davidcbabsthurgarland Reviews

Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)

Plot's a little loose

[6/10 · 11 March 2023]

I have but one thing to say: Police divers.

There is a plot convenience towards the end of this film that seems...well...totally stupid. In fact, there are several plot elements throughout the film that are ludicrous. But regarding the aforementioned 'convenience' in the third act; we see the police travelling, via helicopter, to an unknown snowy region to affect an arrest. Why would a last minute, 'time is of the essence', tactical operation in the snow have already geared up police divers?? In the snow? In helicopters? In wetsuits? It hurt my brain.

I have no issue with the occasional plot 'convenience' in order to propel the story forward, but this film takes tremendous liberties that insult the viewers intelligence. It seems lazy and ultimately does a disservice to our protagonist.

Having said all of this, it's still a watchable film. The first act is by far the strongest and most investing, whilst the second and third are serviceable, if not bloated - the film was 30 minutes too long. Our antagonist also lacks any realistic, discernable motivation. Andy Serkis is menacing and creepy in some scenes, whilst being laughably 'unmenacing' in others. I struggled to buy into his criminal 'genius' as well as his physicality in the fight scenes. Speaking of which, some of the fights are well choreographed and executed (particularly the prison scenes), whilst others look and feel fake.

All things considered, it's a solid if slightly forgettable outing for Luther. Elba is fantastic, as always, but is let down by a loose script.

Mandy (I) (2018)

There's only one good way to watch Mandy

[8/10 · 9 September 2022]

There are two ways to watch Mandy: The first; pour a glass of wine, get comfy on the couch and let the film's atmosphere wash over U. This is a good way to watch it. 7/10 viewing experience.

The second (the preferred method); remove all pointy objects from your living room. Turn your phone off, turn the lights off. Then treat yourself to something dissociative...perhaps something beginning with the letter 'K' that is often punctuated by a 'hole' at the end of it. You'll find yourself continually muttering the words "what the fuuuuck" throughout this viewing experience. THIS is a 9/10 viewing experience...

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

The review U need to read..not what U want to read

[6/10 · 16 June 2022]

Seriously Disney? This series feels so rushed. To say this is a thinly veiled cash-grab (capitalising on the Star Wars franchise) is insulting to the term 'thinly veiled'.

The script has enormous plot holes, the action is terrible, it looks cheap, the direction is amongst the worst Disney has dished up and the acting (Ewen McGregor aside) is kiiinda laughable. Not only do Vader's lines make me cringe, but Reva is quite possibly the least threatening antagonist you're likely to come across - she literally reminds me of a child pretending to have a tantrum...it's cute at first but it gets annoying real quick. Her character is very poorly directed.

Fans must be insulted by this garbage. No care has been taken to elicit decent performances from the cast (first take is the best take in Deborah Chow's 'directing for dummies' book) and the action sequences are clumsy/shakey (Olivier Megaton, of Taken 2 fame, eat your heart out).

Small children outrun fully grown people, 120lbs women open hand slap storm troopers in the helmet, steal their guns and shoot them in the d*#k...it's just awful, awful stuff. There's this one scene where Obi Wan goes to the trouble of disabling a 'lightsaber gate'...... when he and Leia could literally WALK AROUND the f*#king thing!! He's meant to be a freaking Jedi not some square peg, round hole idiot who's not aware of his surroundings. Erggggghhhh.

My final gripe is over the lightsaber fight/s. I know it was brief (Obi Wan/Vader) and I know Obi Wan is rusty...but these are literally the two most powerful men in the galaxy...having the least powerful, least investing lightsaber duel in history. It feels like the director was more interested in the lighting and mood created by the lightsabers, not the art of two powerful men trying to kill each other. Both are necessary to elevate the duel - for it to feel like it has weight and consequence. Are the props too heavy now due to the LED lighting? Can they not swing em with any ferosity? Fans on YouTube understand how to choreograph and execute epic lightsaber fights - why aren't Disney hiring them? They hired the deep fake dude to fix Skywalker's face? C'mon Disney...get the best people on these shoots. You've got the coin.

Anyway, rant over. Six stars cause Ewen McGregor's awesome and I did enjoy the scene with Vader dragging him through the fire... thought that was poetic. Other than that, it's a s*#t show.

The Guest (I) (2014)

Set up better than the pay off

[6/10 · 19 January 2022]

I was pleasantly surprised by the first 40mins of this film. It managed to build this palpable feeling of unease as we try and decipher why this menacing character, played by Stevens, has arrived at the doorstep of a family grieving the loss of their son (killed in action, supposedly). With great momentum, the film ticks along, building upon the suspense. It's like knowing there is a 'bomb in the room', you just don't know when it will detonate.

My issue with this film is two fold: The bomb's reason for 'detonation' seems...well..too unbelievable. This aspect of the script is a little juvenile, i.e. The background of Dan Stevens character. I think they could have approached this in a more 'adult' feeling way. My second issue with the film is the action direction, particularly the fire fights. The weapons are clearly Airsoft, their recoil and muzzle flashes look in no way menacing. It takes away the 'threanened impact' of the action. You kinda think to yourself, those guns don't look that scary. So it cuts right through the tension. To compound the issue, the camera shots just don't fit with the storyline that is unfolding. They don't add tension, they don't add chaos. Some of the shots are framed poorly and detract from the gravitas of the action.

But look, it's worth a watch. The first half's set up is great. I think this film should have stayed in the lane of straight up psychological thriller, rather than merging into the Jason Bourne lane. Would have been a better film had it not sold out half way through.

Hellboy (2019)

Strange prosthetics

[6/10 · 12 December 2021]

Why did they make Hellboy look like he has an intellectual disability? It's all I could focus on. He literally looks like that kid who pulls on all the tails of the animals at the petting zoo...then cries when they bite him. So picture the look on that 'challenged' child's face; paint him red, add filed down horns, give him a 'samurai haircut', an IQ in low double digits and hey presto...you've got yourself a Hellboy.. with a learning disability.

Having said that it was mildly entertaining to watch...in the same way it's mildly entertaining to watch the aforementioned child harass petting zoo animals. It's not 'high art' but it's worth the price of admission.

Shadow in the Cloud (2020)

When Gremlins ruin your vacation flight..

[6/10 · 17 October 2021]

I remember back in 2002 - I found myself hanging upside down on the wing of a Qantas flight, bound for Kuala Lumpur, on route from Adelaide international airport. So there I am, upside down and gripping the wing of a Boeing 747 as I desperately try and save my French bulldog that I've smuggled on board in my carry on luggage. Oh..forgot to mention, Gremlins had torn apart the overhead storage compartment (and various other parts of the plane) and my Frenchy had fallen out of the main fuselage and was hanging, precariously by a strap from the wing of the Qantas plane. Thankfully I'd trained my grip strength with several years of intense practice where I would hang from the wings of aircraft whilst they travel at several hundred km per hour over international waters. Anyways, thanks to my superior grip strength and unquestionable love for my dog, I managed to save Mr. Shnookiwookems (my Frenchy) and clamber back to the cabin where I enjoyed a lovely meal and a lengthy chat with 76yr old retiree, Gwendolyn (she was making her way to Manchester for an international knitting summit). As I sat there, chewing the fat with Gwen I thought "U know what - this would make a pretty good movie with all the Gremlins trying to crash the plane and steal my pets stuff that's going on.." . So I sold the rights to a production company and several years later... "Shadow in the Cloud." The film took a few editorial liberties. I insisted that the the French bulldog be played by the dog from Frasier, but they informed me he had died two decades ago (14 decades in dog years). Instead they went with a 'baby'. Pfft. Hollywood hey?!

Promising Young Woman (2020)

Carey Mulligan take a bow!

[7/10 · 9 October 2021]

Wow. Just wow. Carey Mulligan's acting is exceptional in this film. This is a seriously nuanced performance. She perfectly walks this tightrope of a deeply damaged woman with this whirlwind of emotion inside of her, whilst simultaneously showing no emotion at all. This isn't an easy thing to pull off but Mulligan makes it look effortless. In my opinion this is her best, most mature performance to date (which says a lot because she's always on point).

It's also a great looking film. Very vibrant and bright..the colours leap off the screen. I strongly recommend you check it out. Yes the subject matter is heavy but I think it's a topic that's addressed carefully and respectfully.

Alice in Borderland (2020– )

Just gets soooo stupid

[4/10 · 8 October 2021]

The four stars I've given this reflects the number of episodes that are watchable. It begins quite reasonably. We're invested in the characters, tensions are built and the mystery surrounding the game is the main drawing point of the entire show. But as the series progresses it gets increasingly dumb. The writing is plain lazy. It treats the audience as if we're stupid. The writer's are having to bend over backwards in order to 'connect the dots' re the plot..and it just doesn't work. It's just lazy writing. And basic. The 'revelations' are just basic, no other word for it. A cigar smoking chimp on a type writer spits out better scripts than this. I literally laughed out loud at each plot point that gets revealed in the final few episodes.

Once the reveals are made you obviously look back at the actions of the characters in the prior episodes, piecing together the puzzle of how we arrived at the point we have...and none of it is plausible. Well... plausible isn't the right word. It's just.. here's that word again..basic. I was so disappointed with this show. Three or four reasonable episodes doesn't constitute a series worth watching. Just watch "Squid Game" if you wanna see how a series is written an executed properly. This was a waste of time in the end.

Monster Hunter (2020)

Unwatchable

[2/10 · 17 September 2021]

The very fact that this film chalked up a $16 million loss should tell U everything you need to know. This movie isn't even deserving of the time I'm putting into this review, despite the review being negative. Monster Hunter is formulaic garbage with some of the worst directing and dialogue you're likely to come across. I almost switched it off when Mila's character couldn't walk on her injured leg (appeared to be a compound fracture) - so she emptied the gun powder from a bullet onto an open wound and ignited it by bashing two random rocks together, thus creating a spark (Bear Grylls eat your heart out). She then, through the magic of cauterizing a wound with gun powder, is miraculously able to put weight on the leg and run and fight. That's some next level gun powder. And thank god flint stone is so widely available in monster land.. Perhaps most offensive of all is the following - If you've got a modern day BEAST of a martial artist in Tony Jaa, why use 35 different cuts to edit your fight scenes whilst simultaneously using the dreaded Olivier Megaton-esque shakey cam? It blows my mind that a director would waste Tony Jaa like this. And Mila..poor Mila. She can act. She's a bad arse in her own right.. but some of the dribble that erupts from her mouth is down right depressing.

Yeah the monsters look kinda cool..but ALL modern day monsters look cool. These monsters didn't do any particularly cool 'monster stuff'...they just 'got their monster on'.

Paul W. S. Anderson, sadly, is giving his critics more ammunition with this film. He's done a deplorable job behind the camera. It's like they did one-take shots for all the scenes and just thought, "ah f*#k it. Close enough." I'm starting to think "Event Horizon" was a true fluke. But it's likely a reflection of how good the script was, not Anderson's direction.

I won't waste anymore of your time berating this movie. Suffice it to say - IT'S UNWATCHABLE. Two stars. One for Tony Jaa because he's a legend and the second for the monsters. They deserve better.

A Classic Horror Story (2021)

Guys..it's straight up satire!

[7/10 · 20 July 2021]

So I'm confused and concerned by many of the reviews on here. There are several reviews, short and to the point, that criticize this film because it's a 'rip off' of "The Ritual", "Midsommar", "Cabin in the Woods", "Blair Witch" and so on and so forth. Are people literal idiots? There is dialogue in this movie that directly addresses the fact that this is a satirical commentary on the horror genre and the public's fascination with brutal crime. I believe the film even references the Amanda Knox case at one point. So I can only assume that the people writing these reviews either don't pay attention, don't understand nuance, are stupid...or all of the above.

If U don't like the film based on its subject matter, the direction is sub par, the production is lacking or the acting lackluster - sure, critique the film accordingly. Same goes if U enjoy any of the aforementioned things - review it accordingly. But don't call something a rip off cause you're too daft to read between the lines (or simply pay attention to the dialogue).

I thought the movie was solid: Directing, script, set pieces and acting were all super impressive. Whilst the twist and very premise of the film were cool, it wasn't "Usual Suspects" kinda cool. Hence the 7/10 rating. But very enjoyable nonetheless.

The Tomorrow War (2021)

Nope. Just...nope.

[5/10 · 2 July 2021]

This is clearly a film that needs to be viewed in cinemas...not on a streaming service. The sound, set pieces, CGI and overall spectacle is mindless 'popcorn and choctop entertainment.' Watching a movie like this - at home on a 55" tv with no surround sound, where there is no compelling dialogue or storyline, I found myself searching YouTube for something/anything more interesting.

It's fair to say that it would have far greater 'watchability' in a movie theatre.

Chris Pratt is fine. He seems to be phoning it in a little bit. The other actors are relatively forgettable. The action is reasonable but marred by one movie cliche after another. It's so formulaic it's frustrating. It's simply an overly long, non interactive video game...with cool monsters. I found myself rooting for the monsters in the hopes it would end the film earlier than its two hour 17 min runtime.

Prometheus (I) (2012)

The film I always wanted to see get made

[8/10 · 13 December 2020]

First and foremost, let's clear the air and put our expectations aside. This IS NOT a straight up "Alien" prequel! Yes it's directed by Ridley Scott and yes it's in the same universe..but it's not "Alien Begins." You won't get the details you might be hoping for with regard to the origins of Xenomorphs. You won't even get to see a Xenomorph (in the physical form we're all used to). This is, however, a wonderful new sci fi film that I think will garner more respect with time and multiple viewings. And for all you hardcore "Alien" fans out there.. you'll have to wait until the last ten minutes of the film to get your Xeno fix (and even then it's an atypical monster).

Having checked your expectations at the door, everyone should be able to appreciate this film for what it is. It's subject matter, i.e. the origins of life/creation/destruction, is something I personally have wanted to see on the big screen for some time now. And who better to helm such a mammoth task than Ridley Scott. He is, pound for pound, the best creator of worlds in Hollywood. He has a beautiful eye for detail and as a result, the aesthetics of this film are off the charts! It's gorgeous to look at. And this leads me into my criticism of several other reviews I've read; that this film is all special effects with no substance. Rubbish!! The special effects are used tastefully and sparingly, much the same way Christopher Nolan approaches his films. "Prometheus" uses epic set pieces to create it's world - and the cinematography is spectacular. It makes the landscape if Iceland, where it was shot, look other worldly - 'alien,' even (pun intended). The pacing of the film is solid, it never drags. The acting too is solid. However, I have one criticism of the overall character development in "Prometheus." Several characters aren't well fleshed out which leaves the audience feeling a little detached and 'so so' about the fate of the characters. Even when they're in peril I found myself..how to put this..I wasn't fully invested in their survival.

I think this film deserves far more respect than it gets. If you were to walk into a cinema completely unaware of who directs this... severed all ties to the "Alien" franchise...watched and enjoyed this film purely on its merits and treated it as an independent sci-fi film...you'll be rewarded.

In the Valley of Elah (2007)

Tommy Lee Jones take a bow..

[8/10 · 6 December 2020]

Tommy Lee Jones turns in another beautifully subdued, nuanced and layered performance in this film. He chews the scenery from start to finish. When he's off camera, you're waiting and wanting him to come back on. He's that mesmeric. Not to be outshone, Susan Sarandon will break your heart in one particular scene. You can feel her character's pain permeate through the screen.

"In The Valley of Elah" can be tough viewing at times, such is the depressing subject matter. But the performances alone keep you glued to the screen, navigating one brutal scene after another. If you're looking for an upbeat film, this is not for you. It's challenging to say the least. But the payoff is undeniable. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and, if I'm honest, I didn't think I would. Check it out.

Us (II) (2019)

Is Jordan Peele serious?

[4/10 · 3 December 2020]

Ok. Let's be honest, some of the 'kills' and general violence in this movie are RIDICULOUS. I was half expecting an obsessive, intellectually challenged coyote to start dropping Acme anvils on Road Runners.. it's that kinda daft. I laughed out loud several times when I probably shouldn't have. The 'slap sticky' nature of this film takes any and all tension away from the ensuing drama. And when the first set of doppelgangers rock up, why do they sit there and wax lyrical in some demented, laugh out loud voice that a 13yr old would produce to their friends at sleepover thinking it's creepy?! Doesn't Jordan Peele have people around him to say; "Jordy..the voice ain't working champ. It's making the crew cringe and the boom guy just peed a little from laughing so hard."

One positive is the general aesthetic of the film. It looks great. Some of the direction with long, sweeping camera shots works well and helps build tension. Sadly this is all in act one. In act two the doppelgangers have LINES..and SCENES.. and you start to feel uncomfortable and a little sorry for Lupita Nyong'o. She's first class. I know what a talented actor she is and she does a great job with what little she has. Unfortunately the direction re a few choices her evil character makes are less than ideal. The father figure seems to have no paternal instincts whatsoever, again detracting from the tension of the film. His character isn't well fleshed out either leaving the audience not caring a great deal about him living or dying.

All in all, if you wanna cringe, laugh and have no emotional investment into the characters of a film, this is the film for you. I personally was rooting for the doppelgangers in the hopes that they'd kill everyone quickly, thus ending the pain I endured watching this film.

The Good Lord Bird (2020)

It threatens to be good but...

[6/10 · 15 November 2020]

As the title suggests, this is one of those shows that threatens, time after time, to become a quality series. Regrettably, it never reaches any great heights. If you've ever watched a series and thought to yourself; "I'll give it one more episode. It's building. I can feel that it's about to round that bend and blow my mind," then you know what I'm talking about. There are great scenes peppered all throughout this series. Unfortunately, these great scenes are vastly outnumbered by mind numbingly dull or totally unnecessary ones. I'd go as far as saying that there are two episodes that could be removed entirely without any detriment to the story line or the series' aesthetics. Several characters lack any depth whatsover, whilst several others are given more of a back-story, only to become obsolete in terms of adding to the show's narrative. The one shining light of "The Good Lord Bird" is Ethan Hawke. He rarely disappoints as he's a consummate professional in front of the camera. On occasion his incessant screaming starts to grate, but that's my only gripe with his performance. He's tender when necessary, vulnerable, vulgar, violent and utterly hilarious!

All in all it's got some great subject matter, some good performances, but ultimately it's fairly impotent. Six out of ten.