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JohnTequila
I can spend all day talking about movies.
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Reviews
Anthony Jeselnik: Fire in the Maternity Ward (2019)
Its all about the delivery
Anthony Jeselnik isn't a comedian that goes for the shock value approach. Sure his jokes are very close to the bone, but what works is the build up. You think you know where he's going, but then he takes it a little further left field.
I seriously hope he tours my country again and look forward to his next special.
Nightshooters (2018)
Hit and Miss.
You know what? This isn't a bad little movie. For a low budget British film, it has a few decent action scenes and inventive bloody moments.
The script can be a bit of a mess and has a villain as hammy as porky pig. Also some one-liners seemed very forced, but in part it can be quite funny. The saving factor for the film are the fight scenes. Not quite The Raid quality, but I've seen much worse in Hollywood big-budget films, so the film is worth viewing for the fights alone. 7/10
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
Superb Sci-fi Action
If anyone knows how to do science fiction, its James Cameron. He rides shotgun here with Robert Rodriguez helming, but the film had Cameron's stamp all over it. Although, there were some of Rodriguez' flair to be seen. It was good to see him reign in some of his trade-mark silliness.
The visual here are absolutely spectacular. The character designs are so well developed and rendered, you forget that its CGI.
I personally was wanting more when it finished. Yes, the story was a little clunky I felt it had elements of Pinocchio a Ghost in the Shell, but it had a lot of heart and I hope it finds an audience. I deserves to. 9/10
The Fate of the Furious (2017)
Big, Loud and Fun
Saw this at a midnight showing last night. Fans of the series will be pleased with the thrills seen on the screen. Each character gets his or her moment throughout and at 2 hours +, the movie had time for everyone involved. Although Helen Mirren was underused, but great in the limited time she had. Paul Walker was sadly missed, but his spirit (not the ghost type) was still there.
Without spoilers, there are some plot twists and turns and surprises which were a welcome to the series. As was Scott Eastwood. Possibly a new member of the family in the movies to come next, Maybe. As for Charlize Theron, an actress I greatly admire, was a throw-away villain with very little to do except be moody and cold. She was wasted in this role to be honest.
Standout moments this time round come from Jason Statham, the prison fight as seen in the trailers and later action scenes had equal thrills as well as a few laughs. Going into this I expected a loud OTT action film and that's exactly what I got. It's expected now in a series that goes bigger and bigger as they go on. 8.5/10
The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015)
Not your run of the mill horror film.
I've not seen a film like this in decades. A throwback to a CGI-less era where special effects were minimal, the story well written and performances weren't phoned in for the paycheck. This film doesn't rely on cheap jump scares or loud music to trick the audience into scaring. In fact it relies mainly on tension and the paranoia that eventually overwhelms this New England story. I sat in a theatre in the afternoon with about 30 people. A group left 20 minutes before the story unravelled to a satisfying conclusion (their loss). The performances here are all spectacular, the cast made their roles appear utterly believable. Extra credit is due to the promising young actress Anya Taylor-Joy who stands out above a stellar cast. During the showing there no screams or gasps, just positive comments when the credits rolled. Already this film has found an audience, but I think it's the sort of film to grow ever popular over the next decade or so, possibly even studied. If you like your horrors dripping in guts, gore and profanity, then stay away. This is for fans of the old school horror films, reminiscent of the 70's horror classics.
Serbuan maut 2: Berandal (2014)
A Bloody Masterpiece
So, this week I finally treated my eyes to the manic and extreme feast that is The Raid 2.
For anyone living in a cage the past two years that don't know of the action phenomena that was The Raid. Imagine mixing John Woo with Tony Jaa, Jackie Chan and Sam Peckinpah all whacked out on meth amphetamine . The result was a beautifully choreographed violent masterpiece that sets a new level for on screen violence.
Now films come and go that try to raise the bar with violence, but violence for violence sake can be too much, so The Raid's helmer Gareth Evans manages to keep the balance perfect without tipping over into overkill.
So where does this leave us with his much anticipated sequel? Having The Raid's story contained to a tower block overrun by criminals, Evans continues his story, but expands it to the city and by having his lead infiltrate the criminal underworld. Like Takeshi Kitano's classic gangster movies, Raid 2 examines this underworld by planting the star in the middle, tasked with exposing corrupt officials.
Now at 150 minutes long, Evans doesn't rush the story, he allows every criminal faction to have their story played out, but with his flair for quick and direct dialogue, he doesn't leave the viewer nodding off. For every scene of dialogue is simply a way of setting up action pieces, and boy does the The Raid 2 deliver on them.
Without revealing any plot and storyline, I can honestly say that while The Raid was extreme, The Raid 2 is extreme and incredibly bloody. Where the first movie had its main henchman Mad Dog, a vicious killer who was involved in one of the best 2 on 1 fight scenes I have ever seen, The Raid 2 has 2 hit men simply name Baseball Bat Man and Hammer Girl. These two have the most memorable scenes in the film. Hammer Girls subway attack with dual claw hammers is wince inducing and ferociously violent, a classic in the making.
So, this leaves us with our star, Iko Uwais as Rama is back, and with more skills under his belt to unleash the carnage on those in his path. When Iko fights, his arms are a blur, this guy make Bruce Lee appear sluggish in comparison. He wreaks havoc across the city, slowly chipping away at the underworld in some of the most breathtaking action sequences I have ever seen. Car chase, gun fights and hand to hand combat leave the viewer engrossed. I actually gasped for breath after the car chase scene, it was riveting and a classic in the making. Also the kitchen fight which lasted about 10 minutes and ended up with the white of the tiled room being painted blood red by the end in one of the bloodiest fights I have ever witnessed.
So was I impressed, you might just say I was, and then some. The film flew by quickly, not a moment dragged and the pace was perfect. And while Gareth Evans takes a break between this and the third film, I can thank him and use this period to get my breath back. 10/10
Avatar (2009)
Breathtaking, simply breathtaking.
I just came home 5 minutes ago from seeing an early morning showing in 3D. My expectations were pretty high in seeing this movie as lets face it, it's James Cameron. James has consistently made great films through his career and he's tried to better himself every time, but still maintaining to entertain the audience. This time round he have excelled in every aspect of film-making.
Right, down to the film. All the backlash from the first teasers were forgot within the first 30 minutes of viewing, and I'll never listen to critics in the future ever again. How wrong they were. Sure there were elements of other films like Dances with Wolves, but I saw greater connections with the Final Fantasy VII game. I'm not even prepared to say that the comparisons are a bad thing, as this film (in my opinion) is greater than anything it will be compared to. A bold statement I know.
Now Pandora is a world needed to be seen in 3D, I'm sure the 2D version will be a great movie, but you won't feel like you are actually there. The realism in the visuals is far greater than anything I have ever seen, the CG characters make Gollum look like Roger Rabbit. The world appears real like our own and you connect and feel for the place and its inhabitants towards the end. I really wanted it to be as real as it seemed.
If you are familiar with the plot, you will be please to know that any political statement made, its not one forced upon us throughout, its subtle, but the message is clear. As the audience, you are allowed to forget about our own world troubles and be part of an amazing adventure that will stay in your mind for a long time. Bravo James Cameron.
Death Proof (2007)
Swing and a Miss (Just) **Possible Spoiler**
I never saw the US cinema version(I live in the UK) and have just watched the Un-rated DVD. Tarantino has delivered what I thought was one of the most exciting crashes and car chases I've seen in a very long time. The one with Zoe Bell on the hood was superb. What never worked for me was the script. His scripts are always fun to listen too, but his dialogue coming out of the young actresses mouth's was the biggest let down. I really like most of the stars, I think his dialogue only works on actors 30+ but that wouldn't have worked with the story. Since Reservoir Dogs, fans have enjoyed his unique writing and cool characters which, when put together, have made some of the best movies in the past two decades. I goes to show that his touch won't work in any occasion.
The cast were also a let down, mostly because of the script, the black actresses seemed to be imitating Vivica Fox in Kill Bill. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Rosario Dawson (Two of the Hottest and talented young actresses around) were wasted. What worked though, was having Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike, There nothing Kurt cannot do in a role. Had it been another actor, I would have given it 5/10. To improve it, I would have made the script less Tarantinoesque, and had at least one more car chase with around 30 min cut in total. All in all, He aimed to make an exciting homage to 70's car chase movies. He succeeded, pity he failed on everything else.
The Island (2005)
I liked it.
I have to admit I really enjoyed this movie. I have enjoyed all of Michael Bay's previous film and I feel he can hold his head up high despite the box office results. It's no masterpiece but its not supposed to be. Being a Michael Bay film, It delivers 100%. Both stars did a great job, yes Scarlett Johansson was especially sexy. I feel sorry for the stars been criticised by the producers, blaming the box office failure on them. The only mistake was the release date, I feel it would have succeeded more if released before War of the Worlds and Batman Begins. Having Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wedding Crashers and Fantastic Four as competition did it major damage. Overall I see it as another Michael Bay classic, one for my DVD collection. 4/5