Warning: Before the review begins, I would like to admit that I love boxing movies. If you feel that this will skew the review, please stop reading.
Southpaw is enjoyable to watch. While unfocused it is elevated by the actors performances.
Southpaw tells the story of Billy "The Great" Hope (Played by Jake Gyllenhaal), an undefeated prize fighter and his life post the death of his wife Maureen (Rachel McAdams). It primarily focuses on his boxing career and his relationship with his daughter Leila (Oona Laurence).
In many ways this is a by the books boxing movie. By that I mean it is about breaking someone down and then building them back up. This film manages to achieve this goal well.
The boxing is choreographed well, feeling authentic despite a couple of times when it was apparent punches were pulled. This could be thanks to Victor Ortiz, who utilised his boxing skills to aid director Antoine Fuqua with choreography.
The performances are what made this movie rise above the average boxing movie.
As this movie focuses of Gyllenhaals Billy Hope, it is great that such a talented actor took on the role. He fully embraced the role, which made following his less than articulate character very easy. I felt every emotion that Hope was feeling.
The secondary characters also fill their roles will. Rachel McAdams has a great chemistry with Jake Gyllenhaal. When Oona Laurences Leila is added to the mix, it feels like watching a loving family.
Hopes support team is more of a mixed bag. Tick Willis (Forest Whitaker) is a well played character who does a great job of shaping Hope into the fighter he is at the end of the film. He also has good support from his friend Mikey (Dominic Colon).
Weak characters were also presents, especially Jordan Mains (Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson). While I was not the biggest fan of his character, I can see how much better Jacksons performance is compared to his previous work. Another weak role was Miguel "Magic" Escobar (Miguel Gomez), however that is because he need more time to be developed on screen.
There are not plot twists in this movie, which serves it well due to a lack of overcrowding. Antoine Fuquas direction manages to hit all of the beats well, however there are some secondary stories that could have been left out to make a tighter movie.
The cinematography was good, but it wasn't special.
Southpaw is a true boxing movie, which I personally believe is a great thing.
Number of times I looked at my watch: Zero
Recommendation: This is a must watch for boxing movie fans. For the remainder of audiences, it is a movie that while enjoyable in cinemas, could just be bought on Blu-Ray.
I hope you enjoyed this review, please let me know what other movies you would like me to review.
Have a great day. Looking forward to your feedback.
Saturday, 25 July 2015
Sunday, 19 July 2015
Ant-Man (2015)
Ant-Man is a Marvel movie baed on the adventures of Scott Lang and Hank Pym.
Ant-Man tells the tale of Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd), an ex-con hired to Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lily), who uses the Ant-Man suit to steal stuff from Darren Cross (Corey Stoll).
This movie delivers exactly what is expected of a Marvel summer blockbuster. It was an enjoyable, no-brainer, movie.
The movie was presented in the usual fantastical world, competently brought to life by Peyton Reed. The characters are slightly larger than life, which is a Marvel staple. It also introduces interesting characters, such as Luis (Michael Pena) to provide the obligatory Marvel comic relief.
The highlight of this movie was the character interactions. The plot was very straight forward, with plot twists essentially non existent. Conversations seemed fun, although not entirely natural. The character highlights for me were Douglas Hank Pym and Penas Luis. Michael Pena to me personally is an underrated actor, who could carry a film on his own, something that he demonstrated by stealing every scene he was in.
However, despite the four memorable characters who interacted well, a lot of the other characters were ultimately forgettable. The most disappointing forgettable character was Stolls Darren Cross. Marvel needs to learn how to create memorable villains.
The bombastic action can lead to entertaining scenes. It is also where the influence of the original director (Edgar Wright) is most noticeable. The scenes are creative and really help demonstrate why Ant-Man could be an interesting character.
This film also contains some obvious fan service, but Ant-Man manages to stand on its own two feet as a stand alone movie.
The film at times seems disjointed, but due to the production history (Reed only became the director a couple of weeks before shooting) this is more a victim or circumstance than bad direction.
Number of times I looked at my watch: Two
Recommendation:This is an enjoyable summer movie, see it for an enjoyable time.
I hope you enjoyed this review, please let me know what other movies you would like me to review.
Have a great day. Looking forward to your feedback.
Saturday, 11 July 2015
Ted 2 (2015)
Ted 2 is a comedy about a talking bear (Voiced by Seth MacFarlane) and his best friend John (Mark Wahlberg).
Ted 2 tells the story of Teds attempt to legally be deemed as human after the US government ruins his life. He is aided by his thunder buddy John and Sam L. Jackson, a young lawyer portrayed by Amanda Seyfried.
The main story was alright, but in a comedy the journey matters more than the story. The journey easily delivered the more enjoyable part, and it was very enjoyable.
The cinematography is alright, but pretty standard fair, sprinkled with some great quick cuts for that extra laugh. There were, however, musical numbers that overstayed their welcome.
Seth MacFarlane uses this film to demonstrate his voice acting ability, being able to make the character of Ted seem as if he was alive. Mark Wahlberg also does a great job of returning to the role of John. Amanda Seyfried seems to come into her own in this role and was a pleasure to watch.
The real star power however, comes in the celebrity cameos. Each actor fully takes on their character in the cameo and it enhances what is already a very funny film.
This movie had me laughing out loud in the cinema, probably annoying the person sitting next to me. To me, this is a sign of a very funny movie.
Ted 2 demonstrates how lude, crude and rude comedy can still make a hilarious movie when effort is put into it.
Number of times I looked at my watch: Zero
Recommendation: See this film for a good laugh.
I hope you enjoyed this review, please let me know what other movies you would like me to review.
Have a great day. Looking forward to your feedback.
Ted 2 tells the story of Teds attempt to legally be deemed as human after the US government ruins his life. He is aided by his thunder buddy John and Sam L. Jackson, a young lawyer portrayed by Amanda Seyfried.
The main story was alright, but in a comedy the journey matters more than the story. The journey easily delivered the more enjoyable part, and it was very enjoyable.
The cinematography is alright, but pretty standard fair, sprinkled with some great quick cuts for that extra laugh. There were, however, musical numbers that overstayed their welcome.
Seth MacFarlane uses this film to demonstrate his voice acting ability, being able to make the character of Ted seem as if he was alive. Mark Wahlberg also does a great job of returning to the role of John. Amanda Seyfried seems to come into her own in this role and was a pleasure to watch.
The real star power however, comes in the celebrity cameos. Each actor fully takes on their character in the cameo and it enhances what is already a very funny film.
This movie had me laughing out loud in the cinema, probably annoying the person sitting next to me. To me, this is a sign of a very funny movie.
Ted 2 demonstrates how lude, crude and rude comedy can still make a hilarious movie when effort is put into it.
Number of times I looked at my watch: Zero
Recommendation: See this film for a good laugh.
I hope you enjoyed this review, please let me know what other movies you would like me to review.
Have a great day. Looking forward to your feedback.
Sunday, 5 July 2015
Teminator Genisys (2015)
Terminator Genisys is a film based around time travel. It is also a film that didn't need to be made.
Arnold Schwarznegger returns to the role of the T-800 in this action movie set in the past, the near future and the far future. As in Terminator 2, the T-800 is sent to protect Sarah Connor, now portrayed by Emilia Clarke. Also sent to protect Sarah Connor is Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney), sent by Sarah's son John Connor (Jason Clarke).
This film I found difficult to enjoy. The simple reason is that it did not share the same tone as the original two Terminator movies. The tension has been replaced by a more jokey version that kills tension whenever it is employed.
My big issue with this new approach is based on the fact that Terminator Genisys is rates 12A (PG-13) in the US. For a franchise usually rates 15 (R), this means that a lot of the grit of the original movies has been replaced with more child friendly content.
The action in this movie was very much by the books. Once the setting was known, the character actions during the fights ended up being predictable. It unfortunately meant that there was no point in this film where the audience would be sitting on the edge of their seats. For a film based on suspense and action, this is not a great sign.
Regarding the acting, at least the actors try. My issue is that while the entire cast is talented, this film didn't leave much room for them to demonstrate it. Matt Smith came closest in his role as a computer program, but otherwise the characters ended up being two dimensional. This is largely due to bad writing, relying on nostalgia to carry the movie as opposed to writing a good script.
Dayo Okeniyi and J.K. Simmons were wasted in their roles as Danny Dyson and O'Brien respectively. Their roles were created as plot devices to help characters get from point A to point B with a little character development as possible. Theses roles could have, or should have, been played by lesser known actors as an introductory role.
The twist in the story was ruined in the trailers. There is nothing more to say about that. It means that what was a potentially good twist has been ruined while trying to entice people to watch the film. A lot of the steam of the movie is lost after that reveal.
It is a weird moment when the villain is correct, but somehow this is the second film this summer where I feel like I have been rooting for the wrong side. The primary reason for this is that the our group of heroes are dumb. They are physically capable, but seem to lack the ability to think.
Terminator Genisys relies on nostalgia to work, it takes what was known and twists it in the worst possible way.
The biggest crime that Terminator Genisys has committed is that it wasn't great and it wasn't terrible, it was just boring.
Number of times I looked at my watch: Twenty
Recommendation: Watch the original Terminator and Terminator 2.
Arnold Schwarznegger returns to the role of the T-800 in this action movie set in the past, the near future and the far future. As in Terminator 2, the T-800 is sent to protect Sarah Connor, now portrayed by Emilia Clarke. Also sent to protect Sarah Connor is Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney), sent by Sarah's son John Connor (Jason Clarke).
This film I found difficult to enjoy. The simple reason is that it did not share the same tone as the original two Terminator movies. The tension has been replaced by a more jokey version that kills tension whenever it is employed.
My big issue with this new approach is based on the fact that Terminator Genisys is rates 12A (PG-13) in the US. For a franchise usually rates 15 (R), this means that a lot of the grit of the original movies has been replaced with more child friendly content.
The action in this movie was very much by the books. Once the setting was known, the character actions during the fights ended up being predictable. It unfortunately meant that there was no point in this film where the audience would be sitting on the edge of their seats. For a film based on suspense and action, this is not a great sign.
Regarding the acting, at least the actors try. My issue is that while the entire cast is talented, this film didn't leave much room for them to demonstrate it. Matt Smith came closest in his role as a computer program, but otherwise the characters ended up being two dimensional. This is largely due to bad writing, relying on nostalgia to carry the movie as opposed to writing a good script.
Dayo Okeniyi and J.K. Simmons were wasted in their roles as Danny Dyson and O'Brien respectively. Their roles were created as plot devices to help characters get from point A to point B with a little character development as possible. Theses roles could have, or should have, been played by lesser known actors as an introductory role.
The twist in the story was ruined in the trailers. There is nothing more to say about that. It means that what was a potentially good twist has been ruined while trying to entice people to watch the film. A lot of the steam of the movie is lost after that reveal.
It is a weird moment when the villain is correct, but somehow this is the second film this summer where I feel like I have been rooting for the wrong side. The primary reason for this is that the our group of heroes are dumb. They are physically capable, but seem to lack the ability to think.
Terminator Genisys relies on nostalgia to work, it takes what was known and twists it in the worst possible way.
The biggest crime that Terminator Genisys has committed is that it wasn't great and it wasn't terrible, it was just boring.
Recommendation: Watch the original Terminator and Terminator 2.
All feedback is welcome, have a great day.
Tuesday, 23 June 2015
Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)
Batman: Under the Red Hood is an animated movie within the world of Batman.
For a short movie, there is a lot of depth.
Under the Red Hood tells the story of Red Hood (Voiced by Jensen Ackles) and his encounters with Batman (Bruce Greenwood).
The film opens with an incredible sequence that manages to demonstrate the ability animation has to portray violence and danger without having to explicitly show it. This is something that I wish more movies would do. This sequence also managed to allow for an emotional punch that is best vocalised without words.
As the movie shifts from the past to the present day, we are greeted with an exposition filled five minutes, which begins to drag the movie down. However, that is the only section filled with awkward exposition, which was very fortunate.
As the main story progresses, the Red Hood story becomes more and more intertwined with that of the now deceased Jason Todd, a former Robin. This therefore makes Batmans journey all the more emotional as he is driven towards a final confrontation with the masked man.
This arc of the Batman saga manages to create a vulnerable hero as he dwells on his failures. The character of the Red Hood manages to exemplify the limits the Batman has put upon himself by crossing the line and killing criminals. This makes for an interesting, and deep character study. It also poses the question of whether Batman is actually affective.
Along the journey, Batman is joined by Nightwing (Neil Patrick Harris), a character primarily placed for comic relief. He is also a nice way of juxtaposing two parts of Batman, his greatest success and his greatest failure. As ever, Alfred (Jin Piddock) is there to faithfully provide Batman with a voice of reason, while Ra's Al Ghul (Jason Isaacs) appears to piece together a puzzle for the detective.
For the Red Hood and his story of vengeance, he is pitted against both Black Mask (Wade Williams) and Joker (John DiMaggio). While Black Mask was a character that featured more, he was a means to an end, both for the audience and for Red Hood. With Joker however, there was eery feeling of how personal his vendetta is with all of the characters.
To say that all characters were portrayed well is an understatement. It feels as if the focus on voice acting has allowed some of the actors, especially Jensen Ackles, to deliver some of their best performances. It is a testament that all of the characters feel unique and alive in a world where stereotypes and over the top characterisations should have been prevalent.
Regarding the movement and direction, this film felt as if you could be watching a live action film. The characters movement was based on real human movement, despite some creative license with pain thresholds. The camera angles showed a dedication to detail.
One thing that I enjoyed above all else with this film is that it is one of the most human superhero films that I have seen. The focus is on the characters as opposed to ver the top action.
The themes of this movie are very mature, with bloody violence and references to death. While this did not kill my enjoyment of the film, it is not a family movie.
Number of times I looked at my watch: Three
Recommendation: Feel free to watch it but avoid showing to young children.
All feedback is welcome, have a great day.
If you have any suggestions for films to review, or would like me to review your film, please let me know.
For a short movie, there is a lot of depth.
Under the Red Hood tells the story of Red Hood (Voiced by Jensen Ackles) and his encounters with Batman (Bruce Greenwood).
The film opens with an incredible sequence that manages to demonstrate the ability animation has to portray violence and danger without having to explicitly show it. This is something that I wish more movies would do. This sequence also managed to allow for an emotional punch that is best vocalised without words.
As the movie shifts from the past to the present day, we are greeted with an exposition filled five minutes, which begins to drag the movie down. However, that is the only section filled with awkward exposition, which was very fortunate.
As the main story progresses, the Red Hood story becomes more and more intertwined with that of the now deceased Jason Todd, a former Robin. This therefore makes Batmans journey all the more emotional as he is driven towards a final confrontation with the masked man.
This arc of the Batman saga manages to create a vulnerable hero as he dwells on his failures. The character of the Red Hood manages to exemplify the limits the Batman has put upon himself by crossing the line and killing criminals. This makes for an interesting, and deep character study. It also poses the question of whether Batman is actually affective.
Along the journey, Batman is joined by Nightwing (Neil Patrick Harris), a character primarily placed for comic relief. He is also a nice way of juxtaposing two parts of Batman, his greatest success and his greatest failure. As ever, Alfred (Jin Piddock) is there to faithfully provide Batman with a voice of reason, while Ra's Al Ghul (Jason Isaacs) appears to piece together a puzzle for the detective.
For the Red Hood and his story of vengeance, he is pitted against both Black Mask (Wade Williams) and Joker (John DiMaggio). While Black Mask was a character that featured more, he was a means to an end, both for the audience and for Red Hood. With Joker however, there was eery feeling of how personal his vendetta is with all of the characters.
To say that all characters were portrayed well is an understatement. It feels as if the focus on voice acting has allowed some of the actors, especially Jensen Ackles, to deliver some of their best performances. It is a testament that all of the characters feel unique and alive in a world where stereotypes and over the top characterisations should have been prevalent.
Regarding the movement and direction, this film felt as if you could be watching a live action film. The characters movement was based on real human movement, despite some creative license with pain thresholds. The camera angles showed a dedication to detail.
One thing that I enjoyed above all else with this film is that it is one of the most human superhero films that I have seen. The focus is on the characters as opposed to ver the top action.
The themes of this movie are very mature, with bloody violence and references to death. While this did not kill my enjoyment of the film, it is not a family movie.
Number of times I looked at my watch: Three
Recommendation: Feel free to watch it but avoid showing to young children.
All feedback is welcome, have a great day.
If you have any suggestions for films to review, or would like me to review your film, please let me know.
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Sense8 (2015)
Sense8 is a show that explores the connections between eight people who are psychically connected, for lack of a better description.
While high concept Sci Fi is difficult to follow, but every so often it is worth it.
Sense8 follows Lito (Miguel Angel Silvestre), Sun Bak (Doona Bae), Capheus (Aml Ameen), Nomi Marks (Jamie Clayton), Kala Dandekar (Tina Desai), Riley (Tuppence Middleton), Wolfgang (Max Reimelt) and Will Gorski (Brian J. Smith) as they discover their connection to each other.
The overarching group story is peppered with each of the characters individual stories. Each of these stories helps to develop both the character who the story focuses on as well as the world. I feel like I should attempt to review each of the stories individually. However, in the interest of time, I will restrain myself.
The highlight of the individual stories in my opinion is Litos as it builds a world of interesting and exciting characters. The low point of the individual stories is Wills. I feel that the reason for his individual story not clicking is that his character was designed for the overarching narrative.
The characters vary from interesting and fun (Lito and his story) to dull (Will). However, each of the characters feel like individuals, a sign of great writing. This sense of character even extends to the supporting characters, they are vibrant and help to build a lived in world.
Finally there is the villain, Mr. Whispers (Terrence Mann). Whispers is a very good, enigmatic villain. Throughout the series we learn very little about him, bar his methods and his first name. This makes for a great villain. One who we know to be afraid of without having that pesky humanity to make us feel sympathy for him.
His opposition is Jonas Maliki (Naveen Andrews), a man with a chequered pass who is atoning for his sins. This character plays a vital role, helping to kick off proceedings for this show.
Despite there being action in this series, it is not something that needs to be focused on. This is primarily a Sci Fi character drama, peppered with touching moments, some of which are karaoke based. This series is difficult to pin down as it covers such an array of genres.
For what was advertised as an action show, I found a far more riveting show instead. I recommend that people watch this show.
Number of Episodes: 12
Recommendation: Watch it.
I hope you enjoyed this review, please let me know what other shows you would like me to review.
Have a great day. Looking forward to your feedback.
While high concept Sci Fi is difficult to follow, but every so often it is worth it.
Sense8 follows Lito (Miguel Angel Silvestre), Sun Bak (Doona Bae), Capheus (Aml Ameen), Nomi Marks (Jamie Clayton), Kala Dandekar (Tina Desai), Riley (Tuppence Middleton), Wolfgang (Max Reimelt) and Will Gorski (Brian J. Smith) as they discover their connection to each other.
The overarching group story is peppered with each of the characters individual stories. Each of these stories helps to develop both the character who the story focuses on as well as the world. I feel like I should attempt to review each of the stories individually. However, in the interest of time, I will restrain myself.
The highlight of the individual stories in my opinion is Litos as it builds a world of interesting and exciting characters. The low point of the individual stories is Wills. I feel that the reason for his individual story not clicking is that his character was designed for the overarching narrative.
The characters vary from interesting and fun (Lito and his story) to dull (Will). However, each of the characters feel like individuals, a sign of great writing. This sense of character even extends to the supporting characters, they are vibrant and help to build a lived in world.
Finally there is the villain, Mr. Whispers (Terrence Mann). Whispers is a very good, enigmatic villain. Throughout the series we learn very little about him, bar his methods and his first name. This makes for a great villain. One who we know to be afraid of without having that pesky humanity to make us feel sympathy for him.
His opposition is Jonas Maliki (Naveen Andrews), a man with a chequered pass who is atoning for his sins. This character plays a vital role, helping to kick off proceedings for this show.
Despite there being action in this series, it is not something that needs to be focused on. This is primarily a Sci Fi character drama, peppered with touching moments, some of which are karaoke based. This series is difficult to pin down as it covers such an array of genres.
For what was advertised as an action show, I found a far more riveting show instead. I recommend that people watch this show.
Number of Episodes: 12
Recommendation: Watch it.
I hope you enjoyed this review, please let me know what other shows you would like me to review.
Have a great day. Looking forward to your feedback.
Monday, 25 May 2015
Tommorowland (2015)
Tomorrowland is a Science Fantasy movie set in the present day.
I saw this film yesterday in a cinema in Singapore with a friend.
George Clooney and Britt Robertson star in Tomorrowland as Frank Walker and Casey Newton respectively. Frank (Clooney) is a boy genius, while Newton (Robertson) plays a dreamer who loves space. They are assigned the task of saving the world by Athena, played by Raffey Cassidy. I feel like this sums up the characters to a tee as most character depth is replaced by one liners etc.
They must travel to Tomorrowland, run by David Nix (Hugh Laurie) a world filled with the potential for the future. When they complete their task, they may be able to save our reality.
My heart sank when the movie started as the ending was given away within one minute. Unfortunately, this kills the momentum and impact that the rest of the movie could have had. It also means that while the movie while the movie has enjoyable moments, it was never exciting.
This movie also acts as a travel advertisement aimed at getting children to annoy their parent. The first third of this movie included an advert for Disneyland. While the second third includes an advert for the Eiffel Tower.
There are moments in this movie when Physics are thrown out of the window. This is alright in most movies, however this one is a science based movie. Even though it is science fantasy, there are certain elements that should be scientifically based.
When Nix is introduced for the second time in this movie, his role is obvious. When he explains his motivation, I find myself agreeing with his logic. I feel that for a movie such as this, this shouldn't be the case. There is something wrong when you feel that the protagonists journey is vague.
The performances were lacklustre from the entire cast, who made it obvious that this was a paycheque movie. The momentum is killed from the get go and unfortunately most of the characters are a deep as a paddling pool.
While I did not enjoy this movie, I have to note that Tomorrowland is not a movie aimed at adults in any way.
Number of times I looked at my watch: Seven
Recommendation: Have your kids watch it while you do whatever else you want to do.
I saw this film yesterday in a cinema in Singapore with a friend.
George Clooney and Britt Robertson star in Tomorrowland as Frank Walker and Casey Newton respectively. Frank (Clooney) is a boy genius, while Newton (Robertson) plays a dreamer who loves space. They are assigned the task of saving the world by Athena, played by Raffey Cassidy. I feel like this sums up the characters to a tee as most character depth is replaced by one liners etc.
They must travel to Tomorrowland, run by David Nix (Hugh Laurie) a world filled with the potential for the future. When they complete their task, they may be able to save our reality.
My heart sank when the movie started as the ending was given away within one minute. Unfortunately, this kills the momentum and impact that the rest of the movie could have had. It also means that while the movie while the movie has enjoyable moments, it was never exciting.
This movie also acts as a travel advertisement aimed at getting children to annoy their parent. The first third of this movie included an advert for Disneyland. While the second third includes an advert for the Eiffel Tower.
There are moments in this movie when Physics are thrown out of the window. This is alright in most movies, however this one is a science based movie. Even though it is science fantasy, there are certain elements that should be scientifically based.
When Nix is introduced for the second time in this movie, his role is obvious. When he explains his motivation, I find myself agreeing with his logic. I feel that for a movie such as this, this shouldn't be the case. There is something wrong when you feel that the protagonists journey is vague.
The performances were lacklustre from the entire cast, who made it obvious that this was a paycheque movie. The momentum is killed from the get go and unfortunately most of the characters are a deep as a paddling pool.
While I did not enjoy this movie, I have to note that Tomorrowland is not a movie aimed at adults in any way.
Recommendation: Have your kids watch it while you do whatever else you want to do.
All feedback is welcome, have a great day.
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