undeadfearz Reviews

Unbroken (I) (2014)

People are missing the point.

[7/10 · 15 September 2018]

This will be a quick review, as having watched it for the second time recently I feel I understand was Jolie was trying to do here. I've read a lot of reviews saying it's just 2+ hours of grim and hopeless misery, save for the last 5 minutes of the film. It might shock people to know that that is the point.

The whole point of the spending so much time on the raft, or in the POW camps was to showcase how bad it was for the longest time possible - it mirrors what Zamperini went through, and isn't supposed to make you feel triumphant or warm. No matter what happens to you, you stick through it - but sticking through it doesn't mean every little victory is felt as such. For those waiting for the fanfare of surviving being punched by every other prisoner, I got news for you - there wasn't. The movie only takes liberty in this regard with the lifting of the timber.

The point I'm getting at is that the movie does away with the traditional 'stiff upper lip' theme that a lot of war movies present, despite the fact that the mantra of "If you can take it, you can make it" being echoed throughout the runtime. There was no reward and no accomplishment felt when Zamperini continued to endure the torture and the starvation, and the movie hammers it home by making sure we endure as much of it as possible.

Of course this doesn't' make the movie perfect, the flashbacks to Zamperini's childhood are all too cliched, and stand out like a sore thumb in contrast to the rest of the film's subversion of expected emotion. The ending also feels a bit weird, and suddenly goes upbeat as we read what happened to Zamperini after the war. This was possibly due to the tragic fact that he passed away the same year the film released, and it felt only fair to celebrate his life, despite that not being the point of the movie.

In summary, the movie is not going to be for everyone. It is grim, dark and showcases the endurance Zamperini made in detail, and thats exactly the point. It is also shot fairly well, and Desplat's score is something to be noted.

Iron Fist (2017–2018)

On It's Way To Something Better

[7/10 · 15 September 2018]

So I'll be honest about Iron Fist - it's an extremely mixed bag. Season 1 is bad. Pretty damn bad, especially in contrast to the plethora of other so called "MCU" Netflix shows. I use the quote marks as nowadays there is barely any link between the Netflix shows and the movies, so I now rarely associate the two universes. Like a lot of the other Netflix Series, it struggles with the 13-episode season length, but also has some of the worst writing and show management I've ever seen. It's long, boring and sometimes frustrating to watch, with a lead character that's whiny and dull. The supporting characters are far more interesting, yet even their story arcs are convoluted and uninteresting (Ward's drug arc for example).

Season 2, however, is a vast improvement. The show acknowledges that Danny Rand, played by Finn Jones, is its weakest component. It therefore boosts a lot of the supporting characters in the story like the prior season, but this time their arcs feel more in place. The 10-episode season length is also a warm welcome, and the pacing of season 2 is far smoother, and doesn't always drag. The choreography is also slightly better, still not perfect, and the whole season feels a lot more rounded and polished.

It of course still has its problems, like clunky dialogue and the main character STILL not being sufficient enough to carry the show. The season 2 finale does suggest some solution to this, although it's unclear how this will pan out in season 3, if there is one. Without spoiling the finale, it has to be said how random the final 5 minutes occurs, and the so called "post-credits" scene should have been left out in favour of another ending that seems much more natural.

All-in-all, Iron Fist has the potential to have a solid 3rd season, and I am left with some intrigue for it. But, the absolutely dire first season is a horrible experience and if you want to be caught up for the second season, go watch some random recap video - it will spare you the pain.

KSI: Can't Lose (2018)

Fantastic if albeit short look at KSI's Boxing Journey

[8/10 · 13 August 2018]

2017 was the year of disstracks, 2018 is so far the year of boxing. Whilst the US YouTube scene most likely inspired the UK wave of disstracks, the opposite has happened with boxing. When KSI and Joe Weller broke records and announced a new era for YouTube back in February, the world saw that the UK could still influence the rest, with Logan Paul accepting JJ's challenge to a boxing match after quite frankly hammering Weller an L. August 25th will see KSI and his brother ComedyShortsGamer, otherwise known as Deji, box Logan Paul and Jake Paul respectively. The potential views will be insane, but not before KSI has had another big hit in the form of his documentary, 'Can't Lose'.

The hour long film shows an insight into how JJ prepared for the previous fight against former-friend Joe Weller, including behind the scenes footage of his training, as well as interviews with his close friends, ranging from his boxing trainer Vidal Riley to his parents. JJ himself has shown a much truer version ever since returning from his break early last year, but with 'Can't Lose' you can really see into the man behind the 18 million subscribers.

A couple of moments in particular stand out; without going into too much detail, the pure state of KSI before the fight was extremely interesting to see, as well as the way the documentary ends before the credits roll.

The editing, camera work and music are also all great, the director does a brilliant job. Would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of either KSI the Sidemen or just of boxing in general.

On an ending note, it does concern me how Logan Paul will analyse the documentary, and what he might manage to learn from it, but we will see August 25th.

Doctor Who: Thin Ice (2017) Season 10, Episode 3

Stands Amongst the Rest...Just Doesn't Stand Out All Too Well

[7/10 · 29 April 2017]

Doctor Who's classic trifecta of opening 3 episodes has been made present once again - each of the 3 episodes is either in the present, past or future. In this case, Peter Capaldi's Twelve (or Thirteenth) Doctor and Pearl Mackie's Bill are travelling to the past - although unintentionally.

'Thin Ice' feels like a normal episode of 'Who', complete with monsters, one off characters and a previously unseen backdrop. The backdrop in question is London, 1814 during the last freezing of the Thames and there's a sea monster living under the ice! All sounds very classic who already!

Straight off the bat, we can see how good the production design on Who really is - the costumes, the sets, everything looks genuine and really well made. The CGI has also come a really long way since 2005 with the only exception being a brief underwater sequence.

The writing is also very good here (same writer from the 'Face the Raven' episode) with social issues such as class - and more importantly - race being bravely pushed into the limelight.

There are three separate scenes where race is addressed. Less than five minutes in and Bill is worried about her skin colour being a problem due to the time period; later on she presents her surprise at how many black people there are around, to which the Doctor remarks "History is whitewashed' - one of many examples of the writing in this episode reflecting current affairs with subtlety and wit.

Finally, and a more obvious instance, the villain of the episode sees Bill and calls her a "creature" to which the Doctor punches him right in the face - this is a very clever callback to an earlier line where the Doctor says "I'm 2000 years old...I've never had the time for outrage".

Another example of the writing being great is where Bill, shocked by seeing a child die, questions how many people the Doctor has seen die. It's an unexpected line in the episode, and is an example of a Doctor-companion dynamic we haven't really seen before. The Doctor's silence in response is all the answer Bill requires, and so she then follows it up with "Have you ever killed someone?" To this, the Doctor reluctantly answers yes and he "moves on", but refuses to answer the next question asking how many people he has killed.

We already know that the answer is in the millions and billions, and we know Bill is unaware of this which gives off such a conflicting feeling. We feel as if we are judging the Doctor for a brief moment - until he says he moves on so no-one else dies. It's a standout piece of writing, and really previews at some of the unique scripts we could come to see more of this season.

And as usual, Peter Capaldi gets to monologue a bit - something he does very well. But you should watch that speech for yourself.

The writing of the episode isn't all as good as this, as overall the plot takes a while to get going, resulting in the final act being rushed. This doesn't help the episode stand out in the mountain of chapters this series has, but it definitely helps it to stand amongst them.

My only other gripes would be a lack of explanation to the origins of the sea monster itself. We don't know where it came from, how it was captured or how long its been there.

Oh and some of the child acting is a bit awkward...

SUMMARY:

Apart from a rushed final act and villain (which can be expected when the episode is slightly slow to get going with the plot), some more than questionable child acting and some missing plot points (where did the sea monster come from? Who chained it up? And how did they accomplish this?), this weeks episode is a promising and fun addition to Season 10 of Doctor Who!

X: First Class (2011)

The best X-Men film

[8/10 · 28 May 2016]

You're probably thinking that my opinion of this film being the best X-Men film is totally wrong - but hold on. Many people simply dismissed this movie, because there is no Wolverine (not completely) or Ian Mckellen or Patrick Stewart, and it is another origin story we didn't need. they could not have been more wrong.

First Class is a stylish, fun and downright emotional film. The actors have been perfectly cast, with the highlight being Michael Fassbender as Magneto/Erik Lensher. As usual, Fassbender makes you connect with him on an emotional level, and we get to see his story arch evolve as he goes from scared child, to revenge seeking bad ass, to a slightly wiser mutant, who resembles the Magneto of the original trilogy.

Alongside him is James McCavoy as Professor Xavier, another great piece of casting here, who brings a witty charm and charisma we'd never expect to see from Charles, as well as the serious tone and eloquence that have received from Patrick Stewart. Both younger alterations of Magneto and Xavier are different from the originals, but we see them start on the path towards their older selves. Whilst there was sometime spent on building their friendship, I only wish there had been more, and the impact the end of the movie has on Charles (in Days of Future Past) feels slightly overwhelming, as the relationship between the two could've been stretched out further.

The rest of the cast are great, with Jennifer Lawrence as a young mystique/raven, not yet set on her path of wrong doing, as well as Nicolas Hoult as Beast/Hank. The script is bolstered by the backdrop of 1963, and the Cuban missile crisis, which adds a sense of realism to the movie - which can be difficult when there are people with devil tails and others who can catch the explosion of a grenade.

The movie also does the comic due respect, finally introducing the classic yellow uniforms, steering away from the Blade style black leather, and the movie has a uniquely retro feel to it.

The majority of the emotional scenes revolve around Magneto, as the movie attempts to humanise the yet-to-be villain. The standout involves a scene where Xavier helps Magneto boost his powers - it is truly emotional and makes your hairs stand on edge, further bolstered by the acting talents of McCavoy and Fassbender.

Other good points are that the special effects are good, the action if creative and always fun to watch, and the music is a respectable score for such a good film. Whilst there are many references to the previous X-Men films, I don't feel that you need to have watched any of the others to appreciate First Class, although it might help when it comes to a certain hilarious cameo.

Nick Paul

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011)

A Prequel Series as Good as the Original

[9/10 · 27 May 2016]

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (GotA) is a prequel series to Spartacus: Blood and San (BaS), and i does a seemingly perfect job of connecting itself to the original. Characters old and new are present, with many possessing fantastic story arcs and character developments, that brilliantly set up each character's story lines in BaS.

The following review does require a watch of BaS first, so you have been warned of any spoilers!

John Hannah is given the title role here, returning as Batiatus. Other fan favourites such as Oenomaus, Crixus and Barca also return. What GotA does of well, is to both stand out as its own series, as well as reveal hidden plots that set up certain parts of BaS. It is hard to say much without giving away spoilers, as I am trying to avoid here, but we find out the following:

We see how Crixus got to the position of Ludus Champion How Oenomaus became Doctore How Ashur got to where he is (both physically and mentally) How Lucretia and Crixus started their "business" How Solonius and Batiatus became rivals

Whilst those are the main plot lines that carry on over to BaS, we also see how Crixus and Barca formed a respect for each other, as well as how Gnaus hot his net (if you're interested in that sort of thing).

The best part of this series, is the mystery and anticipation of it all. Every character introduced here (that is not present in BaS) opens up new speculations as to what happens to them, Do they die? Do they live? You don't know, and the curiosity to find this out is a major factor in why this particular series is so addictive to watch. Sure the 300 style ultra violence and tone provide a very cool show, but fans of BaS will appreciate this series perhaps even more than the primer.

There is some stellar acting on show, especially on the part of Peter Mensah, who plays Oenomaus. Personally, I connected wit him the most throughout the series, and every up and down in his story line is heavy hitting, and sparks incredible emotion and enjoyment when watching. Andy Whitfield is tragically missed in regards to his personality and acting talent, but the show doesn't wither without his involvement.

The special effects are a bit dodgy, but that is expected from a TV show with a mediocre budget at play, although there are some improvements from BaS, and it never really takes you away from the action and drama.

Obviously, if you've seen BaS, you know to expect graphic nudity, with strong sex and insane violence in Spartacus, and this show is definitely not one for the faint hearted not for the young. so please, don't involve young children in this show, as there are some distressing and disturbing images involved.

To me, that doesn't put me off, and it if you're the appropriate age to be watching.

Spartacus: Blood and Sand has fast become one of my favourite TV shows, and Gods of the Arena is as wells structured and written spectacle, and in terms of rating, stands toe-to-toe with the original.

Nick Paul

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Another Over Stuffed Film

[6/10 · 25 May 2016]

Unfortunately, X-men Apocalypse doesn't live up the standards of the more successful entries, such as Days of Future Past and First Class to name the most recent. If I had to sum it up in one word, I'd say overstuffed. Which is harsh, but as a Bryan Singer helmed X-Men Film, I expected more - Bryan Singer might be losing his touch. The film is about a near god-like mutant, the first ever, and his quest to destroy the world.

But first, onto the good stuff. It is safe to say the highlights of this film mainly revolve around Quicksilver. His scene is brilliantly made, and took months to complete - this could be a reason for some of the other issues of the film. It is incredibly inventive, fun and Evan Peters is a golden bit of casting in this role. I only wish we could see more, as Quicksilver's potential return is the only reason I anticipate the next film. Michael Fassbender's acting is superb, and it is evident to see this in a couple of scenes - you'll know when you see them. James Mcavoy is also charming and funny as Charles Xavier, and I wished there were more scenes between his and Fassbender. Other highlights include Nightcrawler, Angel and Wolverine, although the first two should've gained more screen time. It's worth noting that Angel is a much more interesting character before his transformation.

Now the bad. As previously mentioned, it is overstuffed with too many characters. There isn't enough time for them all. Personally, I didn't really connect with the new team that well (Cyclops, Jean and Nightcrawler) but there are still some good moments between them. The four horsemen are possibly the biggest example of this however, with Psylocke and Angel not saying much and whilst Storm has a few more lines, it does not take long for any of them to join Apocalypse. It feels rushed and follows a similar problem to Batman V Superman. Magneto is the only one of the horseman that I enjoyed seeing, as I've already said, as he is the only one who you feel any emotion towards.

Other problems include some of the special effects looking a tad weird, although overall they quite good; too many flashbacks to First Class (reminds us of a better film); Sophie Turner's American accent wasn't convincing at all to me, probably because I'm used to her British accent. But a big problem with this film, is a problem which I actually enjoyed seeing - Wolverine's Cameo (not a spoiler its in the trailer)

Wolverines Cameo scene was completely unnecessary in the film, there is no reason for it to take place, or for Stryker to appear, other than to shoehorn Hugh Jackman in. This time taken up by this film could've been purposed to serve as more time with new characters (preferably the Horsemen) and I feel like it was a requirement from Fox to put it in, although Singer does his best to make it work. The only benefits of this scene are to highlight the premise of an R-Rated Wolverine movie - Wolverine really cuts soldiers down, there's a lot of blood for a PG-13 rated movie. I should just mention this is a violent film, there's people getting crushed, burned alive, folded and beheaded, so just warn any younger viewers of this.

Finally, Apocalypse is a really mediocre villain - his power is amazing to watch, end even though it feels like he can do anything, you realise that because of the ending to Days of Future Past, that everyone makes it out okay. There isn't really much development for Apocalypse. Whilst story arcs are absent with a lot of characters here, Apocalypse's is simply to destroy the world and that's it.

Overall, X-Men Apocalypse has some fun moments (watch out for Quicksilver), some emotional moments and some decent action, but is ends up with too many characters with too little character development and a lack of sensible structure, with too many scenes not being necessary, and character motivations not explained to evident.

It is worth a watch, but maybe not worth going to the Cinema .

Nick Will Charlie Paul.