Category: Ramblings

Kingsman: The Golden Circle- 15
Release date- 20.9.17

Trailer
Review for Kingsman the Secret Service (2014)
From IMDB: When their headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage, the Kingsman’s journey leads them to the discovery of an allied spy organization in the US. These two elite secret organizations must band together to defeat a common enemy.

The Good
It ticks all the boxes from the first movie: the sleek filming style, amazing talent rounding up the cast and a larger than life plot to give you a satisfying 2 hour escape from the real world.
Taron Egerton is wonderful, as always, playing rough-boy gone posh Eggsy. There’s some beautiful moments where he shows some vulnerability; namely to do with his connections with friends and family.
Mark Strong’s Merlin is upgraded with extra screen time this outing. Strong is a wonderful addition to any film and Kingsman is no exception. Just wait for the final act and he will bring a tear to your eye with a song.
The American counterparts are a welcome detour in the film’s proceedings; Berry, Tatum and Bridges take on the Statesmen roles with charm and wit. They feel right at home with our smart dressed boys.
Hallie Berry, in particular, is a delight to see working alongside Strong. She plays his American counterpart; Ginger Ale. She longs for field work, only we never really get to see how successful she’d be.

The Bad
Colin Firth! Sigh, it’s so hard to put this as a negative, but when a film rewrites a narrative to bring back a character, it’s a little bit of a bitter pill. Now, I may be wrong as I’ve never read the comics however, I will never watch the first film and that scene in which Firth takes the bullet to the head with the same gravitas.
I have the same issue with Agent Coulson in Avengers Assemble; it means any following character deaths lose their power or believability. It stops me feeling for any character demise as I’m always holding my breath for their return.
That said, how Vaugn brings Firth back is quite ingenious and his character does add to the film’s dynamics and even the plot.
Alas, he also draws attention to my second negative of the film. Pedro Pascal’s hand is revealed too early as turncoat agent. I had my suspicions, but Firth’s character confirmed it. Nothing is done to deny this or make it out to be a red herring; so you’ll be shouting at the screen at Eggsy for doubting Galahad Snr.

The Ugly

It was too ‘filming by numbers’ for my liking. The same gags were used, they had the same fights in different locations and even the villain was the same character in a different body.
Okay, I’ll give Kingsman points for casting Julianne Moore as the peppy Poppy, hell bent on showing the world what she can do to the drug market. However, she was still exploiting a mass market item to her own benefit.
Her predictable demise feels a little anti-climactic which would have been fine had Agent Whiskey’s betrayal been the sucker punch reveal it deserved.

Sweet little Cherry
Elton John’s cameo was a delight. It trumps the Mark Hamill guest star from the previous film and he provides some of the film’s best laughs.

Final Thoughts
I’m so happy it was made and it’s certainly an enjoyable 2 hours, but it pales in comparison to its predecessor and I do hope that there isn’t a third waiting to be green lit.

mother! 18
Release date: 15^th September
Trailer- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpICoc65uh0
From IMDB: A couple’s relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.

The initial thoughts

My head was messed for a good few hours after watching this film. I predicted some, but not all, of the metaphors within the film. It was only one of the final act’s lines that gave me an indication as to the biblical allegory presented within the set piece of a house.
Since reading up about the Biblical context, it’s easier to seen some of the more overt imagery and themes. Something which would have sat better with me had this been an open interpretation.

The Good
The film contains a good calibre of actors who work well together. Jennifer Lawrence is amazing at ‘Mother’; always at the edge of sanity as her husband pushes her boundaries and seemingly put guests before her. She is our eyes within this crazy world; you feel her confusion and abandonment. However, even going into the final scene, you are left wondering if it’s all in her head.

The scene stealer has to be Michelle Pfeiffer as ‘Woman’; wife to Ed Harris’ ‘Man’. I hadn’t realised until after the credits had rolled and I was halfway home; none of the characters were ever referred to by name.

Domhnall alert! Not in it long, but I was grateful for the few scenes he was in. Playing the ‘Older brother’ to his own brother, Brian it did leave me wishing that casting had gone in for a hattrick and put Brendan in place of Ed Harris.

The Bad

It’s slow. It’s quiet. It’s NOT a horror. Whoever they have in charge for the marketing campaign needs to be sent back to film school; yes, there are horrific scenes, however that is not what the mass audience will expect when paying their £10 plus to put their bums on the seats.

It picks up speed in the final act, but it becomes so busy I felt like I was on a fairground ride. It’s hard to keep track of the action and you can’t help but feel on edge.

The Ugly

Literally the phrase ‘viewer discretion is advised’ has never meant so much. As I’ve mentioned briefly, this film is a Biblical allegory. Mother, is representative of mother earth and both ‘Man’ and ‘Woman’ are Adam and Eve.

While most of the plot contains itself to Genesis, the final act draws on the development of humanity and religion along with the treatment of Jesus. Jennifer Lawrence shows a different form of immaculate conception as she just ‘knows’ she is pregnant. It’s a scene that sits uncomfortably with me.
However, it would have been my winner had her baby; who remains unnamed is passed around the cultish gathering within their family home. I think you have to have a stomach of lead to get through the scene in which a baby less than 24 hours old becomes a metaphor for the last supper and crucifixion of Jesus.

I’ve failed to talk about ‘Him’. The creator who abandons his wife because he need to be with his ‘fans’ and allows his new born baby to be killed, only to insist on them being forgiven. Of course, this is the allegorical God; played by Javier Bardem in a depression filled role. It doesn’t sit right with me.
While it can be said that he plays a good characterisation of the God within the Old Testement, it was Bardem’s performance that stopped me from working it out sooner.
The creator is too flawed, too weak and too petulant to be my understanding of God; no matter which Testement He is taken from. God should not be flawed; meaning the beginning and final scenes are rendering God no longer infallible. (Quick, someone get Bethany. Up is about to become down, black will become white…)

Not only that, this divisive interpretation puts the blame of the destruction of the world at God’s door. Many people who know me, know I’m agnostic and do not practise any faith. However, Global warming, idolatry and the perverse acts of mankind (killings, rape, Trump) are our own doing. To not only encourage the thought that it is the fault of a higher power, let alone have it come from ‘His’ mouth, is simply insulting.

Also, I’m an RE teacher! Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to discover these films rich in religious content, to realise that the age rating disallows its use? Hollywood; give me some age appropriate goods.

Nerve
Trailer
From IMDB: A high school senior finds herself immersed in an online game of truth or dare, where her every move starts to become manipulated by an anonymous community of “watchers.”

Nerve takes the premise of Jeanne Ryan’s novel, has its kinks and lulls ironed out, in order to provide an hour and a half of suspense, thrills and wicked entertainment.

Emma Roberts and Dave Franco are perfect leads Vee and Ian who join together to participate in Nerve; an online Truth or Dare. To win you need to go viral and complete challenges. How much of a coincidence is it that the challenges just so happen to represent player’s fears and personal demons?!

Okay, so anyone who’s seen the trailer, or watched a suspense movie will know it’s not that simple. Once they have you in their grip, Nerve will do anything to keep you there.

Cinematography is immersive and, at some points, stomach churning. The plot is well developed. At some points, more than the book. The changes allow for more depth of character and Vee’s motivation has a better foundation.

It’s not for everyone though.

IT- 15
Release date: 8^th September 2017
Han’s book review
From IMDB: A group of bullied kids band together when a shapeshifting demon, taking the appearance of clown, begins hunting children.
Trailer

The good
The young actors were amazing and a perfect representation of teens today. I wasn’t sold on Finn Wolfhard as the sexualised Richie (Think Jay from Inbetweeners and that’s what Richie should be like. Unfortunately, Wolfhard’s words fall flat in their believability), however he was perfect for the other aspects of the character and a beautiful homage to Corey Feldmen’s Teddy of Stand by Me.

Sophia Lillis is truly incredible as Val. She portrays a believable vulnerability with a will to survive. Her attack by IT puts the Carrie prom scene to shame and is truly one of the creepiest set pieces I’ve ever watched.

I don’t think a bunch of kids have been well cast since the golden age of the 80s; they should be held in as high regard as The Goonies and Stand By Me.

The film makers had the sense not to convolute the plot with King’s “ingenious” method of riding Derry of IT; a consensual gang bang between Val and every single boy in the Losers Club.

There are some amazing one liners that have been woven in due to the time shift from the book; from New Kids on the Block to film references. I was the only person laughing, but I didn’t care one bit. Hit the film on a busy Saturday night and I’m sure there would be more people chuckling along.

The scares are there, especially if you have a dislike for clowns. I jumped twice, but that was more to do with the music than the plot. IT is certainly going to leave a lasting impression.

The bad
It’s quite annoying that the bits I quite loved about the film is what I feel did it a disservice.

Setting the teen section in the 80s was good; as a horror movie, it ticks all the boxes. However, in a post Stranger Things world and being a King adaptation; it comes across as a little cheap and homage-ridden to been enjoyed as it was meant. Also, there was so much rich social commentary to be gained from a 50s setting that I was really looking forward to seeing.

There was a little too much Max Headroom computer effects whenever Pennywise came out to play in the mid and long shots and some scenes showed too much which sadly detracted from the horror.

It’s biggest problem when it comes to the horror is that it’s appealing to a 15 audience. Up it to an 18 and they could have gotten a lot more scares in.

The ugly
Where was my werewolf?! Everyone has their favourite; zombies, vampires, werewolves. I’m a wolf gal; all hair, a bit of gruff and an understanding that we all have an off few days once a month. It’s there in the book, and I had no expectations. Except, ah bloody hell, they went there.

I got a glimpse, a tease if you will. My co blogger has insisted I quote myself from the post movie debrief; “I feel like Domhnall Gleeson did stripped in front of me, but stopped before we got to the good stuff” and it’s true. I feel so robbed and I only hope the intention is that we see it in chapter 2.

Currently, IT Chapter Two has yet to be green lit. However, it’s had a healthy box office so an announcement should be imminent.