This time last year, the site was only just up and running with The Grand Opening. My first post was the following day with a particularly short review of the delightful Me and Earl and the Dying Girl which wasn’t quite what I was expecting to review as it was part of ODEON’s ‘Screen Unseen’, but was a great way to kick off the site! I then decided to introduce occasional film news posts, starting with the First look at Michael Fassbender in Assassin’s Creed to receive a good reception. My final section was sparked by the incredible first trailer for The Jungle Book, causing me to do a trailer review for it.
Over the course of 47 posts, the unexpectedly most popular post proved to be Jeremy Irons and Brendan Gleeson join Assassin’s Creed, with 170 external links. The most read review was for No Escape with 55 external links, as arguably one of the best films of 2015. Given that there have not yet been many trailer reviews and breakdowns, there weren’t too many to choose from, however the most popular by a vast distance was for Captain America: Civil War Trailer #1 with 75 external links, later proving to be one of the biggest films of 2016, as well as a huge leap forward for super hero films.
In the last year I have covered all types of films from Sci-fis, dramas, super heroes, thrillers, adventures, etc, and have enjoyed writing about each and everyone of them, irrelevant of how much I enjoyed the film itself, and hope that I will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Over the last year, I have racked up a lot of views and grown to be part of a fantastic blogging community, as well as sparking discussions with a lot of people and creating opportunities for myself. Overall I have thoroughly enjoyed the process and bringing updates to you as an audience. Thanks to everyone who has given the page a chance and for supporting the site, I couldn’t have made it this far without you. Here’s to the last year and plenty more!
Much like my recently reviewedJason Bourne, Finding Dory is a long awaited sequel to a very popular film, however with Jason Bourne arriving 9 years later, Finding Dory has finally gotten here a whole 13 years after Finding Nemo.
With the popularity of Finding Nemo lasting for 13 years, it meant that Finding Dory would immediately receive a fan base, bearing in mind the fact that it would consist of older teenagers and adults.
Despite being released 13 years after the original hit, Finding Dory takes place only 1 year later. With Marlin (Albert Brooks – Drive, Taxi Driver), Nemo (Hayden Rolence – Beta Persei, Cicero in Winter) and Dory (Ellen DeGeneres – The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Love Letter) all living together, everything is in a perfect equilibrium until the blue tang fish recovers a brief memory of her past. Desperate to find out more about herself she decides to venture out through the ocean and a ‘marine life instute’, meeting some interesting characters and hilarious situations.
Starting out with a some childhood memories (where we get a look at the adorable baby Dory), it progresses to the part we all know, followed by her quest to remember her past. The concept of the lost search is all very familiar, despite being presented differently, and can feel slightly repetitive throughout, however once again the emotional grasp that the narrative holds on you causes you not to care that you’ve seen it before, but instead watch with the highest hopes for a restored equilibrium. With the only slight drawback aside, let’s carry on.
The concept of Dory looking for her lost parents is exactly a reversal of Finding Nemo, and that’s why it works perfectly. Instead of Dory’s parents, Jenny (Diane Keaton – The Godfather, Annie Hall) and Charlie (Eugene Levy – American Pie, Best in Show) searching for her, Dory is the one searching for them, however instead of using others for clues and directions, she has to get in touch with her lost memories, all thanks to her short-term-memory. This is perfect re-styling of the first film, making use of what made the first on so engaging. If it ain’t broke!
There is a surprising amount of new cast members and few familiar faces, and whilst some feel like this felt to separate, it actually serves as a subtle way to distant Dory’s journey from that of Nemo’s, therefore making the familiarities far less apparent. It also means that new characters are more significant to Dory’s story, and the same to those for Nemo’s, as opposed to the idea of easily recycling characters. Behind these new faces are quite a few familiar voices, however as to prevent a long list of characters and potential spoilers, I will only list the names of the actors/actresses: Ed O’Neill, Ty Burrell, Idris Elba, Dominic West, Bob Peterson, Kate McKinnon, Bill Hader, Sigourney Weaver, and quite a few more!
One thing that has been partially recycled is the soundtrack. Those who remember the soundtrack to Finding Nemo will remember how beautiful it was, whilst not being overwhelming to the visuals. With Thomas Newman (Spectre, WALL.E) returning to compose, he maintained the same style and general theme, underlining the film’s joyous and upbeat atmosphere, even during the darker and less joyous moments.
Most films nowadays are getting slightly darker, and that’s beginning to carry across to children’s films too. A blatant example of this was in 2009 with The Princess and The Frog, which some found quite surprising considering the fact that it’s main target audience consisted of young children. However, it is not quite to the same extent in Finding Dory as there are only dark moments and slight themes, however they are still noticeable and may take you by surprise.
For many years now, Disney (especially with the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and Pixar are known for including Easter-Eggs and references within their films, some are fairly obvious and right in-front of you, whereas some require a little more searching and knowledge. This tradition is continued throughout Finding Dory including their most famous Easter-Eggs, references to their other films, characters, actors and Pixar responding to a humorous tongue-in-cheek suggestion that the Pixar universe is linked to another entirely different film franchise.
On the release of Finding Nemo, the CGI was applauded for it’s incredible detail and beauty. And once more, the studio outdoes itself. Using the same graphics would have been perfectly fine and would still stand up against modern animations, but instead they developed it further, combining it with a diverse colour palette, consisting primarily of the peaceful deep blue of the ocean.
One thing that I was concerned with was the level of humour and whether it would deliver in the way that Disney and Pixar know how, or if it would miss and hinder the overall feel. I can happily say that it delivered perfectly, hitting with joke after joke, but without the humour overload. Considering the emotive baseline of this film and the sympathetic engagement between the audience and Dory, too many jokes can damage the overall purpose, however they managed to fill it with so much humour in all the right places, so you’re going to laugh and cry by the time the credits are rolling.
Overall, Finding Dory is a delightful and charming animated flick that’s enjoyable for children and adults alike. Despite certain levels of dark themes, it’s still suitable for all ages, and is perfectly levelled out by the humour and loveable atmosphere you can’t help but adore.
8.5/10
P.S. Make sure to stay until the ends of the credits for what is easily one of Disney’s best after credit scenes!
Almost 10 years since his last adventure, Jason Bourne is back and this time it’s personal.
Proving exactly why you never mess with a professional, Bourne returns with more than just ammunition and skills, this time he has his memories, and that’s exactly what makes him most dangerous.
Those of you who have seen the previous Bourne films need no introduction to the series, but for those who haven’t, let me explain the basics. The Bourne series follows Jason Bourne (Matt Damon – The Martian, Saving Private Ryan), a CIA spy with incredible skills and instincts, but absolutely no memory. Under this premise, and the CIA hot on his heels, he is desperate for answers. After remembering everything, fast-forward 9 years from The Bourne Ultimatum and we have Jason Bourne. With his memory returning, though still not perfectly clear, Bourne goes in search of those who made his life what it is, with CIA Director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones – The Fugitive, Men In Black) at the top of that list, with Dewey desperate to get him first, as well as an asset with his own motives. As the search for Bourne is re-ignited, Heather Lee, desperate to climb to the top of the CIA, requests to lead the search, with conflicting approaches to that of Dewey as he over-sees the operation. Naturally, chaos ensues with fist-fights, epic evasions and cars taken to their breaking point.
Although the predecessor was not that long ago (2007), it was ended perfectly and considered one of the best trilogies ever made. Because of this, the announcement of the late sequel raised the increasingly common question of “Do they really need to make another one?” It also raised the question of “Where do they go with it this time?” considering the fact that the trilogy was about his unknown identity, to which it was found at the end. To put those questions to rest, you shouldn’t worry about either of these factors as they play into each other smoothly. Because of the fact that he knows his identity, it opened up so many possibilities for a sequel that it doesn’t ruin the concept of the trilogy, as well as allowing a different direction with similar traits to remain faithful to its acclaimed and popular style without feeling exactly the same.
As previously stated, the noticeable factor that makes this film feel slightly different from the others is that it establishes a different goal for Bourne, ultimately changing the presence of the end result. As the first three were about him searching for answers and any hint towards his identity, it produced an enigmatic mystery thrill-ride where we are alongside Bourne for the ride, with him slightly smarter than the audience. This time however he is completely aware of his identity and out for those who did him wrong, serving up an adrenaline fuelled revenge plot. Whilst these two do not sound much different, they acally feel noticeably different, however it still feels like a Bourne film. Very well done to the entire cast and crew.
What does make this film a Bourne film is it’s perfect acknowledgement as an action, thriller, spy film. To start it out, Bourne maintains his iconic one-step-ahead approach, consistently leaving you in envy of his skills and intelligence, which is what sets Bourne apart from the likes of James Bond. When you say ‘Bourne’ what often comes to mind is one of two scenes: Bourne jumping off of a building through an opposite window or Bourne beating up an enemy with a pen. Whilst these are not replicated, the adrenaline and impromptu fighting style is present again and is more than impressive. The final ingredient of a Bourne film is a high-octane, balls-to-the-wall car chase worthy of The Fast and The Furious, and that’s exactly how I would describe it.
Back in March when Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice was released, a huge topic of conversation was the fact that Clark Kent/Superman only had 43 lines throughout the entire film. Not only has this been topped, but has actually been annihilated by the amount of lines of Jason Bourne (or therefore lack of), almost halving it with only 25 lines. What makes this so good is the same reason the entire Bourne series is fantastic in the fact that it proves actions speak louder than words. Bourne has always been most effective as a character who doesn’t need to talk to make his point, and when he is talking a lot, you know it’s serious.
Directing The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips, Green Zone) takes a crack at writing and directing Jason Bourne, with great success. Co-written with debut writer Christopher Rouse (Oscar winning editor – The Bourne Ultimatum), the history that the two have with the franchise allowed them to grasp the depth and style that they need to maintain to keep it ‘Bourne’, instead of it becoming yet another action film.
Matt Damon is at the top of his game at the moment, with an Oscar worthy performance in The Martian, another space exploration in Interstellar and sci-fi flick Elysium, he is sure to maintain this streak in his upcoming historical thriller, The Great Wall. As already stated, Damon does an incredible job of only having 25 lines with engaging and emotive actions and expressions, showing that he can do virtually anything. New to the series, Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) impressively throws herself straight in amongst the drama with targets in mind, causing you to question her motives, delivering an impressive performance. Also new are Riz Ahmed and Vincent Cassel. Returning to the series are Tommy Lee Jones and Julia Stiles (10 Things I Hate About You, Silver Linings Playbook), reprising their crucial roles and proving their places in the franchise.
Working together to compose the soundtrack are John Powell (The Bourne Trilogy, Green Zone) and David Buckley (The Nice Guys, The Town), and they do not disappoint. With this previous experience of the franchise, Powell was pretty much set on how to approach this, getting it spot on, but none-the-less made the most of having the assistance of Buckley to create an atmospherically pulse-pounding soundtrack.
It may be 9 years later, but it’s better late than never and it’s not to be missed! Full of beat ups, bullets and brains, Jason Bourne is the action hit of the summer, doing it’s franchise justice!
After DC released the debut trailers for their next two cinematic events, Marvel took a swing with the second trailer for Doctor Strange, and it is something to behold!
Those who say that every super-hero film looks the same may have had a point, up until now, as Doctor Strange looks like Marvel’s game changing Winter blockbuster.
Watch it now:
Opening through an establishing shot, it introduces Dr Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game, Star Trek: Into Darkness) as he washes his hands, lifts his hygiene mask, plays the piano and crosses his suit in a full suit. As he does this, the sound of his piano is layered underneath a voice-over of The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton – The Chronicles of Narnia, Moonrise Kingdom) saying “Doctor Strange, you think you know how the world works.” The scenery then changes to a shot of him in his Lamborghini, crashing into another car, followed by him laying in a hospital bed with a damaged face, but absolutely crushed and destroyed hands. At this point, his wife Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams – Spotlight, Red Eye) is sat heartbroken next to his hospital bed. The Ancient One continues, “What if I told you, the reality you know is one of many?” At this point, Strange is seen with long hair and a beard, inside a dojo in front of The Ancient One. As she approaches him, with him stepping backwards for every step forward she takes, part of the reality behind him opens, with him backing through it. As he realises what has happened, he states “This doesn’t make any sense” to which The Ancient One immediately replies “Not everything does. Not everything has to”. Just as the camera is about to pass through the reality, it fades to a newly styled ‘Marvel Studios’ title with a kaleidoscope-esque background.
With another establishing shot of the city it returns to the mountain top dojo with another voice-over of The Ancient One, as she stands central in the courtyard “Through the mystic arts, we harness energy an shape reality.” As the sentence closes, a monk in yellow robes stands in the middle of the street waving his hand, causing the buildings begin to change and manipulate their exterior form. An orange portal then forms around him, before cutting to The Ancient One and Strange walking through a similar portal on top of snowy mountains, “We travel great distances in an instant.” Impressed, Strange gazes over the mountain scape. Returning to the dojo, Strange asks “How do I get from here to there?” as the courtyard is seen to be full of monks doing martial arts, with Strange amongst them, learning. The Ancient One responds, “How did you become a doctor?” as she grabs what can only be assumed to be an Encantus, as Strange opens it, he replies “Study and practice. Years of it” With The Ancient One agreeing, it cuts to a shot of Strange’s hand over the Encantus, casting a spell, causing a mystic wall to be placed in front of him. Asking “What the?”, the wall retracts and disappears.
For the first time, Baron Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave, The Martian) enters the screen stating “There’s a strength to him”, to which Wong (Benedict Wong – The Martian, Prometheus) asks “But is he ready?”. As if to suggest that he is, Strange approaches a glass cage holding the characters iconic red cape. Upon Strange looking out of his window, it cuts to Wong warning him “Be careful which path you travel down Strange, stronger men than you have tried.” As he says this, it shows Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen – Hannibal, Casino Royale) with two henchmen, amongst a destroyed street, signifying their power. After announcing its release ‘This Fall’ it shows a birds-eye-view of a city under attack, to which Kaecilius announces “I am death and pain” after which he performs a spell similar to that of the monk in the middle of the street earlier in the trailer. Showing Christine to be vulnerable, it briefly shows a close up the city under attack, followed by her in a hospital attending to a patient as the equipment sparks around her. Returning to Kaecilius, as he walks through a church he states “You will die protecting this world”, before a rotating shot of a city with buildings bending and another orange portal. Strange (now in his red robes) claims “I can’t do this” to which Mordo warns him “There is no other way.” It then displays Strange against one of Kaecilius’ henchmen in a battle of sorcery.
After an intertitle telling you to ‘Question Reality’, it shows Strange casting a spell, reversing the destruction of an area, fixing buildings, as another title says to ‘Change Your Destiny’. Strange and Mordo are side by side as they run down the street, before we see a bending building with Kaecilius and his henchmen jumping over it towards the camera, landing on another building, causing a ripple down it, followed by an incredible shot of a triad of the same city, each opening up on itself. The Ancient One then delivers the graviy of the situation by telling Strange that “I’ve spent so many years, hearing through time… Looking for you.” As the sentence closes we witness Strange throwing his cape onto himself in an impressive manner, before he runs alongside a building with Mordo, watching it unfold. Literally. Cue the title, ‘Doctor Strange’. Once the music has calmed through the title, it shows Mordo handing Strange a piece of paper reading ‘shamballa’, causing Strange to ask, “What’s this, my mantra?” As he leaves the room, Mordo simply replies, “It’s the wifi password. We’re not savages” before closing the door and briefly cutting to Strange in full power.
That is an incredibly difficult trailer to comprehend as it unfolds and is full of mind-meltingly impressive visuals and concepts.
The first major thing you may notice when watching this is it’s very impressive cast line-up with Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton, as well as Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams and Chiwetel Ejiofor who have been nominated for academy Awards, on top of other cast members such as Benedict Wong and Mads Mikkelson who are likely to bring in audience members on their own.
A thought that came to mind, as well as being the leading thought of others is how similar this seems to be to Nolan’s masterpiece Inception, on the basis that there are bending buildings and manipulated earth-structure, and rightly so as it is incredibly uncanny. On the other hand, it is clear that this film’s likeness to Inception will most likely only be through the previously stated factors, and the certainty that it will force you to make full use of your brain to make sense of it as it plays out. One thing is for sure, and that’s the fact that this is going to be even more mesmerizing in 3D.
An intelligent piece of editing (apart from the entire trailer) is at the very beginning and the emphasis on the use of Strange’s hands, given his occupation as a surgeon, before they are seen to be destroyed. It’s very subtle yet very obvious at the same time, and is clearly shown to be why he can no longer continue as a surgeon, eventually causing him to go on his journey to attempt to fix them, staying true to the comics.
A growing complaint people have had with Marvel films is the level and quantity of humour within their films, and the ability for the humour to retract the intensity of the situation. However, there is only one piece of humour in this trailer, and it is placed right at the very end after the intensity and power of the action packed trailer, as to not ruin the momentum and rhythm of the editing. As for the amount of humour within the film itself is yet to be seen, but by the looks of the first two trailer, Marvel appear to have perfected the balance.
This is also supported by the fact that it is written and directed by Scott Derrickson. Derrickson currently has 7 feature film directorial roles credited on IMDB (including Doctor Strange), 5 of which are horror films with the other two (including Doctor Strange) being sci-fi. Although this does not mean that there won’t be any humour, it means that it is likely to be a lot more serious, as well as the chance of prolonged suspense and edge of your seat moments.
Doctor Strange is set to be released on 28th October in the UK, and 4th November in the US.
Alongside the Justice League trailer, DC decided to overwhelm San Diego Comic Con with the incredible trailer for Wonder Woman.
Here it is:
Compared to the Justice League trailer, this trailer is a lot more in-depth as to its setting and style. Taking a far more serious approach whilst maintaining some humour.
As the trailer begins we can see Wonder Woman on the beach, over-looking an unconscious Steve Trevor (Chris Pine – Star Trek, This Means War). The beach is empty, and Wonder Woman is wearing what appears to be her basic/first costume, as it is different from her normal suit. The fact that it is an empty, peaceful beach suggests that they may have just escaped a fight on the ocean, and Wonder Woman potentially saved his life. As he wakes up, she asks, “You’re a man?”. Even more confused than she is, Steve asks, “Yeah, I mean… Do I not look like one?” It then cuts to her homeland and what appears to be a throne-room, before showing Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielson – Gladiator, The Devil’s Advocate) holding Diana’s face saying, “You have been my greatest love.” The footage then shows Diana and Steve in civilian clothing, as well as a packed railway station, as Hippolyta continues, “Be careful Diana”, which is followed by a sudden drop in tone of the music as Diana enters a party in a dress, clearly looking for a specific person. The camera then focuses on an unidentified general (Danny Huston – X-Men Origins: Wolverine, 21 Grams), before she approaches him, reaching for a sword that’s sheathed in the back of her dress. Hippolyta finishes, “They do not deserve you.” The screen then cuts to the Warner Bros. and DC logos.
It returns to the party, focusing on a masked woman, before cutting to Steve walking away from a plane he may have just landed. His voice carries over to a low key shot of him laying down, saying, “Have you never met a man before? But what about your father?”, clearing up the unusual question she asked at the start of the trailer. As it shows her being examined by who can only be assumed is a doctor, followed by a shot of her laying opposite Steve, replying “I had no father, I was brought to life by Zeus.” Confused once again, trying to make sense of it, “Well that’s neat.” The action then begins to kick in as it shows a female horseman riding through a forest at night (potentially Diana), followed by a warrior jumping backwards over a boulder, ready to fire her bow, as she lowers just in front of enemies and fires two arrows. It then shows the entire squad charging a beach of enemies on horseback, as well as fighting on foot. Whilst the same music continues, the setting changes to Diana and Steve in outside of a snowy café, getting close. It then cuts back to the action inside of some trenches as soldiers line up and take position, before Wonder Woman steps in to the trenches ready to take them on. It briefly cuts away to Diana stopping a man as he pulls out a gun, throwing him across the room. As he flies across the room it cuts to a shot of Wonder Woman jumping across a room whilst fighting an entire squad of soldiers. This is then interrupted by an explosion outside of a building.
Standing close to one another, Steve tells Diana, “I can’t let you do this” as it cuts back and forth between shots of them both separately in action, such as Diana fighting soldiers in the street with her glowing Lasso of Truth, and Steve riding a motorbike and flying a fighter jet, ending the montage back at the trenches with Wonder Woman using her shield to block turret fire. It cuts back to them both with Diana responding, “What I do is not up to you”, ultimately underlining not only her independence, but also the level of ‘woman power’ that this film will deliver. For one final awesome montage, it shows more footage of Wonder Woman fighting in the room and on the street, using a mixture of evasive manoeuvres, slow-motion, explosions and focus on her weapons/suit to show why this is going to be one of the most badass films ever made. This montage is backed by a similar song from the first X-Men Apocalypse trailer, In for the kill by Ghostwriter. This is then followed by the Wonder Woman logo, backed by her official character theme song as debuted in Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, Is she with you? by Hans Zimmer & Junkie XL. As per usual, the title is followed by a final clip, which in this case displays Etta Candy (Lucy Davis – Shaun of The Dead, The Office) shaking Diana’s hand, “I’m Etta Candy, I’m Steve Trevor’s secretary.” Confused, Diana asks “What is a secretary?” “I go where he tells me to go and I do what he tells me to do.” Disapprovingly, Diana responds “Well where I’m from we call that slavery.” Immediately, Etta states “I really like here.” Before being moved along by Steve.
The first thing I took away from this was the time setting of the first World War, and how much of a Captain America-esque vibe this suggest (despite Captain America: The First Avenger being set in World War II). The first interesting part of this is the similarities between the two: they both use a shield, they both fight for the right reasons no matter who they’re fighting against, they’re both out of their own time period and own culture, etc. The second and potentially more significant part is the fact that this is the first solo hero film with a female lead, and is set in a time where there was significant gender inequality, posing a huge statement for the modern world.
The interesting part, like most origin films is how Diana’s Amazonian home will be portrayed, as well as how she is shown to leave it. Whilst the only look we are given of it is what appears to be a throne room, we are sure to gain a better look within the next trailer or so.
Once again, we are not distinctively shown who the villain is supposed to be, and it is unlikely that it is Danny Huston’s unnamed general. As with the Amazon, the villain is most likely to be introduced within the next trailer.
To support the underlying style of ‘woman power’, it is directed by Patty Jenkins (Monster, The Killing). Whilst she has not delivered many films so far in her career, her debut film Monster, based on the life of the convicted serial killer Aileen Wuornos was a huge success, followed by directing the pilot for AMC’s hit The Killing, she has immediately established her capability, and is sure to deliver Wonder Woman to her full potential.
Even without this trailer, the Wonder Woman film already had enormous fan-base when Gal Gadot basically stole the show as Wonder Woman in Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, not only because she was the coolest, most stylish character, but also had the best character theme tune. And now, this trailer shows how action-packed and effective it is set to be, showing that women can be just as good heroes as men, if not better. With her also starring in Justice League later the same year, 2017 is set to be the year of Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman is set to be released on 2nd June 2017 in the UK and US.
It’s finally here. With DC finally forcing themselves back into cinemas, and after the very mixed reception of Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (BVS), the long awaited trailer for Justice League is here, debuting from straight from San Diego Comic Con.
Without any further ado, here it is:
There’s a lot of material in there, and certainly teases as a teaser trailer should. So where do I begin?
The trailer begins with Bruce Wayne in what appears to be a ‘city hall’, talking to entire village about a certain individual. He says, “There is a stranger, who comes to this village from the sea. He comes in the winter when people are hungry, and brings fish. He comes on the king tide.” The camera then cuts to an unshaven Bruce Wayne as he states, “That was last night.” before he looks at a specific villager. The villager calmly turns around, telling Bruce to ‘talk’ (this villager being Arthur Curry/Aquaman – the man in question). The screen cuts to black and the soundtrack then turns more rock and distorted as Bruce continues, “I believe that an enemy is coming, from far away. I’m looking for warriors. This stranger. Others like him. I’m building an alliance to defend us. It’s very important that I see this man.” As Bruce explains this, various footage is shown, starting with a group of knights around a hole, burying a mystical looking box. Upon saying warriors it cuts to Wonder Woman, and then to Aquaman downing a beer and calling wave after saying ‘this stranger’, as well as Barry Allen/Flash and Victor Stone/Cyborg.
After this dialogue, it cuts to Barry Allen walking into his secret base full of computers and monitors, followed by Bruce Wayne sat in a chair, “Barry Allen. Bruce Wayne.” to which Barry replies, “You said that like it explains why there’s a total stranger sat in the dark in my second favourite chair.” The trailer then cuts back to Bruce with the villagers as it cuts back forth to Bruce and Diana in the Bat-Cave, with Diana asking “He said he will fight with us?” to which Bruce replies “More or less.” Diana turns around, “More more, or more less?” to which it shows Aquaman grabbing Bruce and pushing him against the wall. Cutting back, “Probably more less.” “He said no?” “He said no.” Once more cutting back to the flash’s lair, glimpsing partially at his suit, Barry states, “Look man, I don’t know who you are, but whoever you’re looking for…” as Bruce turns around and throws a Batarang. At this point, it goes into slow motion (much like the special quicksilver scenes from Avengers: Age of Ultron, X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: Apocalypse) and Barry realises who Bruce is. Grabbing the batarang, it returns to normal motion with Bruce stating “So you’re fast.” Barry replies after a moments thought, “That feels like an over simplification…” Once again, Bruce begins his dialogue “I’m putting together a team. People with special abilities. See I believe enemies are coming…” to which Barry excitedly interrupts, “Stop right there, I’m in.” Confused, Bruce asks, “You are? Just like that?” Becoming slightly more ashamed, Barry explains “Yeah, I… I need friends.” “Great.” Barry lifts up the batarang, “Can I keep this?”
Finally showing each hero fully suited in a short clip, it follows with them all together in a dark confined space with Cyborg turning to Batman, “I heard about you. Didn’t think you were real.” To which he replies, “I’m real when it’s useful.” as he turns to continue. Following the style of the latest DC logo, it shows the Justice League title in a converse style font, and a star between the ‘I’ and ‘C’, as well as an amplified guitar riff. As a final clip, with Arthur still pinning Bruce against the wall, Bruce says, “Arthur Curry. I hear you can talk to fish.”
So that’s the breakdown finished, and whilst there was a lot of material, it was mainly all from similar scenes, refusing to give up much of the film. This means that they have clearly learnt from their mistakes with Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice whereby the final trailer basically gave up the entire story and the fact that Batman and Superman and up teaming up.
The two biggest questions raised from this trailer are:
Where is Superman? Yes, you may still think he’s dead, despite the end shot of BVS, but it’s a case of how long it’s going to take him to revive. The reason Snyder killed him off at the end of BVS was so that Batman could be the one to assemble the Justice League, so the real question is ‘Will Superman arrive after the formation of the Justice League, or at the end of the film?’
Who is the villain? Whilst the villain isn’t even hinted towards in this trailer, it has been announced to be ‘Steppenwolf’, a new-god and uncle of Darkseid (the ultimate villain of the Justice League to which the series is building up to). He has a non vocal appearance in the Ultimate Edition of BVS, but does not play any significant role. He will most likely appear briefly in the next trailer.
The main question asked in reference to what is shown is the mystical cube being buried by the knights. It is what’s known as a ‘Mother Box’. These are boxes that can possess a variety of powers and abilities and attach themselves to their owner and do what is required, self-destructing upon the owners death. In rumour, there are to be three Mother Boxes within Justice League, and are the targets of Steppenwolf, however why he needs them is yet to be revealed. One Mother Box can be seen in BVS as the enigmatic cube that attaches itself to Victor Stone, saving his life and turning him into Cyborg.
The concern that most fans share is the return of director Zack Snyder. After the utter nightmare that was Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, he was the one the most blamed, and rightly so. He has not had the best record for film direction, with Man of Steel and BVS at the top of the list, often making similar mistakes film after film, causing a lot of audiences members to be concerned for the on-screen debut of the Justice League.
Returning to the screen are Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck – Argo, Good Will Hunting) and Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot – Fast and Furious, Triple 9), as well as Clark Kent/Superman (Henry Cavill – The Man from U.N.C.L.E, The Cold Light of Day) once he decides to rejoin. Also returning is Alfred Pennyworth (Jeremy Irons – Die Hard: With a Vengeance, The Lion King) and Lex Luthor (Jessie Eisenberg – Now You See Me 2, The Social Network). New to the team, however, are Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller – The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Stanford Prison Experiment), Victor Stone/Cyborg (Ray Fisher – The Astronaut Wives Club, The Good, the bad, and the Confused) and Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa – Conan the Barbarian, Game of Thrones). You can also expect to see JK Simmons as Commissioner Gordon, as well as other familiar faces like Willem Dafoe and Amber Heard.
Justice League is set to release 17th November 2017 in the UK and US.
From 5 minute sketches to a feature length film, Key and Peele prove they’re more than just skit-stars.
“From the visionary minds of Key & Peele”, one of craziest and funniest films of the year not only gets you to watch a film about two men joining a drug war to save a kitten, but also love it.
Keanu follows cousins Rell (Jordan Peele – Key and Peele, Wanderlust) and Clarence (Keegan-Michael Key – Key and Peele, Let’s Be Cops) as they test how far one would go for a pet. When Rell’s girlfriend breaks up with him, he thinks that his life is over and that nothing makes sense. However when a stray kitten arrives at his door he finds new meaning in his life. Deciding to name it Keanu, Rell’s void is filled with affection and adorably fluffy reasoning, until everything goes South. Again. Upon returning from a trip to the cinema with Clarence – who is dealing with his own marital problems – he discovers that his house has been robbed and Keanu is missing. Once again feeling like his world has been taken away, he and Clarence go to crazy lengths (such as becoming part of a gang) to find Keanu and bring him home again.
Considering the fact that the majority of people only know of one person on this planet with the name ‘Keanu’, your mind probably went straight to Keanu Reeves (if not then you need to watch more films). This acknowledgement then goes hand in hand with the similarities that this film holds to one of Reeves’ latest hits, John Wick, a film in which he plays John Wick, a retired hitman whose recently deceased wife leaves him a puppy as company, however when a cocky mobster steals his car and kills his dog he polishes off his equipment and hunts him down. Considering how similar this sounds to the plot of Keanu, as well as Key & Peele’s comedic style, it would be reasonable to assume that they took some inspiration from it. Although, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Key and Peele stated that they were already writing Keanu before John Wick was released and were ‘kind of like, “Oh, my God. This is crazy. There’s a movie that has a very similar process that stars Keanu.’ This does seem like a huge coincidence, and the two never explained why the cat is called Keanu, but the likelihood is that we are unlikely to receive further confirmation of this fact, especially if it was genuinely based on said film.
The main concern with this film was the concept of it being a ‘show-to-film’ transformation and how they are risky investments, a very reasonable assumption given the recent example of Absolutely Fabulous. However this time is a perfect example of when risks payoff significantly. Instead of feeling like an over-exaggerated episode that’s been stretched out to 100 mins, it felt like an extended Christmas special with all of the best bits. It’s narrative structure and pacing easily stands up against and above a lot of other films, adding to the feeling that they’ve written and made feature films before.
Naturally, Key and Peele were both on top form, both delivering perfect performances which both humorous and serious as and when it was required. As this is an action comedy with a fairly dark narrative, they both portray slightly feminine and non-masculine characters to set the comedic tone for the film. On top of that, it also leaves a lot of comfy room for character development. As the third and most enticing cast member, the cat (whose real name has not been announced, I imagine there are more than one) is extremely well trained and potentially the most adorable kitten I’ve ever seen. Personally I’m a dog person and am not a huge fan of cats, but every time this cat is on-screen you can’t help but go “Aaaaaaaaaaw!”.
One of my personal favourite moments outside of the film is within its marketing. Upon getting closer to its release, many ‘variant’ posters were released, and by variant I mean parodies of other films. Whether these are official or entirely fan made I am unsure, but either way they were very popular and equally hilarious. Some examples are:
As for the film however, there are so many funny moments that it’s almost impossible to choose a favourite moment. In true Key & Peele style, they deliver humour consistently without it being overdone or becoming tedious. They also manage to mix it up smoothly in terms of the type of humour, i.e. one liners, contextual, etc. It is genuinely one of the funniest films of the last few years, and will have you laughing even when you least expect it!
To make sure that they’re style was delivered in Keanu, it was directed by Peter Atencio (The Rig, The Last Man on Earth) who has also directed all of Key & Peele’s shorts and skits, basically being the secret third member of the duo. This also means that upon being formatted as a film, it wasn’t over dramatized but instead managed to maintain the same feeling and atmosphere associated with their show.
For some added tension and cinematic style, the score was created by Steve Jablonsky (Transformers, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands) and Nathan Whitehead (The Purge: Anarchy, Transformers: Dark of the Moon). At first I was expecting a light-hearted soundtrack to ease off the weight of the action and tension (before I that they were behind it), but what was delivered was far better. Potentially one of the most effective soundtracks this year, it is full of dramatic and atmosphere setting songs that add to the action, authenticating the adrenaline pumping scenes and engaging dramatic moments.
Overall, Keanu is a hilarious action-comedy that finds the right balance between the two. With all jokes delivering perfectly, you will be engaged and in fits from start to finish, providing you are not offended by explicit and racially specific language!
8.2/10
P.S. Not only should wait until the credits have finished rolling, but make sure to watch out for a very perfectly placed voice!
Watch the Red-Band trailer here (explicit language):
Absolutely Fabulous describes the lifestyle of the characters perfectly, but not quite the film.
Starting out as a sit-com television series in 1992, and ending in 2012 after 6 seasons, Absolutely Fabulous revolves around Edina Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders – Shrek 2, Coraline) and Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley – The Wolf of Wall Street, The Magic Roundabout) who consistently drive Edina’s daughter Saffron (Julia Sawalha – Chicken Run, Press Gang) up the wall with their intoxicated antics and selfish behaviour.
Continuing on with the chronology as well as the same characters, this adventure follows the terrible two as they go on their potentially wildest adventure yet. Patsy’s fashion career is still going strong with her ego still perfectly in tact, despite money being low. Edina, on the other hand, is struggling with her career as a PR for celebrities. With only a few celebrities to her name, such as Lulu, Edina decides to try and expand her clientele. After being tipped off by Patsy, she races her rival to become the PR of Kate Moss, however after accidentally killing her by knocking her into the River Thames, they become public enemy number one, drawing in unwanted police and media attention. Not only do they manage to upset Saffron along the way, but also manage to involve her daughter Lola (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness).
As expected from its marketing and minimalist effort to reach a younger audience, its appeal is directed mainly towards an older audience, primarily of those who watched the television series. This is noticeable as it consists of what would be considered ‘old-school English humour’ that isn’t really present in entertainment anymore. This means that any younger audience member would have to have been raised in an ‘old-school’ household to appreciate it. It does, in places, attempt to utilise modern humour, however it doesn’t always fit in with the style and generally disrupts the flow of the moment.
As previously stated, this film is based on a successful television series that lasted 30-minutes-a-time. This is shown as it does not translate as well as it could have. This film is a perfect example that television and film are two very different things and are to be handled in very different ways. This is due to the fact that instead of feeling quite like a film, it felt like a 30-minute episode that has been dragged out to last the generic feature length, but without filling the remaining gaps.
All of this is not to suggest that it is an awful film. Whilst it is very slow paced with a very narrow target audience and hit-and-miss humour, it does have its good moments. As someone who has grown up watching older television as well as new (Fawlty Towers, Monty Python, etc) I enjoy such humour more than others of my age, however there are some timeless moments where bad language forces laughter out of you, as well as the unstoppably funny Kathy Burke. Some relief does actually come from satirical humour that deals with common concerns of modern society and the melodrama that arises from everything. All in all it is quite a funny film, it’s just that certain moments go on for too long, slightly retracting the comedic value, additionally the jokes that aren’t quite as funny seem to outweigh those that are.
If there’s one thing that this film is, it’s full of celebrity appearances. And when I say full, virtually every shot has a familiar face in it. Some faces you may recognise are: Rylan Clark, Rebel Wilson, Joan Collins, Emma Bunton, Jon Hamm, Christopher Biggins, Robert Webb, Graham Norton, Perez Hilton, and that’s barely even scratching the surface. It’s almost as if the majority of the budget was spent on getting as many guest appearances as possible.
The thing that saves this film from disaster is the three names shown on the poster: Absoluetly Fabulous – The series was hugely successful and became a huge its audiences lives. Whilst I was not around to witness its uprising and popularity, I have been made aware of its appeal and seen certain episodes and it is genuinely amusing. Because of this, its legacy and place in audiences hearts may have earnt itself some forgiveness by audiences. Jennifer Saunders – The focus of the film, Saunders does what she can with what she is given to bring some amusement to the screen, however the direction may not have been on her side in that aspect. Joanna Lumley – As the ‘secondary-primary character’, Lumley has the freedom of being a character without the pressure of driving the narrative forwards, and as a result manages to fill and form funny situations, one-liners and reactions without forcing the film one-way or the other. Ultimately, Lumley is the backbone and saviour of the film.
In conclusion, Absolutely Fabulous is an underwhelming transition from television to film that delivers limited laughs and little relief. The cast to what they can with what they’re given (which isn’t much) and try not to drown in the hundreds of celebrity cameos.
If you ever wondered what your pet(s) get up to when you’re not around, well, here’s your chance to find out.
Illumination’s latest animation brings a wonderful story that not only caters to animal lovers, but especially those who own pets. Bringing in the most popular animal led animation since Rio, The Secret Life of Pets borrows a familiar formula from one of the most popular animated films in cinematic history.
Featuring possibly over 100 pets (most of which are in the background), the main character is Max (Louis C.K. – Trumbo, Blue Jasmine), a terrier who was found by his owner Katie (Ellie Kemper – Bridesmaids, The Office) when he was just a pup. Heartbroken everyday when she leaves, Max is convinced they are soul mates (in the way dogs appear to behave). However his life turns upside down when Katie brings home enormously hairy and sloppy Duke (Eric Stonestreet – Modern Family, Identity Thief) who shares Katie’s attention. Upon realising this, Max and Duke quickly learn to dislike each other to the point that they get lost in the jungle that is New York. After getting lost they run into Snowball (Kevin Hart – Central Intelligence, Ride Along), a vengefully fluffy rabbit with a grudge against humans. However Max’s friends and neighbours don’t take his appearance lightly and take it upon themselves to find him and Duke, led by Gidget (Jenny Slate – Zootropolis, The Lorax).
If you’re thinking that the whole concept of ‘a much loved partner who’s equilibrium is disrupted by a newcomer who shares the affection before they are forced into a crazy adventure together whilst the hero’s friends come to save them before the partner realises anything’s wrong’ sounds familiar, then you’d be right. As mentioned earlier, it follows the same narrative as the much-loved animated classic Toy Story, whereby Woody’s attention from Andy is stolen by Buzz, until they fight to the point they are forced into a dangerous world together whilst Bo-Peep (who has a crush on Woody, much like Gidget with Max) and the rest of the toys search for them before Andy finds out. I only bring this up as an audience member who has seen and adored Toy Story for years, it was impossible to watch The Secret Life of Pets without subconsciously comparing the two. However as it was originally released in 1995, this will only be an issue for older audiences or children with great cinematic taste.
For a kids film it is full of laughs for children and adults alike, of which the ruder humour is directed in a way to go straight over the heads of younger audiences. A lot of the humour is typical banter thrown between cats and dogs in reference to their owners, much in the same way that owners do to each other, meaning that anyone who has owned a pet will be able to relate and enjoy it even more.
As is becoming popular nowadays with studios, there are recognisable moments of intertextuality and Easter-Eggs. This has been a thing for many years now, especially with Disney, with examples from films as early as The Jungle Book (1967) such as the hidden Mickey symbols, as well as the popular Vultures based on the rock band The Beatles. Within this film however, the main focus of referencing was on Minions (from Despicable Me), who appear to be Illumination’s primary source of profit and marketing.
Despite the huge amount of characters within this film and the primary focus being on Max and Gidget, fluffily savage Snowball manages to steal the show. With his work beginning to take over the entertainment scene, Kevin Hart takes a break from his recently repetitive role as shown in Ride Along and Central Intelligence to play a hilariously messed up yet loyally adorable white rabbit that can have you supporting him, irrelevant of his morals. Whilst he is as crazy as is common for a child’s animated film, the situation of his origin and reference to animal cruelty causes you to sympathise for him, once again utilising an audiences love of animals to their advantage. When mixing this with his ‘gangsta’ and ring-leader style, you get a madly mischievous yet unforgettably show-stopping villain.
Perhaps the most effective aspect of The Secret Life of Pets is its metaphorical presence regarding the contemporary issue of equality and our treatment of ‘out-groups’. This is not done through other species (i.e. cats and dogs), but also through class. The clearest portrayal of this is the most blatant, whereby the social balance is between Max and his group is present, until Duke (the out-group) arrives and throws things out of balance, causing Max to behave negatively towards him. However, as the course of the film progresses, they learn than snap-judgements and such treatment is not necessarily the correct reaction.
All of the cast members use their comedic experience to take this film as far as it can possibly go, ultimately driving this film further than it was written. Whilst it is a neatly laid out joy-ride, there are some moments that unnecessarily overstay their welcome, causing your attention to slightly drift until the narrative returns to its original designated direction.
Overall it is a treat for the entire family that not only explores the stereotypes and cultural beliefs of pets and their breeds, but also poses as a relevant metaphor for equality and our judgement of others. It is sure to survive the summer box-office as well as setting itself up as the children’s choice to watch. Even if you’re not anticipating much from it, it’s definitely worth a watch!
Just when you thought the first film had tricked you enough, the second act goes even further.
Set 18 months after its predecessor, Now You See Me 2 marks the return of the four Horsemen, however this time the roster has been altered. Replacing Henley is Lula, an escape artist and all-round magician. After being in hiding since their big performance and elaborate mission, they come out of the shadows, only to be tricked in the meantime, falling smoothly into the lap of Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe – Harry Potter, The Woman in Black), a millionaire in hiding with plenty of henchman that even they couldn’t escape from. Despite his money and influence, he desires a ‘control all computers’ chip named The Stick, of which the Horsemen are forced to steal. In the hardest heist imaginable, and when all is not quite as it seems, the Horseman are put to the ultimate test.
Now, for a film all about magic, it’s ironic that they were not only able to make one Horseman disappear, but to make a different one appear in her place, now that’s a trick! For those unobservant audience members who didn’t notice the lack of Henley (Isla Fisher) within the trailer (those of whom would be incredibly easy to fool!), that would be due to the fact the she is not in the film at all. Whilst the narrative gives its own reasons for Henley’s absence from the act, actual reasons surround the fact that Fisher was pregnant during the time of filming. Because of this they decided to avoid the dangerous road that some films have taken – recasting a character in the hopes that no-one would notice – and instead wrote her out of the film, bringing in the new female Horseman, Lula. Portrayed by Lizzy Caplan (Cloverfield, The Interview), Lula is capable of a variety of magic skills, specialising in escaping. There is significant difference between Henley and Lula, and what they bring to the group. In the first film, Henley was particularly confident and new her position among the other Horsemen, as well as having credited abilities and fame. Lula on the other hand, is looked down upon by the other Horsemen due to her very low status and late arrival to the group. She is far less smooth than Henley, but this is due to her geeky and clumsy personality. Whilst this may sound like a trade-down, it’s actually very well thought through as she is very different to the original female Horseman, instead of just being a like-for-like swap.
With the rest of the roster returning, they’ve all decided to try and amount to something for their next outing. For J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg – Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Zombieland), not only gains a haircut, but takes his control freak persona to the next level by trying to become the leader of the Horsemen, instead of Dylan. Jack Wilder (Dave Franco – 21 Jump Street, Bad Neighbours) decides to try to learn a little mentalism, whilst Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson – No Country for Old Men, Zombieland) takes up a bit of Cardistry, learning to throw cards. Dylan (Mark Ruffalo – Spotlight, Avengers Assemble) has a significantly more blatant, but by no-means less complicated role as the mentor and leader for the Horsemen, whilst still hiding from within the FBI to stay one step ahead. However, when things don’t go to plan, he is once again left chasing those who are one step ahead, leaving him two steps behind. Despite the new introduction, the group chemistry is still fantastic from the actors. Even when the characters aren’t quite in agreement, they always manage to bounce off of each other. All actors are fantastic in their roles and bring out the best possible from their characters and never surrender the act, always keeping you engaged in their performance.
Returning to oppose the Horseman, and attempt to bury them for good are Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman – The Shawshank Redemption, Seven) and Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine – The Prestige, The Dark Knight). Ending the first film on a bad note with Dylan, Bradley sits in his cell awaiting his opportunity to seek revenge. Upon noticing the chance, Bradley uses the same wit and wisdom to make his presence known to them. As always, Freeman does a perfect job and consistently brings a distinctive level of style to the screen. In a sinister flip to that, Michael Caine maintains Tressler’s bitter and ‘rich-arrogance’ persona, still holding a grudge for the stunt they pulled previously. Once again, as a veteran actor he has an established ability and brings his own level of class to the feature. Joining this side of the battle is Daniel Radcliffe’s ‘Walter Mabry’, a rich, egotistical Englishman that is used to getting what he wants. As a result of this he fits in better than you may think.
Alongside the danger and tension that is presented to the protagonists, it still maintains its light-hearted and comedic style that sets the series apart from the likes of The Prestige and The Illusionist. Although it can be a bit slow to start with a few hit-and-miss jokes, once the film sets its own pace it delivers hit after hit after hit, living up to its own name and standards.
The main concern people had with this film was the tricks used within it. In the first film, all of the tricks were actually capable of being down and generally involved sleight of hand or misdirection. However the main complaint was that the sequel looked as though it would consist mainly of CGI magic that cannot actually be done (such as the rain trick from the trailer). Well I can gladly say that it is not true. Not only is the rain trick awesome and replicable, but they also tell you how to do it. Also, if the first film didn’t make you want to pick up a deck of cards and become the next David Copperfield, then this one should seal the deal.
I was personally concerned with the ability to keep up with the first film. Upon watching the original, you don’t know what to expect, and thus it hits you at every twist and turn, playing you more than you are willing to let it. Because of this, as the film closes you are held in disbelief, standing back for a moment saying “What the hell just happened?”, instantly making it a classic. This posed as a self-made threat for a sequel, causing the audience to be sat there waiting for the twists and reveals. Whilst this is so, it does an incredible job of also tricking you when you’re not quite expecting it. This was a pleasant surprise as I was not anticipating any surprises or unexpected twists, and whilst I guessed right a few times, the times I was wrong felt like an entertaining sucker punch to my spectating-ego, taking the film in directions I hadn’t considered.
Once again, Brian Tyler delivers and equally mesmerising score that follows the same style as that of the first, piling onto the epic pace and atmosphere to help in keeping you on the very edge of your seat.
Overall, whilst the film does not follow an original concept, it takes heist films to a new level and will have you gripped until the conclusion. Any magician or fan of magic would be a fool to miss it.
nerdscreen 