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Films round-up
Jul. 16th, 2017 03:21 pmThe Mummy - Tom Cruise stars in this reboot, which attempts to be a darker, more serious horror film than the previous Brendan Fraser franchise. And therefore completely misses the point. All the tongue-in-cheek nonsense was what made it so enjoyable! Fortunately, it doesn't manage to be completely serious. Russell Crowe's brief role as a certain Dr Henry Jekyll being a case in point. ;o) There's occasionally an inventive idea, such as Ahmanet (Sophia Boutella)'s ability to command a sandstorm - and that also works with sand which has become glass... It's okay, as these things go, but not one I'd recommend.
Gifted - I liked this. An obscure little film about a 7-year-old maths prodigy (Mckenna Grace) being raised byCaptain America Chris Evans. Mary's precociousness ("3+3? Really?") and somewhat wilful sense of ethics make it hard for her to blend in at a normal school. (I did wonder if this was going to be "Goblin Child: The Movie" ;o) ). Then her grandmother (Lindsay Duncan) turns up with grand plans for Mary's future, and a bitter custody battle begins. Jenny Slate and Hidden Figures' Octavia Spencer also star. It's a sweet film, with performances which ring true, highs, lows, and some great laugh-out-loud moments. "Good morning, Miss Stephenson!" ;o)
Baby Driver - A new Edgar Wright film usually means, "Shut up and take my money now!" This is no exception, and easily one of my top five films this year. Baby (Ansel Elgort) is a whizz behind the wheel, and works as a getaway driver for a mob boss (Kevin Spacey). Permanently tuned into the music through his headphones, he's alienated and mistrusted by his fellow crooks, chief among them Bats (Jamie Foxx). Baby dreams getting away with his would-be-girlfriend Deborah (Lily James). The film starts off fairly light-hearted, but inevitability things take a turn for the worse. It feels very much like a '90s Tarantino film, and Quentin has given it his seal of approval. Plus it has an epically brilliant soundtrack thoughout. Go see it.
Despicable Me 3 - Gru (Steve Carell) was sorely missing from The Minions Movie. It's great to have him back, teaming up with twin brother Dru (also Carell) against new baddie, Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker). The problem is the writers don't seem to know what to do with the rest of the cast. Lucy (Kristen Wiig) has a lame sub-plot, fretting about being a good mom; the girls have so little to do, they mainly just play on their tablets (which may be realistic, but isn't what I go to the cinema to see); and Dr Nefario has been written out entirely (admittedly by a brilliant gag). The minions have their own mini-adventure, completely disconnected from the main plot (although them singing Gilbert & Sullivan is genius). Bratt is a decent enough bad guy, and I enjoyed the '80s gags, but he's rather too similar to Vector from the first movie. Sadly, this franchise appears to have run out of ideas.
Wonder Woman - I'd heard good things about this, so I made it the first entry in the DC Cinematic Universe (TM) I actually went to see. Indeed it is pretty decent. Diana (Gal Godot) herself and military sidekick Steve (Chris Pine) make an effective lead duo. The film handles the concept of a hidden island populated entirely by warrior women pretty well, and World War I gives it an interesting backdrop. But, even after 20 years, DC still seem to be struggling with the spectre of Batman & Robin. The comic book elements are subdued and it tries too hard to be earnest and worthy, as if it's ashamed of its pulp fiction origins. It's also at least half an hour too long. Only in a few fight scenes does it properly cut loose.
Spider-Man: Homecoming - Being overly serious is not something you can accuse Marvel of. This latest chapter spins out of Captain America: Civil War. At first it feels like a high school movie, and I thought, "Marvel, what are you doing?" But then it kicks into high gear and becomes a joy to watch as Spidey (Tom Holland) tries to prove himself to his mentor, a disapproving Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr, clearly having a ball and almost stealing the film). Throw in Michael Keaton as an excellent and surprisingly low-key baddie, a great twist, and some fantastically nerdy t-shirts, and we've got another winner. And Stark Industries definitely makes the best toys. Stay tuned for the credit cookie, which made half the audience collapse in hysterics. :o)
Gifted - I liked this. An obscure little film about a 7-year-old maths prodigy (Mckenna Grace) being raised by
Baby Driver - A new Edgar Wright film usually means, "Shut up and take my money now!" This is no exception, and easily one of my top five films this year. Baby (Ansel Elgort) is a whizz behind the wheel, and works as a getaway driver for a mob boss (Kevin Spacey). Permanently tuned into the music through his headphones, he's alienated and mistrusted by his fellow crooks, chief among them Bats (Jamie Foxx). Baby dreams getting away with his would-be-girlfriend Deborah (Lily James). The film starts off fairly light-hearted, but inevitability things take a turn for the worse. It feels very much like a '90s Tarantino film, and Quentin has given it his seal of approval. Plus it has an epically brilliant soundtrack thoughout. Go see it.
Despicable Me 3 - Gru (Steve Carell) was sorely missing from The Minions Movie. It's great to have him back, teaming up with twin brother Dru (also Carell) against new baddie, Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker). The problem is the writers don't seem to know what to do with the rest of the cast. Lucy (Kristen Wiig) has a lame sub-plot, fretting about being a good mom; the girls have so little to do, they mainly just play on their tablets (which may be realistic, but isn't what I go to the cinema to see); and Dr Nefario has been written out entirely (admittedly by a brilliant gag). The minions have their own mini-adventure, completely disconnected from the main plot (although them singing Gilbert & Sullivan is genius). Bratt is a decent enough bad guy, and I enjoyed the '80s gags, but he's rather too similar to Vector from the first movie. Sadly, this franchise appears to have run out of ideas.
Wonder Woman - I'd heard good things about this, so I made it the first entry in the DC Cinematic Universe (TM) I actually went to see. Indeed it is pretty decent. Diana (Gal Godot) herself and military sidekick Steve (Chris Pine) make an effective lead duo. The film handles the concept of a hidden island populated entirely by warrior women pretty well, and World War I gives it an interesting backdrop. But, even after 20 years, DC still seem to be struggling with the spectre of Batman & Robin. The comic book elements are subdued and it tries too hard to be earnest and worthy, as if it's ashamed of its pulp fiction origins. It's also at least half an hour too long. Only in a few fight scenes does it properly cut loose.
Spider-Man: Homecoming - Being overly serious is not something you can accuse Marvel of. This latest chapter spins out of Captain America: Civil War. At first it feels like a high school movie, and I thought, "Marvel, what are you doing?" But then it kicks into high gear and becomes a joy to watch as Spidey (Tom Holland) tries to prove himself to his mentor, a disapproving Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr, clearly having a ball and almost stealing the film). Throw in Michael Keaton as an excellent and surprisingly low-key baddie, a great twist, and some fantastically nerdy t-shirts, and we've got another winner. And Stark Industries definitely makes the best toys. Stay tuned for the credit cookie, which made half the audience collapse in hysterics. :o)
