Tag: reviews

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

They’re back to thaw things out

Rating 12
Length 1h56
Release 22.03.2024
Director Doug Lyman
About The Spengler family returns to the iconic New York City firehouse where the original Ghostbusters have taken ghost-busting to the next level. When the discovery of an ancient artefact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must unite to protect their home and save the world from a second ice age.
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: Cinemas Nationwide
Trailer:

The Good

Love the Trevor ‘tude. Finn Wolfhard really has that ‘I’m 18 so I want to be treated like an adult’ done to a comedic fine art and his story arc with Slimer is quite cool and there is a great pay off to it.

As much as I was worried about it, I’m actually quite happy we returned to New York and, even though we are back, this film offers us something different.

Paul Rudd truly is the gift that keeps on giving with this franchise. His paternal role and the conflict of not quite being part of the family is so beautifully handled from the moment he introduces himself as Phoebe’s ‘step-teacher’.

Lars and the new digs! Oh I love them both. Lars gives us a new Egon and the newly developed site blows the franchise wide open in terms of concepts. I also must admit that the final act also resets a lot. Almost akin to Arkham being destroyed.

The Bad

Getting Podcast and Lucky to New York was a tad heavy handed and while the film has a place for Podcast, I’m not sure it knows what to do with Lucky. The other aspect is that both characters are ‘discovered’ to be in New York for the summer, rather than the Spengler family knowing they were there.
In addition to this, the connection between Lucky and Trevor is non existent. In fact, I think they spend one scene together?!

I want more Lars Pinfield. James Acaster, being of a similar age and dry humour, is living my dream of being a Ghostbuster. Plus he’s hot, in that British way that was made prominent by Anthony Stewart Head in Buffy.
So, to say that we needed more, I mean it. He’s introduced and utilises impeccably well, for the most part. However, when it came to the final act, it was almost as if there were too many characters to handle and he just disappears, only to return in the closing moments.
It’s a shame, because he really is a great addition to cast. I truly do hope they take the franchise in the direction rumoured and he gets to head up a UK branch.

The Ugly

Melody, or rather the actress, being 16 is completely unbelievable. I know it is about her connection with Phoebe however, it would have been better to have gotten a younger actress or made the character a little older.
As it stands, it’s a little reminiscent of Shirley Henderson playing Potter first year Moaning Myrtle.

Final Thoughts

I loved it. I don’t understand the hate and I will most definitely be rewatching this.

Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken (2023)

Discover the hero just beneath the surface.

Rating PG
Length 1h31
Release 30.06.2023
Director Kirk DeMicco
About Sweet and awkward 16-year-old Ruby Gillman is desperate to fit in at school, but she mostly just feels invisible. She’s prevented from hanging out with the cool kids at the beach because her over-protective mom forbids her from getting in the water. When she breaks her mom’s rule, Ruby discovers that she is a descendant of the warrior Kraken queens and is destined to inherit the throne from her grandmother. The Kraken are sworn to protect the world’s oceans against vain, power-hungry mermaids.
Moon: full moon seen at multiple times
Where to Watch: Now TV
Trailer:

The Good

Following in the footsteps of Disney’s Seeing Red, this film looks at the turbulent time of going from childhood to adulthood.

The characters are pretty cool, and I love the subversion of expectations: making the Kraken good and the mermaids evil.

It’s good to have Jane Fonda and Annie Murphy within the voice cast. There’s something distinctive and soothing about Fonda’s voice and Murphy’s work as Alexis in Schitt’s Creek makes her perfect for the popular student, Chelsea.

The Bad

For a Dreamworks production, there’s something missing. The quality of both the animation and story just don’t reach the quality of any of the other franchises from this company.

The Ugly

The biggest problem is that the opening is told by an omniscient narrator who also happens to be the protagonist, Ruby, and doesn’t know she’s a kraken until half way through the film.
It just puts the audience at odds with the narrative. We already know she’s a kraken because of the title, then the opening tells us too… but then the film plays dumb. It sucks.

Final Thoughts

I don’t regret watching, but I really did find it lacking.

Unexpected (2022) Film Review

Rating 12
Length 1h48
Release 01.02.2023 (In the US)
Director David Hunt
About Music critic Bob is out of a job, addicted to Zoloft, and trying to wrangle the menagerie of animals that his wife Amy has accumulated.
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime (for rental or purchase)
Trailer:

The Good

The moment Joe Mazzello begins his narration, I know I’m in safe hands. I’ve yet to see the actor turned director take a creative misstep in his entire career (Although give me three wishes, I’m using one of those bad boys to have Small Soldiers and A.I added to his filmography) He has always been excellent at playing characters that are steeped in tragedy, but Mazzello has evolved into an entertainingly dark comedian and it is exactly what a film like this needs to lighten the tone.
Bob was also someone I was able to identify with and a brilliant way connect to the film. The Character’s arc of acknowledging his depression, the all-too-real experience of psychotherapy and the complications of prescription medication could feel too heavy if it wasn’t for Mazzello’s performance.

The film is funny. Not only the character of Bob. Yes he’s dry, witty and sarcastic in a way that I find charming, however the film itself is able to bring a comedic tone to much of the events. Some reminds me of Tom Hanks’ Money Pit (1986) and other situational comedies.

One thing I love about independent films is that the audience are given a different storytelling experience. Along with the change in narrator throughout the film, there’s some playing with time when we’re coming to the end of the film to allow an element of completion and fulfilment. Something other, more mainstream, films would not attempt and leave the audience without closure.

The Bad

This is a bittersweet film that does not provide the typical narrative. It plays like real life. Largely to do with it being based on upon the biographical book Enslaved by Ducks by Bob Tart. However it does mean that it touches on difficult topics and not everyone gets a happy ending. For some this may be too much like their own lives, for others it may be triggering.
For me, it was comforting to know that others go through similar thoughts and feelings. That I’m not alone and there’s a hope for coming out the other side.

It is hard to watch this film and not be even the tiniest bit curious about what the version with Ashley Tisdale as Amy would have been like. That’s not to say Anna Camp was not perfectly cast; she’s adorable and bubbly, but able to handle the emotional consequences of life not going quite to plan.
I just know that dynamics and nuances will have given a completely different film. I also spent a lot of time following this film and was saddened upon the shoot having to shut down due to covid-19 restrictions with mere days left to film.

I’m not sure the film plays on the use of music enough. It’s a personal thing, but to me the protagonist is Bob. Yes, other characters contribute to the narration but 90% is Bob. I would argue that most of the music is reflecting Amy. It is at odds with the film for me. That’s not to say I didn’t like the choices, I just would have liked it to either be a reflection of Bob.

The Ugly

The ugly truth is that living in the UK has meant I’ve had to wait until today, 21 December, to be able to watch this film. Independent cinema is stunning, it is meaningful and it offers an alternative to the loud and fast blockbusters that dominate the cinema.
This film would have had a decent box office and could have enticed viewers similar to those who sobbed their way through My Sister’s Keeper (2009) and those who chuckled and cried through Juno (2007). However, films like Unexpected are not finding their way into the cinema and it really is heartbreaking to see.

Final Thoughts

While the topics of depression and fertility may not be my usual go to topics for a Friday night watch, Anna Camp, Joe Mazzello and Scrub’s Neil Flynn not only make me glad I watched, they are the reason I’ll be watching again.

U-571 (2000)

Rating 12
Length 1h 56
Release 02 June 2000 (UK)
Director Jonathan Moscow
About  A German submarine is boarded by American submariners disguised as Germans. They must infiltrate the security and steal the Nazi’s top-secret Enigma machine.
Streaming on Netflix

First Thoughts

This film was released during the height of my love for Bon Jovi; the band and the man. Not only that, but Erik Palladino had been part of ER and I was excited to see that he was a part of this film. I was also setting up my future, and my love was History. I either wanted to work as a curator in a museum, an archeologist or a History teacher. This film was on my watch list for the longest time.
My brother, preparing for an interview, asked me to complete his worksheet in exchange for a trip to the cinema. Normally, the person doing the favour would get to choose the viewing and I voiced my choice.
Instead, we went to see Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999) which was released in the UK 26 May 2000 and already seen by my brother. It wasn’t the first, and it wouldn’t be the last time I missed out on seeing a film in the cinema due to someone else.

I eventually saw the film at home on VHS and it wasn’t as good as I expected. Maybe my love for both Palladino and Jovi had passed, but I suspect it was that this film really needed a big screen to appreciate the visuals, action and story. I’ve not watched it again before today, and while there are faults and I maintain it needs a big screen, there’s certainly enough good.

The Good

I don’t know why it has taken me so long to warm to Matthew McConaughey, but I’ve been sleeping on an excellent performer. I could not think of anyone better to play Tyler and present the story arc of rejected, too green, XO to leader under pressure in a situation more experienced would not have been prepared for. The arc itself provides so much tension, not only as Tyler questions himself, but of those under his command who heard about his public and brutal rejection of his own command.

There’s something about a submarine movie I adore; from the sounds of the sonar, to the close quarters and the added jeopardy of being in a place where, at times, there is no escape.

The Bad

Might be a personal thing, but I’m not a fan of war-based films and shows for one particular reason: I find it hard to follow the action and often miss the deaths of key characters as a result.
The nature of war is fast paced and often presents over wide angles and very little dialogue. Without being able to follow these segments, it does mean I lose some engagement with the story.

The Ugly

It’s clearly a work of fiction. Due to the very nature of its form, the audience does know to take the story with a pinch of salt. Film’s primary purpose is to entertain, however some do also seek to inform. This film did not promote itself as biographical however, being based upon historical events does make this problematic as it was not the US military, but the UK navy, that performed the feat of capturing a coveted Enigma machine that represents the turning point during World War II.
This subversion of events caused much controversy upon release, to the point it was brought up in the House of Commons and the then-Prime Minister Tony Blair condemned the film. Now, if this was today, perhaps the government would not have a leg to stand on based on their conduct. However, Blair did have a point. Lest We Forget is only a sentiment if we remember correctly and we don’t rewrite history.

The Final Thoughts

The lack of authenticity is by no means a reason not to watch. It is an incredibly well made film, with a talented cast and a concise story.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow (Theatre Review)

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Story

I’m not going to give too much detail about the plot, other than to reassure. It is a Stranger Things story, but it does not alter what fans will have seen in the show so far. It also can be watched by anyone, no matter their level of Hawkins knowledge they have.
While I’ve questioned some of the character inclusions, I will admit it’s more my saltiness at the absence of gone-too-soon Benny Hammond. It was the only hope I had; seeing what the diner owner’s friendship with Hopper was like.
It is something quite enchanting about having the backstory of Henry Creel fleshed out and, as a story, it works being in a different format and for those familiar with season 4, will feel themselves on the edge of their seat as the narrative cranks up to events we already know of.
I was sold on seeing this play from the start, but the fact that it includes time with the younger versions of Jim, Joyce and Bob was too good to pass up and this is where the true element of Stranger Things comes to life: the powerless, becoming empowered and learning about themselves while looking into a town-based mystery. Of course there perhaps would have been a different ending without having to be written to the confines of the franchise, but the play still ends with an ending that will satisfy.

Production

The show takes what was started with the production of The Cursed Child, an incredible feat in its own right, and refines the skills and techniques to perform what I can only describe as magic.
Again, not something I want to spoil by going into detail, but it’s safe to say that the method and quality of bringing the Upsidedown to life will leave all enthralled. It’s clear money has been well spent to keep the show up to the production value of the streaming show. Even the song choices are as on point as the show.

Casting

I could speak about every single person who is in the play. It is very much an understatement to say that this is a well cast production before you even begin to think about the boots they’ve had to fill.

Isabella Pappas and Christopher Buckley play Joyce and Bob respectively. Their performances are perfect. For me, these two are mimics of Ryder and Austin and winning the audience over in that respect is what makes the show work as well as it does. From mannerisms to characterisation, they are the teens that our favourite Hawkins’ adults become.
Oscar Lloyd gives an incredible performance as the boy who will become the beloved grouch, Jim Hopper. Most importantly, he didn’t make me miss David Harbour. Instead he gave me a Hopper, while far from carefree, void of the trauma of war and loss. Lloyd is perhaps the least like the character from the show, and is something that comes across as a choice and rightly so. The other thing I absolutely adore about Oscar Lloyd and his performance? You could easily cast him as Steve Harrington; the charm, the movement on the stage and the look. This may seem like a strange compliment to most, however take a look at photos of a young David Harbour and you’ll understand why.

Finally, in his stage debut, is Louis McCartney as Henry Creel with an incredible challenge of not only fleshing out the dark big bad from season four, but making him a character the audience feels for.
Not only is he successful in this, he is able to do so while keeping the idea of Vecna/One intact. From his arrival into Hawkins, to the acceptance of his fate you are captivated by him. You’re also on the journey with Henry, and if McCartney was not able to win over the audience and subvert those expectations of the character so quickly, it would not work.
When it comes to the physicality of the role, I am in awe. How he has managed to keep up the energy while contorting his body to represent his interaction with the mind flayer is mind blowing.

Final Thoughts

It is a blessing and a curse that I am no longer a resident of London. I am incredibly sad because I don’t know when I’ll get back to watch, however I also know I would be bankrupt going repeatedly, spotting all the little bits I’ve missed this first time around.
I very much hope they publish the script and, should it be turned into a version for the streaming platform, this original cast is used.