Summer 2016

Remember when summer movie season used to be fun? That time when you'd anticipate what exciting, thrilling wonders Hollywood would offer up for your viewing pleasure? Unfortunately those times are very obviously long gone. Now there's much less to anticipate as we're fed a continual glut of blockbusters and (this year in particular) a surfeit of sequels. If you'd gone into summer 2016 full of hope and expectation you'd have very quickly realised that was a futile approach. This year it was perhaps more noticeable than ever that the desperate strategy of releasing overblown, ridiculously-budgeted films virtually every week just leads to audience fatigue and diminishing financial returns. Quite how the industry finds a way to curtail this over-saturation creep I do not know, but here's hoping some lessons are starting to be learnt, and that the quality really starts to pick back up too.

This then is the summer in summary, based on the new releases I watched. If you want the handful of longer form reviews I wrote, they're here... the very good: Star Trek Beyond ... the disappointing: Captain America: Civil War / Jason Bourne / Suicide Squad 

X-Men: Apocalypse

 
The X-Men franchise appears to be in a difficult place. It's tried to focus on it's most popular character a couple of times, and it's tried to move on by introducing younger iterations of the core characters. Yet for previous film Years of Future Past, it had to bring some of the old cast back unnecessarily. So where next? Here's part two of just the younger iterations. This constant changing up is certainly making it harder to be invested in the series unfortunately. The young cast do a god job with these characters and it feels like they were given short thrift in that last film so it's good to focus on them here. Yet we still end up with Magneto's desire to get revenge on everyone being a main plot device... yet again. How they handle what sets him down that path this time works well in the context of those scenes, but you're just left wanting something different. Which happily comes in the form of Oscar Isaac's prosthetisis heavy Apocalypse. The back-story and approach to taking over the world is far more interesting, as is the exultant menace he exudes. It's thanks to this storyline and character that I enjoyed Apocalypse way more than the convoluted Days of Future Past. This is certainly not the series at its best, but it still offered a fun two hours.

The Nice Guys

Shane Black. That there alone is the reason to watch The Nice Guys – nevermind the great casting of Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling as private eyes in the seventies. This was a film that promised something along the lines of his really rather good Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, plus more of his sparklingly acerbic writing. It did not disappoint, even if it's not quite as good as that aforementioned film. It tells an interesting, if faintly ridiculous story, with conviction. The Crowe / Gosling duo play off each other and spar superbly, whilst Angourie Rice steals the show. Plus it's pretty damn funny too. So what we have here is an honest to goodness film aimed squarely at adults, featuring two recognisable movie stars, lacking both superheroes and massive scenes of digitally composed destruction, released smack bang in the middle of summer. With a film as good as this, it's hard to say that summer doesn't give.


The Conjuring 2

It's impressive how James Wan has positioned himself as the mainstream horror name to pay attention too. As co-creator and director of the superb Saw, he instantly established his name as someone to watch. Interestingly he eschewed directing anymore of that series, but is directing sequels to his more recent films – Insidious is still one of the best horror's of recent years, which he followed with the decent and well executed The Conjuring. This sequel follows the same tack of focusing on an actual documented mystery (the Enfield hauntings) with superb work again from Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as the paranormal investigators. The way the story is assembled and put together is always engaging, and Wan presents scares and scenes of horror with an impactful verve – they're memorably shot thanks to his very good visual eye. It's all about the slow build, and that works so much better for a film like this. Whereas Insidious 2 felt like it undid the superb work of the first film, The Conjuring 2 builds on its predecessor leaving the desire to find out what case it's going to tackle next. Box office success suggests another is likely, and fingers crossed Wan comes back to that after his Aquaman adventures.


Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

As flawed as the 2013 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film is, I hate to say I quite enjoyed it. It completely and utterly got by on the charm of the voicework / script for the four brothers, something that continues in this sequel albeit with seemingly forced conflict because we can't be trusted to enjoy a group of heroes just getting on. But that previous film is certainly one-upped in both the action stakes, and the story side. The story is more interesting (good use of Bebop and Rocksteady) whilst the action is more fun and grander come the conclusion. This is not high art and it has no pretension to be anything more than it is – and what that is I certainly enjoyed. But I remain as ever perplexed at how Tyler Perry keeps getting acting work – if there's a worse actor out there I certainly don't know of them!


Independence Day: Resurgence

The logic that goes into creating some sequels is confusing. Back in 1996 Independence Day made a shit-ton of money and was something of a blockbuster game changer. Right film, right era. But things have changed and a sequel after that many years, pinned on an irrelevant anniversary, seems foolhardy. Even more so deciding to proceed with all of the original cast bar Will Smith, arguably the one member needed to make this a success (regardless of the delight at seeing Jeff Goldblum in a semi-lead role in such a big modern Hollywood film!). It's as simple as this... I enjoyed Independence Day: Resurgence. I'm not prepared to defend it as a good film as it is overblown, unoriginal, unimaginative filmmaking. That it never really slows down after the first twenty minutes keeps you with it, although it's somewhat ironic that the cgi is of a far better quality, but much less impressive this time round. Fortunately it's not likely we'll get another one.


The Secret Life of Pets

A true high-concept animation – why no-one sought to bring this to screen before I do not know because it's a winning idea. That it takes this fun idea and turns it into a run-of-the-mill story is a tad disappointing, but it succeeds on the strength of its characters. It's ultimately a madcap comedy with a bit of message, that although quality wise never feels quite on par with the likes of Zootopia or Finding Dory, is a heap of fun.


Now You See Me 2

This I was quietly pleased to go watch. The first film entertained me solidly for a couple of hours s good concept, well executed, was not bothered at how convoluted it got or about the detail. But as is typical of a film of that nature, it's hard to replicate without disappearing down a rabbit hole. Now You See Me 2 is certainly less interesting, less well executed and lacking the sense of fresh wonder. The cast may look like they're having fun and give it some energy, but the plotting is uninspired, the locations add little, culminating in the ultimate "that's it!?" / could care less finale. But sometimes all you want on a Friday night trip to the cinema is to watch something ephemeral – some undemanding, vaguely familiar but forgettable entertainment, which this film excels at.


The Legend of Tarzan

  
There's a lot of potential within The Legend of Tarzan and it mostly delivers. Alexander Skarsgård fits the role neatly - he's got the physicality and a quiet wariness that keeps him brooding one moment, opening up the next and then running through the jungle like a madman, even though his accent jars at times. If you can ignore the subtle rewrites of history in favour of British colonialism, the story is balanced well – we are given a fairly short origins layered amidst the main story, without dragging out the prospect of us seeing Tarzan being Tarzan. Sure, Christoph Waltz plays the what is now archetypal Christoph Waltz villain (still a satisfying cliche), but I remain unsure as what point Samuel L. Jackson's character served, beyond some very mild light relief. This was an entertaining film and there's a lot more to potentially offer here. 


The Neon Demon

This is a Nicholas Winding Refn film through and through. Hell, his monogram is all over it. Thus you know what you are getting, or perhaps that should be, you can visualise some obtuse ballpark of what you are getting. The Neon Demon is indulgent, arrogant filmmaking. It is a troubling, Dionysiac journey into a world where outright beauty is the only item of value. It unnervingly leaves your expectations running wild before ripping them apart in unexpectedly disturbing ways. It's visual beauty is starkly intoxicating as a pounding synth-led soundtrack gratifyingly overwhelms the senses. It feels like Suspiria transplanted to the cold, emotionally dead hollows of Los Angeles. It leaves you wanting more... just a tantalising little extra taste more... but you know this is not good for the soul.


Ghostbusters

One of the most enjoyable film of the summer, not that the trailer gave that impression at all. Did we need another Ghostbusters? Of course not. But does it work thanks to the essentials that help make a film good – you know, a quality script, decent casting and chemistry amongst the leads – yes it does. There's a bit of separation anxiety as it tries to half recreate the original 1984 film whilst also pulling away on its own path, but when it does the latter it's at its best. Throw in some superb effects work and 3D that actually compliments the on-screen action (which is saying a lot considering my general disdain for the format), and you've got a very entertaining film, with great potential for a sequel. And to the haters who inexplicably dislike the female casting / say it ruins their childhood – grow the fuck up. 


The BFG

The BFG is the latest film to prove that we're still not technologically there yet when it comes to creating humans in a computer. There's still a yawning gap in the uncanny valley. Now you could say the BFG is not human, but he's humanoid enough (ie not looking enough like a fantastical creature) for this to be a major issue – you just don't get anything from the character, very little emotion beyond vocal intonations or anything relatable, which is a shame (and not Mark Rylance's fault). It doesn't help that Ruby Barnhill is very good as Sophie, making the gulf even greater. And then there's the realisation that the BFG's mis-heard, playful language may be fun for a kid to hear, or an adult to read, but after ten minutes in the cinema it just becomes tiresome. A boring film that doesn't really work, and further proof of how the last ten years really have been a very very long way from Spielberg's best. 


Finding Dory

The Pixar dichotomy – the original films are so good that you want to see more from their respective worlds, but who needs sequels when they can so readily offer up such high-quality originals? They seem to be entering a run of sequels, which is not the most inspiring prospect (no matter how good the Toy Story films are, we don't need a fourth), with Finding Dory seemingly being the first of this phase. Finding Nemo may not be the best Pixar film but it feels like one of their most quintessential, and with such a focused story it left scope for more exploration of this world. Yet at face value the story for Finding Dory seems like a copy of the original. Fortunately it's so much more, quickly getting to a locale that is ripe for entertainment value offering a slew of new, excellent characters. This leads to a funnier, more entertaining film than the original, with an even stronger emotional payoff. Let's be honest, it's no surprise that Pixar delivers one of the very best films of the summer.


Lights Out

James Wan part 2 - this time he takes on a producers role and it's kind of a shame, because there's a kernal of a good idea within Lights Out but what we have here is a pretty generic modern horror. It struggles to create much in the way of tension (although I'm sure the woman sitting a couple of seats down from me would strongly disagree), and is too content to follow the lazy horror trap of, sudden burst of music / noise means something scary is on screen so jump now please. Not to mention the frustrating nonsensicalness of some of the things that happen on-screen, even when you're supposed to take it all with a pinch of salt. But relying on the contrast of light to dark, especially when your object of fear mostly remains a menacing shape in the shadows, is enough to keep you with it for the fortunately short run time. However you can't help but think though that in more seasoned hands, this could've been a really effective little horror film.

Review - Suicide Squad

**This review is slightly spoilerish, so if that matters to you, avoid reading it until you've seen the film** 

(Dir: David Ayer, 2016)

In an excessive summer of sequels, there's something exciting about the prospect of a great, not yet seen concept. Welcome to Suicide Squad, twisting the now standard superhero ensemble to focus on a team-up of villainy. Okay, it's not exactly original in idea but it's fascinating enough to ooze fun. And fun is probably the best compliment that can be laid at the actual film's door, because it is mostly entertaining, despite being an encapsulation of "great concept, poor execution".

Let's start with the characters, as they're the core to making a film like this work. Two ostensibly take the lead – Deadshot (Will Smith) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). The novelty of "Will Smith playing a bad guy!?" quickly dissipates when you realise he's essentially playing the same character he always does, except he just so happens to kill people. His unique set of skills never seem effectively utilised in the story, and he's just too nice (it is Will Smith after all!), but there could be potential for an interesting Deadshot film as his character introduction suggested. Robbie is clearly having the most fun here making Harley Quinn an enjoyable character to watch, although for virtually all the film she mostly seems devoid of depth. Choosing to focus more on her was a wise one (she is the most iconic of the group after all), but to the detriment of the film no-one else is given much of a meaningful back story. Diablo (Jay Hernandez) has clear motivations and there's a lot more you want to know, but he's glossed over until plotting demands his skills. The make-up on Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) is excellent – he is by far the most visually interesting team member – but we're given literally nothing about him and his presence is irrelevant. Jai Courtney's Boomerang is just a terrible walking Aussie cliché, making an annoying/bad actor the most annoying he's ever been. Everyone else is barely introduced and thus disposable. The one good guy, Flag (Joel Kinnaman), who serves to keep everyone in check, is a totally vanilla character, on-board with the bad shit that needs to be done and possessing only very simple motivations.

The problem of trying to present so many characters at once is endemic in every ensemble film, and usually most likely to be it's downfall, but it's doubly challenging when these are all new-to-screen characters. A good, satisfying villain can ease some of the difficulties, but the two pronged attack of Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), the person whom the squad begrudgingly have to obey but who is just so utterly uninteresting thanks to being totally one note, and Enchantress (Cara Delevingne), do not good antagonists make. There's something in the back story of Enchantress that could be intriguing, but as a villain she's just clichéd, and poorly acted by Delevingne. When you have villains stopping other villains the threat level needs to be ratcheted up high, and they have to be stopping something truly terrible, which never feels the case here. Then you have The Joker (Jared Leto). The problem with adding The Joker back into the mix is that the last two performances on film (Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson) have in different ways felt so damn definitive that it's hard to see what else can be brought to the table. Leto's iteration feels infinitely inferior compared to Ledger's iconoclastic fuck-the-world nihilism and Nicholson's crazed comic-book esque mania. He's just a skeletal, somewhat outré crime boss with a wild streak, but not given enough screen time to develop the character whilst serving no real purpose to this story (importance to Harley Quinn aside) since he's thankfully not the villain here.

From a technical standpoint the film doesn't really work either. The introductions are essential but imbalanced, and despite some good content feel forced in a way that quickly stalls the film. It then shifts into a boring structure of complete a mission with a little surprise twist, act annoyed for a bit then reluctantly save the world, whilst partly feeling like it's ripping off Escape From New York. Throughout the editing is too focused on short shots / scenes, likely due to the plethora of characters and to keep things moving, but it's wearying and gives the impression that there's plenty of (possibly better) film left on the editing room floor. Whilst the copious inclusion of recognisable songs jars, frequently not working in the context of their respective scenes. On the plus side there's enough humour throughout to keep things entertaining.

Due to the story/source potential there's many ways Suicide Squad could've worked, but it sits in that awkward position of great concept, poor execution. As both writer and director, blame for that has to fall squarely on David Ayer. One look at his filmography tells you that his best film, Fury, is nothing like his previous films arguably making that a fluke. Clearly it took three goes to nail the LA cop film with End of Watch, before throwing out the awful Sabotage. Ironically the hiring of Ayer may have been to give Suicide Squad the edge it requires, something his previous films defintiely have, yet it's sorely lacking here. With weak villains and our heroes being a collective of barely menacing bad guys – Deadshot and Diablo are just too nice whilst Harley Quinn is crazy but never really threatening – this is yet another superhero ensemble where seeing more of these characters individually would be much more satisfying, not least because group chemistry is virtually non-existent. It's hard to say its not an entertaining watch, but you just wish for so much more from it.

Review: Star Trek Beyond

(Dir: Justin Lin, 2016)

Now this is the Star Trek sequel we've been waiting for!! J.J. Abrams' 2009 restart of the franchise was far better than anyone ever hoped it might be. Whilst it may have lacked slightly in the villain department it completely made up for it through a joyful sense of discovery as this new crew took to space with a sublime chemistry. That chemistry proved to be the only saving grace of the the 2013 sequel Star Trek Into Darkness, a film felled by the complete and utter miscalculation that what happened in the original film series must be repeated. Not only was Benedict Cumberbatch so distractingly awful as the chief antagonist, the first ten minutes were resolutely the best part of the film as they almost solely provided the entire film's interactions with otherworldly civilisations - one of the most appealing parts of the Star Trek universe. Alas I wasn't sad to see Abrams move to the Star Wars universe (Trek has always been the more interesting of the two), and considering how Justin Lin reinvigorated the Fast and Furious franchise, the omens were good.

Star Trek Beyond could almost pick-up where the first film left off and offers almost everything you'd want in a sequel. The characters are now all established, and their dynamic and chemistry is left to purr away. Everyone remains so well cast and they give it their all, and we the audience are now fully invested in them. And the humour continues too - in large part due to Karl Urban's Bones, whose dry, deadpanned pessimism wins every time he is on screen, much as it has since he was unwillingly escorted onto that shuttle in the first film. But we also have to thank Simon Pegg and Doug Jung's script which is sharp and creates an exciting story (the only complaint being how many times Pegg makes his Scotty character say "lassie"!).

And this is an exciting story. After a fun little intro and a touch of scene setting, we're off on a mission that quickly gets interesting. The first proper action sequence is jaw droppingly good, setting up for a second half that plays to everyone's strengths with perhaps the exception of Spock who feels just a little sidelined. But importantly we get a proper villain this time in the shape of Krall. Idris Elba carries the character under a ton of prosthetics and make-up with a fiercely imposing determination, almost spitting his words out. Whilst his squalls of deleterious drones offer a superbly rendered threat for the crew to sabotage. The introduction of new character Jaylah works, mostly thanks to the humorous innocence Sofia Boutella brings to the role and her dialogue, plus her make-up is awesome! And so it remains engaging throughout, perhaps only stumbling slightly at the finale as it tries to stretch things a touch too far, but forgivably so.

This is the film we should've had in 2013, meaning this year we'd have (hopefully) been watching another sequel as good as this! Star Trek Beyond makes sure it hits some of the key requirements for the universe - superb chemistry with the core cast, decent villain and threat to the Federation, alien worlds, impressive space scenes. But it's also a hell of a lot fun, frequently funny and visually impressive - including one of the best ever ideas for how to stop your enemy! Although it may lack that wonder of coming together and discovery that the first film had, it hits the ground running heading straight into its own story, clearly having learned from the mistakes of the very flawed and unnecessarily dour Into Darkness. If they can keep making Star Trek films as good and fun as this with this same cast (Anton Yelchin will be missed), I want to see this modern iteration keep running and running.

Review: Jason Bourne

(Dir: Paul Greengrass, 2016)

**This review is a little spoilerish, so avoid reading it until you've seen the film, if that matters to you**

Here's the question – at what point in a successful and very good series of films do you begin to see diminishing returns, both creatively and entertainment wise? In other words, when should you start changing things up a bit? If Jason Bourne is anything to go by, the answer is the fourth film... or at least the film that follows nine years after a trilogy was wrapped up in a nice bow, seemingly over.

Yes, Matt Damon is back, reprising the role that's most defined his career (as evidenced elsewhere, something that's clearly hard to walk away from), along with director Paul Greengrass, much revered for how he helped revitalise the stale action film, not to mention crystallising the governmental conspiracy plotlines that Event of the State defined for our generation. Ordinarily this would be cause for celebration, it was certainly cause for anticipation, but when the ideas seem to have dried up over these intervening years, it's hard not to feel a little disappointed. The underlying starting premise is solid – Bourne is long off the grid and gets called on by Nicky (Julia Stiles) to help her out of some trouble. But it's how this instantly morphs into a rehash of the previous two films (discounting The Bourne Legacy for the moment) that is unedifying... there just so happens to be more secrets about his past that he needs to uncover, whilst the CIA do exactly what they've tried previously to stop him, and a more sympathetic agent (Alicia Vikander) has conflicting emotions about trying to neutralise the perceived threat he represents. This really does feel like Supremacy and Ultimatum repeated, even returning to some of the same cities, just with newer government tech and agents. This leaves it feeling a tired, uninspiring film.

One glimmer of storyline hope comes from allusions to the Edward Snowden leaks - a timely and potential-filled story angle that gets thrown away in favour of a more clichéd online privacy angle that adds nothing to the film, not least because it just feels tacked on so there's something seemingly relevant in here. Of course a lot of people will say so what, we're just here for the action anyway, but even that feels a pale imitation of the past. These scenes suffer greatly thanks to the editing. Previously Greengrass crafted thrilling and visceral action, with punches you felt and stunts that blew you away (just watch that Tangier's set chase/fight scene in Ultimatum!). Faster editing and handheld-style camerawork created the necessary immediacy and realism, but in Jason Bourne it has tipped too far over the edge into frenetic nearly unwatchable territory. It's like that opening scene in Quantum of Solace that's edited into a mush in a desire to ape the Bourne films – alas the series seems to have turned in on itself in that sense! None of the action scenes are memorable. The vehicular chases go on too long, with the one roaring down the Vegas strip over-the-top in the manner of those films that the Bourne series was the antidote too. One can only presume the final fight sequence was edited so that you cannot discern much of what happens to make it eligible for a lower certificate.

Nonetheless, Jason Bourne is still an entertaining film. This series has become the gold standard for action films as well as those brewing governmental subterfuge, meaning that even on an off-day there's still plenty to enjoy. The reality is that Damon's embodying of a not especially complex character makes him absorbing, even when time seems to have made him a little calmer and a little greyer. But the problem with being the gold standard is that there's an expected quality. Thus the revenge motivation here feels a little hollow, whilst Tommy Lee Jones' CIA Director is now a cliché even he can't convincingly sell. I wanted to like Vikander but her motivations seem all over the place, whilst the insane technological skills she possesses makes solutions to moments of detective work feel overly convenient. Vincent Cassel was however born to play a CIA asset!

After Damon and Greengrass walked away from the franchise, pursuing it with a different character seemed credible and rife for potential considering the nature of the universe. I liked Jeremy Renner in The Bourne Legacy but they shot themselves in the foot by trying write a separate story into the events of the prior two films. What both films post Ultimatum prove is that "CIA chasing one of their own agents" is not the element that made the original trilogy so good, it was that it was a taut journey of a man trying to find himself whilst utilising a savagely innate ability. There were many interesting places to go with this character, so to return with the hackneyed plotting of "here's some more bad stuff about his past he must discover in order to exact facile revenge on those now hunting him who are also conveniently responsible", just results in more of the same but far less inspired, and nowhere near as good. Jason Bourne is entertaining, but the original trilogy deserves a far better sequel than this.