Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the eighth instalment in the Star Wars saga and the second of the new sequel trilogy. It is written and directed by Rian Johnson and stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac. It continues the story set up by The Force Awakens as it follows Rey beginning her Jedi training and the Resistance's struggling fight against the First Order. Firstly, I loved The Force Awakens, despite its simplistic plot that many felt was too similar to A New Hope (however I quite liked this as it helped to remind fans of Star Wars whilst also helping to introduce new fans to the franchise), as I felt it really helped to manage the essence of Star Wars while simultaneously providing audiences with a fresh and exciting story with interesting and likeable characters. The Last Jedi, however, manages to improve upon its predecessor in almost every single aspect. This film, of course, marks the full return of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, who is on top form and gives a fantastic performance and easily his best portrayal of the character to date. Carrie Fisher marks her final ever acting performance with her return as Leia, and is also great in this film, considerably better than her somewhat minor role in The Force Awakens, as she helps to deliver some truly emotional moments, especially given her recent passing. Daisy Ridley is also fantastic once again as Rey, much like she was in the first of this brand new trilogy, and is definitely solidifying herself as a very prominent young talent. Adam Driver undoubtedly gives the best performance of the film as the villainous Kylo Ren, perfectly capturing his conflicting morals and the levels of depth that the character has, giving a really emotionally brutal portrayal. John Boyega and Oscar Isaac also give great performances once again as Finn and Poe. The Last Jedi also provides probably some of the greatest action sequences of the franchise to date, with them being very stylistic and a true spectacle to witness, and will definitely leave you in awe, and each one is made even more entertaining due to the fact that they mean something to the characters, and so you connect with them and it also means more to you, as you care more about the outcome . The visual effects are also superb, and provide some realistic and creative imagery, and producing some truly wondrous visuals that help to bring you into the Star Wars universe and make you feel like you are experiencing the same things that the characters are. Among this, The Last Jedi is also very well written. The film doesn't rely on heavy amounts of fan service (*cough* Rogue One *cough*), but any nods to the franchise that do appear, albeit very few, help to serve the story and progress it further, without halting or detracting from the main plot that we are following. Each line of dialogue is well written and none of it feels too cheesy or something no one would say, instead it helps to feel the film somewhat grounded in reality despite its setting. The character of Kylo Ren is also fantastically written, and is definitely one of the most interesting characters of the saga so far, due to him having so many different emotional layers. The film also features the introduction of the Porgs, which are small, furry creatures which many feared would turn into the new minions, however they are very rarely featured and are also one of the highlights of the film as they help to provide some of the much more comical moments of the film. Rian Johnson also does a stellar job as the director, helping to capture some exquisite pieces of cinematography, and you can get a real sense of his love for Star Wars through what he has created with the film. There are also many surprises and twists in store, and so these help the audience to keep guessing what is going to happen next, and really causes you to feel incredibly tense and on the edge of your seat at all times, whilst still having a great time and a real blast due to the joyous atmosphere provided by the film. While I don't have too many issues with the film, I do still have some. First of all, the sub-plot involving Finn and new character Rose, played by Kelly Marie Tran, isn't as interesting as the main plot involving Rey and Luke. And so constantly the film cuts back to this sub-plot just as things are being set into motion in the other one, and so it can become somewhat frustrating and tiresome, even though it is still a fun experience to follow Finn and Rose's adventure. There are also one or two characters that don't really seem to serve much of a purpose in the grander scheme of things, as their traits could've been easily assigned to another character. Other problems with characters include the fact that certain ones make questionable decisions which would've benefited others had they performed a specific action. As well as all this, there are also too many jokes in the film. While many of the jokes are relatively funny, the problem is where they are placed, as many are added during very serious or dramatic scenes, and so it just detracts from whats happening and creates a very jarring unbalance of tone as there is a constant shift. In conclusion, while there are some side stories that don't provide an awful lot of interest and also some awkward shifts in the film's tone, The Last Jedi is an excellent instalment in the Star Wars saga and is definitely one of the best of the franchise, leaving you unable to wait to return to the galaxy far, far away.
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Justice League is a superhero movie and the newest instalment in the DC Extended Universe directed by Zack Snyder (and Joss Whedon, however he isn't given a director credit) and stars Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher and Henry Cavill. It details the formation of the Justice League, a team of superheroes, to defeat and save the planet from the villainous Steppenwolf. The DC Extended Universe has had a very bumpy start to its road, with the unbelievably dumb Batman vs Superman and the flaming hot mess that was Suicide Squad, however things seemed to be on the upturn following the overwhelming critical success of Wonder Woman. However despite this demonstrated potential, Justice League still manages to fall flat. The film underwent a very messy production, which could've contributed to its failure, due to the fact that Snyder had to leave directing duties halfway through production and pass them onto established director Joss Whedon. The biggest issue with Justice League is undoubtedly its script and character (or lack thereof). The film follows a very paint-by-numbers plot, which tends to be the case with most big-budget blockbusters these days. Steppenwolf is also incredibly far from menacing or threatening, as he looks like he's pulled from a video game cutscene and his character design is awfully bland and uninspired. He also has no depth to make him interesting at all, he just wants to destroy everyone and take over the world, which has been done so many times and is just boring, as it has been for many years now. The CGI as a whole is more miss than hit, with the majority really pulling you out of each scene as none of it looks real at all, especially during the final act and whenever Cyborg is on screen as his suit is 90% CGI. On the subject of Cyborg, he is very much pushed to the sidelines and given relatively nothing to do, a bit like Killer Croc in Suicide Squad (although nowhere near that bad because not very much is). Many characters have also undergone changes since their previous appearances, most notably Batman who isn't the dark and brooding character we saw in BvS, but instead is full of jokes and one-liners. Whenever Henry Cavill is on screen is very distracting as well, due to the fact that he was filming Mission Impossible 6 whilst reshoots were being done for Justice League and he grew a moustache for a role, and so Paramount wouldn't allow him to shave, resulting in it having to be digitally removed in the film - and my goodness it's noticeable as he looks like some sort of waxwork figure or another video game character and so whenever he was visible I just kept getting pulled out of each scene and being distracted by his facade of a face. Around 50 minutes of the film was also cut due to Warner Bros. not allowing the film to be longer than 2 hours, and this really hurts the film as there's no room for character building or development, and so many introductions are very rushed - most notably those of Cyborg and Aquaman, who don't even really feel like characters at all, and the fact that they will be explored in a later film isn't a valid excuse, as they are here in this movie, and so I should expect to be given actual characters. This further proves the point that the solo films should've come first, and that was one of the positives of The Avengers, as they didn't need to spend time to build characters as they were already established, and so they could focus on the plot, which Justice League is very restricted by. There were some scenes that should've been cut though to make room for development, as there are many in the film that halt the plot from moving forward, and in the grand scheme of things there's really no need for them at all. They also seemed to aim for a more comedic approach in comparison to the darker tone that we've been seeing up to this point, but many of the jokes fall flat, as I think I laughed probably about twice (discounting the times I laughed when I wasn't supposed to). There are also many questionable bits of dialogue in the film, however the majority of it is decent. There are positives to be had from Justice League though, albeit very few. For one, the majority of the performances are really good - most notably those from Gal Gadot, who is great as usual, and Ezra Miller, who gives a fun performance as Barry Allen. Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill are also very solid as Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent as expected, and newcomers to the franchise Jason Momoa and Ray Fisher do adequate jobs in their roles as Aquaman and Cyborg as well, despite the fact that Aquaman is presented as quite an unlikable character, which I found quite an odd decision and Fisher's performance is quite bland but he isn't bad in anyway, he's just fine. Some fight sequences were really great and entertaining as well, with one being better than some that Marvel have put to screen. But that really is one of my main problems with the film - the fact that there are really good moments throughout the film, but I can't think of a whole scene that was really great, and so it seems like a load of wasted potential. It also looks a lot nicer than the other films in the franchise, as the standard grey filter that's used in the other films isn't featured here, which was definitely a decision made by Whedon (and most certainly a right one). Justice League also provides an incredibly accurate portrayal of Superman, as opposed to the darker one Zack Snyder has given us which is very unfaithful to the comic version, and so this incarnation manages to provide charisma and charm, along with Ezra Miller's portrayal of The Flash, who really is the comic relief and most joyous to watch, despite the fact that most of his comedy isn't very funny whatsoever. In conclusion, Justice League doesn't manage to get its feet of the ground and is yet another failure for the DC franchise due to its uninspired plot, very noticeable CGI, terrible, unimposing villain and lack of any real character, albeit despite a few positive changes in direction. Its better than Suicide Squad and a slight upgrade from Man of Steel, however its far weaker than Wonder Woman and is probably on par with Batman vs Superman - which shows there is still plenty of room for improvement with this franchise. 'The Big Lebowski' is one of my all time favourite films and is a comedy crime film from 1998, and is written and directed by The Coen Brothers, who have made other critically successful films such as Fargo and Raising Arizona. It stars Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore and Steve Buscemi. It depicts the story of Jeffrey Lebowski or, as he calls himself, 'The Dude' who is thrown into a world of crime due to a case of mistaken identity. The narrative of The Big Lebowski is interesting as there are many events that happen throughout the event, which are full of both action and humour, however by the end of the film there isn't an awful a lot of change. The only change to the story is the death of a character, however the lives of all the other characters remain exactly the same, with the only difference being just the absence of one person. The characters don't really grow, learn or gain anything from the events of the story but instead just go back to their normal, everyday lives. We also don't get to see a lot of the resolutions to several of the plot threads that are set up and expanded on throughout the film, instead they are just left unresolved, however this is only because it shouldn't matter to the audience as it doesn't matter to our central protagonist, as all he cares about in life is bowling and drinking white russians, and he is really the glue that ties the whole film together. The lack of resolution and change is due to the whole message of the film, which is also just the general goal of The Dude - to live life comfortably and not care what others think, even if you are just a jobless slacker, and be satisfied with life as a whole and be happy, even if you've nothing to offer the world. While The Dude is quite a terrible hero, he still presents aspects of a good role model - that you should appreciate and be proud of whatever you've managed to accomplish, even if it's very little. Many of the theories of narrative are present in The Big Lebowski. For example, Propp's idea of character roles can be assigned to at least one of the characters in the film. It also follows Todorov's theory, however there isn't really a 'new' equilibrium, instead everything just returns to how it was at the beginning, with the notable absence of one character. The idea of the 'Hero's Journey' isn't really present, however. This is mainly due to the fact that there is no transformation or change with the characters, all that really happens is an adventure for the characters, and then they go home and go bowling. Obviously the characters deal with the idea of death, however they don't really grieve too much - all that happens is they spread his ashes and then move on, mainly due to the message of the film, which is to live life contently and be content with yourself. In terms of the film as a whole, it features some truly fantastic and memorable performances from Jeff Bridges and John Goodman. It is undeniably Bridges' most iconic role to date and perhaps even his best. Goodman is absolutely hilarious as well and is definitely the film's funniest character. It's also fantastically written, with some truly quotable lines of dialogue throughout the script. The film also looks gorgeous, with some really wondrous cinematography and lighting to give the film a wonderful aesthetic. In conclusion, The Big Lebowski is one of my favourite films due to its uniqueness, hilarious moments, as well as the incredibly funny performances from the likes of Jeff Bridges and John Goodman and its wonderful and gorgeous aesthetic. It follows a very simple narrative, however everything that happens in the story is rendered almost pointless as there is little resolution and no growth in the characters - which makes complete sense as none of it matters to The Dude, and without him then there would be no film, it's him and his reactions that really make the film what it is. Spike Lee is an American director who's films tend to focus on themes such as racial and political issues. He has made such films as She's Gotta Have It, Do The Right Thing and Malcolm X. Lee has a very unique and recognisable style that he uses within each of his films which can be seen through each micro element of film, with those being Cinematography, Sound, Editing and Mise-en-scène. To show and explain the way in which he is an auteur, I will be analysing one clip from his film Malcolm X and comparing it with his other film Do The Right Thing, both of which have been incredibly influential and were met with acclaim upon release. I will be focusing on the following clip from Malcolm X: Cinematography
Lee tends to use several signature techniques when it comes to cinematography. Seven seconds into this clip, the camera quickly pans between each character as they begin speaking. The camera focuses on whoever begins talking as they are becoming the centre of attention. The quick pace of the camera movement could emphasise the feeling of desperation with each character and the fact that each person is coming up with a quick response to what the other person says during the argument. This camera movement technique is also used in another of Lee's films called Do The Right Thing from 1989, for example it is used in the scene when Mookie argues with Sal before going off to meet with Tina. Therefore it would appear Lee uses this technique when there is an argument or sense of hostility between multiple characters. Lee also tends to follow and track the movements of either a character or object within scenes in his films. This is highlighted in the clip from 2:44 to 3:37, as the camera follows the movement of Malcolm X (played by Denzel Washington) towards the hospital and so the camera is moved accordingly alongside him, however the camera becomes stationary as soon as he stops walking, signifying that the main focus in the scene has come to a halt and so the audience should as well. This feature is also seen very often throughout Do The Right Thing, as whenever a character is moving, the camera tends to follow them - an example being when Mookie goes to pick up the trash can that he ultimately throws at the window of Sal's Pizzeria. Lots of aerial crane shots are also frequently used within this clip from the film, which helps to show the grand scale and mass amount of people marching towards the hospital and signifies the impact that Malcolm X is having within the community. An aerial crane shot is also used in the final scene of Do The Right Thing, which shows that despite all the disaster that took place, they are still united as a community. Editing In the clip from the film, there is a fair use of shot reverse shot when there is a conversation between two characters. This is noticeable at around 4:42 when the policeman talks to Malcolm X. The camera tends to cut from one shot to the other once one of the characters has finished talking. This helps for the main attention of the audience to remain on the dialogue of each character, as they're not being presented with new and fresh images to look at as the main thing that they should be focusing on is the dialogue of the character and so it means that they don't become distracted by new imagery. This editing technique is also used frequently throughout Do The Right Thing, as it is very rare that, while a conversation is taking place between two characters, a character will be cut away from mid speak and so the camera will wait for each character to finish speaking before cutting away to the next piece of dialogue from a different character. Sound There isn't an awful lot to say about the sound used within this clip, however there is a plentiful amount of diagetic sound, for example the dialogue from characters, as well as things like the turning of pages in a book and the opening and closing of blinds. This helps to add a sense of realism to the film, as without these sounds being heard, it wouldn't feel real or grounded. There is also music played within this clip. Most notably, there is a piece of music that comes in at around 2:43 which begins with a drum beat and builds to an incredibly loud, triumphant and dramatic piece, and it builds even more whenever more people become involved with Malcolm X's march towards the hospital, which also helps to emphasise the dramatic nature and importance that this is to all of the characters and people, and also the impact that Malcolm X is having on the public. Music is also used for representation in Lee's other films, such as Do The Right Thing, as the song 'Fight The Power' by Public Enemy is repeated at many points throughout the film, which symbolises the idea of the black community standing up and fighting against racism and discrimination. Mise-en-scène A large amount of this clip from Malcolm X is set outside at night. This dark setting could help to symbolise that the world isn't so bright and what's happening is very dramatic and serious, instead of being happy and lively. Malcolm X and the two people he enters the police precinct with are all wearing very tidy and formal suits, however one of the police detectives' suit is quite scruffy and not well groomed at all. This could help to emphasise the fact that Malcolm X's beliefs and what he is doing is very serious and he has a very determined mindset, however the police detectives aren't entirely bothered and don't have a serious attitude to what Malcolm X is saying or asking of them. Overall, Spike Lee has a very signature and recognisable style that is present throughout his films, and can be seen as being used through each micro element of film. Blade Runner 2049 is the very highly anticipated sequel to the iconic 80's sci-fi classic 'Blade Runner'. The film is directed by one of the best directors currently working today, Denis Villeneuve and stars Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford and Jared Leto. It depicts the story of Officer K who lives in 2049 Los Angeles and is tasked with locating and destroying the child of a replicant. Before I go in depth, I just want to say that 2049 is a straight up masterpiece. Villeneuve is cementing himself as an absolute genius, especially with his other works such as Sicario, a fantastic crime thriller, and Arrival, which was an incredible sci-fi and was one of the best films of last year - and so now he has proved himself yet again with Blade Runner 2049, which is somehow his greatest film to date and one of the greatest science fiction stories ever put to screen and, in my opinion, excels the original in nearly every single way - and don't get me wrong, I adore the original film, but it's hard to argue that this wasn't a superior film. First off, 2049 is a visual masterpiece and is such an incredibly visceral experience. Some of the visuals are just simply gorgeous and makes the film amazingly stunning to look at, and it's near impossible to become bored whilst looking at the world that has been brought before your eyes which leaves you in awe has to how it came about. 2049 is also a perfect example of how to make a sequel; it doesn't shove fan service down the audience's throats (*cough* Jurassic World *cough*), but instead it gives us a fresh new story set in the same world, while also expanding upon the original movie in some form. Ryan Gosling gives one of the greatest performances of his entire career as Officer K and, in my opinion, should at least be considered for an Oscar nod. Harrison Ford is also on par with one of the best performances from him in a while, even though he was pretty solid in The Force Awakens he's definitely better in this. Jared Leto also gives a very menacing portrayal of the villainous character of Wallace, and is definitely an improvement from his last villain role from the astonishingly abysmal Suicide Squad. The narrative of 2049 is also full of twists and turns, and is very far from predictable - which is a criticism that could easily be made of the first film. The film has a total running time of 169 minutes, which is almost 3 hours, however it really doesn't feel like it - and the incredibly built world really helps to keep you engaged in the story despite the fact that it is very lengthy in retrospect. 2049 is almost completely void of flaws, however unfortunately no movie is completely perfect. Whilst the 169 minute run time doesn't necessarily become tiresome, it could very easily be reduced due to one or two unnecessary scenes. The film also uses several voice clips over and over again from earlier points in the film to remind the audience of what's happened and to give them audio clues to piece the puzzle together, however each mystery revealed itself pretty easily without these audio clips being required - and so I felt they could've and should've been removed. There's also some expository dialogue and heavy amounts of product placement, but these both make sense in terms of the narrative and the universe so they can be forgiven. In conclusion, Denis Villeneuve yet again proves himself to be one of the greatest working directors at this current point in time with Blade Runner 2049, which is a modern day masterpiece which expands upon its predecessor and tells a fresh and exciting narrative, instead of relying on it to please audience members. Blade Runner 2049 is one of the greatest science fiction movies and sequels of all time and is even greater than the original film, I cannot recommend it enough - please go and see Blade Runner 2049 as soon as possible and on the biggest screen you can find. 2001: A Space Odyssey is a science fiction film directed by, who is often considered one of the greatest film makers of all time and probably my favourite, Stanley Kubrick. 2001 is a film that, personally, I cannot praise enough and has become a huge phenomenon and has been widely regarded as one of the greatest and most significant films ever made since its release, due to how groundbreaking it was at its time of release and the impact it has had since then, and so it is often placed very highly within lists of the greatest films ever. The movie deals with a numerous amount of different themes - mainly that being evolution, technology and artificial intelligence. It received critical acclaim upon release and has since still to this day, it also won countless awards, including one academy awards (with a total of three nominations) and four Baftas. Some of the cinematography in 2001 is simply astonishing, especially when you consider the fact that it was made so long ago and almost every shot is so aesthetically and visually pleasing. Kubrick decides to use lots of long and close up shots. He often uses long shots to establish a large location and to give the viewer a full perspective of where they and the main characters are at the given time. They are often used to show locations that would've been almost unfathomable to the audience of that time, as it was only a few years after the first space exploration mission, and one year before the moon landing. And so these long shots are effective as they allow the audience to familiarise themselves with the settings and locations that they are being placed into, as there are plenty of technological advancements seen in the film that would be incredibly beyond the time of its release. The close ups are used in a variety of ways. For example, every time the AI on the ship named HAL speaks, it uses a close up of the static red light of HAL - this could be used to make him feel quite intimidating, as even though he isn't really an actual physical presence, he feels very threatening and that he is staring directly at you. They are also used as reaction shots, to show how any certain character is feeling. Most notably at times when Dave is attempting to shut down HAL, and also when he is travelling through the vortex of lights (which also has some incredible cinematography which is visually striking). Another way in which they are used is to focus on certain details within scenes and frames, for example when we are shown around the ship, the camera focuses on many of its parts - which emphasises and displays to the audience all of the different and complex technology that is available to the crew members, which were all way beyond the time of the film's release in the 1960's. The film also uses an incredibly wide range of colour with each changing shot - with the main ones being featured throughout the movie being that of black, red and white. In conclusion, 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of my all time favourite films and is simply a masterpiece which features some absolutely gorgeous cinematography which help to both give detail and significance to settings and characters. In addition, here are some of my favourite shots from Kubrick's masterpiece: Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a spy action/comedy film directed by Matthew Vaughn and written by Vaughn and Jane Goldman. It is the sequel to 2014's Kingsman: The Secret Service, which was directed and written by the same people as this instalment. Taron Egerton, Colin Firth and Mark Strong all reprise their roles from the first film and are joined by newcomers to the franchise Julianne Moore, Halle Berry, Jeff Bridges and Channing Tatum. Matthew Vaughn is a director that gets me excited for whatever he is making next, simply because I've loved everything that I've seen by him. Kick-Ass is a brilliantly fun superhero film that subverts the typical conventions of the superhero genre, X-Men: First Class is one of the best entries in that series and really saved it from it's near downfall, and the first Kingsman is sublime and really makes spy movies fun, and not dramatic and serious like the Bond films tend to portray. Therefore, hearing of a follow up to Kingsman was very exciting news, especially as Vaughn has never made a sequel before, so I was intrigued to see how he'd handle this instalment considering there isn't an awful lot of room for him to be able to make something new and fresh when that's exactly what the first one was. Unfortunately, that's what causes this film to really suffer, as it's not even close to matching its predecessor, however it is still a very fun and enjoyable outing - but it's still packed with flaws, unfortunately. I think probably the biggest issue with The Golden Circle is the writing and plot (or lack of focus towards). This film has a running time of 2 hours and 21 minutes, which is incredibly long, but it really is unnecessarily so. For some reason there are a large amount of sub plots and uninteresting and really unneeded character arcs that don't really add anything to the overall movie, and if they'd have been cut out then it wouldn't have made any effect at all to the overarching plot. One of these plot diversions is a 20 minute or so scene which takes place at Glastonbury Festival, and it gets very uncomfortable to watch towards the end of the scene, and has, rightfully so, attracted a large amount of controversy from both audiences and critics alike - and you'll know exactly why too if you've seen it. Another criticism I have with the film is that it isn't very funny, and for something that's marketed as being quite comedic in tone, that is quite a disappointment - however there are some laughs to be had from a certain singer that shows up, but they do outstay their welcome quite a bit. Also, it feels as if they're really trying to top the first film and make this one incredibly awesome and cool, and that they're attempting to make something better than the church scene from the first film (which I believe is one of the greatest action sequences put to film), but they are failing quite horribly as none of the action scenes come close to it. The villain, played by Julianne Moore, is also not exactly a positive. Moore does a very good job and portrays her character well - however her plan and motive is somewhat ridiculous and incredibly unbelievable. Colin Firth is also back in the film, and warning I am about to talk spoilers so be warned if you haven't seen the film yet, which is a bit of a stupid decision in my opinion, - seeing as the first film provided a real shock in the death of Firth's character, and it was described why best by Samuel L. Jackson's character when he says 'this isn't that type of movie' before shooting him, and so to just undo all of that removes any stakes that there are within this universe and ruins quite a large point that the first film made. And if there's a gadget that can literally bring someone back to life after being shot in the head, how come there isn't one that disables a land mine? Besides all these negatives, there are numerous amounts of positives to be given to The Golden Circle. Everyone is pretty great in the film, especially Egerton and Mark Strong (however I did think Firth wasn't as good as he usually is) and I thoroughly enjoyed Julianne Moore's portrayal of her villainous character. The action is also superbly shot and directed, with Matthew Vaughn using his signature style when it comes to action sequences, as seen in both Kick-Ass and the first Kingsman. The cinematography is also incredibly visually stunning as well, and cannot be faulted one bit whatsoever. I think the biggest praise I can give the film is that it is really good fun - despite the fact that it has several flaws that really do stick out, I still had a really good time watching the film, and so I'm glad Matthew Vaughn managed to recreate the tone and spirit of the first, even though he couldn't top it. In conclusion, Kingsman: The Golden Circle is an incredibly entertaining escapade that provides some good performances and truly thrilling action, however its failure in its writing and inability to focus on its central plot doesn't allow it to be anywhere near as good as its predecessor. Get Out is a horror/psychological thriller film directed by Jordan Peele and is also his directorial debut. This film is a great example of using a typical genre of film, in this case horror, to help convey a particular idea, in this case the film's allegory being to do with racism and racial stereotypes. Peele almost subverts the general tropes of average, stereotypical horror movies as he doesn't rely on the use of the likes of jump scares, but instead uses general ideas and unnerving situations to make the audience feel scared and uncomfortable - which a topic like racial discrimination and stereotyping would make someone feel and so Peele uses the genre of horror to his advantage to help convey these ideas and unnerve the audience through the notions that he is portraying to the viewer. He also goes against a typical horror movie by adding some comedic and funny moments through the character of Rod, played by Lil Red Howery, and so it makes you question whether or not you should be laughing as you are experiencing some quite distressing scenes at the same time. Get Out features some terrific breakout performances from the likes of Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams who deliver some really great portrayals. The cinematography is also excellent and features some very nice and well shot scenes, which are accompanied with a chilling score from Michael Abels. The dialogue is very well written, as it doesn't reveal too much whilst still making hints, and so therefore allowing the audience to make their own assumptions without being explained everything in one scene, but having lots of scenes building to a reveal. However, the film should be praised more on its lack of dialogue, as the more revealing moments that help to further the plot and add a sense of mystery are told without being told, but instead are shown through actions from characters which give lots of intrigue which causes the audience to ponder what is happening and why it's happening. There are also some very small but detailed bits of symbolism in the film, for example towards the end of the film there's a short scene where a character is eating cereal and drinking milk - with the cereal (which is coloured) being separated from the milk (which is obviously completely white), and so that shows Peele's eye for detail and wanting to convey his ideas in even the smallest of ways. The only problem I had with Get Out was that towards the end of the film there's a scene which cuts between a comedic situation and another one that's very unnerving and uncomfortable, and so there is a very awkward and jarring shift of tones. In conclusion, Get Out is a brilliant film directed by Jordan Peele which brilliantly uses the horror genre to convey ideas instead of just using it for scares. If you'd have said to me a few years ago that soon there'd be a movie about faces you use to express emotions I'd think you were crazy, but now... there is - oh boy. It's hard to call this an actual movie, as in reality it's more of a blatant cash grab from a washed up, out of ideas studio. It's quite obvious that everyone involved is in it for the money, and no way interested in actually making a decent film. Usually I'd list the positives that would redeem the film in some way, however all I can say for The Emoji Movie is that it looks alright and some of the character and world design is okay at best. The rest is all negative, the story is uninspired and has been seen a countless and numerous amount of times, with the whole 'be yourself regardless of what society says' cliche being overdone to hell and portrayed a lot better by other works, the characters are bland, there's an endless amount of product placement, and attempts at humour that make you want to burst your own eardrum and gauge your eyes out. The vocal performances from the likes of T.J. Miller (who decided to leave the award winning sitcom 'Silicon Valley' to focus on projects such as this), James Corden, Anna Faris and even Sir Patrick Stewart (I doubt he'd be too proud of this performance). The three main protagonists of the film are voiced at a level of 'fine', and Sir Patrick Stewart makes a literal turd of himself with his performance. In conclusion, The Emoji Movie is a wholly unoriginal, unfunny and blatant production designed to do nothing but generate a significant amount of cash and convince children who love emojis to see the film and parents who can't say no to their child to take them. |
Archives
December 2017
My Favourite Films:
The Breakfast Club (1989) Drive (2011) The Social Network (2010) The Dark Knight (2008) Empire Strikes Back (1980) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Taxi Driver (1976) Dr Strangelove (1964) Trainspotting (1996) |