Review: 2 Guns

Review: 2 Guns

Director: Baltasar Kormakur
Cast: Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Paula Patton
Running Time: 109 Minutes

Blimey. Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg certainly know how to have a good time, don't they?

Sure it's not the most heavy handed blockbuster of the summer and it will probably slip under the radar for the general cinema audience, but 2 Guns is probably the most carefree and fun movie to hit our screens for a very long time. It's instantly forgettable and its plot chugs along at standard action-movie pace, but honestly it's impossible not to enjoy watching Washington and Wahlberg's latest.

In fact, they themselves are the most appealing aspects of this thriller - the story is good enough, although there's nothing particularly shocking hidden in its twists - as the two fr-enemies become fairly solid echoes of other buddy-cop heroes. Think Die Hard With A Vengeance updated for the modern age; Wahlberg is Willis and Washington is Jackson. 

Rightfully so: both of them have built huge careers for themselves, having either been nominated for an Oscar or appearing in Oscar winning movies. But it's Wahlberg who seems to have risen the most, his "generic action man" status now just a shadow of his past - seemingly thanks to his leading stint in Ted and an upcoming role in Michael Bay's Pain And Gain, his comic timing is just as formidable as his explosive stunt work.

And stunts there are, with each bombastic gun fight and helicopter shoot-out more exciting than the last, but it's the bickering banter between the two leads that makes 2 Guns both hilarious and entertaining.

When we meet our two heroes, things are just about to kick off as they quietly order food in a diner. The level of real, believable conversation is such that you wouldn't be blamed for mistaking 2 Guns for a new Tarantino classic; we find that the pair are both crooked undercover officers - one from the DEA and the other from the navy - unwittingly leading investigations on each other. Having robbed a bank of over $43Million, the two turn on each other, but they soon discover that the CIA, the navy, the DEA and a Mexican drug lord are all after the money too. 

Cue an occasionally messy plot that feels like a much more action packed, American version of Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, with several side characters all shooting for the same objective. At the end of the day, it's all nonsense but there's something so irresistibly fun about the whole thing that keeps us roped in to their plight. 

That's not to say there aren't darker moments here and there; Washington's character in particular gets the brunt of the heavier scenes, while Wahlberg continues to add the levity in even the most perilous situations. It's an unlikely pairing of actors, but for a quick-fire flick like 2 Guns, it works despite some pantomime side acting and a climax that's more or less over as soon as it's started.

Summary

Come for the actors, stay for the action. Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg elevate what would have been a bog-standard shoot-em-up to a hilariously action packed buddy-cop movie which would have fared marvellously in the Lethal Weapon era of film-making. Don't feel bad if you completely zone out during the finer moments of the plot - at the end of the day, the central pair of actors are the reason this film is hitting cinemas at all and despite the narrative pitfalls, it's their dynamic which keeps 2 Guns shooting along entertainingly. 

7/10 - Good

See it if you liked: Pulp Fiction (1994), Die Hard With A Vengeance (1995), Broken City (2013)

Review: Kick-Ass 2

Review: Kick-Ass 2

Director: Jeff Wadlow

Cast: Aaron Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jim Carrey

Running Time: 103 Minutes

For a comedic action flick like Kick-Ass 2, it's important to put the "fun" into "funny." Is it amusing to watch Christopher Mintz-Plasse dress up in his mum's gimp outfits and call himself a supervillain? Sure, why not. Is it amusing to watch Christopher Mintz-Plasse drop his pants and prepare to rape an innocent women? Er, not particularly, no.

That's part of the very unique problem with Kick-Ass 2: where its predecessor told the story of an average Joe-turned-hero, the sequel feels like an inane attempt to shock as much as possible, with the profanities, violence and outrageous criminal schemes turned up to eleven. Tonally, it's as imbalanced as its antagonists, with hilarious one-liners suddenly leading to dark, twisted results. 

Still, for its target audience, that's all part of Kick-Ass 2's charm: it pushes the boundaries and luckily it keeps the development of its three central characters, Kick-Ass, Hit Girl and Chris D'Amico (a.k.a "The Motherfucker") moving forward positively. This is helped of course by the performances by Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and a sharp script that not only allows them to hit a huge range of emotions, but fully absorbs the audience into this modern tale of good versus evil.

It's with this trio that we find ourselves once more, as after the events of the first film, Hit Girl is now training Kick-Ass (or Dave) to be a better fighter, while Chris is still grieving and seeking revenge on Kick-Ass for his dad's death. As news spreads of his heroics, Kick-Ass soon joins a vigilante gang, Justice Forever, spearheaded by the eccentric Colonel Stars and Stripes (played hilariously by Jim "I want nothing to do with this movie after I've conveniently filmed it" Carrey), while Chris forms his own team of super villains.

Cue a barrage of ridiculously/hilariously (delete as appropriate) racist alter egos, with Genghis Carnage and Mother Russia leading the charge against Justice Forever. Meanwhile, Hit Girl finds herself up against a very different kind of villain - high school girls.

Escalation seems to be the idea here. Everything is bigger, faster and much, much more explosive as car chases, graveyard gun fights and martial arts-displaying drug raids are the name of the game. Throats are slashed in full view, and baseball bats collide with heads in the most brutal way possible, while the central and supporting cast are surprisingly stunt-efficient.

Speaking of which, Kick-Ass 2 boasts an enormous cast of lesser known acting greats, with Donald Faison, Clark Duke, Steven Mackintosh and Game of Thrones star Iain Glen making large appearances to swell up an already exciting ensemble.

That said, a great cast does not a movie make and while it's funny in places and action-packed in others, that third storytelling void is filled with darkly angry segments that don't quite fit in with the overall hopeful tone that Kick-Ass wishes to project. At any given time, there are three entirely separate side-plots moving at once and while this can be entertaining in broader stories, Kick-Ass 2 gives up far too much time to irrelevant bullet points. After a while, Kick-Ass 2 starts to feel like Hit Girl: The Movie and while that would actually be an exciting spin-off, it's not exactly what we came for this time around.

There's also a little too much repetition here and there as well, as Hit Girl (or Mindy) manages to fall out with both Kick-Ass and her legal guardian Marcus Williams, a friend of her deceased father. "I don't want you to be Hit Girl anymore," says Marcus. "I want you to keep being Hit Girl," says Kick-Ass. Arguments ensue at least five times.

The major story arc is brilliantly realised though, as Kick-Ass becomes the most unequivocally human hero that any comic book movie could ever offer. Couple this excellent character development with an enormous, edge-of-your-seat climax that rivals that of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, and Kick-Ass 2 slowly but surely edges ahead of its predecessor in terms of its action and humour.

Will there be a Kick-Ass 3? It seems almost inevitable at this stage that movies such as these come in threes, and luckily this sequel shows that Kick-Ass is no super-zero and his return would be very welcome indeed. Although we could probably manage without any Union J cameos next time.

Summary

Of course it's not perfect, but for its target audience of superhero loving movie junkies, Kick-Ass 2 ticks all the right boxes. Stand out performances from Johnson, Moretz and Mintz-Plasse keep us caring about the characters, while the final battle is truly gripping stuff, expertly executed by Never Back Down director Jeff Wadlow. Tonally it veers off in oddly dark, psychotic directions and there are some unresolved sub-plots that nag the continuity nerves, but overall Kick-Ass 2 is a kick ass sequel to its surprisingly excellent predecessor. 

Sorry.

8/10 - Great

See it if you liked: Kick-Ass (2010), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Review: Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Review: Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Director: Declan Lowney

Cast: Steve Coogan, Colm Meaney, Felicity Montagu, Sean Pertwee

Running Time: 121 Minutes

"I'm Alan Partridge, I've not been off the TV that long!"

The narrow-minded, accidentally insulting and somehow likeable Norwich Radio DJ Alan Partridge is back on our screens - only this time, it's the silver one. Over twenty years in the making, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa sees British comedy legend Steve Coogan popping the headphones on once more as arguably his most ingenious comic creation. 

Yet with the character making such an established impact on television, how does he fare when thrown in to a cinematic adventure? 

Well, fans of Coogan's timeless character won't be disappointed, as not only does Alpha Papa act as a genuinely enjoyable movie in its own right, but it doesn't dilute or deflate the origins of the great 80's loving DJ just for the sake of pleasing the masses. The sitcom-to-cinema route is often strewn with misfires (with The Inbetweeners acting as an exception and Mr Bean's Holiday acting as an example), but by keeping the references to the TV show at a minimum, Alpha Papa manages to be both accessible to new fans and pleasing to the old ones.

In fact there are barely any "A-ha!" moments, as it turns out that Alan is a hopelessly appealing character in any medium whether you know him or not - he's like the village idiot that's not actually an idiot, more just desperate for attention. Some would say that the story itself becomes a betrayal of his roots though, as shoot-outs, hostage situations and frantic police chases ruin the quintessentially awkward and hilariously mundane 'Partridge' atmosphere, but ultimately the level of comedy littered throughout the running time ensure that Alpha Papa is nothing less than entertaining.

A brief history of Alan is pretty unnecessary, as the opening moments set his character up rather nicely. He's 55, he's got aggressive athletes foot (something he believes is incredibly important to everyone), his children don't talk to him anymore and his radio station North Norfolk is getting taking over by a hip new broadcasting company called "Shape" ("the way you want it to be!"). He soon discovers that either he or his long-time broadcasting friend Pat are in the line of fire, and encourages the executives to sack the alternative, leading Pat to go on a craze-fuelled shotgun spree inside the station.

Cue Alan's time to shine, as he becomes the go-between for Pat and the cops, resulting in enough quotable punchlines to knock out Muhammed Ali. 

The comedy is cranked up to eleven for this, and it's refreshing to see a movie based on a sitcom which actually stays at home - where The Inbetweeners went on holiday for their big screen outing, Alan stays in Britain and Alpha Papa works all the better for it. Saying that, some of the sight gags (Alan trying to clamber out of a window completely naked for example) feel like they belong in an American Pie movie rather than Norfolk's finest, but even so the subtle comedy hits all the right beats ("Why can't they just merge Jewish and Islam, y'know, call it Jislam?"). There's even a few guest-starring cameos, with Sean Pertwee acting as an exciting addition to the cast amongst all the carnage. 

As for the plot, writers Coogan and Peter Baynham stretch the premise to breaking point - between dream sequences and travelling to a pier, the actual storyline feels extensive towards the end, but luckily the performances and the surprisingly poignant moments (Pat's depression and Alan sorrowfully passing on messages to family members) keep the action moving as much as it can. 

Luckily the running time doesn't outstay its welcome, and an amusingly tense climax sees Alpha Papa rounding off a satisfying ode to the legacy of Alan Partridge and his surprisingly everlasting appeal. Coogan himself is superb, giving a master-class in comedy: every facial tic and every little mumble of disdain acting as the result of over two decades of character building.

Summary

Funny, moving and expertly directed, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa is simply one of the best comedies of the year, and manages to invite fans both old and new to celebrate Steve Coogan's iconic character. It's not always spot-on, but the film stays true to Alan's irresistibly ridiculous personality and even sees him caught up in those sort of heroic situations he's dreamt of his whole life. This is ruddy hilarious, and exactly what comedy needed on the big screen. Back of the net!

8/10 - Great

The League Of Gentlemen's Apocalypse (2005), Hot Fuzz (2007), The World's End (2013)

Doctor Who: Introducing The Twelfth Doctor

Doctor Who: Introducing The Twelfth Doctor

The wait is over, the announcement has been made - this evening during a live BBC broadcast, Scottish actor Peter Capaldi, 55, was confirmed as the Twelfth incarnation of alien time traveller The Doctor in Doctor Who.

So then...Doctor Who exactly?

Well, fans of television and movies in general won't even need to ask that question. Not only is Capaldi a self-confessed 'Whovian' (definition: dedicated fan of Doctor Who), but he is also an incredibly well established actor in his own right, his most famous credit as the hilariously foul-mouthed Malcolm Tucker in the BBC's The Thick Of It. Other projects include Waking The Dead and, most recently, a supporting role in the summer blockbuster World War Z.

Eagle-eyed Whovians will also recognise Capaldi from appearances in previous episodes of both Doctor Who (pictured below in Series 4, Episode 2: The Fires of Pompeii) and its spin-off Torchwood for all five episodes of its third series. 

Capaldi's casting is an interesting one, as not only is he an established acting talent, but the BBC contacted him and asked him to audition, rather than completely allowing unknown actors to try out for the role. Importantly, Capaldi is a huge fan of the show and he says he could not be happier to bag the most iconic role on British television.

It's about time that an older Doctor was brought to the fore, as the past two incarnations have been assuredly appealing to the "Twilight generation" despite their formidable acting abilities. In 2005, Christopher Eccleston played the Ninth Doctor in the first of the show's revived series; he brought a dark angst to the role following The Doctor's apparent act of genocide in a Time War, killing every single member of his own race.

After one series, Eccleston left due to creative differences between himself and the producers, which allowed fan-favourite David Tennant to take over as the Tenth Doctor. Tennant himself was an up-and-coming star, having played the lead role in BBC 3's Casanova (also written by then-showrunner Russell T. Davies) but Doctor Who was his big break into stardom. 

In 2008, Tennant announced his departure from the show and after four seasonal specials, the Tenth Doctor emotionally regenerated on New Year's Day 2010 into his Eleventh incarnation: Matt Smith.

The reveal of Smith's casting was met with a barrage of head-scratching newspaper headlines: Doctor Who? After his first episode, Smith soon won over all the doubters and immediately made the role his own. Three years later, it's time for Smith to step down and the Eleventh Doctor will regenerate in this year's Christmas special.

Enter Twelve...

So what sort of Doctor will he be? Will he swing towards Smith or levitate towards Eccleston? Personally I'm hoping for the latter, but each Doctor has their own mix of dark and light and Capaldi is experienced enough to put his own spin on every line. Younger fans may find themselves in denial of him at first ("Oh but he's too old, he's not good looking enough!" was a particularly annoying Tweet I came across), but with some good writing and some positive side characters, Capaldi's Doctor will win over the fandom.

With this regeneration, the show is at an advantage. When Tennant left, so did all of the side characters who had supported him during his era - Billie Piper, Catherine Tate, John Barrowman, Bernard Cribbins - none of their characters have been seen nor heard since Matt Smith took over. And that's no bad thing - Doctor Who is all about change. Yet this time, Capaldi will still be aided by Jenna Coleman as the companion Clara Oswald, as well as a few other familiar faces who have proven popular with fans over the last year. The show is not reinventing itself again - more like shifting into a different gear.

Sadly however, we'll probably only see a few moments of Capaldi's Doctor in the closing seconds of the Christmas Special and after that, we have no idea when Series 8 will actually air on TV, although recent rumours have suggested that it'll hit our screens in late 2014.

So then, Peter Capaldi. Welcome to Doctor Who. You are now live aboard the TARDIS.

Please do not swear.

Review: The Conjuring

Review: The Conjuring

The horror genre has seen a spike of interest in recent years, most likely kick started by the surprise hit Paranormal Activity. Since then, the likes of modern horrors such as Mama, Insidious and Sinister have not only done well at the box office, but have impressed the vast majority of critics too.

So amongst all of 2013's summer blockbusters comes The Conjuring, a ghost story that channels those classics like The Amityville Horror both with its narrative and the techniques put into play. Yet to make a good horror movie, there needs to be terror - so the most important question is, how scary is it?

Sadly, The Conjuring is not particularly scary at all. The jump scares are timed expertly of course, and the creepy atmosphere is consistently cranked up to eleven, but the problem is that most of the scares never particularly pay off. The horror audience is far too savvy these days, and we've definitely seen it all before: a door suddenly slamming of its own accord, a child seeing something that the adults can't, a creepy doll staring us out...James Wan's latest horror is just far too "been there, done that" to truly be deserving of the hype, although an effectively creepy clapping game of hide and seek manages to send shivers up the spine.

Still, that doesn't make The Conjuring a bad movie in itself and where the predictable scares can occasionally let it down, the script (which is, of course, based on a true story) succeeds in providing some very enjoyable entertainment. For a change, the plot focuses less on the family and more on the experienced couple attempting to appease the spirits in their home. 

Ed and Lorraine Warren are renowned paranormal investigators called to investigate a dark presence terrorizing the Perrons, a large family who have just moved into their new secluded dream home. When the spirit latches itself on to the mother of the family, the Warrens are caught up in the most horrifying and traumatizing case of their lives.

The strong casting more or less ensures The Conjuring's success, with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga amicably leading the proceedings as the Warrens. In fact, all of the performances are played absolutely straight and credit must be given to the child actors in the Perron family - their terror is truly believable, and where other horrors have had some hammy side acting, The Conjuring makes the best of each of its stars, right down to the doll-bothered girls in a largely unconnected prologue.

And that's just it - a lot of the scares in the plot are completely unconnected. A creepy doll from one of the Warrens' different cases makes a few appearances here and there, but it serves nothing to the story. It's certainly creepy, as most dolls are in horrors, but veering off to an unrelated case at particularly nonsensical moments only serves to throw the plot off course with no pay-off from the beginning right up until the over the top finale that surely stretches the truth beyond breaking point.

Summary

Less a horror and more a supernatural thriller, The Conjuring is creepy at best and, speaking as someone who often sleeps with the light on after a ghost story, you won't lose a wink after watching. Wan's direction is strong, providing the jumps when it matters, but this is best viewed in a cinema full of people where the atmosphere is tense enough to contribute to the fear factor. When all is said and done though, this summer's most anticipated fright-fest is more or less just a more sympathetic hybrid of hundreds of its predecessors - less a bump in the night than a small nudge or two.

7/10 - Good

See it if you liked: The Amityville Horror (1979), Insidious (2011), Sinister (2012)