addressing the modern-day reliance on mobile phones fails to do so. With atmosphere and some impressive wide long shots that end up with the focus on one character to sum up the situation at that moment, and the impending doom coming out from the shadows ‘behind you’, the film falls down the confused escape sequences. Granted, they are meant to give a sense of disorientation but failed to add context to what’s happening, relying on the next wide to do so.

The rest is a generic, blood-curdling, body-slashing, squelching fest with the requisite ‘dead-not-dead’ horror moment that renders the threat almost supernatural. Things become a little comical at times because of the nature of the erratic escape scenes affecting the pacing.

However good Ryan Samul’s cinematography is at providing a decent chill factor and giving the prey more chance and space to escape this time, there needs to be more to feed the bloody frenzy. Indeed, in the first, Liv Tyler gets to ask her tormentors why, which is what you are left wondering in this case – short of the strangers not liking trailer parks?

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Ready Player One ***

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Posted: 07/04/2018

Gamers rejoice; Steven Spielberg has a treat for you in a Virtual Reality world. To some this is a dream come true. To others it feels like a living nightmare, as the end suggests in the usual moralistic manner about the importance of human interaction. This is sci-fi fantasy fodder for anyone dreaming of escaping reality and ‘starting over’. At the same time, it is homage to the 80s in sound, visuals and attitude.

It’s 2045 and people can escape their harsh reality in the OASIS, an immersive virtual world where you can go anywhere and be anyone, all designed by ‘geek’ Anorak/James Halliday (Mark Rylance). After his death, players discover they can win control of the OASIS by collecting three keys to unlock the next round, the clues leading to where they are hidden in this immense world.

Player Parzial (Wade, played by Tye Sheridan) enlists help from co-player Art3mis (Samantha, played by Olivia Cooke) to solve the puzzle, but not before being pursued by Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn) who runs the ‘evil’ big corporation trying to gain Halliday’s OASIS before anyone else does.

Think The Matrix for gamers, and Spielberg’s fanboy amusement mixes nostalgia and action in IMAX grandeur, assaulting your visual senses as it pulls you into the VR world and makes you as much part of the search as its leads. If it all gets too futuristic, there are the 80s ‘comforts’ to cling to and enjoy for a split second before you are dragged onto the next onslaught.

There is no resting until the puzzle is solved. In fact, what might be thrilling for some is too ‘virtual’ for others with only smatterings of ‘21st century reality’ to compare events to. As exciting as the VR visuals are, there is a sense of being lost that makes you want to check out for a moment and take off the headset yourself, before Parzial does. Indeed, Spielberg succeeds in reproducing the gamers’ paradise that feels alien to the rest of us.

While Mendelsohn donates any scene he appears in, this is not about the characters – whether intentional or not. There are no solid character arcs. What drives the film is the visual navigator that plunges us into the spectacular worlds, with the film not lacking imagination. For this reason, it is fully realised on the IMAX screen, and totally immersive.

Ready Player One feels like the next step in Spielberg’s cinematic arsenal, a real test for his loyal fans and a demonstration of what he can achieve next. However, if first-player video gaming is not your bag, you might struggle with this – even resent it for trying to connect with you on a personal level with its ‘trendy’ retro 80s references. It is a love-hate experience and quite a big, ballsy experiment for Spielberg.

3/5 stars

By @Filmgazer

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LFF 2017: The Square ****

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Posted: 07/04/2018

With all the talk of social media impact nowadays on society and its ugly ‘selfie-centred’ nature, the new art project from Swedish writer-director Ruben Östlund called The Square is a wonderfully eccentric way to look at human vanity and vulnerability caught up online. In fact, like a lot of his characters, the lead in this, Christian, a chief curator of a stylish Stockholm museum – played by Danish actor Claes Bang – is the epitome of arrogance and privilege that gets Östlund’s classic screen dissection and ‘punishment’ for daring to lord it over the less powerful.

Christian’s super glamorous life unravels after he is a victim of a pick-pocketing crime in an elaborate street heist. His desire to turn amateur sleuth and locate the culprit is as much a danger to his social standing as it is a much-needed inject of ‘excitement’ into his rather gilded existence.

The beauty of this Palme d’Or-winning film is watching a visually titillating fall from grace, as Östlund uses atmospheric moments coupled with stunning – sometimes starkly-lit – cinematography to recreate tension and equally, passion. At the same time he challenges social boundaries in a confrontational manner, using the main art feature of ‘The Square’ in a way that is equally shocking as it is awkwardly ‘hysterical’. The characters, like Christian, fumble in their attempts to regain control as social media and its electronic devices do their dirty work.

Bang is utterly charismatic in the role as our devilish guide on a perilous journey. He is one we initially sympathise with, then covet, and finally ridicule. His respite is a controversial scene which has almost taken over the film’s marketing, with Terry Notary playing a chimpanzee-obsessed performance artist at a museum patrons’ dinner that all goes horrifically wrong. This too, challenges our concepts of what ‘art’ is and where we draw the line.

The Square has great appearances from Dominic West as a visiting artist and The Handmaiden’s Tale‘s Elisabeth Moss as a TV arts correspondent who lives with a real ape and has sexual relations with another (Christian). All the while this supporting cast challenges Christian’s being with intriguing effect that it’s anyone’s guess what fraction of his previous existence will remain when the dust eventually settles.

Again, The Square likes to hold the supposed ‘aspirational’ middle-class Scandinavian lifestyle to account and provoke it in a darkly sinister fashion. Östlund achieves this goal in a beautifully scripted and well-crafted film.

4/5 stars

By @Filmgazer

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Peter Rabbit ***

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Posted: 07/04/2018

Older fans of Peter Rabbit stories from their childhood may find this modern-day, ramped-up version from writer-director Will Gluck a little ‘chaotic’ to bear in the first ten minutes. It’s a bit like watching the ‘naughty kid’s’ take on how the country animals that legendary author Beatrix Potter lovingly created should behave and be treated. Indeed, some might argue that Potter will be turning in her grave at the movie adaptation.

But before the naysayers jump in, the tale needs to be brought up to date for today’s kids audience – and as much as we parents might hate to admit it, the youngsters are used to a frenetic visual diet on screen. What Gluck does do is pause for moments that are more thought-provoking and tender so that Peter Rabbit does not lose its heartwarming effect.

The voice of Peter is provided by James Corden. Admittedly, this was this reviewer’s initial dread before viewing. However, fan (or not), there is a great sigh of relief that the excitable Corden tones do not dominate the animated character. In fact, Peter needs that naughty nature to him, so Corden is a good fit, bringing the daring little bunny to life.

The rest of the actors lending their voices to the animals are just as satisfactory as any ‘overplay’ is the remit of the humans in it; Rose Byrne as Bea (Potter) and Domhnall Gleeson as Mr McGregor. Both play larger than life and are fun to watch, especially the latter that fits the ‘baddie’ part perfectly with his icy stare and clown-like antics.

The charm is still there, though perhaps too watered down for some tastes. Think of this as ‘Peter Rabbit the action movie’ going in, with enough high jinx to keep the kids entertained but obviously patchy in parts, prompted by the youngsters’ attention span waning during the more wordier scenes. It does all work though in the end, providing enough family entertainment to fill a couple of hours of the Easter break.

3/5 stars

By @Filmgazer

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Red Sparrow ***

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Posted: 24/02/2018

Red Sparrow is a film lead actress Jennifer Lawrence has been quoted as being ‘very proud’ of, but one that has its fair share of controversy attached because of the many scenes of abuse, nudity and violence that generally involve Lawrence’s character, spy Dominika, as the recipient. This can be substantiated by the fact that there were such ‘Sparrows’ trained in Soviet Russia to use seduction techniques in espionage on their opponents, though the actual scenes portrayed will make for uncomfortable viewing for some.

It is definitely a very adult film choice for Lawrence to do, one that her Katniss fans might be old enough to watch, but surprised at their acting heroine taking on, considering her advocacy in the recent Time’s Up movement against sexual harassment. They can take some comfort from knowing that her and Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence — who directs her in this — worked closely together, making sure what was portrayed was in proportion and relevant to the story.

Lawrence plays a prima ballerina in the Bolshoi Ballet who gets launched into the espionage world against her will, after a career-changing accident and the ever-present, looming influence of her dubious Russian intelligence uncle, Vanya Egorov (Matthias Schoenarts). She must train and survive as a ‘Sparrow’ to care for her sick mother, Nina (Joely Richardson). However, her mark, CIA agent Nate Nash (Joel Edgerton) — who she must seduce for information — changes her course, threatening not just their lives but the lives of others.

Definitely not for the faint-hearted, rather than be appalled at Lawrence’s character’s treatment in this, you might equally praise the actress for such a brave and bold move. What happens to Dominika is acutely timely, given the Time’s Up debate, and is ironically, very relevant, given the project was started three years before. Indeed, it is hard not to think about the actress’s hacked nude photos and her feelings of being violated back in 2014 when watching this, almost as though taking this on, is her way of controlling how you see her body – admittedly, on a bigger screen.

Controversy aside, Lawrence is captivating in her portrayal of a poker-faced spy, and although the scenes of brutality feel continuous – and the run-time too drawn out, there is a torturous realism to their impact that feels relentless. Still, it is unsettling seeing a female being abused in this way, however much she gives back. Actually, the spy training has some of the most shocking scenes that involve steely-faced Charlotte Rampling as Matron directing affairs.

The only cast member that feels a trifle ‘miscast’ in this is Schoenarts, who is supposed to be a rather twisted individual. Putin resemblance aside, the actor’s handsome looks are pleasant on the eye, but he just does not have the required gravitas to carry off this role with utter conviction, however much the actor gives it his all. This is further emphasized when his character plays alongside stalwart, legendary co-stars, Jeremy Irons and Ciaran Hinds in this.

Red Sparrow is aimed at fans of a good Cold War drama, but feels too stylized to have the real raw impact it could potentially have had. Whether intentional or not, such a ‘polished’ production does provide titillation and some concern that certain scenes are ‘enjoyed’ for all the wrong reasons, regardless of well-meaning intention. That said there is always a danger of that with any abuse on screen that is scripted, and Red Sparrow is no different.

Still, action-packed and unforgiving in nature, Red Sparrow will be as divisive for fans as Mother! was for Lawrence, though the actress’s character has power in this. The ending does leave things open for a sequel though: You be the judge as to whether it warrants it.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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I, Tonya ****

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Posted: 24/02/2018

Some have questioned the making of a film about Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding and her ‘crime’, one that appears to give a platform for her side of the story about events leading to an attack on fellow figure skater Nancy Kerrigan in 1994. Getting another perspective is always the power of cinema, so this is a welcome thing.

What I, Tonya really highlights is how such controversial events came to fruition and just how the cards were always stacked against Harding. That said it is not all-forgiving either. You will also realise after watching why actors Margot Robbie and Allison Janney are deserved of all their awards nominations.

Based on a true story, Tonya Harding (Robbie) has always loved ice skating – it’s the one thing she is good at in a generally miserable existence. Supported by a hard-nosed, alcoholic, single mother, LaVona (Janney), seemingly devoid of maternal instincts but working hard as a waitress to send her daughter to ice-skating lessons, Harding rises in the ranks to represent the U.S.A. in figure skating. However, Tonya’s future is thrown into doubt when her abusive ex-husband, Jeff (Sebastian Stan) intervenes in her career path.

Played out like a pseudo-documentary with characters speaking to camera – the fourth wall – and staged ‘flashbacks’, Craig Gillespie’s film, written for the screen by Steven Rogers, has deliciously comic undertones that almost ‘guilt-trip’ you into sniggering at them. This is the blackest of comedies that places you right into the abusive domestic affray of Tonya’s existence, and is sometimes – and quite surprisingly – an exhausting one to watch when you feel things might be changing for the better for our lead, only for them to come crashing down through outside intervention. Through lighter character traits and deadpan retorts, the sheer force of what you are experiencing gets defused.

Indeed, this film is a very physical one. It is about survival and does not shy away from portraying the physical and mental abuse of Tonya, in particular. Simultaneously, in an uncomfortable way too, it appears to ‘patronise’ those of lesser commonsense and social standing, so again, makes for unsettling viewing, even though the trailer might suggest otherwise.

Robbie is virtually unrecognizable in the role, totally transformed from her Wolf of Wall Street days. Violent, cussing and chain-smoking as Tonya, complete with the proverbial ‘flipping the bird’ to camera, it is a deviant breakout performance from the actress that shows her full potential. However, Janney steals the show as the apparent ‘cold-hearted’ LeVona, with only the suggestion of her tough past through hurtful comments that makes her character even more fascinating when she is on screen. It is without a doubt a part made for Janney’s acting expertise. In fact, the supporting cast is as faultless and quite brilliant too.

I, Tonya is a ‘championing the underdog’ film – whether you believe real-life Tonya deserves it or not, making it powerhouse viewing. The screen power is the strong women in it too, trying to rise above their rubbish lot. The irony is how Tonya ends up – channelling her ‘talents’ the only way how but refusing to go down like a true champ. You have to admire the real-life character for that.

4/5 stars

By @ FilmGazer

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