The World's End

 

July 2013 will be remembered as the month when I went to see two comedies in the cinema, both of which were apocalypse themed with the word “End” in the title. 

The trailer for The World’s End wasn’t particularly interesting however excitement for the film was there.  The team of Wright/Pegg/Frost has worked so well in the past I would have seen the film even if they didn’t release a preview.

PLOT:  On the brink of turning forty troubled Gary King (Simon Pegg) convinces his now estranged childhood friends (Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman and Eddie Marsan) to go back to their home town to recreate a legendary pub crawl known as The Golden Mile.  As unresolved friction threatens to ruin the reunion the friends discover that mankind is in the process of being invaded by robots. END PLOT

The opening segments of The World’s End feature a flashback to the original attempt at The Golden Mile and a brief introduction to the characters as adults.  They are amusing but the film doesn’t really get going until the five actors are all together.

The idea of a pub crawl during a robot invasion sounds ridiculous but the film keeps grounded by surprising us with some emotionally poignant scenes.  Gary (Pegg), Andy (Frost), Steven (Considine), Oliver (Freeman) and Peter (Marsan) are all brand new characters but it felt as though I had known them for years.  Peter’s reaction to seeing his childhood bully was heart wrenching but it made getting his revenge all the more satisfying (and amusing).

As the pub crawl progressed from pub to pub the characters got drunker and the invasion gets more serious.  It’s hard not to laugh at their drunken reactions to the madness.

Pegg and Frost swap their traditional roles with Frost now playing the straight man.  This was an inspired decision as Pegg manages to be hilarious yet brings a pathetic sadness to Gary.

Considine and Marsan are also great fun but it is Martin Freeman who stole the show.  Freeman has this wonderful mild mannered attitude but I always feel like he is wound tighter than a drum.  It is only a matter of time before Freeman raises his voice and hulks out on us.  I can’t wait for this day.

It is a testament to those involved that five men walking down a street is the most hilarious section of the film

The cast are clearly having a ball and their enjoyment is infectious.  There are some laugh out loud moments and plenty of giggles and although The World’s End can’t quite match Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz in terms of comedy value it trumps them both in emotional punches.

There are plenty of cameo appearances and familiar faces – it is comfortingly nostalgic spotting actors who played zombies in Shaun of the Dead in the background. 

The robot effects are good and despite having five leads who are not exactly renowned for hand to hand combat scenes the action sequences and robot battles are very well choreographed (and amusing). 

The World’s End is the final instalment in The Cornetto Trilogy and it is obvious that the entire team gave this film their all.  It is probably the weakest of the trilogy in terms of genuine laughs but the changes in tone to give us big dramatic moments suited the film perfectly.   The World’s End gets 8/10. 

I watched The World's End unable to shake the realisation that this is potentially the final film the Wright/Pegg/Frost team make together.  If they change their minds and make a fourth I doubt anyone would complain. They haven't taken on the horror genre yet........

***This is my 2nd comedy review of the month and you will note that the word miserable has not been used once.  This is because I am not miserable (dammit) although, perhaps more alarming, I find the destruction of mankind hilarious***

Pacific Rim

 

Guillermo del Toro is my absolute favourite director - the man has never made a bad film.

I did raise my eyebrows after reading the plot summary for Pacific Rim but I kept the faith.  My reward was a ridiculously exciting trailer.  To say that anticipation levels were through the roof would be an understatement.

PLOT:   Giant monsters known as the Kaiju enter earth through a portal deep in the Pacific Ocean.  Nations across the globe pool their resources and build giant robots to combat the monsters.  As the Jaeger project appears to be failing funding is terminated and the remaining robots are transferred to Hong Kong to protect the city until a wall around it can be completed.  Unfortunately for mankind as the Jaeger project is winding down the Kaiju increase their attacks.  END PLOT

The hardest part of blogging is writing a short and snappy synopsis.  It is a skill I lack as exhibited above.  The storyline of Pacific Rim sounds ridiculous so I can understand why smart arses are calling it Power Rangers vs Godzilla.  It goes without saying that the film is better than this.

The opening section explains the initial invasion of the Kaiju and the development of the Jaeger.  The technology is advanced but the exposition is kept simple – this works as less is always more when keeping movie science grounded.

This was a rare occasion when I did not have the option for a 3D viewing and in my typical contrariness I wouldn’t have minded it as the effects and set pieces were absolutely stunning.  I was like an open mouthed, wide eyed kid on Christmas Day during the action scenes.  I haven’t felt like this in the cinema in a long time – everything I was watching felt fresh and brand new.

The balance between CGI mayhem and human emotion was perfect.  There were a few scenes which struck an emotional chord with the "red shoe" sequence being my favourite part of the film.  The outcome of the flashback was not shocking but it flowed perfectly.

In a film with lavish CGI effects it is easy for the human element to become lost but luckily Pacific Rim had a decent mixture of characters.  The characterisation may have been a little clichéd but Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day and the supporting actors all gave very strong performances.   Ron Perlman, del Toro’s go to actor, had a small roll and was having a blast.

Guillermo del Toro read the “how to make a successful action film” manual and followed the instructions to the letter.   It isn’t del Toro’s best film and the screenplay isn’t going to win any awards but Pacific Rim is the perfect summer blockbuster.  

Pacific Rim gets 9.5/10 – my heart wants to give it a perfect 10/10 but the daddy clichés are stopping me.

Across The Universe

 

Across the Universe was a DVD that I simply had to own yet it has been left on the shelf ignored and unwatched since Christmas Day.  The fact that I have decided to get stuck into my DVD backlog during the first heat wave in years speaks volumes about my nature.

I have to be honest and admit that while I am a fan of The Beatles I bought the DVD for Joe Anderson.  The River has a lot to answer for.

PLOT:  Jude (Jim Sturgess) a Liverpool born dock worker travels to America to find his long lost father.  Instead of his father Jude finds and befriends college dropout Max (Joe Anderson) and the two travel to New York together.  They are soon joined by Max’s sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) who quickly falls in love with Jude.  The friends carefree lives are interrupted when Max is conscripted into the army and sent to Vietnam, Lucy joins an anti-war movement and Jude faces deportation.  END PLOT

The script of Across the Universe isn’t as strong as it should have been.  When the attention is focused on the three leads of Jude, Max and Lucy the film flows very well however far too much emphasis is placed on the supporting characters of Sadie (Dana Fuchs) and Jo-Jo (Martin Luther).  Fuchs and Luther are fine but their extended subplot and musical numbers makes the film feel unnecessary bloated.

Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson and Evan Rachel Wood are excellent and although they are never going to be in the running for a Grammy award they can all hold a tune.  Sturgess and Anderson have fantastic chemistry which is sorely missed when the characters are separated halfway through the film.

The songs are all memorable although the set pieces are hit and miss and range from the fun With A Little Help From My Friends to the LSD induced hallucination of I am a Walrus.  The cameos from Bono and Eddie Izzard help to emphasise the craziness of the drug fuelled randomness.

I am that contrary I purchased the soundtrack long before I got around to watching the film and songs like Hey Jude and Strawberry Fields are listened to quite frequently.  The Beatles versions are also on there too.

I cannot pretend to be a diehard fan of The Beatles so I didn’t recognise several of the songs and I know that there were plenty of little jokes that went straight over my head.

Across the Universe started off strong but then seemed descend into a colourful mess.  In amongst the chaos the film appeared to be attempting to make a political statement.  It failed.

Across the Universe is a film that requires a second viewing before I can make a call on whether or not I actually liked it.  The problem is a second viewing feels like too much effort – I want to watch the Jude, Max and Lucy scenes and edit out everyone else.

I will take the cowards way out and give Across the Universe a 5/10.  If you are a fan of The Beatles watch at your own risk.

Dead Souls

 

I will generally pay whatever I need to in order to see a film in the cinema but when it comes to DVD’s I am becoming a real Bargain-Bin-Betty.  I just can’t help myself when it comes to random horror films.  Normally I would rely on the recommendations of others but yesterday I stumbled upon Dead Souls. 

The cover was pretty.  The price was cheap.  The DVD was purchased. 

PLOT:  After turning eighteen Johnny (Jesse James) discovers that he is adopted and that his birth father has left him the old family home.  Johnny visits the property and discovers the truth behind the death of his family.  END PLOT

 

As far as straight to DVD plotlines go Dead Souls isn’t too bad up until the final act.  I almost choked on my own scorn after the reveal of the mythology – Jesus tapped into the Egyptian God Osiris in order to rise from the dead.  The stupidity deserves a few moments to linger but we must press on.

 

The opening sequence is fairly dark but once we jump forward eighteen years Dead Souls doesn’t gain any momentum.  The film almost seems to skip a beat before an ominous shadow appears or the kitchen door starts to creak.  There is next no tension and the even the clichéd jumps miss the mark. 

Jesse James looks like Robert Pattinson’s kid brother and is just as talented.  James has no problem carrying the film but he isn’t capable of rising above a “paint by numbers” film. 

 

Magda Apanowicz is a pretty young actress and I am sure she is a much better than Dead Souls would have me believe. 

The young actors tried their best but the characters of Johnny and Emma (Apanowicz) were so poorly written they were always going to be fighting a losing battle.

 

The old farmhouse set looked appropriately old and creepy but like the rest of the film it felt too familiar – even the sinister violin score had a sense of déjà vu to it.

Dead Souls isn’t a good movie but I would be lying if I said that I was bored or looking at the clock while I was watching it.  It passed 90mins.  It gets 3.5/10.

I admit that if the DVD had this cover I wouldn't have bought it.  There is a life lesson in there somewhere.

This Is The End

 

I tend to go to the cinema at least once per week but the ratio of cinema trips to comedies is always low.  On a successful year the correlation between cinema trips to romantic comedies is zero. 

I would love to say that I save the cinema for other genres and keep the wonder that is comedy for my DVD collection but I can’t.  It’s not that I don’t like laughing.  I am not permanently miserable.  The problem is there is an infinite number of comedy actors but very few that are actually funny.  This does not bode well for the films they star in.  I judge a comedy by the cast listed on the poster.  I will never deviate from this Rule of Life.

This Is The End starred the latest trendy Hollywood clique which was created circa 2007.  The Frat Pack had been pulling this stunt for years until the universe realised that Vince Vaughn wasn’t funny.

I knew going into This Is The End that there would be no middle ground – it was either going to be hilarious or the longest 107mins (IMDB) of my entire life.

PLOT:  Jay Baruchel arrives in LA to spend some time with his old friend Seth Rogen.  Seth persuades a reluctant Jay to go to a party at James Franco’s house.  The party is interrupted by an earthquake which sucks the scum of Hollywood (Rhianna) and random television stars into a sinkhole. Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBribe and Craig Robinson all try and stick together in order to survive the apocalypse.  END PLOT

ADDENDUM PLOT:  *sob* Channing Tatum *sob* END ADDENDUM PLOT

After a very slow opening section This Is The End finally gets going once we rock up to Franco’s party although far too much time is wasted name dropping television stars that I have never heard of. 

The plot is basic to non-existent as the characters simply hang around Franco’s house and annoy the hell out of each other.  This isn't a criticism.  The bickering and arguments flow freely as does the adlibbing and one liners with discussions over bathroom porn and a Milky Way (a Mars Bar to the rest of the world) being genuinely hilarious.

The comedy is crude and the language is foul but it is also ridiculously clever.  The actors have exaggerated their known personalities and play caricatured versions of themselves.  It works very well for James Franco, America’s Sweetheart Jonah Hill and Michael Cera.

This Is The End has six lead actors which was a recipe for danger as each individual has the potential for being extremely annoying.  There were plenty of big egos involved but the screen time is split very well as everyone gets their chance to shine and give the audience a good few giggles.  Seth Rogen may have written and directed the film but he resisted the urge to shoehorn himself into the lead role.  I thank him for this.

The quality of the special effects were on par with the series finale of Buffy The Vampire Slayer but this oddly makes the film more endearing.  The homemade feel worked in its favour especially during moments like the exorcism scene.

As with all comedies there are a few dud jokes but this isn’t This Is The End’s biggest flaw – the weakest aspect of the film is the length as the beginning and end sequences were too long.  This film needed to be a snappy 90min comedy.   

Despite being too long This Is The End is easily going to be the best comedy of 2013.  It gets an 8.5/10.  This Is The End hasn’t done the careers of those involved any harm at all – whether or not this is a good thing remains to be seen.  There is always room for more Jonah Hill though. Always.

I don't know how/when/why either.

Now You See Me

 

I saw the trailer for Now You See Me a few weeks ago.  It was the first time I had heard of the film.  The trailer appeared, I decided to see the film and I saw it.

Job Done. 

This is how the cinema cycle is supposed to work.  The preview for Now You See Me wasn’t in the trailer rotation for six months prior to the release date.  As I wasn’t sick of it due to over playing I was excited to see the film. 

Local cinema please learn from this.

PLOT:  Daniel, (Jesse Eisenberg) Merritt, (Woody Harrelson) Henley (Isla Fisher) and Jack (Dave Franco) are four street magicians who team up after receiving an invitation from a secret society known as The Eye.  After The Four Horsemen pull off several bank heists as part of their magic show Agents Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and Dray (Melanie Laurent) set out to catch them.  END PLOT

I like a good heist movie as much as the next person and although Now You See Me handles this aspect fairly well I don’t think you will have to look too hard to find holes in the plot.  A tighter script would have made the film as clever as it already thought it was.  The weakness of the story didn’t hamper my enjoyment, it just meant that the film couldn’t rise above standard summer fluff.

The film just about got away with the final twist without me giving a snort of incredulity but turning the mysterious Eye and the tarot cards into something almost mystical just didn’t work.  Now You See Me ended on an “until next time” note so I expect this to be developed more in the sequel.  If the Fast and Furious series can get seven films, fuck it; let’s turn this into a franchise too. Franchises for all and all for Franchises!

The script had some problems but unfortunately the balance of screen time wasn’t right either.  The opening section focused on the initial heist however the true lead is Mark Ruffalo's Rhodes as the film then switches to his investigation and the Horsemen are almost forgotten about.  This is a shocking waste and is the films biggest fault.

Everyone knows how strong the chemistry is between Eisenberg and Harrelson but Isla Fisher more than holds her own.  These three Horsemen are the stars of the show and the film’s most noticeable dips came when they were not on screen.  Dave Franco is the fourth Horsemen but I can’t warm to him.  I feel like Franco is one slow drawl away from rolling his eyes at me – every time he speaks I feel patronised.  Luckily his role was minimal.

More of this was needed.

Ruffalo becomes the films surprise lead and he is as likeable as ever.  His scenes with Eisenberg are the best in the film and it's a shame that there were not more of them. 

Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman pop up in small roles and help to give the cast list an ever bigger A List feel to it but neither are slumming it.

The film is slick and given a double helping of Hollywood’s gloss.  It looked gorgeous.  The set pieces are impressive and I enjoyed watching Bradley (Morgan Freeman) revealing how the tricks were performed. 

Now You See Me managed to over explain the heists and final twist yet left too many unanswered questions about The Eye.  I blame the length of 115mins (IMDB) for this as the film had too much time to mundanely ramble (yep, I refused to delete this).  The running time needed trimming and I want to re-edit the film to fix the balance issues. 

Now You See Me isn’t perfect by any means but it had enough charm to see it through.  It gets an 8/10.  This is possibly slightly higher than it deserves but the potential is there.  I expect better from a sequel I thoroughly hope it gets.