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Lights Out (2016)
An excellent little horror film with heart and a solid message!
2016 has been a great year for first time directors. Earlier this year, Dan Trachtenberg brought us the brilliant, suspenseful thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane (whilst the ending of the film is debatable, the rest of it was an amazing, character driven piece), Tim Miller delivered the goods with a certain potty-mouthed anti-hero which grossed north of $700 million worldwide and Ilya Naishuller directed the superb Hardcore Henry which was vastly underseen (go out and buy the Blu-Ray, seriously. You've never seen Sharlto Copley quite like this and it was the most fun I've had in at the movies since Mad Max: Fury Road). I'm pleased to say that Lights Out director, David F. Sandberg joins this mob of directors and has brought us an excellent, tense and thriller film with Lights Out.
The film follows Rebecca (played the beautiful Australian actress Teresa Palmer) and Martin (played by the excellent Gabriel Bateman) attempting to understand why a demon keeps pursuing them and to get to the bottom of their mother, Sophie's (Maria Bello) depression. The film does a great job of delving into the dangers of depression whilst also delivering some genuinely creepy scares. I've seen quite a few horror films and can confidently say this this film features one of the most frightening ghosts in a long time. To be fair, the trailers made the film look like your everyday, generic ghost story, but Lights Out uses the ghost as a metaphor showing the audience the type of darkness that can manifest within the mind of someone dealing with depression.
The cast are all excellent, with Teresa Palmer and Gabriel Batman getting the lion's share of screen time. Bateman in particular is an excellent child actor - after last years "Room", it's tough to beat Jacob Tremblay but Bateman comes close. Sandberg frames the film pretty well, utilising the genre tropes to maximum effect. That being said, it is obvious that James Wan has had quite an influence with this film. Being the Producer of the film, there are signature Wan techniques such as creating a tension filled atmosphere and the excellent use of lighting.
However, the premise of the film is confusing at times. The rules created within the film are that the ghost, known as Diana, cannot appear in light (it is revealed later during the film that when she was alive she suffered from a rare skin condition which made her extremely sensitive to light). During some moments, there are scenes where she appears within barely lit rooms or lights are illuminating her. It begs the question, at what point is it too dark for her to appear? This might be a minor gripe, but the film plays a little too fast and loose with the premise. Another downside is one of the genre tropes - where horror film characters continually make illogical decisions. As I said before, Sandberg uses the tropes well, but this is a negative trope which is hated in most horror films. For example, characters are constantly wandering into dark rooms without turning lights on, knowing full well that there is a spectre out to get them or, as another example, when a character gets trapped in a room and her only source of light is out, she doesn't attempt to open the curtains (it is established that it is daytime). Little things like these are minor annoyances in an otherwise excellent film.
Lights Out is a brilliant little horror film which may be overshadowed by the bigger horror film on the block this year (The Conjuring 2). However, this is a horror film with a message and some genuine scares with terrific performances. I give Lights Out a 7/10.
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
Going boldly where no Star Trek has gone before...
Hey guys! I just got back from a special advanced screening of Star Trek Beyond (not advanced by much, I know!) here in Australia. I have to say, the film was great! In short, it fits snugly within the "Abramsverse" and pays homage to the original series quite well. Whilst I did have a few gripes, overall the film is quite good! Before I get on with the review, I'm going to fully disclose a few things. Firstly, I never saw any of the original films or the TV show (however, I know most of the references etc). Secondly, I was a massive fan of the 2009 reboot and can confidently say it is one of my favourite science fiction films - J.J. Abrams delivered a film that was both visually stunning and successfully rebooted a timeline in an extremely efficient and clever way that I now hold as the standard whenever I see a reboot. Now that that's out of the way...
Director Justin Lin (known for his work on The Fast and Furious franchise) is new to Star Trek and Sci-Fi in general. Going in, I was worried that he couldn't handle the elements that go into making a great Star Trek film and wasn't familiar with Sci-Fi elements. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Lin directs the film at a breakneck pace - but with a pretty big issue, which I'll touch on shortly. As a whole, the film feels very complete and tight with no loose ends. Simon Pegg and Doug Jung's script is excellent, balancing solid action sequences with a surprising amount of heart and humour. It is very evident that Pegg's gifted sense of humour shines through the script resulting in some genuinely funny moments - particularly several interactions with Bones and Spock who go off on a little bit of a side adventure. The old cast are amazing as always. Chris Pine as James T. Kirk turns in an excellent performance that brings the character arc of Kirk full circle from the first film by playing Kirk as a more mature version of the character that we saw him in the 2009 film. As for Spock (Zachary Quinto), his arc primarily revolves around his relationship with Uhura (Zoe Saldana) which I was a fan of as their relationship wasn't as fleshed out in the earlier films. Bones (Karl Urban) and Scotty (Simon Pegg) are both excellent here, but are mainly used as comic relief.
Onto the newcomers - both Idris Elba and Sofia Boutella are great in the film and make fine additions to the already brilliant case. Boutella plays Jaylah, an alien who the crew meet while stranded on the planet that Elba's character maroons them on after destroying The Enterprise. Jaylah is an excellent character who provides a few laughs but, as Kingsman fans would know, knows how to kick ass! She brings another level of physicality to her fight scenes and has an array of gadgets which make the action scenes fun to watch. Elba on the hand is a great villain and I certainly liked what they did with his character toward the end, he brings a certain menace to his character that was missing in Cumberbatch and Bana's villains.
On a technical level, the film is stunning visually with brilliant CG and an amazing score once again composed by the brilliant Michael Giacchino. However, I felt that the action sequences were sometimes poorly shot with the framing being too close to the action making it hard to make out who was who and where they are geographically within the shot. This also results in a lot of shaky-cam which is not very appealing. Additionally, the film suffers a bit of a slump during its second act and does tend to drag. This is very noticeable because the first and third acts are amazingly done and come and go with a very quick pace, particularly a VERY fun third act which involves a great call back to the 2009 film with Beastie Boys' - Sabotage.
All in all, Star Trek Beyond is another excellent film in what is now an excellent trilogy. Justin Lin has made an excellent science fiction film, full of action and heart that fits very well in the pantheon of the better Trek films within the sprawling franchise. The fan service also toward the end was also a nice surprise to those who have followed the franchise from the TV show and the original films. I give Star Trek Beyond 8 out of 10!
Ghostbusters (2016)
My 100 Honest Review of Ghostbusters (2016) (SPOILERS)
Alright guys, I've just got back from a screening of the new Ghostbusters film. It released here in Australia today and has been the subject of some pretty hefty controversy! We all know about the hate that this film received right of the gate, going as far as the trailer being one of the most disliked videos on Youtube. Granted, we didn't need a remake of one of the most beloved films of all time. Nobody asked for a remake but we've got one. Let me just say right out of the gate: I could not care about the "stunt casting" that many people have condemned about this film. Women or Men, the casting does not make a difference to me as I believe that gender does not necessarily have a specific role in film (unless the script calls for it). Additionally, I'm going to say that I was not a hater on the internet who had damned the film before it came out - I did, however, go in with low expectations because of the poor marketing of the film. Finally, I will not be comparing any of this film to the original in terms of quality, as we know that that's a losing battle! Now that that's over, onto the review!
Paul Feig is quite a decent director. Having directed more than a few episodes of one of my favourite T.V. shows (The U.S. Office), Bridesmaids which was a massive success, the less successful but still perfectly watchable The Heat and last years brilliant Spy, I was completely interesting in seeing Feig's take before going into this film. Let me just say, this has Feig's fingerprints all over it. If you're not a fan of Feig's style or comedy - BACK AWAY! Feig directs quickly and inserts some quite brilliant moments of humour into the film which comes very quickly and sharply. Unfortunately, most of the gags don't land and there is quite a bit of slapstick - which, to me, is the most laziest form of humour. For example, there is a scene where Holtzman (played by Kate McKinnon - easily the best new character of the bunch) is equipping the team with new weapons and Melissa McCarthy's Abby can't control the beam of the new Ecto-pack, which basically results in her being tossed around like a kid with a firehose for a good minute or two. To me, jokes like these aren't funny, are not intelligent and just feel straight out lazy. Let me touch on the cast really quickly. McCarthy is passable but she doesn't really bring anything new to the table. Kristen Wiig as Erin Gilbert is okay too and I have no bribes with her performance. She is the main character in this film and is our "in" into the film. Leslie Jones as Patty was, again, okay. I was initially concerned from the trailers that she's just going to be screaming the whole film and devolving into a stereotypical performance, but she was better than expected. Again, the standout of the new cast has to be Kate Mckinnon as Holtzman. Mckinnon brings a craziness to her character and is the "dark horse" of the new team. She has a certain energy that the others don't have and I'd love to see more of her! Chris Hemsworth as Kevin is another standout of the film. As seen from the trailers, he plays the idiotic receptionist and Hemsworth absolutely nails the performance, keeping his casual Australian accent. My favourite moment is when Wiig asks him not to listen to a conversation and Hemsworth responds with "I won't" covering his eyes. The villain, played by Neil Casey, is a bit of a misfire. He's just another lonely individual who has been bullied his whole life and ignored, wanting to get revenge - like Electro from The Amazing Spiderman 2 *shudder*. The cameos were brilliant! I expected the main Ghostbusters to make an appearance (R.I.P. Harold!) but I most certainly was not expecting Sigourney Weaver (stay during the credits) and Janine! Unfortunately there is not Rick Moranis though!
The plot of the film is pretty basic and follows the basic structure of the original film. The ladies bust a ghost and are not belived by anyone in the city until more ghost run rampant after a maniac sets them loose. There's also moments where they're looking for a residence (which includes a moment with a certain Firehouse) and where they Mayor attempts to shut them down. These are familiar elements which are brought back here and they mostly work well as they did the first time around. The climax of the film is certainly fun and very CG heavy (as you'd expect from a $140m movie called Ghostbusters). Altogether, I was quite surprised with this remake! No it is not as good as the original by any stretch. But, is it fun? Yes. Is it entertaining? Yes. To me, that's all you need from a film like this! I give it a good 7/10
Pain & Gain (2013)
HebsMediaReview: Pain + Gain
Director Michael Bay's (Transformers, The Island, Pearl Harbour, Bad Boys) latest theatrical effort, "Pain and Gain, details the struggle of Daniel Lugo, played by Academy Award Nominee Mark "Marky Mark" Wahlberg (Contraband, The Departed), a gym junkie who wants to live the "American Dream". So, what is the American Dream? According to Michael Bay, the American Dream is money, beautiful women, sweaty biceps and money. After attending a seminar held by Johnny Wu, played by Ken Jeong (The Hangover Trilogy, Role Models), Lugo gains enough confidence to go out and rob one of his clients Victor Kershaw, played by Tony Shalhoub (Monk, 1408), depriving him of his money and his possessions. In order to do this, Lugo recruits fellow bodybuilders, Anthony Mackie's (Gangster Squad, Real Steel) Adrian Doorbal and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's (The Rundown, G.I. Joe Retaliation) Paul Doyle. Other cast members include the beautiful Bar Paly, Rob Corddry (Hot Tub Time Machine, Warm Bodies), Ed Harris (The Rock, Gone Baby Gone) and Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect, Bridesmaids).
Despite the film's dark and brutal subject matter, which consists of torture, murder, kidnapping and extortion, Michael Bay paints his film with a comedic sheen. Personally, it felt unsettling laughing at the antics of the bumbling trio. Although the film is well acted (a very convincing Mark Wahlberg steals the show as a ruthless individual who would stop at nothing to get what he wants, see the scene where they attempt to kill Kershaw), the humour in the film felt off and not in line with the dark and bleak story. As with any other Michael Bay film, the cinematography (Ben Seresin) is excellent and does an excellent job of making a (for Michael Bay) low-budget film look much bigger. Furthermore, Steve Jablonsky does a great job with the score of the film, adding a tense atmosphere when needed.
Onto Michael Bay himself. This is one of Bay's best productions to date. Whilst he has told a "true" story before (Pearl Harbour), it was obvious that at least 70% of the film was fiction, however, much of Pain + Gain was indeed true, as seen in the Miami New Times articles by Pete Collins. While Michael Bay is certainly not one of the most highly regarded directors in the industry, he is arguably one of the best when it comes to the direction of action sequences, and to no surprise, Bay brings his excellent direction of action scenes into Pain and Gain's few action moments. Whether it is Dwayne Johnson on the run from the police or Mark Wahlberg attempting to flee custody, Bay's style is certainly a highlight. People familiar with Bay's other works may notice his crass and often dry humour. This is most certainly evident in Pain and Gain, where the humour is more a miss than a hit.
That said, the final minutes of Pain and Gain are excellent. Seeing the criminals get their just desserts whilst listening to Ed Harris' narration is both gratifying and was worth the wait. This is a story about criminals, and the moral of the story is that crime certain does not pay (however, in the case of Lugo, it pays only for a moment).
What are your thoughts on Michael Bay's Pain and Gain? Leave some feedback and comments below!
Pain + Gain: 7/10
The Good: - Acting - Michael Bay's style - The "true story" aspect - Strong cast - Excellent performance by Mark Wahlberg - Bar Paly
The Bad: - Jokes rarely land - Tonal issues
Elysium (2013)
HebsMediaReview: Elysium
Director Neill Blomkamp (District 9) delivers his science-fiction film, "Elysium". The film portrays Earth as a dirty, poverty-dominated land with citizens scrambling for food, water and shelter. Meanwhile, citizens with wealth have migrated to a massive space station, called Elysium, where there is no poverty, no war and no sickness. Max, played by Matt Damon (The Departed, The Bourne Identity/Supremacy/Ultimatum), suffers an incident which renders him terminal. This creates his drive to go to Elysium to heal himself.
The concept is very interesting, however, it is not original as seen in last years "Total Recall". Unlike the Colin Farrell actioneer, Elysium is a film that is extremely well directed, well scored, well shot, well written and well acted. It is cl
ear that Blomkamp is not a "one hit wonder" after the excellent District 9. As a large budget science-fiction film, it is expected that a large quantity of CGI will be used. Unlike other films of the genre, such as Transformers or the Star Wars prequels, the CGI of Elysium is used to advance the story, which is refreshing considering the huge amount of CGI- driven films these days. Furthermore, the CGI is excellent. Many scenes looked practical (such as the robots/droids of the film who act as police officers) and the CGI looked extremely organic. It should also be noted that, although Neill Blomkamp and Peter Jackson have publicly stated that District 9 rose out of the ashes of the failed Halo production, Elysium seems more "Halo-ey" with the actual space station being a literal Halo crawling with habitat and inhabitants.
First-time composer, Ryan Amon delivers an excellent score (which also sounds Hans Zimmer- esque) which makes the heart beat rapidly during intense action sequences whilst also slowing down the tone during heart-breaking sequences. The performances of Elysium are all excellent, with Matt Damon spearheading the superb cast which also consists of Jodie Foster (Panic Room, Inside Man), Sharlto Copley (District 9, The A- Team) and William Fichtner (The Dark Knight, Black Hawk Down). Matt Damon is excellent as the motivated Max, while Jodie Foster is equally brilliant as the evil political secretary of Elysium's defences. However, the standout of the film is Sharlto Copley, who delivers an astoundingly brilliant, edgy, hilariously-morbid and downright scary portrayal of Elysium sleeper agent, Kruger.
Much has been said about the premise of the film, the poverty-laden wasteland that has become Earth. However, the film is simply using this as a backdrop to place the story of Max and his struggle and not as social commentary. Although, it is evident that Blomkamp likes to deal with potential social issues such as racism and apartheid (as seen in District 9).
Elysium does have a couple of flaws, however. One of these is predictability. We know that eventually people will rise up and take control of Elysium, we know that the bad people will get what is coming to them. In an intelligent science fiction film, full of excellent aspects, this is one of the only issues which stands out. The other flaw is the shaky-cam during fight scenes.
Elysium is an excellent science-fiction film from director Neill Blomkamp, which delivers excellent action set-pieces, heart and drama. Neill Blomkamp, after delivering two excellent science fiction films, has now solidified himself as a director to watch out for.
What are your thoughts on Neill Blomkamp's Elysium? Leave some feedback and comments below!
Elysium: 9/10
The Good: - Damon, Foster and Copley deliver excellent performances - Organic CGI - Excellent practical effects - Excellent setting - Interesting concept - Excellent score - Excellent cinematography - We're a little closer to a live-action Halo film
The Bad: - Predictability - Shaky-cam
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
Absolutely Amazing!
So, this is my first ever review. IMDb readers may not believe this. A review up this early. However, I had the chance to see Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol early, thanks to a competition on the IGN website, at the IMAX theatre in Sydney Australia presented by none other than director Brad Bird and actor Simon Pegg. First off, the appearance of Bird and Pegg sparked enormous applause (with Bird accidentally tripping over stairs and Pegg stating that he almost had a coronary after watching Ghost Protocol and wishing that the audience would not have one). After Bird said to us what an immense project the film was, and that we were the first to view the film in the world (the Dubai premiere is on Thursday) the film rolled. The first thing I noticed, was Bird's directing style. It was different to the hectic camera-work/editing of J.J. Abrams (Although he did Produce the film), different to the styalized work of John Woo. In fact, Bird's directing is closer to Brian De Palma (Director of the first film). After being framed for a "gas leak" at the Kremlin, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), Benji (Simon Pegg) and Jane (Paula Patton) are disavowed by the American government, and the IMF (Impossible Mission Force) is shut down, leading the crew to stop a deadly terrorist from launching nuclear weapons and creating global nuclear war. To do this, they must travel to Dubai, Mumbai and Moscow. Let me just say, the movie was amazing in IMAX format. The scene showcased in the trailer with Cruise hanging off the Burj is absolutely fascinating, creating a heart pumping, adrenaline filled sequence. Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt, with Cruise being the usual awesome actor that he is. Patton not only provides eye-candy, but is also a central part to the team. Pegg's character, Benji, plays right into the actors wheelhouse, with both sharp wit and amazing sense of humor. Jeremy Renner's, Brandt, is also another awesome addition to the team, showcasing Renner's acting abilities. Individually, the actors are good, however, as a team, they function amazingly, and this is what must be done in order to achieve success in the latest Impossible Mission. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is an amazing action film, mixed with elements from the Bond and Bourne franchises, the film does not let up for one minute. Superior to the De Palma and Woo films, on par with the action masterpiece of J.J. Abrams' threequel.