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Endings that just blew me away.... SPOILERS!!!!!!
Reviews
Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
Definitely daring but disappointing
Saw Joker 2 today.
Someone behind me as I was leaving the cinema summed it perfectly - 'It's not as impactful as the first.'
The first Joker was a gritty, uncompromising, nasty, tension filled and utterly unique look at a man's mental illness. Joker 2 undoubtedly shares those same qualities but to a far lesser degree, failing to reach the lofty heights of it's predecessor.
Joker 2 though isn't bad - it just feels as if it's lost it's way. I totally clicked with the intentions, themes and messages of the first movie whereas in Joker 2 I can't honestly say I felt the same way. I was left confused by what the film was trying to say to me.
What Joker 2 does do is greatly expand on the character of Arthur Fleck, yet strangely not in a way that felt satisfying. I kept wanting to know more or connect emotionally but the reality is I couldn't. I understood but I just didn't care. Joker built the character of Arthur Fleck up whilst Folie A Deux knocks the character right back down.
The stand out of Joker 2 are the performances. Phoenix is pitch perfect again as Fleck (if sightly less menacing) whist Gaga is not a bad choice as Harley but here is where one of my biggest points against the film stands - I didn't like their relationship. I felt it didn't really build or develop as naturally as it should and it definitely didn't go the way I expected it to. Although it's clearly not a film set in the typical Batman world, Folie A Deux felt like an outright betrayal of the lore of the world.
Maybe I went into Joker: Folie A Deux with too many expectations. But a film can disappoint your expectations and still be an excellent film - but Joker: Folie A Deux isn't an excellent film. IGo in expecting something unlike anything you've ever seen before and you may be pleased. Go on expecting a decent sequel to Joker and you'll be disappointed. I unfortunately have to not recommend it.
Megalopolis (2024)
Visually and technically profound but a truly nonsensical film
Just watched Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis.
It's no wonder this film is a flop. It's bad. It's really quite bad. I fully appreciate the visual style. I appreciate the themes. I even enjoyed the acting for the most part. But the story is absolutely nonsensical. I'm watching scene after scene after scene and I'm wondering what the hell is going on.
As I said, I appreciate the film's technical achievements and it's intentions but ultimately Megalopolis is an absolute mess. I'd even go so far as to say an embarrassment of storytelling. Coppola wanted to make an art house film and to his credit he's made the most expensive art house film ever made. But surely a key element of a film, regardless of whether it's art house or not, must be that it has a plot or theme which informs the audience as to why they should keep watching - I don't believe Megalopolis has that. It is my opinion that audiences should stay away from this film to save themselves some money in these hard times. The film tries to say something but ultimately it's not well spoken and hence not worth your time, effort or money to go see it.
The journey Megalopolis provides is, admittedly, a thought provoking, visually splendid one but ultimately because of it's bizarre, self-absorbed story and characters it is not a journey worth taking.
In Cold Blood (1967)
An astonishing piece of filmmaking
Just watched the 1967 masterpiece In Cold Blood - what an utterly incredible film.
The film is based off of the non fiction Truman Capote book of the same name and follows the murders of the Clutter family in 1959's Kansas.
For a film made in 1967 it is unbelievably realistic, shot with an almost documentary level of observation and general lack of theatrically. The use of language, sex, sexual references and violence for a film from the time era it was made in is groundbreaking. One of my first thoughts was how the film Bonnie and Clyde, released the same year as In Cold Blood, gets so much of the attention as the film which helped to usher in a new style of filmmaking that broke with the formally restrictive Hays code. But In Cold Blood gets no mention at all. I would argue In Cold Blood is, given the context of it's time period, one of the most revolutionary films ever made.
The two leads, Scott Wilson and Robert Blake, give performances which are astonishing, capturing an intensity, anguish and patheticness which is eerily and uncomfortably realistic. So much praise has to be given to Writer and Director Richard Brooks - how his work on this film is not studied and analysed by every film student across the world is a crime. I didn't even know this film existed until last week. He manages to almost create a sense of strange compassion, sympathy and understanding of how these two lowlifes combined to create a deadly duo which fed off each others greed, dreams and haunted pasts to perform one of the most infamous and undeniably uselessly brutal crimes in history.
I will gladly and keenly say that In Cold Blood is one of the greatest films I've ever seen. It's an astonishing work which deserves to be better known. This film, is, in many parts, repulsive to the human soul yet oddly (perhaps morbidly) fascinating, both in it's subject, it's art style and portrayal of the never ending cycle of people killing people, whether that's out of greed or justice. Utterly amazing and I would fully recommend to anyone.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Why all the hate?
Maybe it's just that I've suddenly lost all taste but to me, personally, I really enjoyed WW84!
I'm failing to understand all the hate for it. I found the plot contrived and a little silly, yes, but the most important thing for me was that I actually cared about the characters. I love the fact that this film wasn't afraid to allow Wonder Woman, Steve and Maxwell Lord time to have scenes individually and together to make you feel a sense of connection, emotion and sympathy towards them.
The best thing in this film, yet again in my opinion, is the acting.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The scene where Wonder Woman and Steve say goodbye, I have to admit, brought a little tear to my eye and similarly where Lord and his son finally rejoin left me a little teary eyed. Gadot, Pine and especially Pascal go OOT with their roles at times but this is the type of film that demands it!
I thought as a superhero film this was actually quite impressive. The action is solid, it looks good, and there's inventive set pieces. For me personally I really quite enjoyed the campy nature of the 80s portrayed and I would have to say I prefer WW84 over the original.
Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)
A wonderful story that only cinema can do true justice to
The first ten minutes of this film I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it. It seemed slightly silly and a little too oddball to be something which would naturally interest me.
However, I soon became swept up in just what this film is - a modern day fairy tale. Even though the stories being told throughout this film don't really relate to the 'plot' of the film, I was literally enthralled. I've never seen a film like this before. It is unique in it's narrative because in a genius way it manages to tell several stories linked by only a single thread across thousands of years, yet never once did I feel that the story, theme or narrative lost it's way.
I thought it was a marvellous piece of storytelling. This is, I think by design, the equivalent of a fable told around a fire by the nomads of the desert - a story that could reverberate across the centuries, passed down until it was finally caught by George Miller who happened to have two great actors and a camera at his disposal the moment it came into his view. Three Thousand Years of Longing took me on a journey that felt rich, detailed, humorous, evil and disastrous.
The visual design of the film is gorgeous. You can very easily imagine the visual design and aesthetic of the film going wrong but it doesn't because it's filmmaking at it's finest. George Miller has told great visual stories with the Mad Max films but here it's the next level for him - he made sure that it all came together so well.
Thoroughly impressed. Wonderful film, great watch. The only reason it loses a star for me is because the ending seemed a little weak and rushed in my opinion.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Underwhelming, boring, predictable if visually appealing
I was not impressed by this. Maybe I'm too hung up on the originals but I really felt this entry to the Apes franchise didn't tie in enough with any of the other entries, except for a few homages here and there and the odd reference to Caesar.
Visually, I was very impressed - you look at the apes on screen and at times they are indistinguishable from the real thing. But good CGI doesn't make a good story. Here, in my opinion, the story is bland, boring, predictable and completely unnecessary. I can understand taking the series in a new direction but it seems to have abandoned nearly every other film in the franchise, even only briefly mentioning elements from the Caesar Trilogy. The biggest middle finger, in my opinion, was the whole story plot point about getting into the vault. Why? Why should I care? I am not given a reason to care. And this ties in nicely with my next point...
...The characters. I don't care about them. I found the main ape character uninspiring, the villain bland and the human characters felt tacked on and completely unnecessary. We never find out in any real substantial way when the girl is doing what she is doing and even when we do find out that little bit it's underwhelming and left on a boring cliff-hanger.
I could not get into this film and I didn't like the vast majority of it because it doesn't tie into much of the previous entries, it doesn't attempt to do anything interesting with the story and ultimately I didn't care what happened to anyone or anything because I'm never given a reason to.
Disappointed and wouldn't recommend.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023)
I would subscribe to Apple in order to watch the show's next season
Rather surprisingly, I liked this. I'm not really a television watcher but I had a free trial of Apple TV Plus and I've watched the MonsterVerse films so thought I'd give it a go.
I was pleasantly surprised. I found the story engaging, interesting and it didn't outstay it's welcome. Ten episodes felt the right length. I have seen other TV where storylines and characters just drag out for far too long a time and it becomes frustrating and annoying as a result - not here. I genuinely enjoyed the story and perhaps most importantly, the characters. They all felt developed and had interesting arcs.
My favourite episode was probably the series finale - I won't go into details due to spoilers but I was moved by a certain scene and felt it was a cathartic conclusion for these particular characters.
Other points of note - great CGI. This was high-end movie level CGI which really surprised me. I've seen recent blockbusters not look as good as this series. I also enjoyed how the series didn't shy away from using a great amount of subtitled Japanese - I think many series would have opted for badly accented English but here they embrace it and good on them.
I would look forward to a return and would possibly become a paying subscriber to Apple in order to watch the show's next season. I consider that very good praise.
Argylle (2024)
Put soap in your eyes rather than watch this
This started off alright. I was actually enjoying it. I found it an over-the-top, funny, engaging and overall enjoyable piece of entertainment. The story wasn't much but it seemed serviceable.
Then the film reach about it's midpoint... It started to fall a part a bit. Characters weren't interesting. Situations felt silly. But it was bearable.
Then the third act started... Oh my God.
Argylle completely and utterly just fell off a cliff once the third act hit. The acting became atrocious and embarrassing, the visual effects (which up until this point had been passable) suddenly became some of the worst CGI I have ever seen and the action became ugly, ridiculous, silly and completely unengaging tosh.
In short, this film became utter cack.
This is without doubt one of the worst films I have ever seen. The third act is such an atrocious mess that it drags the rest of the film down with it to the sinking, grimy depths.
Other points to note -
Henry Cavill (despite top billing) is barely in the film, on screen only for about 15 minutes in total.
BDH's acting in the third act became one of the worst performances I've ever seen.
There's a crap mid-credit sequence which set's up a whole spy world set around film (who on earth in their right mind would wish to see after watching it).
SLJ's character is ridiculous.
The frequent use of The Beatles' Now and Then single, which released only a few months before this film came out, felt tacked on and just the completely wrong choice for the song which is supposed to be the emotional crux of the film.
In short - what the hell was Matthew Vaughn thinking. Just avoid. Put soap in your eyes rather than watch this.
Monkey Man (2024)
Blood and gore aplenty for a surprisingly original action flick
Just watched Monkey Man...
If John Wick was angry, Monkey Man is ballistic. This is a nasty, vicious, angry and brutal film - exceptionally violent at times. I think it wears it's influences on its sleeves proudly - John Wick and Jason Bourne spring to mind but I see traces of The Neon Demon and Trainspotting in here too.
I think Dev Patel does an incredible job as a first time director. I think it was a conscious choice on his part to not emulate recent slick and highly choreographed fight scenes from other action films and instead go for a grittier, dirtier style of fast edits and shaky cam.
Monkey Man is very good in my opinion. Surprisingly heartfelt characters set in a world of grime, poverty, brutality and harshness. Be warned though, it's a rated 18 (in the UK) for a reason... It is exceptionally violent at times with blood and gore aplenty. I'd recommend it.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
Absolute Rubbish... but ENTERTAINING rubbish
I liked 2014's Godzilla. I found Kong Skull Island okay. I haven't seen the Monarch TV Series or the second Godzilla film or GvK but I kinda wanted to see this because I was in the mood for some CGI, loud, bombastic fun... and in that regard, the film didn't disappoint at all. It delivers on that promise of bright lights, colour, action and overwhelming sound effects.
But unfortunately, even though I went in looking for that kind of fun movie, this film is all over the place. The story is just rubbish. It's garbage. I didn't understand what most of the people were doing or why, I kept seeing massive plot holes and the human characters weren't the best...
But again, I did enjoy it. It's entertaining if nonsensical. I didn't go expecting a brilliant film but I did think that the story really could have been improved. Fun, entertaining, loud CGI effects laden films and films with a half-way decent story shouldn't be mutually exclusive. They can mix. On this occasion, they didn't in my opinion.
Dune: Part Two (2024)
Something to tell your kids about, that's for sure...
Dune Part 2 is a stunning experience.
This really does feel like a 'Part 2' rather than a sequel. It's a continuation of a story rather than an addition of a story - this feels like a natural progression and a natural franchise rather than a crowbarred in cash-grab.
The first Dune was a masterclass in world-building. Part 2 really starts to get to the meat of the story - that's probably it's best element, it's plot is solid. It's a complex narrative but one which completely swept me up and made me want to find out more about these characters, this world. It left me wanting more - it's like a good meal. Dune Part 1 was the starter, Dune Part 2 was the main and hopefully Dune Part 3 will be the delicious desert to follow.
Dune is Denis Villeneuve's vision. His art. Villeneuve has easily proven himself to be amongst the best directors not only working today but of all time. Not only is he able to create a completely engrossing world, he's able to include brilliant and at times stunning visuals whilst not letting that get in the way of story and character.
Dune Part 2 is better than Part 1, and that was already a big challenge. It's easily so far the best film of 2024, I believe it will be on top ten of the year and I can also state that when generations look back on this film they will regard this as one of the best films of the 2020s.
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
A good 3:26 movie - would have made a great 3 hours movie
My title basically says it all. At 3 hours 26 minutes, this film is good - it's undeniable. But if the film had just cut out bits here and there it would have been a great 3 hour film.
There's so many excellent elements here. A great cast, great acting, great characters, a fascinating story, beautiful to look at, a really well-done script. But it does feel that the film re-treads over the same ground multiple times within the first couple of hours. In a way, and I hate to say this, but Scorsese has kind of been given 'too much' freedom. Scorsese needed to make cuts to this film - as the old saying goes, 'you have to kill your darlings'. Cut out half hour, shorten some sequences, I can assure you the film would have been faster paced and told the exact same story without a loss of impact. In fact, I believe it would have been more of an impact to cut it down. Quicker, punchier, to the point, and perhaps would have highlighted the atrociousness of the situation even more.
However, as the film is 3 hours 26 minutes, let's actually talk about what the film is then. At the length that it is at, I consider it a rumination - a rumination by Scorsese of America's sins. It's about white greed, gluttony, racism and generally how humanity can be so inhumane to man in the name of money and self-gain. It's a gentle paced story, which is fine but I believe that this particular story in the way it has been told doesn't need or deserve to be gentler paced. But as it is of a gentle pace, Scorsese definitely embraces that. He takes his time on shots and allows for this epic story to be strangely intimate.
I was not a fan of The Irishman and it's slow, plodding, (frankly) boring pacing. Here, it works better. But again, as stated, it needs that quicker energy to it I believe.
Not Scorsese's best, but I would recommend the film if for nothing else than it's subject matter, fantastic technical achievements and simply wonderful acting.
Sound of Freedom (2023)
An immensely powerful film... I cried
I saw Sound of Freedom this afternoon. It's been controversial due to it's subject matter, it's star and it's support of conspiracy theories. It's important to note that I have never believed for a single second the QANON theories and the whole conspiracy against the right wing nonsense. I still don't. I am judging this film on what I see as it's merits and my subjective perception of it.
I believe Sound of Freedom is one of the most powerful films I have ever seen. I cried. There were tears running down my face, I am not ashamed to say. I could hear others crying in the cinema as well. There are some genuinely upsetting scenes that are not easy to watch. They are not graphic but they are disturbing with what they suggest, what they imply and what they are demonstrating is occurring thousands of times a day around the world. It's subject matter, in my opinion, has never been demonstrated in such a heart wrenching way on screen. There is a moment in the film which states something disturbingly true - we will talk about problems about drugs, terrorism, anti-social behaviour and murder over the dinner table but will not talk about child rape, trafficking and slavery because it is not 'polite conversation'. This film deals frankly with these issues. I think everyone knows child trafficking occurs but we prefer the subject to be left at those two words - 'child trafficking'. This film shows you the reality of what occurs and how, mostly in agonising detail. But again, it's not graphic. It's just disturbing and uncomfortable.
As a film, I find it a well made if not fantastic piece. The acting is the same - solid but not amazing. I found the first half better than the second.
Sound of Freedom is one of my films of the year.
Oppenheimer (2023)
An astonishing accomplichment
This was one of my most anticipated films of the last few years and unbelievably it did not disappoint in any way.
After the lacklustre, confusing and very hollow experience of TENET, I thought Nolan had lost his way a bit. I assumed that, despite knowing that Nolan is one of the greatest filmmakers to have ever lived, I was very wary of Oppenheimer and thought it would not be as good as I hoped it to be.
How wrong I was. Oppenheimer is a masterpiece, Christopher Nolan's Magnum Opus. It is an astounding work of complexity, uniqueness and originality the likes of which I have never seen before. Nolan has outdone himself - it feels like every piece of work Nolan has done in the past has been leading to this film. The non-linear narrative, the visual/special effects, the character building, the story structure, all of it comes together seamlessly to create a truly awe inspiring experience.
Cillian Murphy gives the best performance of his career and one of the finest of the last few years. Every time he is on screen he is captivating, alluring and haunting. The film is properly titled - it is not a story about the bomb, it is a story about how it's creation impacted Oppenheimer and Cillian completely embodies the role. His eyes - his eyes and the look on his face allow you to view this man as a tortured soul, a man who knows he did his duty and did it for the right reasons but who ultimately regrets his life due to the legacy he will leave behind.
Oppenheimer is outstanding in every regard - amazing music, beautiful cinematography, gorgeous visuals, a brilliant cast, a sharp and smart script. Oppenheimer is definitely, so far in my opinion, the best film of 2023.
The Flash (2023)
Flawed but overall just such a fun time
I think The Flash is a really unique superhero movie. It plays with the ever increasingly familiar multi-verse trope yet to me it wasn't a cliched story. There was a genuine heart and emotion underneath all these, frankly, stunning, distinctive yet somewhat overwhelmingly bombastic visuals. The story, I felt, was quite messy yet strangely I didn't feel it hindered my enjoyment of the film. I was invested in the characters and their goals and their wants and their histories.
It's not the type of film you go into and just turn off your brain and watch and enjoy. You do need to pay attention to what is happening on screen, and it can help to have a bit of knowledge of the wider DCEU, but I feel most people could go into this and find something they enjoyed - be it the story, the humour, the characters, the visuals, the action set-pieces or the surprisingly large amount of fan-service moments throughout.
Talking of fan-service, without giving away too much info, in the third act of the film I was just so enjoying what and who I was seeing that I was kind of forgiving the film's shortcomings.
The Flash is flawed, yes, but it's really entertaining and a great way to just enjoy a movie. It's got the epic scale, it's got the characters, it's got the (mostly) decent story. It was just a joy to watch in my opinion.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
An interesting chapter of history
I went into this not knowing anything about the Chicago 7/8 but this film really inspired me to research what actually happened and why and frankly it seems to me that a lot is actually played down. I think it goes to show the talent and skill and story-telling prowess of Aaron Sorkin to make such an interesting and at times intensely nerve-racking film but not including the real-life outlandishness that happened.
Pretty much everything here is interesting and well-done - of course a fantastic script by Sorkin, solid if not outstanding direction by him too, a great cast that really pull-off their characters well, great attention to detail. I was pretty much hooked from start to finish with this film and I wasn't disappointed.
A great watch.
Nobody (2021)
Such a surprise...
I think what makes this film so enjoyable is that it's such a surprise. I kind of went in knowing that the film was not going to be the average action revenge type film but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't even the type of film that subverted expectations, it shattered them.
Ever since John Wick came along, there's been this shift of filmmaking styles from fast cutting and shaky camera to longer takes and stiller shots. But no other film seemed to do it quite like John Wick. I kind of expected that style from this film. But instead it took that half-baked imitation style and kind of adapted it to make something that felt surprisingly original even though it copies most of the trope and cliches of the genre. It's a strange experience but ultimately one that really works.
Odenkirk is great as Hutch and he pulls off the action well - he's not a superman, his character is kind of out-of-shape and struggling to get back into it. It feels strangely authentic, despite all the outlandishness.
I was really pleasantly surprised by this and found it to be such a fun movie. I like the fact it's 90 minutes long too - no fat, nothing unnecessary, it's all lean and raring to go.
The Irishman (2019)
A worthy experiment
I can simply tell you straight away that the biggest flaw with this movie is it's length. It's far, far, far too long a film. I believe a film can be any length it wishes to as long as it justifies it's length, and in the case of The Irishman for me, it really doesn't justify it's length.
I understand what Scorsese is going for with the gentler pace and long runtime - he's trying to tell a perhaps self-reflective story about aging, the passing of time, the passing of youth and the regret of old age. But ultimately, The Irishman is a boring film. It drags. I sincerely believe that if Scorsese and his editor had been a bit more brutal in the editing room than he could have told the exact same story with the exact same themes yet have made it a much more compelling and interesting to watch film.
That aside, I must admit, I did find it an interesting watch. It was really great to see these legends on screen together for the first time and there is great chemistry between them. I also believe it's the finest acting most of them have done for many a year. Pesci, to return to acting after so many years, and turn in an Oscar worthy performance as a result, is fantastic and goes to show his natural talent.
One element I must of course mention is the 'de-aging' technology in the film. It needs work. They're supposed to be young men in the first half of the film and it's simply not the case - they all look far too old, they all move like old men. It was a worthy experiment but ultimately it failed. I personally though wasn't too distracted by this and although it detracts from the film, I could understand why it was attempted and gave the film credit for trying it out.
Overall, it's great that Scorsese is still making films. It's great that the cast are still kicking and are able to turn in great performances. It's a worthy experiment of a film. There's a very interesting story with profound themes here. But, when all is said and done, in it's current form, The Irishman is not a great film. It's a worthy watch for the attempt made but it's a film I would avoid seeing again for a long time.
Don't Look Up (2021)
I turned it off, I couldn't watch anymore
I went into this expecting a not half bad decent film. It's written and directed by Adam McKay - I liked The Big Short and Vice; it stars Leonardo DiCaprio, an actor I respect as he frequently makes great movies and personally makes sure it's the right project for him; it had a great supporting cast; it was nominated for Oscars...
So how did I end up turning it off within the first hour? I'll tell you - it's very, very annoying.
The first 20 minutes of the film are great - McKay style comedy with drama, great performances, you can see where the premise of the film is going and it's direction looks good. So how just 25 minutes later does it literally becomes one of the worst films I've ever seen?
The script becomes atrocious. The acting becomes so overblown. The premise becomes ridiculous. I've never seen a film that just completely drops off so steeply from one scene to the next. When you watch a film you can basically tell within the first few minutes if it's for you and this seemed like it was for me.
But it's so called 'satire', within minutes, becomes so ridiculous it becomes spoof. And I could just tell that if this pace, this style of storytelling and script kept on as it was going, I was going to have no choice but to turn it off and sure enough I did. I just couldn't bare it anymore.
It's attempt to comment on how society is more obsessed with greed and celebrity over a major world event is a great concept. And if it was handled differently, I would stay tuned. But it's so bombastic and, frankly, silly, I just had to leave before I became angry.
I was so disappointed by this film. If you go into this expecting anything of quality be prepared to be deeply disheartened.
Im Westen nichts Neues (2022)
A modern classic but not without it's faults
There are so many admirable elements about this film - a terrific cast, stunning visuals, a great score, wonderful screenplay. Overall, I would say, All Quiet on the Western Front is one of the greatest war films of all time.
Yet, with that said, I do think the film has it's faults, with most of them unfortunately, in my belief, to be found in the final third of the movie. It's a tad too long this section and to a degree the way the story goes from this point on is somewhat detracting from the overall feel of reality and essence of the rest of the film.
I also feel the specific ending to this film is somewhat less impactful than the previous reiterations of the story as found in the 1930 and 1979 versions.
But, with all that said, I really do believe that this version of All Quiet on the Western Front is a superb war film that was touching, haunting and deeply rememberable.
To my mind, whilst the other adaptions of the novel are anti-war stories about the horrors of war, this version is a story about the horrors of humans. As credits rolled, I began thinking back to what I had just witnessed and kept thinking to myself that it was a story about how 'life' - not just a life - but 'life' itself, as a weirdly physically spiritual essence, can be sapped from a person. Whilst nature gives life, as demonstrated by the fox vixen feeding her young at the very start of the film, humans only take from the world, developing technology like the tank and flame thrower to kill in bigger, better ways.
I thought the 2022 version All Quiet on the Western Front was a wonderful film that will stay with me for a long time and I can honestly say it's one of the most impressive films of the last few years.
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
One of the most amazing action films ever made
I was a big fan of the first John Wick film when it first came out - it was so revolutionary in its cinematography, style and choreography of its fight scenes. The second John Wick I found escalated everything that was brilliant about the first one and simply made it all better - better longer fight scenes, better character development and better direction. Then came number three which I was really quite disappointed with. I found the pacing so uncomfortable - there was so much action, so much nonsense on screen that I felt the franchise had lost its way.
But today I saw chapter 4 - the best way I can describe it it is that it is a strange mix between chapter 2 and chapter 3 but my god does it work. The action, direction and choreography and stunt work on display here has simply never been seen like this in an action movie before. I think I can confidently say that it is the best of the sequels.
Bill sarsgaard is simply magnificent as the new villain, most of the new characters introduced add depth to the world and it seems to me that the series has come full circle to finally find a place where it belongs - larger than life action with sometimes even sincere character moments and a solidly paced story.
There are so many fantastic actions sequences here that it is hard to describe how enthralling and how fun they are but rest assured if you are even the slightest fan of action films you will absolutely love John Wick chapter 4.
By the way... Maybe after this you might want to check out Hotline Miami... Just saying 😉
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Better in ever way than the original
I liked the original but I didn't think it very special. I simply thought it was Dances with Wolves in space. I wasn't interested in any way, shape or form with the sequel.
But I kept hearing good things about it. I kept noticing the massive box office take and realising frankly I didn't want to miss out - I didn't want to miss what could potentially be a visual spectacular on the big screen.
Rest assured, it is a visual spectacular. Absolutely astonishing to watch. The best visual effects I've seen.
But visuals aside, I thought it was a beautiful, hard-hitting, emotional (if simple) story. That simplicity doesn't detract from the experience in any way. What adds many layers to this simple story are the much deeper and personal characters on display here.
I was completely swept up in this simply amazing film. I'm so glad I saw it on the big screen at least once before it disappeared. It was a completely all-encompassing experience that I will all remember.
Amsterdam (2022)
Wonderful! A great story of friendship, love and camaraderie
Great film, although I did feel the story dipped in the middle slightly and played second-fiddle to the characters and human comedy-drama on display. The leads, as indeed the whole cast, bounced off each other well and there were times I laughed out loud in the cinema.
This is one of the most entertaining and intriguing films of the year. A great study of friendship, trust, love and camaraderie. Definitely in my top ten of the year.
I afraid I simply cannot understand all the hate from critics. I feel people are missing the point of the film if they are criticising the so called 'over-stuffed' plot. It's like The Big Lebowski - it's not so much about the destination of the story, it's these characters' journeys along the way.
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
Redemption...
I never thought this could possibly turn out as good as it did.
I was exceptionally disappointed by BvS:DoJ so when I did happen to see Joss Whedon's Justice League I was glad to some degree that the film was at least watchable. However, upon hearing about The Snyder Cut, I was still nevertheless intrigued. I re-watched BvS:DoJ and appreciated it slightly more so I went out and got the Ultimate Edition and was pretty much blown away. It was through the BvS ultimate edition that I decided that I should perhaps give Zack Snyder a chance again.
I am very glad I did!
Without doubt, Zack Snyder's Justice League is one of the BESST SUPERHERO FILMS EVER MADE. I would even go so far as to say that I would consider one of my all-time favourite films ever in general.
It completely puts the Joss Whedon version to shame and I feel utterly disgusted with myself to think that I once considered that version of the film 'okay'.
Every character is more fleshed out and you feel genuinely invested in each and every one of them. The story is relatively simple but the narrative and how each character has a role to play is so gloriously complex and yet gel together so well that it's flawless. It does not feel like a 4-hour film and yet uses the vast majority of that time so well to create a film that takes it's time to form something glorious and at time heartfelt.
Unlike the Whedon version and most other superhero films in general there are stakes and lives on the line which you really don't know if they'll be saved. There is genuine tension and surprise in the film.
Favourite part - undoubtedly The Flash being 'the best of the best'. It's a scene that would have been outstanding on the big screen.
However, the film's last 20 minutes are completely unnecessary, as is the character of Martian Manhunter. Get rid of them.
Other than that, believe me, Zack Snyder's Justice League is up there as one of the finest comic book films ever made. If you have only ever seen Marvel films, or the now accursed Whedon version, please see this film and witness how a superhero film should be done.
The Northman (2022)
A film that can never be forgotten
Spectacular film with an ending that is simply one of the very best things ever put to screen.
It's just undeniable how beautiful and captivating this film is emotionally, mentally and visually.
However, my one criticism, and it's a big one, is how the film sags for about 40 minutes for the first part of the second act. Up until this point, the pace and tone of the film had been captivating but unfortunately for me when the actual 'quest' began I felt that the story had shifted a little dramatically and required a different kind of focus. This section did ultimately build up what the story became but for me I felt the need to kind of realign myself with this new shift in the narrative.
But when the film begins to pick back up it's like a mountain because once it starts ascending it just never stops - it gets better and better with every single second.
I cannot reiterate enough how absolutely STUNNING the ending of this film is. It will simply stay with me until the very day I die. It's absolutely incredible. Shot beautifully and hauntingly, full of pathos and a sense that this epic story and these brilliant characters have reached the ending they each required.
Truly, truly incredible film.