Review: Inside Llewyn Davis

Review: Inside Llewyn Davis

Directors: Joel and Ethan Coen

Cast: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Justin Timberlake

Running Time: 105 Minutes

The Coen brothers seem to delight in telling the tales of losers: take John Malkovich's befuddled character in Burn After Reading, or William H. Macy's dreadfully woeful Jerry in Fargo for just a couple of prime examples. Yet none of their protagonists have ever seemed so dismally lost or hopeless than Llewyn Davis, the sarcastic, couch-crashing, burdening yet musically sublime subject of the Coen brothers' latest cinematic offering.

Inside Llewyn Davis perhaps isn't the sort of movie you enjoy the first time you watch it. Our protagonist is a resentful and often hurtful individual who seems to subconsciously delight in burning every bridge he's ever built for himself, insulting those who offer him a helpful hand and resenting those who don't. Add to that the severe lack of character development or...well, plot, and this isn't exactly a story that has a light at the end of the narrative tunnel. Yet it's only when looked back upon and thought about that Inside Llewyn Davis becomes something of a storytelling master stroke - the sheer tragedy of Llewyn's inability to change his ways or swallow his pride becomes his story arc (alongside that of his quest to return a cat to its home), and his social ineptitude becomes a key asset to his frankly beautiful and heartbreaking song writing. 

It's in 1961 where we find Llewyn struggling to get his feet off the ground in New York. His solo record, the titular Inside Llewyn Davis, is failing to sell and his previous musical partner Mike has committed suicide. Despite having a regular gig at The Gaslight Cafe, Llewyn has no money and is constantly sleeping on the couches of "friends" - that is to say, anyone who doesn't hate him too much yet. Shamelessly taking money where he can get it with no thought for the future, Llewyn's predicaments are made even more troublesome with the news that his one-time lover and now barely tolerant friend Jean (an uncharacteristically furious Carey Mulligan) is pregnant - and the child may be his. 

There are various plot threads that spin-off in to the nether, such as Jean's boyfriend Jim (a quirky and enjoyable Justin Timberlake) recording a novelty song "Please Mr. Kennedy" with Llewyn, and a fruitless trip to Chicago aided not very helpfully by John Goodman's slimy and good-for-nothing jazz musician Roland Turner. Most of the story seems made to fill up the running time, such as the constant re-appearance of a lost cat, as well as the various supporting characters with bustling and unique personalities. Perhaps that's part of its charm though - the film is just sort of "there", much like Llewyn himself, constantly adrift yet still popping up into peoples' lives. 

The highlights are the musical numbers though, and there's a real sense of affection from the Coen brothers for the genre that they're shining the spotlight on. Most of the songs are played in full (and live, uncut) and Oscar Isaac, himself a talented musician, trickles Llewyn's heartfelt and sorrowful melodies out beautifully. It's only when compared with the soundtrack that the film really stands on two feet, as songs such as the wonderful opener "Hang Me, Oh Hang Me" and the heartbreaking "The Death of Queen Jane" show us how Llewyn's heart truly works, unable to vocalise his thoughts fluently (or very kindly) without a guitar in his hand. 

There's something very melancholic about Isaac's portrayal of Llewyn that makes him such a definitive Coen character - he's definitely not the easiest to like, but he's one of the most complex and therefore one of the best. It's with a heavy heart and a sigh that he drags that guitar around the city with him, but his infuriatingly self-destructive nature keeps us at arms length.

Unapologetically leaving us hanging, the only thing that nags about Inside Llewyn Davis is its severe lack of character development. No spoilers here, but the full circle nature of the plot leaves us wishing that there had been a light at the end of the tunnel for Llewyn.

Summary

Classic Coen material, Inside Llewyn Davis will surely grate on those looking for a structured story with a clear beginning, middle and end but for the musically inclined (and anyone who knows what it feels like to be a struggling musician), this is a brilliant portrayal of a man just trying to get his feet off the ground. Coupled with the soundtrack, Inside Llewyn Davis should have been a storytelling masterpiece - it's just a shame that it's hard to see it that way upon first viewing. Still what appears to be a genuine love for country music and some really good performances, particularly from the supremely talented Oscar Isaac, make the Coen Brothers' latest film one to watch during this year's Oscar season.

8/10 - Great

See it if you liked: Walk The Line (2005), Burn After Reading (2008), Crazy Heart (2009)

Review: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Review: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Cast: Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kenneth Branagh, Kevin Costner

Running Time: 105 Minutes

Another day, another Hollywood reboot. This time our fresh helping of cinematic goodness is courtesy of Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, a revitalized origin story of the famous novelized Tom Clancy character.

Is it necessary? Of course not, but from a financial stand-point it makes sense. 2014 has a mysteriously James Bond-shaped hole in it, right next to the Bourne-shaped grave dug by the latter's most recent misfire. Jack Ryan manages to blend the two fairly well, but it never really seems to confidently find its own identity, instead throwing clichés and stolen styles into the mixing pot, making for a rather dull and lifeless result. 

A shame really, because the casting had such potential. Chris Pine, somehow the most likeable yet cocky actor on the planet, gives in a good turn as the titular CIA agent. Both a million miles away from his arrogant portrayal of Star Trek's Captain Kirk and yet handling the action scenes perfectly, Pine nails the inexperienced and out of his depth nature of the character whilst ensuring he never becomes whiny or a nervous wreck. Equally, the casting of Kevin Costner as Ryan's boss and mentor gives the film a little more dramatic weight and provides some surprisingly well-written excuses to have Ryan explain the plot in laymen's terms for the audience.

Sadly at the other end of the spectrum, we're given an annoyingly hammy and uncharacteristically pantomime performance from director Kenneth Branagh as the film's big bad (of course he's Russian because, well, aren't they all?) whose plot to collapse the American economy and cause the next big depression is about as flimsy as the USB stick the entire plan is held on. Last but not least, Keira Knightley rears her annoying head as Ryan's fiance in a tacked-on love story which was presumably shoved in to give the women something to enjoy while the men enjoy the action and the shooting and the racing and the fast, shiny motorbikes - an outdated and yet consistently used conception of modern cinema audiences that needs to be abandoned.

The best that can be said for Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is that, depending on its box office success, it could pave the way for something bigger and better. It's a decent enough origin story and Ryan himself is an interesting character, with his reluctance and subsequent remorse over his first ever kill giving him some human believability - think of him as a mixture of Bond, Bourne and Batman - yet there's nothing to make him stand out from all the other CIA, vigilante or spy types that we've seen in other movies. His back story attempts to rectify this, giving him an injury from the war in Afghanistan which, while admirable, isn't exactly an original concept. John Watson much?

Those movies at least seem to have a better handle on their own plots - in Jack Ryan, Branagh's villain seems to be just generic cannon fodder for something bigger yet to be explained, while Knightley's love interest manages to be the most annoying and useless girlfriend on film.

Branagh, doubling up as director for this outing, seems to be using this as an audition to direct the next Bond movie. The action scenes are well handled, particularly the various car chases, however it's when it comes to hand to hand combat that Branagh unfortunately succumbs to the usual "let's make everything as shaky as possible" technique which becomes infuriating to watch after a few seconds. One moment, Ryan is on his feet and battling to stay that way, the next thing we know the camera's swung around a lot and someone's on the ground. For some cinema-goers, this works due to its fast and frantic pace but for this reviewer, an action movie is redundant if we can't actually witness the majority of the action.

Summary

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit acts as a decent enough origin story for the character of Ryan himself, played very well by the surprisingly amicable Chris Pine. However, the Clancy adaptation is let down by a cringe-worthy pantomime villain whose plan is frankly ridiculous and various other plot threads which seem to be thrown in as an afterthought such as Keira Knightley's poorly acted and badly developed love interest which could make watching paint dry seem an exciting alternative. Add to that some very poor directorial choices and we're left with a good protagonist surrounded by bad plotting, characterization and directing. A damn shame, because Pine has clearly thrown himself full force into the character - perhaps, if there's a round two, there should be a reshuffle behind the scenes to ensure that Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit was simply a wobbly start to something better.

4/10 - Disappointing

See it if you liked: The Bourne Legacy (2011), Skyfall (2012), Jack Reacher (2012)

Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Director: Peter Jackson

Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian Mckellen, Richard Armitage, Luke Evans,

Running Time: 161 Mins

Mixed reviews, a bumb-numbingly off-putting running time and a particularly patience testing song concerning doing the dishes plagued Peter Jackson's first return to Middle Earth The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. A year later, we're thrown back into the fantasy world for part two in Bilbo Baggins' story, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, a sequel which is much more exciting and much less padded than its predecessor, yet is still bogged down by some of the same problems like the weight of the ring itself.

The main thing to understand before watching a Middle Earth movie, be it an entry in The Hobbit series or The Lord of the Rings, is that you've got to be committed for the long haul. Audiences were immediately put off by An Unexpected Journey's lengthy running time, and yet while fans of the source material defend Peter Jackson's padding (seriously, a trilogy of movies clocking in at almost 3 hours each for a book that's 300 pages long is a tad extensive) it's easy to see where the complaints are coming from. 

Unnecessary and tedious moments managed to send plenty of people to sleep - but for some, this is what they had been waiting for for years, perhaps even decades, and for the hardcore fans it was wonderful to see Tolkien's literature up there on the silver screen (in glorious 3D, no less).

With The Desolation of Smaug, Jackson has given us a more focused and entertaining entry in his saga which keeps the casual audience entertained with its raucous action sequences - the highlight being a hilarious and edge-of-your-seat elves vs. orcs vs. dwarves battle down vicious rapids - but manages to make more time to develop Bilbo's character, as well as keeping us up to date with Gandalf's investigation into Sauron's return to Middle Earth.

Picking up more or less exactly where An Unexpected Journey left off, Desolation sees Bilbo (as usual, a spot-on performance from Martin Freeman), Gandalf and the band of thirteen dwarves led by should-be king Thorin Oakenshield continue their quest to The Lonely Mountain. Their mission? Kill the dragon inside and reclaim their homeland. Standing in their way? A pack of orcs on their tale led by Azog the Defiler, a diseased forest full of giant spiders, a none-too-happy fortress of elves, an all-too-happy town of men...and of course, the dragon itself. 

For at least two hours of its journey, Desolation entertains and amuses, but it's when Smaug himself finally arrives in spectacular fashion that Jackson really earns our ticket price. Voiced by a sublime Benedict Cumberbatch (yes, The Hobbit is the world's most expensive advertisement for BBC's Sherlock), Smaug is simply one of the greatest pieces of motion capture and CGI work ever witnessed on screen and his confrontation with Bilbo is, as a highlight of the book, realised brilliantly on screen.

Every movement feels real, every beat of his wings has a huge impact, every  - and he's got a fearsome way with one-liners. "My wings are a hurricane, my teeth are swords, my claws are spears and my breath death...tell me, how would you like to die?"

Smaug isn't the only pleasing aesthetic here though - Jackson's vision seamlessly absorbs us into the world of Tolkien and its incredible landscape. Even if you don't particularly like or enjoy the story or the extensive padding of the movies, nobody could possibly deny that the Middle Earth saga - as it shall now be known - looks and feels authentic. The movies may be long, but you don't question for a second that this is Middle Earth, such is the amazing use of the New Zealand landscape mixed with Jackson's masterful utilization of green screen technology.

Jackson surely realises that the continuity of his Middle Earth saga (see?) is of utter importance, and as a fan himself he'll understand the excitement to watch all six movies in the saga back to back. As such, Desolation sees a lot of set-up for The Lord of the Rings trilogy which, depending on which side of the fan base you're on, will either excite or frustrate. Orlando Bloom's back again as elf-archer Legolas, stealing all the best action scenes, while Gandalf's prodding and poking around Sauron's return ties the entire saga together with a neat bow. 

That said, Bilbo himself seems to be a side player in his own movie thanks to this - except for one brutally affecting scene in which his addiction to the ring is born. 'Mine.' 

Still, one could argue that in the book Bilbo is more of an observer than a character in his own right. The Great Gatsby's Nick Carraway to The Hobbit's Bilbo Baggins...and yet, from a cinematic perspective, it's a little disappointing to see him shunned to the side in a movie called "The Hobbit." This is supposed to be all about his journey, but sometimes it does feel a little too much like Lord of the Rings: Chapter Zero.

But ultimately, this is Jackson at the top of his game. A visionary pioneer of motion capture technology, he completely blows his previous work out of the water with Smaug, and the climactic battle between the dragon and the dwarves - as well as the "I can't believe they just left it there"-style ending - should already have audiences counting down the days to the third and final instalment. 

Summary

A hundred Middle Earth leagues better than the first, but still carrying some of its imperfections, the second part of Peter Jackson's stunning Hobbit trilogy is much more likely to please the casual cinema audience thanks to its snappier pacing, more essential content rather than boring padding and - of course - the most impressive piece of CGI (perhaps ever) in the form of Smaug himself. The Desolation of Smaug still feels like a mere stepping stone to something greater due to its lack of a self contained story-within-a-story, but ultimately this is still an essential piece of storytelling both for the Middle Earth saga and for cinematic history in general. Middle Earth's got its mojo back.

9/10 - Brilliant

See it if you liked: The Lord of the Rings (2001 - 2003), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Review: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Review: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Director: Francis Lawrence

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland

Running Time: 146 Minutes

Sequel is as sequel does, whether it be a novel or a cinematic adaptation of said novel. 2012's The Hunger Games made a star out of Jennifer Lawrence and also made a star of female-led action films in general. For most, it was a surprise hit; many cinema fans shrugged their shoulders and expected yet another Twilight-esque love story, for which they couldn't be blamed (I mean, have you seen the three leads?). 

However, it shocked and surprised with its brutal and violent depiction of a sickly and dystopian future in which incredibly poor families are forced to submit their children for a fight-to-the-death reality TV show as punishment for a once failed uprising against their cruel government.

Where the Harry Potter series failed to meet its novelised expectations, the team behind The Hunger Games seemed to have a determined outlook on what they wanted to achieve and how they wanted to achieve it, be it through horrific murdering witnessed via shaky-cam or the incredibly powerful themes of intimidation versus encouragement. Not even two years later, we're being treated to a sequel courtesy of new director Francis Lawrence, yet with the return of (now Oscar-winning) Jennifer Lawrence as lead heroin Katniss Everdeen.

Catching Fire gives us the usual sequel treatment though - following the unwritten rule of movie franchises, the second film in the series is moodier, darker and much, much better than its predecessor. Following their unexpected triumph in the 74th Annual Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta are in the midst of an obligatory victory tour around each of the districts. Yet Katniss can sense a rebellion brewing - and she is the icon on which a new revolution could be based

Needless to say, she's pretty annoyed because she doesn't want to be a celebrity; Peeta is pretty annoyed because he thought Katniss really was in love with him; President Snow is pretty annoyed because he really can't be bothered dealing with a rebellion; and all the poor low-lifes in Panem are pretty annoyed having to spend their entire lives mining and digging only to send their kids off to die in an arena for the entertainment of the wealthy.

So with everyone peeved to an entertaining extent, President Snow announces that for the 75th Hunger Games, previous winners of the tournament, including Katniss and Peeta, will be thrust back into the arena for another go. Because why the hell not? Faced with poisoned fog, hidden forcefields and actual adults (some of which are battle-hardened warriors) this time around, Katniss is severely out of her depth.

Jennifer Lawrence though, is not. Taking her Oscar win completely in her stride, Lawrence injects Katniss with a consistent sense of urgency for the people around her. There's no doubt she'll soon be overtaking the likes of Ripley and Hermione Granger as one of the most popular science fiction heroines of all time, whether it be for her emotional goodbyes to her family outside the battlefield or her action-packed stint within it.

Unfortunately the same can't be said for most of the supporting cast; Lenny Kravitz barely gets a look in this time around, while Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci and Elizabeth Banks lose their performances behind ten tons of pantomime clothing and fakery. 

Surprisingly, it's the scenes outside the arena that pack the most punch. Not often in a teen movie will you see a man executed in front of his entire village via a bullet to the head; nor will you usually see Liam Hemsworth violently whipped to the point of unconsciousness purely for saving the life of a small child. Catching Fire is never repulsive or brutal to the eye, but it leaves the worst moments to the imagination of the viewer - and sometimes that can be much worse.

Francis Lawrence's direction does make for some truly tense edge-of-your-seat moments though, like a frantic chase through the woods of the arena to escape poisonous fog or a stand off with frankly psychotic apes; for a while it seems like the action never lets up, and you'd be forgiven for checking your heart rate.

In the end though, this does feel like a simple stepping stone to something much greater and grander; the "Half-Blood Prince" to Mockingjay's "Deathly Hallows." Still, if the electric climax of Catching Fire is anything to go by, Mockingjay is going to absolutely bring the house down.

Summary

Proving that she's worthy of her Oscar glory, Jennifer Lawrence gives another incredible performance as cinema's most compelling female protagonist, while Francis Lawrence's frantic and energetic direction makes for some truly engrossing moments within what could have been an all-too-familiar story. Not every character hits the right buttons, but at the end of the day you'll be surprised at just how much you've come to care about the world in which Katniss is surviving. If this is a mere indicator of things to come, the odds are definitely in Mockingjay's favour.

9/10 - Brilliant

See it if you liked: Gamer (2009), The Hunger Games (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Review: Doctor Who: The Day of The Doctor

Review: Doctor Who: The Day of The Doctor

Director: Nick Hurran

Starring: Matt Smith, David Tennant, Jenna Coleman, Billie Piper and John Hurt

Running Time: 86 Minutes

WARNING: This review contains spoilers! If you haven't seen The Day of The Doctor yet, drop everything and watch it now!

"Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one."

Go on. Tell me it wasn't as good as you'd hoped. Tell me it didn't meet all, or any, expectations you had. I dare you!

It's not every day that a British TV show gets to celebrate its 50th Anniversary, not least a rather wacky adventure series about a 1200 year old alien travelling around the universe in a blue police box. Nevertheless, Doctor Who has remained a staple of this country's culture for the duration of its existence - yet for all the 798 episodes that had aired up until now, we were still asking the same question that companion Ian Chesterton had asked in the very first story: Doctor Who?

"No More."

With head writer Steven Moffat (bravely) taking the reigns for Doctor Who's 50th birthday, we're definitely much closer to the man himself rather than simply wandering from adventure to adventure every week. Earlier this year, Moffat promised us a "story that would change The Doctor forever." Well, he didn't disappoint.

For this is perhaps the greatest victory for The Day of The Doctor: rather than just taking the lazy route of fan service (something that former show runner Russell T. Davies was notorious for with often disappointing results), this special secures Doctor Who's future. The entire structure of the show has changed: The Doctor is no longer a lonely traveller wandering through the universe; he is now a man with a mission, trying to find his way back to a safe and secure Gallifrey. 

"Soldier...I'm going to need your gun."

That's not to say that Moffat is just ploughing forward without glancing over his shoulder. From a black and white portrayal of the final days of the Time War to the return of David Tennant's beloved Tenth Doctor - and of course "The Curator" - the level of fan service here is at an astronomical level. Yet the important factor remains: it all matters. Every word, every moment and every reference contributes to the story of the episode.

And what a story it is. Every fan surely started watching this episode with a wishlist of things they wanted to see, be it Matt Smith's wonderfully quirky Eleventh Doctor donning his fez again, Billie Piper's return as Rose (well...more on that later), a few cameos from Doctors and companions past and present - perhaps even a glimpse of the future. Sure, their check lists might not have been completely fulfilled (zero interaction between the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors with Rose will surely upset some) but honestly it's impossible to feel short-changed by the time the credits roll.

"He's going through a grunge phase...he'll snap out of it."

Since its return in 2005, The Doctor's story has been plagued by one defining element: he is the last of his kind, a race known as the Time Lords. During the war, The Doctor was in his ninth form (played absolutely marvellously by acting legend John Hurt) and, after what appeared to be hundreds of years of fighting, The War Doctor decreed "No More." As we already know, The Doctor used a device known as "The Moment" to destroy both the Time Lords and The Daleks.

Or did he?!

In a brilliant twist, the War Doctor is visited by the "Bad Wolf" entity (Billie Piper, showing us that she would be a more than capable incarnation of The Doctor herself) who, in a story reminiscent of A Christmas Carol, gives the War Doctor a chance to meet his future incarnations to discover the man he will become after destroying his home planet.

"Are you afraid of the big Bad Wolf?"

This is where the story really picks up, as the Eleventh and Tenth Doctors meet, the former a little miffed at being airlifted without permission and the latter accidentally marrying Queen Elizabeth the first. They're closely followed by John Hurt's world weary incarnation, ironically looking for The Doctor and mistaking his future selves as companions.

Matt Smith and David Tennant in particular shine as a double act, and there was a genuine feeling of sadness in me when Tennant departed again (and how cruel of Moffat to leave Tennant's final line untouched!) as their chemistry was easily the most fun and appealing part of the special. "Oh I'm The Doctor, I'm so cool, look at me, I'm cool, oops I'm wearing sand shoes!"

There's a risk of course, with such bouncy and charismatic Doctors on the menu, that both of them more or less end up being exactly the same. As Piper's brilliant character cleverly points out, Ten is the "man who regrets", while Eleven is the "man who forgets". It's this sort of interplay between them that leads to some of the more confrontational and emotional moments that really hit to the core of who The Doctor really is and what he thinks of the act he has committed. "Did you ever count how many children there were on Gallifrey?"

"Oh, you've redecorated! I don't like it..."

Yet with the Three Doctors together, aided of course by Jenna Coleman's Clara Oswald, a companion who seems to have become the definitive article of what The Doctor's friend should be, it becomes clear that there may be more than one way to end the Time War - and it doesn't always have to end in death.

Meanwhile, Zygons (remember them? Me neither...) are invading U.N.I.T's Tower of London base - an interesting but slightly unnecessary sub-plot that keeps The Doctors moving forward just like any other episode. It does slow proceedings down now and again though, although perhaps characters such as Osgood and the Brigadier's grand-daughter Kate Stewart will slot in nicely next to Capaldi's Doctor in the future.

"We can only agree to live. Sadly we can only agree to die."

It's a complex plot even for a fan who has been keeping up with the show since 2005, but by its thrilling climax featuring all thirteen - yep, you read that right! - incarnations of The Doctor saving Gallifrey from the Time War and freezing it somewhere unknown in the universe, its impossible not to get swept up in the sheer excitement. From the First Doctor's momentary cameo right up to a triumphant debut for Peter Capaldi - a whole two seconds of his eyes sending a cinema full of people into a frenzy - the final moments of The Day of The Doctor will be hard to beat for the upcoming series.

"All twelve of them...no, all thirteen!"

And yet, it was an undeniably shocking and emotional appearance from Tom Baker, the Fourth Doctor (and also the oldest) that really cemented this episode in the hearts of fans around the world. Anyone who knows the history of Doctor Who will know that Baker - like Christopher Eccleston today, without whom minor parts of the special felt sadly empty - spent the majority of his years after his time on the show refusing to be drawn into its spotlight again, so for him to return in the final minutes as a mysterious curator having a conversation with Matt Smith is nothing short of TV history. 

It's not just any conversation either. Sure, it's left ambiguous, but this moment is The Doctor finally finding his mission. As Steven Moffat and David Tennant have quite rightfully said, this is nowhere near the end: this is simply the beginning of chapter two.

Summary

"At last, I know where I'm going. Where I've always been going."

Series seven's cliffhanger left a lot of explaining to do for The Day of The Doctor, but luckily all involved have been suitably up to the task. Steven Moffat has successfully - miraculously - written a story that pays homage to 50 years of sci-fi genius whilst also looking forward to the future with arms wide open.  John Hurt in particular is incredible as the "War Doctor", while Matt Smith and David Tennant's respective Doctors are written and performed in such a way that is hilarious one second and heartbreaking the next. Yet it's the rousing finale featuring all thirteen Doctors which proves that Doctor Who isn't on a nostalgic end of its run at all - this is only the end of the beginning. Here's to the 100th Anniversary! Allons-y!

"Home. The long way around."

10/10 - Fantastic!

Review: Thor: The Dark World

Review: Thor: The Dark World

Director: Alan Taylor

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Christopher Eccleston

Running Time: 112 Minutes

 Great Odin's raven!

Marvel Studios are certainly on their way to world domination at the moment. With the third highest grossing movie of all time under their belt in the shape of The Avengers, a slate of superhero sequels keeping them busy all the way up until 2018 and their hit TV show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D dominating American audiences, there's simply no stopping them yet.

Case in point: their latest sequel, Thor: The Dark World, the God of Thunder's second solo outing in three years and his third overall following his participation in the battle of New York. 

Still, as the sequels stack up, surely there is a fork in the road for Marvel and their writers - do they go the Dark Knight route and take their characters down the path of tragic darkness, or do they raise the stakes and throw in as much bombastic, effects-driven action as they can?

For Iron Man 3, the answer was clearly the latter as, while the film was exciting and action packed in equal measure, it failed to deliver any sense of real menace with a disappointing villain and a script that focused too much on comedy to be taken seriously. But Iron Man's Earth-bound story is a completely different beast to the intergalactic endeavours of Thor, a thunder God so powerful it's tough to imagine a threat that could actually shake him to his core.

Lucky then that Thor: The Dark World actually appears to have learned from the mistakes of Iron Man 3 and has provided us with a story worth watching that actually changes things drastically for our hero, while still infusing plenty of humour and action to hold our attention. Thor himself isn't particularly a character to be taken too seriously - Chris Hemsworth strikes a perfect balance between mighty hero and comically confused alien in his third year in the role - but the movie does maintain enough darkness and tragedy to be reflective of its title.

That darkness comes courtesy of Malekith, a dark elf who seeks vengeance for once being defeated by the Asgardians in battle (he's not as tacky as he sounds - Christopher Eccleston's performance makes sure of that). Having been buried since the dawn of time, Malekith stops at nothing to attack Asgard and its people, sending the Nine Realms into chaos and Thor into battle. But this time, Thor can't fight back alone - with his planet and his family in tatters, Thor has no choice but to seek help from his adopted and untrustworthy brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston, owning every single scene he appears in). With the love of his life Jane Foster in peril along with the entire universe (London in particular for some reason), Thor faces the greatest battle he's ever known.

It's a plot with many strands, some of which unfortunately break off and never find their way back. The central story (Thor and Loki vs. Malekith) is exciting and tangible enough, but the seemingly compulsory love story between Thor and Natalie Portman's Jane Foster simply serves to slow proceedings down to an almost unbearable pace. Really, Portman's contribution to the movie is simply to whine about how much she misses Thor and become a damsel in distress. Rinse and repeat as required. Even worse is Kat Dennings' Darcy, a character so bland and sarcastic that it's impossible to find any personality behind all the wisecracks.

Luckily, scenes between Hemsworth and Hiddleston are worth the ticket price alone, as the pair embody the squabbling siblings seamlessly. Loki himself walks the line between jealous brother and slippery villain to the point where his every appearance improves the film hugely, and Hiddleston is sorely missed when he's off screen.

The rest of the cast get a less than fair deal, with some script issues blaring out like a thunder storm amidst the quieter moments. Anthony Hopkins' Odin is, this time, written with such inconsistency that it soon becomes infuriating (the man who once told Thor the value of following his heart is now encouraging him to abandon his feelings for Jane), while Idris Elba, Zachary Levi and Stellan Skarsgard are wasted in roles that hardly realise their potential.

Is it better than the first Thor? Not quite, although perhaps it all depends on what you're looking for in the sequel - where the first delved into the characters and the journeys and sacrifices they're prepared to make, Thor: The Dark World seems more hell-bent on throwing as many CGI scenes and witty one-liners at us as possible. Also, Patrick Doyle's incredible and beautiful soundtrack from the original is missing here, leaving us with a bland, generic and unmemorable fantasy score from Brian Tyler.

That said, there are plenty of nods to the comics here and there and a few cameos - two inevitable, one delightfully and hilariously unexpected - from various other Marvel properties, while the daring cliffhanger ending ensures the fate of the series and the definitive answer to "Will there be a Thor 3?"

Summary

With Marvel's Phase 2 under way, its second sequel packs a damn good punch. Chris Hemsworth knows his role inside out now, while Tom Hiddleston lights up any second of screen time he possesses - it's just a shame that the various other story lines and characters fail to do the same. The plot quickly becomes needlessly convoluted with too many strands flying in different directions, but luckily there's enough humour and action to see us through the main points to the exciting finale and intriguing conclusion. This film, I like it - another!

7/10 - Good

See it if you liked: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012)

TV Review: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

TV Review: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

Season: One

Episode: Pilot

Written by: Joss Whedon, Maurissa Tanchoren, Jed Whedon

Directed by: Joss Whedon

Starring: Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennet

"The battle of New York was the end of the world. This...is the new world."

Not content with completely dominating the silver screen, Marvel have extended their reach to to a more accessible audience of television viewers with their Avengers Assemble spin-off "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D". Written and produced by the Godfather of all things geek (and busiest man in the world) Joss Whedon, the show has finally aired its pilot episode - so with so much expectation, and having been spawned from the third highest grossing movie of all time, how does it fare?

Unsurprisingly, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is a 45 minute thrill ride from start to finish, and fans of both the Marvel cinematic universe and Joss Whedon's work as a whole won't be disappointed. Within just a few moments, the wit, humour and action packed spectacle of Marvel's work is realised once again, with a colourful cast of characters to introduce us into...well, the "new world."

The battle of New York changed the world as we know it, you see. As Maria Hill (reprised from the movie by a fantastic Cobie Smulders, presumably for the pilot only) cleverly states to top notch S.H.I.E.L.D agent Grant Ward, humanity used to think the most extraordinary thing in their world was a billionaire flying around in an armoured suit. Suddenly in The Avengers, aliens and demi-Gods are falling from the sky, and New York is being defended by the God of Thunder, some comic-book superhero who seemingly died in the 40's and an enormous green rage monster. 

Agent Ward is about to be upgraded to "Level 7" by Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg, bringing a great humanity to a role which could have been alienating) who has miraculously survived his apparent death at the hands of Loki in The Avengers (more on that later). Ward is recruited to a particular team of agents who specialise in finding supposed "superheroes" and helping them become aware of their powers - and how to use them. 

Such an event is on the go at that very moment, as a factory worker develops superhuman strength with the intention of using it for good. However on investigation, the S.H.I.E.L.D team realise he's actually just been stuffed with various "ingredients" for creating a superhero such as the extremis virus from Iron Man 3 and the super soldier serum from Captain America. An explosion waiting to happen...

Don't be expecting a million cameos from The Avengers, however. There are some nice references here and there ("She's worse than those cosplayers that hang around outside Stark Tower") but Whedon seems adamant that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D should be its own individual rather than feeding from its associated movies.

The script works all the better for it, too - in true Joss Whedon style, we have a host of characters that are all equally entertaining. Comparisons with beloved sci-fi Firefly are well deserved (fans of that show will be happy to see a few familiar faces in the cast too), as the wit and humorous style of Whedon's writing shines through, particularly in the way he writes Agent Coulson and his intrepid grouping of these individuals. 

Each member has a voice, each actor is sublime at portraying their character and for a show branching off from a movie filled with an ensemble of superstars, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D manages to make each and every one of its characters an individual worth paying attention to. Plenty of them even have mysteries of their own it seems...

Of course, as is the way with most pilots, those mysteries are left to be resolved outside the first episode. "He can never know," says Maria Hill regarding the circumstances of Coulson's survival. How exactly does Coulson live? And who is spending their time and money fusing together superhero formulas? Other questions for other days perhaps, but satisfyingly it looks as though Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D's life span is going to reach much, much further than episode one. 

Summary

As if last year's triumphant Avengers Assemble didn't make it blatantly obvious, Joss Whedon and Marvel are a damn good match. Whedon knows exactly how to mix a multitude of different genres and characters together and make them blend seamlessly, while some brilliant acting from the cast (Clark Gregg in particular) keeps us grounded into a believable world (even if some of them are unbelievably good looking). It may be a little "too soon" for Firefly fans to call it a replacement, but Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is about as close as we're going to get to the fantastic quality of accessible sci-fi that television has been missing. They were right: the geek really shall inherit the Earth after all. Welcome to the new world.

9/10 - Brilliant

See it if you liked: Torchwood (2006 - 2011), Avengers Assemble (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013)

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)