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Suicide Squad (2016)
Well, its more fun than anything else in the DCEU
I went into this with fairly low expectations, judging by the negative reviews from critics. I walked out feeling that, while not being that bad, and better than Man of Steel (3/10) or Batman vs Superman (2/10), Suicide Squad was flawed at several levels.
Firstly, the writing is sub par. There is little development of character prior to the disaster begins that the squad has to stop. Which happens about ten minutes too early. The pacing is awkward and some of the dialogue is, for lack of a better word, cringe worthy (especially Harley Quinn), which was a shame as (despite never reading the books) I really wanted to like the characters.
On that note, the characters are (mostly) disappointingly average, or simply annoying. In fact, the characters have been done better before this movie. Deadshot? Discount Deadpool. Diablo? Discount Dr Manhattan. To give credit where its due however, Diablo was the one character I actually liked, as his traits went beyond either "loyal" (Katana) or "aggressive" (Killer Croc). My least favorite is the Boomerang guy, who has practically nothing noteworthy to talk about. Also, half the time Harley was pretty cute and funny, and the other half of the time I was biting my fist in frustration. On the acting side of it, the actors mostly did a decent job, but sometimes Jared Leto was a bit too weird for me to watch easily.
To be fair, this is the best DCEU movie so far (saying very little). I mean, its just a bit of dumb fun, at times. But with weird lighting (especially in action scenes) a couple of irritating characters and a weird plot thread I feel this could have been much better. For a good David Ayer movie, go see Fury (7/10).
Watchmen (2009)
Snyder does Moore's classic graphic novel justice.
I was really worried that Snyder's Watchmen film would fail. I started watching it, and throughout the first half an hour I was dreading the possibility of failure. It certainly felt as though Snyder would not live up to expectations.
But when Watchmen got going, it was amazing. The characters were as interesting and complex as in the novel, and in particular I'd like to praise the performance of Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. His performance for this film has the same kind of impact as the late Heath Ledger had as the Joker in The Dark Knight. He is not in the movie. He is the movie.
Based on the novel, the story is unsurprisingly very good, and the script can hold many surprises for those who haven't read the comic. The effects aren't ground-breaking, but look the part. The themes of duty and justice work in this film, and I just can't deny the pride I feel for Snyder upon having made this. I'm not his biggest fan, having only seen 300 besides this (and that wasn't especially great).
If you love super hero movies, dystopian futures and gloomy, apocalyptic settings, you should enjoy this. It isn't for everyone; it's pretty violent at times, the soundtrack won't appeal to everyone, and its a long and complex yarn. But nearly everything worked, and I feel that it's a loyal, worthy adaptation of Moore's novel. Read the book first, and if you liked this, give this film a go.
Alien (1979)
Proof that Ridley Scott once made great movies. My favourite horror film.
With the exceptions of Gladiator and the Martian, Ridley Scott hasn't made a good film in far too long. I would never call myself a fan of Blade Runner, but Alien shows Ridley Scott as his finest.
The claustrophobic, psycho-sexual tension masterpiece that is Alien is a classic of Sci-Fi. It sparked a franchise including three sequels, two cross overs, and a prequel. It is in dozens of top 100 sci fi movies lists, and was listed as Empire's 33rd greatest movie of all time. Does the highest rated horror movie on IMDb deserve its praise?
Short answer: yes. Alien does have a handful of short-comings, such as some implausibilities including technology (the worst self destruct system of all time). These count for nearly naught. You won't be terrified by this movie, but it doesn't deny that this gripping film remains to be the perfect sci fi-horror film. While some good sci-fi horror films exist, such as Predator, The Thing and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, none have been able to replicate this movie's atmosphere and tension. Whether its the infamous Chestburster sequence, Dallas' death in the vents, or Lambert's off screen violation, there is no doubt that this psycho-sexual, claustrophobic, star wars turned R horror movie will be remembered by myself as Ridley Scott's greatest contribution to mankind. Score: 9/10 - enthralling
Spectre (2015)
Standard Bond fare is standard Bond fare. Little especially bad, little especially good.
Spectre is, in my point of view, a wasted opportunity. Not a bad Craig film, not even his worst (not a massive achievement what with Quantum), but certainly not his best. This is still a fun, entertaining and dark Bond flick, but too much of the film lies on covered ground in the Bond series, especially in plot.
Spectre takes place after Bond attempts to go solo in an operation in Mexico City. After preventing a terrorist attack on a stadium, he finds clues pointing towards a secret organization. The rest of the film follows on with established plot lines and predictable 'twists'.
As I'm writing this, I realize some will confuse my hate of the story with a passable '6' rating. In all fairness, the plot, while standard in context, is standard in quality. Yes, Spectre drives on established roads, but it has the Gaul to do so to a decent standard. The cast does a decent job, and some characters like C, Q and Dr Swan are interesting and realistic characters.
However, fun action doesn't make up for a disappointing villain, predictable plot and simply an idea that wasn't needed. I'll give Spectre a 6, its fun, and if you forget the predecessors its pretty good. Its just that it borrows too much from Skyfall and Casino Royale to get any higher.
Final Score: 6/10 - Decent
300 (2006)
Mind numbingly stupid at times, but entertaining enough to merit a pass.
300 should never be seen as a historical retelling of the battle of Thermopylae. The stylized blood, historical inaccuracy and bizarre monsters mean that it shouldn't really be taken seriously. But is that a bad thing? 300 isn't a 'bad' film as such, just not a particularly good one. Its rather average. Plot twists are given away far too early, the ending is very much an anti climax, and overall it could have been somewhat better. However, its not so much bad things which pull the film down, just that nothing is especially good. The cast is alright, the action is nicely stylized but occasionally not too good, overall the film is the definition of OK. I'm not a fan of the stylized colour scheme this movie uses, and the CGI overuse really takes away from a potential sense of scale. If there's two things id like to praise, it would be the beautiful costume designs and decent soundtrack.
Final Score: 5/10 - OK
Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie (2010)
A disgrace to the beautiful world of 40k
Um, what happened here? Dan Abnett on script? Terrance Stamp and John Hurt as voice actors? What happened? If you know nothing about the Warhammer 40k universe, do not watch this. Very little is explained about the back story and rather than an advert it should be seen as a promotional item. Ultramarines takes place on a deserted planet, where a squad of ultramarines, a captain and an apothecary have been sent to investigate a loss of communications with the local garrison. WHat they find is a planet overrun, and with the exception of two survivors, everyone is an enemy. Well, the films plot is dull, empty, with much opportunity for character development but there's only a handful of characters who seem to exist besides firing a gun three or four times. There's a plot twist which, while unexpected, isn't well done, and the cgi is sub par at best when no one has a helmet on. There's some good voice acting, but besides that Ultramarines should only be for the die hardest of fans, ready to see contradictions galore in the plot. 2/10 - Very bad
The Martian (2015)
A return to form for Ridley Scott, director of Alien and Gladiator.
The director of such movies as 'The Duellists', 'Blade Runner', 'Thelma and Louise', 'Gladiator' and 'Alien', Ridley Scott, has returned to the masterful level from whence he came. The beautiful landscape of Mars, a compelling and at times hilarious script, and an all star cast make this a spectacle, to be seen on the big screen. The film is NOT based on a true story, as some thought, but a fictional novel by Andy Weir. This outdoes the book in many aspects, something few films besides The Lord of the Rings manage. The film looks and sounds beautiful, there is a wonderful sense of atmosphere, and its a feel good movie. By the run of the end credits, you feel great, and while i'm not a huge fan of this genre (I was disappointed by movies like Interstellar, 2001 and Gravity) I still loved it. Besides a sense of predictability (even if you haven't read the book) and the fact that Sean Bean doesn't die, this movie is a great one, up there with Mad Max: Fury Road as one of 2015's greatest films. Final Score: 9/10 - Incredible
Interstellar (2014)
A satisfactory movie if you have no access to IMDb
Christopher Nolan directed the dark knight trilogy, in my view the greatest super hero trilogy ever. He also directed a fantastic sci fi Dream movie, inception. Perhaps my hopes were too high for this movie, I don't know. The point is, this is a film that wants to be great, but loses momentum. The first two thirds are well put together, introducing us to the characters and setting. The film has some great moments, but sadly nine out of ten of theme happen before the films final act. I call this the Prometheus of Christopher Nolan's repertoire, it falls apart towards the end, with a villain with nearly no motivation bringing the epic spectacle of suspense and mystery crashing down in a fireball of explosions, crummy dialogue and unexplained plot holes. I do not call this movie 'bad' at all. The second act is very well put together, and I was crying in my seat while watching it, hoping against hope that it would all turn out. However, I can't give this any more than a 6, the ending brings up questions and concepts the film couldn't hope to satisfy, and that brings me on to the ending. A disappointing, unsatisfactory conclusion, where if it were any other director everyone would be thinking that they were doing drugs while on script. (Sigh) Interstellar is in no way bad as such, with great acting and superb visuals. Lacklustre plot, bad volume mixing and an unsatisfactory conclusion however make this Christopher Nolans most mediocre film of the five I've seen. Your great at action Nolan. Go back to that please
The Hunt for Gollum (2009)
While it isn't the standard of the LOTR trilogy, The Hunt For Gollum is a solid fan film that is on par with the Hobbit movies in quality. Despite the low budget.
This fan film starring British actor Adrian Webster as Aragorn is a prequel to the Lord of the Rings. With some well choreographed action, a strong soundtrack and overall powerful presentation, The Hunt for Gollum is a solid film worth your time. The main issue is that it never really picks up. Until the final battle, the story is very much just walking (an issue with some of the Hobbit movies) and some of the acting, besides Adrian Webster's Aragorn, isn't great. Overall, this film is everything that a Lord of the Rings tie in of its type could be, although some poor acting and story pulls it down slightly. Not to deny that the action and cinematography is very strong, but not a masterpiece.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
I live, I die, I live again!!
Mad Max: Fury Road reignites the once dead franchise. While 1 was OK and 3 disappointing (still haven't seen 4)Fury Road fires Mad Max into near-perfection. The story is (extremely) simple, to the point where I knew who would live or die by the half way point. Some characters were undeveloped. Other than that, there are next to no flaws to this almighty film. Hypnotic action sequences, heart pumping soundtrack and top notch performances from the entire cast make Fury Road one of the best films in years. The car chases are some of the best action sequences film has ever seen, with great cinematography and soundtrack. And of course, explosions. Fury Road is easily the best Mad Max film I've ever seen, and is 2015's best film so far. Final score: 9/10 - Amazing
Doctor Who: Under the Lake (2015)
While the first particularly enjoyable episode in a while, under the lake suffers from a laughable excess of Alien series references.
Don't get me wrong, the until now series 9 has finally got a pretty good episode, and the odd wry humour and sometimes scary moments make it standard quality of Doctor Who overall. The fairly good acting and nice effects help the good story and the outright beautiful set pieces. While its suffers the odd drop in tension, under the lake is (finally) a return to good Doctor Who thoroughfare. My main flaw with this episode is the laughable excess of references to the Alien movies (particularly 2 and 3). One character is a blatant rip-off of the Weyland-Yutani executive Burke from Aliens, and one scene almost feels like a parody of the 'bait and chase' scene from Alien3. This doesn't make the episode 'bad' at all, but how can I take the episode seriously if it won't take itself seriously. OK, i'm being harsh here. Under the lake has a beautiful setting (Bioshock) and good acting, but the next part needs less references to popular movies. That was what Red Dwarf was for. 7/10 - Good
Sherlock (2010)
Much better than the good (7/10) Guy Richie films. Well acted, somewhat weaker first series
I can't say that series 1 (7/10) was fantastic. It was on par with the Guy Richie Sherlock films, but I was feeling generous with the 7/10. Then series 2 (10/10) and 3 (10/10) come along. Mind blowing. With much better stories and characters, each episode in series 2 got better, with the 3rd being perhaps the greatest episode of a TV series I've ever seen. Series 3 followed up with more or less the standard anyone who had seen series 2 could expect. With even more story and characters, I was shocked when I learned that series 4 would be a couple of years away. The episodes follow armature detectives Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, in 21st century London. With multiple other characters from the Sherlock books appearing (Mycroft, Moriarty, Irene etc) it somehow all molded together excellently. What else is good about the second and third series apart from, EVERYTHING? Oh yeah, great soundtrack and really compelling and surprising stories. 1 is somewhat, although the signature acting held up the somewhat slow episodes. The episodes are like mini movies (1 hours 30 minutes), but well worth it. Summary: Series 1: 7/10, Good Series 2 and 3: 10/10, Near Perfect
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
While not a masterpiece, Rogue Nation is proof that Mission Impossible is that one series that gets better over time
Having only seen 1 and 4, I came in expecting a satisfactory sequel to the rather good Ghost Protocol. We got something better?? WOW! While I couldn't get on with some of the characters (particularly the British agents) and the story seems to copy Ghost Protocol a bit, but other than that Rogue Nation is a great family adventure spy movie. It's one of the funniest non-comedies out there, and coupled with some breath taking action and good acting, it just made me wish that the disappointing original was this good. Pros: Great Action, good acting, hilarious moments, some nice twists Mids: Copy cat story? (not too badly though) Cons: A couple of unlikeable characters In conclusion, please make 6 just as good (or better) than this.
Se7en (1995)
Dark, compelling, and utterly heartless, Se7en is a slow yet disturbing thriller burned into movie history
I'll get my main two complaints out of the way first (the ones that denied the 10). The pace is somewhat slow, in fact I felt some scenes were disposable. There is also a weird design choice where every so often the frame rate decreases, I felt that this detracts from the film rather than helps it (it might just be my friend's DVD, who knows). Besides those two flaws, Se7en is a classic, and a must see for all fans of mystery and suspense. The first gun shot, in my view, was one of the scariest things I've seen in a movie besides the horror genre. The ending is gut wrenching and has a sense of irony where I'd normally laugh, if I wasn't mentally pulverized. While its flaws are apparent, its not to deny that Se7en's great acting (Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman) pitch perfect direction (David Fincher) and relentless psychological tension makes it an excellent movie. A must see!
Terminator Genisys (2015)
The best installment since the turn of the century.
While not to the standard of the original, nor of judgment day, Genisys is certainly better than rise of the machines or salvation. With some decent action and effects, and some great actors (Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke, J.K Simmons, Matt Smith, and of course Arnold Schwarzenegger) Genysis is probably the most underrated entry (at least from the view of critics) in the series. The film presents some big twists such as alternate time lines, and while some things are hard to swallow and some things go unexplained, Genisys does hold together if you cut your brain out for two hours. Wry humour and some originality (take that T3) keep you interested, and overall it makes for a pleasant experience. Terminator and Terminator 2 are much better; this James Cameron approved entry to the series should be seen more as a spin off, a possibility, rather than a sequel. But it works, and I'm glad that they were finally able to put a better than average entry into the 21st century.
AVPR: Aliens vs Predator - Requiem (2007)
While easily one of the franchises worst, AVPR isn't a total disaster.
I agree that this is no great film, as you can see from my score of 4. The acting isn't great, the cinematography and lighting is some of the worst I have seen in a while, and the story is meh. There are some elements of the film which I just couldn't buy. The love between the pizza boy and his sort-of girlfriend wasn't my idea of fun, and to be honest, this is a disturbing movie. This is far grimmer than Predator or Aliens, and even Alien 3 is a more cheerful movie. I came to watch a predator fight hordes of aliens for 1.5 hours, not to watch 8 year old boys explode in my face. Some of the deaths don't make me want to scream, but to get off of my sofa and stop watching it purely out of disgust. Well, that's the rant out of the way, does AVPR have its merits? Well, yes. The sewer scene where two characters look for some keys in total darkness is my favorite scene from the film, and one of the scariest moments in the franchise (after the chase from Predator 2, and Alien. As in the whole thing.) There's some nice action and effects, and the R rating does help (however, I live in the UK, where both AVP movies are rated 15+, so the first was a weak R equivalent for us). It deserves its rotten, but I don't believe its as bad as many say it is. If you just want to hear (you can't see) a predator killing Aliens and Aliens killing people, its worth a rent.