Prospect (2018) Dir. Christopher Caldwell & Zeek Earl Damon is a chancer and miner who does not fear putting his and his daughter's life in danger on a venture that might bring them much coveted wealth.They drop down on a forest moon which was once filled with prospectors hoping to find their bonanza in the form of gem stones which grow like pearls within living organisms, the pair working against a three cycle deadline within which they need to get their pod back to the ship in orbit or they might be stranded there forever. Damon's daughter Cee is worried about the short turnaround before they even leave, with good reason considering the events that transpire once they touch down. This was very well done. Apart from Firefly, which Spejic already listed, this reminded me of (neo-)westerns like "Ride the High Country" (the concept of morality in a deeply immoral place) and especially "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (the mining theme as well as the question of honor among thieves). Besides those films, something like "Leave No Trace" came to mind, which isn't surprising considering the amount of time we see a teenaged girl trek through a forest with her (surrogate) dad. The two leads are great. Anyone who has seen Pedro Pascal in anything (GoT, Narcos, whatever) knows that he has charisma to spare. Sophie Thatcher is something of a revelation and certainly among a group of young actresses to keep an eye on (along with Thomasin McKenzie from the aforementioned "Leave No Trace").
Dark Phoenix (2019) Dir. Simon Kinberg We return to the X-men in the early 1990s, when thanks to continued heroics from the part of the superhero group, a detente has slowly settled in and mutant-human relations are better than they have been in decades. Upon the request of the POTUS, Charles Xavier sends a team into space to rescue the crew of a space shuttle in peril. The mission is a success, apart from the fact that a strange force makes impact with Jean Grey, briefly rendering her unconscoius. Initially she seems to have come out of the incident relatively unharmed, yet after a short while she begins to display a change in her behavior, which slowly but surely makes her a real danger to the people around her. This is likely to be the final non-Disney X-Men movie, since the Mouse company now owns the IP through their purchase of 20th Century Fox. It's thus a shame that it all ends on a rather subpar film. I should add that I went into this with very low expectations due to the critical panning. Which once again made me like it more than I thought I would. I was expecting horrendous and instead I got middling and somewhat disappointing. Perhaps modern day movie critics should stable the hyperbole for a while. I also had the feeling that most of the older cast members (McAvoy, Fassbender, Lawrence) are tired of the franchise at this point. This is especially true for Jennifer Lawrence, who gives a typical "I was contractually obligated to appear in this film" performance that might not be worthy of its Mount Rushmore but would definitely make the long list.
Annabelle comes home (2019) Dir. Gary Dauberman A year after the Warrens acquire the Annabelle doll and keep it in a special case within their artifacts room, their daughter Judy will be spending a night home with her babysitter as her parents are out of town. Said babysitter has a friend in tow who has a great fascination for the Warren's haunted objects and thus she ignores the fact that the Warren's do not allow anyone to enter the room in question. Whilst she is in there, she accidentally disturbs the case that is meant to keep Annabelle contained and predictably chaos ensues. I like the Conjuring franchise in general and especially any of the entries that have Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as Lorainne and Ed Warren. Two great actors who clearly enjoy being a part of this franchise. Unfortunately they only have supporting roles in this one and the main characters are their daughter, her babysitter and her babysitter's BFF. It's not that the kids are bad in this, it's just that they cannot carry a movie the way that Farmiga and Wilson can. I also believe that the Annabelle centric movies are the weakest of the franchise. There are still some decent moments in there, but also some very weird creative choices (which I can't really reveal without spoiling the film). This has mostly left me wanting a proper Farmiga-Wilson Conjuring film, one of which is thankfully in the works and slated for a 2020 release.
Interesting take on Rambo. The new Rambo movie is essentially a MAGA fever dream of bigotry https://www.rawstory.com/2019/09/the-new-rambo-movie-is-essentially-a-maga-fever-dream-of-bigotry/
Masters of the Universe (1987) He-Man returns to Castle Grayskull, seat of the greatest power in the universe, to find it has been invaded and conquered by the forces of Skeletor. He only finds the leaders of the castle guard and a tinkering gnome. Their foolhardy counterstrike fails, and they have to flee to a random place in the universe, which happens to be 1980's Earth populated by actors who will be more famous in the 1990's. Dolph Lundgren was horribly miscast, but the character of He-Man was so poorly written it doesn't matter. He was so lacking humanity and agency that he wasn't a character at all, but just a random force of nature. Otherwise the film was inoffensive, which is high praise for an example of the overflowing film genre "alien comes to a 1980's Earth small town". It's occasional camp charm and childhood-toy connections make this a natural cult classic. However... however... this film touches (but only touches) on something important. Maybe even dangerous. Because it is a staple of every fantasy movie to have a bad guy that seeks power for its own sake, with no thought of what happens after they get it. But Skeletor sees his power has gained him nothing. He has no plans. No allies. No friends. No partners. Only minions. Peons. He treats his second like a pet ("Report, Evil-Lyn. Speak!"), and those below her are literal beast-men. His only equal is He-Man, his opposite. It can only be to he that Skeletor can voice his emptiness: "Tell me about the loneliness of good, He-Man. Is it equal to the loneliness of evil?". Maybe it was the very same emptiness that caused him to lash out to begin with. He is a sad figure now, maybe if we knew his origin he would even be worthy of pity. Evil-Lyn leaves the final contest even though Skeletor is at the height of his power. I think she senses that Skeletor cannot win because to do so is have no more reason to be. Power for power's sake can only exist while in the process of gaining power. That is why there will always be a Rebellion against the Star Wars Empire. If it doesn't exist, they will need to create it just to have justification for their continued existence.
Crawl (2019) Dir. Alexandre Aja As a hurricane is approaching Florida, Haley is called by her older sister Beth, who is worried about their father. Beth reveals she has failed to contact their dad by phone and Haley finds out that he does not respond to her calls either. She drives out to his home just as the hurricane makes landfall and ends up having to fight for her life along with her dad as the flooded crawl space of her family home is infested with killer alligators. Even as a pretty cheap and unimaginative Jaws knock-off, this still underwhelmed. I can't say there are no moments in that there almost work, but for the most part it's instantly forgettable action set pieces. Obviously they weren't going for realism here. In that regard, I think they might as well have cranked up the silliness a bit more. The two leads are fine, not that the material gives them much opportunity to shine. As per usual in these types of films, the behavior of the alligators changes depending on whether the human character is wearing plot armor or not.
Hellboy (2019) Dir. Neil Marshall Hellboy is a paranormal investigator with a supernatural origin, being the fruit of an occult ritual performed by the Nazis at the end of the war. His latest challenge is dealing with the return of an immortal witch who was originally dispatched by King Arthur and the Wizard Merlin. Yet there are suggestions that Hellboy himself is somehow connected to the evil witch and that their fates are intertwined. Hellboy himself is having second thoughts about dispatching so-called monsters with violent means. I think the main issue with this film, beyond the fact that the writing is very much subpar, is that we still remember Guillermo del Toro's films well enough to realize how charmless Neil Marshall's effort is in comparison. I think David Harbour is a decent casting choice for the role but he is not giving anything near as good to work with as Ron Perlman was. In general I think a cast of David Harbour, Milla Jovovich, Daniel Dae Kim and Ian McShane is good enough to provide us with something better, given the right material. I can't really say there are any truly memorable sequences in there. Even the fight with the giants is ruined by very cartoonish CGI. Fans of the character are better off watching either of the two Guillermo del Toro films.
My feeling as well. As a 2hr movie the plot didn't really work very well - but these were exactly the kind of plotlines that were teased out in the episodic format.
Black Widow (1954) Dir. Nunnally Johnson Peter Denver is a happily married Broadway writer who attends a house party hosted by the star of his current play. He goes to the soiree against his will out of politeness yet he still meets a young woman desperate for success. Being used to actresses throwing themselves at him for a part, he is surprised to find that she is an aspiring writer herself and that she is seemingly not out to get anything from him. He slowly assumes a mentor role until one day the young woman is found dead and he becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation. Peter starts an investigation of his own, which slowly reveals that his protege wasn't the naive innocent young woman she made herself out to be. Decent little drama/mystery that is visually quite appealing and features a few nice exterior shots of 1950s NYC. Besides Van Helfin, it features Ginger Rogers (a diva-esque actress and frenemy of the main character), Gene Tierney (as the wife in a role that is a bit a waste of her talent) and an older George Raft (as the police detective). I can't say that the big reveal really pulls the rug from underneath the audience but by then I had been decently entertained already.
Having discussed with a mate who was also disappointed in it, I think the tension between Alma and Seth was really poorly resolved? Seth's wife was just a 2D cutout character compared to the series
Wonder Woman (2019) Dir. Sam Liu & Justin Copeland Pilot Steve Trevor crashlands on the Amazon island of Themyscira. He is saved by its princess, Diana and after a short imprisonment due to the fact that he cannot leave knowing the location of the island, it is the princess who frees him and who ends up getting banished from the island herself for her efforts. Following her settling into her new life among regular humans, she becomes a member of the Justice League and is brought back to revisit her past when the family she lived with when she first arrived in Washington D.C. is going through a period of turmoil. This family drama sets Diana on a course to revisit her own past and confront her own family issues. A new entry into the D.C./W.B. animated universe. I mostly liked it, the animation style is slick and occasionally quite beautiful.The voice cast is good all around, I am starting to really like Rosario Dawson's work as Wonder Woman. The story lines are a bit hit and miss, with some of the subplots having very meager pay-offs. The climax does feature one of the better battles in recent D.C./W.B. animated features. My one main complaint was the relative lack of humor. I think it's a mistake to perceive Wonder Woman as a relatively humorless character, I think she works best if she is allowed a very dry but occasionally quite funny sense of humor.
Hell or High Water 2 brothers rob a string of banks in Texas and are chased by a Texas Ranger who is close to retirement. We have seen this before but I really enjoyed this movie and its well acted. There are a lot of movies that are bloated. This seems a lot shorter then an hr and 40 mins. Its tightly woven and to the point. You start right off on the first robbery and keep going from there. It ends at a good place where some movies would keep on going.
If you like English TV police shows, then you should deffo try this. "No Offence" I should add that it's nothing like the usual fare. It's fast moving, fun, offbeat, macabre humour. Excellent cast. I, in my wisdom and excellent taste, highly recommend it. Mrs Scouse got me the first episode from Netflix. I loved it then through the wonders of the interwebby found that our library had the complete first 3 seasons on the shelf and there's talk of a 4th. That meant "Binge Watching!!!" Description ` No Offence', written by Paul Abbott, is an extraordinary police procedural series starring Joanna Scanlan, Elaine Cassidy and Alexandra Roach. A team of cops, based in a criminal-ridden part of town, work together to keep the streets safe. Their commitment and strong work ethic has seen them put away arsonists, neo-Nazis, drug lords and notorious murderers. Nothing seems to deter this force until they begin work on a serial killer case, which leaves everyone in fear for their lives. Led by DI Vivienne Deering, the unorthodox group set off from their crumbling station to investigate the unusual goings on.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) Dir. David Leitch A cybernetically enhanced terrorist called Brixton wants to steal a designer virus just as an MI6 team are securing the package. He succeeds in dispatching with most of the agents, apart from one, who gets away with the virus by injecting it into herself. The woman in question turns out to be Hattie Shaw, sister of Deckard Shaw. The Shaws are joined by Luke Hobbs, who has been sent by the CIA to retrieve the virus. An uneasy alliance is formed to face off with Brixton, a man whose enhancements have made him refer to himself as the black superman. Like basically every Fast and Furious movie since Justin Lin took over the franchise, this is dumb fun and thus delivers what it says on the tin. The plot isn't meant to be taken seriously and is just a vehicle to get Statham and the Rock in as many scenes where they are either beating up bad guys or bickering with each other. On the latter thing, I think they overdid the frenemies thing a bit too much. It was dialed up to 13 where a 9 would have sufficed. The most pleasant surprise about this film was Vanessa Kirby as the younger Shaw sibling Hattie. She's a bona fide quality action star, the most unlikely person to shine in an action vehicle since Emily Blunt displayed a similar unlikely knack for the genre in "Edge of Tomorrow". Who knew Princess Margaret could kick such ass (though she did already give a glimpse of this quality in the last Mission Impossible outing).
Joker (2019) Simply as a film, Joker leaves much to be desired: It's heavy-handed and derivative. But as with previous superhero narratives, it provides a fascinating allegory for present concerns.
Bloodline (2018) Dir. Henry Jacobson Evan is a guidance counselor at a large L.A. high school by day and at night, he secretly prowls the street and dishes out violent vengeance against some of the parents and relatives who harm the kids he has in his office. His mother is aware of his secret life and shares his murderous tendencies. His wife, who has just given birth to their newborn first son, is oblivious to this side of her husbands life. Things take a turn when Evan comes onto the radar of a police detective who is investigating some of the murders. I have always thought that Seann William Scott is a more nuanced actor than he is given credit for, something he has displayed in numerous films after his "American Pie" run. Yet I'm afraid he will forever be associated with his Stifler role, which is a shame. This isn't the best vehicle of his talent but he still has a couple of good scenes in there. The true scene stealers are Mariela Garriga and Dale Dickey, who play his wife and his mother respectively. Decent little drama/thriller that perhaps pushes past the limits of our collective suspension of disbelief with that climax.
Toy Story 4 (2019) Dir. Josh Cooley Following the events of the previous movie, Woody, Buzz and the rest of the toys have adapted well to life with their new kid, Bonnie. From Woody's perspective there is only one snag: he is no longer the favorite toy of the house. In fact, he is soon reduced to the status of a near-forgotten toy. He finds a new lease on his feelings of self-worth when he makes it his job to make sure that Bonnie stays close to her new favorite toy: Forky, a toy she herself made in kindergarten. Like with every movie in this franchise, the animation has taken another leap since the previous entry. This is most apparent with the amazing detail in the rendered cat, but also in some weather effects. Unfortunately the story doesn't quite match up to the quality of the animation. I think most people would agree that Toy Story 3 ended the story on a perfect note. This sequel feels superfluous and even though it has its moments, it ultimately diminishes the perfect moment that was the end of Toy Story 3. I did enjoy some of the new voices, especially Keanu Reeves as an Evel Knievel type toy and Key and Peele as a pair of carnival prize stuffed animals with oodles of attitude. But their funny moments don't make up for the fact that compared to the other entries in the series, this one feels a bit emotionally empty in comparison.
Made for Each Other (1939) Dir. John Cromwell John Mason is a young NYC based attorney who returns from a business trip in Boston with a new bride in tow. After falling in love at first sight, the pair married within days, surprising both John's mother and his colleagues at the law firm upon his return home. Subsequently the whimsical nature of their whirlwind romance is forced to meet the day-to-day realities of married life, testing the limits of their love in the process. A pretty basic romantic dramedy that banks a lot on Jimmy Stewart and Carole Lombard's innate charm. They keep this watchable throughout though they don't quite manage to elevate the material to especially memorable. The third act is extra confusing with a tacked on subplot about a plane having to weather a snowstorm. Worthwhile watch if you like the two leads though this isn't among the best movies either has been in, imho.
Wounds (2019) Dir. Babak Anvari Will is a bartender who works a late night shift at Rosie's, a watering hole which attracts an eclectic mix of customers. One night, following a brawl between a regular patron and a stranger, he finds a smartphone near the location of the fracas and guesses it belongs to some young people who were also in the bar at the same time as the altercation. He is disturbed to find strange and shocking pictures on the phone after successfully unlocking it. After trying to call one of the contacts on the phone itself, strange things start to happen to both himself and his live-in girlfriend Carrie. This horror-thriller didn't really work for me. The lead performance is good, Armie Hammer does the most with what he has been given here and Dakota Johnson is a good scene partner. The horror story is just too thin and too weird at the same time to ever truly work and there are moments where it gets much closer to ridiculous than scary.
Apostle (2018) Dir. Gareth Evans Thomas is a troubled drifter who reluctantly returns home to see his father because the news of his sister's abduction reaches him. She has been kidnapped by a strange cult which occupy a small island off the coast of Wales. Under the pretense of bringing the ransom to her captors, he manages to infiltrate the community incognito and starts looking for his sister. The longer he stays there, the stranger the events he bears witness to get, until there can no longer be a truly logical explanation for some of them. This is very good, a pleasant surprise on all fronts. I admire the fact that Gareth Evans used the capital he earned with the success of his Raid movies to make something like this. Intimate, smart, complex, scary and generally ********ed up. Dan Stevens is very good in the lead role but it's perhaps the interplay between the two main antagonists, played by Michael Sheen and Mark Lewis Jones respectively, which is most memorable. Clocks in at around 130 minutes but never once drags.
Stuber (2019) Dir. Michael Dowse Vic is a hardened veteran cop who is desperate to take down the criminal who killed his partner six months earlier. Only his time is running out, as the case is about to be passed on to the F.B.I. At the very last minute, he gets a good tip about a transaction that is supposed to take place at which his mark will be present. Due to the unfortunate timing of having lasek surgery that same day he is unable to drive himself. Enter Stu, an employee at a sporting goods store whose assholish boss nicknames him Stuber because of his side-gig as an Uber driver. After taking on Vic's request for a ride, his day devolves into an increasingly more absurd and violent nightmare as Vic uses Stu as his de facto partner to track down Vic's nemesis. This was a decently entertaining action-comedy. The writing isn't quite up to the standard of the admittedly very enjoyable cast, right down to the smallest cameos (Karen Gillan!). Bautista and Nanjiaini make for a surprisingly effective buddy cop duo. Doesn't overstay its welcome.
OK I am contrarian on this one. Great set up, but the "five on it" moment was the only good part of the film The rest from where the four individuals turn up was a hot mess and the ending deeply unsatisfying IMO Comedy Dad was especially silly.
So I have done some long haul this year and was really struck by how few good films are coming out. There is literally not much worth watching on board. My mates are dealing with this by pre-loading out on Netflix. I am definitely doing this next time as I read several great books on the flights but was dying for some entertainment. As it is I watched the following 1. The Big Sleep (1946) Bogart & Bacall star in Hawke's noir which I felt I had seen before but by the end I was wondering and it didn't seem familiar. What I loved was the way over the top sexual jousting in the dialogue. They laid it on thick in '46! Probably what has dated the most was the use of the detective's exposition to constantly do plot updates and like Sherlock, Detective Marlowe seemed to make amazing leaps on insight not really supported by the action. But overall still a classic. 2. Papillon (2017) Despite the presence of Rami Malek this remake never gets out of the meh phase. Stick with the book or Steve McQueen basically. 3. The Kursk (2018) Uneven handling of great historical material - the sinking of the high end russian sub following an onboard accident. The viewer already knows that the race against time to save the crew will end in tragedy. So how to elevate it? I think the screenplay never solved that problem, though it tries to strangle some puppies showing the wives and children as victims of a dying naval power Very nicely shot and some OK acting, but for some reason this film never came to life.