Film Review: The Magnificent Seven

"I Seek Righteousness. But I'll Take Revenge..."

As with the release of Ben-Hur only recently, Antoine Fuqua's The Magnificent Seven can easily be regarded simply as a 21st century take on the 1960 classic, itself a re-imagining of Akira Kurosawa's epic Seven Samurai, with Fuqua's latest perhaps only having a sole purpose of making a quick buck rather than attempting to do something interesting and ultimately different than its' 1960 counterpart. Swapping the likes of Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen and Charles Bronson for the current crop of A-List stars such as Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke and Chris Pratt, The Magnificent Seven ultimately does not live up to its' titular superlative, arriving at an all-too familiar plot, one with a rafter of genre cliches and a lesser developed crop of characters than its' predecessor, albeit being a movie which indeed features some good all-round direction, particularly in its' final explosive act which saves the film from ultimately being just another dull Hollywood conveyor belt of a movie. 

Replacing the distinctive figure of Yul Brynner from the original, we now have Denzel Washington in the leading role, one again teaming up with Fuqua after Training Day and The Equalizer, with the former of course giving Washington his second Oscar win, and whilst the pairing have tasted success in the past, it is almost certain that their latest venture will indeed hit the box office for a time being and then simply fade into nonexistence like many previous cinematic attempts to reinvent classic Hollywood pictures. With the famous theme playing out during the end credits, The Magnificent Seven plays out no attempt at all to indifferent itself from the 1960 version aside from a few minor character changes in the titular band of killers, and whilst the touches of nostalgia are cute, it simply reminds you how much you actually might as well have been watching the original. For the newly converted however, Fuqua's latest may indeed be a successful action thriller, yet for those with previous knowledge of the story, The Magnificent Seven is yet another taste of remake mediocrity. The blowing up stuff scenes are pretty cool though. 

Overall Score: 5/10

Film Review: The Girl With All The Gifts

"You Can Save Everybody..."

Looking back at recent cinematic history, Danny Boyle's 2002 horror/thriller 28 Days Later arguably sparked the flame for the re-emergence of the zombie franchise, and whilst Boyle's film didn't actually include the classic notion of the zombie, with the creatures actually being regarded as infected, 28 Days Later arguably is the pinnacle of modern horror when it comes to a depiction of the classic monster-based genre of cinema. With The Gil With All The Gifts, the latest from acclaimed television director Colm McCarthy, famous for directing episodes of Doctor Who, Sherlock and Peaky Blinders, follows closely in the footsteps of 28 Days Later by introducing a threat which although doesn't entirely fit the mould of the classic idea of a zombie, could arguably be regarded as such in a dystopian near future where humanity has been thwarted by a fungal-like disease which turns people into "hungries" in a fashion rather similar to the infected within The Last of Us. In fact, plot wise, The Girl With All The Gifts bears a wide range of similarities with the critically acclaimed video game, and whilst McCarthy's latest falters at times due to its' similarities to other works in the genre, its' subversive ending and acting talents result in a solid and effective horror. 

Where The Girl With All The Gifts truly works is in its' desire to focus on development of its' leading characters rather than defunct to the well-worn choice of becoming yet another ultra-violent splatter-fest, with Melanie, the titular girl with all the gifts, acting as a conduit for the audience to understand a world in which a new species has arisen and what they ultimately bring to the fate of the human race. Newcomer Sennia Nanua is electrifying in the lead role as the uncanny, infected child, uncertain of her own existence in a world eroding through the curse of the parasite taking over the population, whilst British mainstays Paddy Considine and Gemma Arterton give the film a slight B-Movie edge to it which harks back to the rough feel of a film like 28 Days Later. Surprisingly, the one thing that does seem rather out of place is the inclusion of Glenn Close who simply acts as the all-american basil exposition character who arguably becomes the least accessible character within the movie. The concluding act is terrifyingly subversive and saves the film from falling into a complete genre cliche whilst the sense of fear you would expect from a film within this particular genre is agonisingly nonexistent making The Girl With All The Gifts more of a delicate touch of drama rather than the full-on horror thrill ride I personally thought it might have been. 

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Review: The Infiltrator

"Promise Me This Is The Last One..."

Who would have thought that Hal from Malcolm in the Middle would have turned out to be one of the biggest, baddest and reputable actors come 2016? Ever since making major waves in Breaking Bad with his sublime portrayal of Walter White, Bryan Cranston seems to be in the joyous position of being able to pick and choose what he wants to do, when and where, with his latest project, Brad Furman's The Infiltrator, only extending Cranston's pedigree as one of the greatest actors of this generation alongside a strong cast including Diane Kruger (Inglorious Bastards), John Leguizamo (John Wick) and Amy Ryan (Birdman) in a highly dramatised portrayal of Robert Mazur, a US Customs agent who goes undercover as a corrupt money-laundering businessman in order to bring down Pablo Escobar's infamous drug operation. Although The Infiltrator falters from hardly bringing anything original to the tale of undercover operations, the illegal drug trade and gritty crime dramas in general, it does benefit from a simply outstanding performance from Bryan Cranston in the lead role. Boy, does that man love being two-faced. 

Although plot contrivances and exposition galore prevent The Infiltrator from being as silky smooth as other films of a similar ilk, Bryan Furman's drama focuses primarily on the absurdity of an undercover operation, squeezing out tension left, right and centre in order to empathise with the central character and the torment of a double life in which one wrong step could potentially result in not only losing his own life but his entire family too. Adding to the deception is the inclusion of Diane Kruger as Cranston's makeshift fiancee who is only added to the disguise after a brief slip of the tongue, whose rookie nature only adds to the worries of our titular infiltrating agent. Although the ending is ever-so-slightly rushed and feels rather flashy in a mostly stripped down hard-edged crime drama, The Infiltrator is a solid two hour drama, one which if failed to feature the larger-than-life presence of Cranston in its' lead role may have failed completely. Thankfully for Brad Furman, Cranston is the film's selling point and rightly so; he's electric. 

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Review: Blair Witch

"There's Something Out There..."

Although way too young to realise the impact of The Blair Witch Project when it was released back in 1999, the found footage masterpiece is one of the most traumatising horror movies I had ever seen when I finally got around to watching it in my late teens. Even days after witnessing the events that took place within the movie, the sheer terror of the film still shook me like no other horror movie I had seen previously, with its' complete lack of jump scares and a pinpoint and effectively measured sense of realism resulting in a movie which left everything to the imagination without any sense of closure or answers to the many questions directors Sanchez and Myrick brought up. Now in 2016, we have Blair Witch, a true successor to the 1999 original (We will forget about Book of Shadows), directed by Adam Wingard, of whom I am a fan of after making effective horrors in the past with You're Next and segments for the V/H/S franchise. Of course, there was simply no chance that Wingard's take on the legend of the Black Hills Forest was set to surpass the original yet even so, Blair Witch is a terrifying enough experience to warrant its' existence, if feeling ever so much like the original in ways both bad and good. 

After treading upon a recently uploaded video supposedly containing his long lost sister Heather, James ventures into the Black Hills Forest with his camera-obsessed friends in order to find closure regarding his sisters' disappearance; events which took place within The Blair Witch Project. After meeting with the young locals who uploaded the video, the group venture into the forest and soon succumb to the curse of the Blair Witch with the group, and particularly James, understanding what his sister may have experienced herself over a decade previously. Although Blair Witch is weakened by its' fundamental similarities to the original, with the setup and plot twists being pretty much a full-on retread of what fans already know when it comes to the Black Hills Forest, Wingard's take on the story does boast some effective tense-ridden scenes, particularly in the latter act of the movie when we once again venture into the supposed residence of the titular entity through complete and utter darkness. The cast too are loving every minute and chewing the scenery as they go from one spooky location to the next, yet the film does suffer from not entirely having the organic and strange feel of the original, and although the myth of the Blair Witch herself is slightly scuppered by brief images of a potential reveal, Wingard's Blair Witch is terrifying enough in sections to warrant a thumbs up. As a fan of the original, Blair Witch is actually a solid, spooky horror which pays a sense of justice to the original, if only too much at times. 

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Review: Don't Breathe

"You Would Be Surprised What A Man Is Capable Of Once He Realises There Is No God..."

Back in 2013, Fede Alvarez's "re-imagining" of Sam Raimi's classic 1981 horror classic The Evil Dead could only be regarded as bonkers, sheer bonkers. In attempting to match the sheer madness of the original cult masterpiece, Evil Dead featured perhaps the most lavish amount of on-screen blood I think I remember seeing since Peter Jackson's Braindead back in the 90's. It was crazy but ultimately good fun, and on his latest project, Don't Breathe, the twisted mind of Alvarez has once again managed to create a real winner, one which relies on the dramatic tendencies of sheer, white-knuckle tension amidst the fundamental warped nature of a mind as expansive as Alvarez's, resulting in some radical plot twists, thrilling set pieces and a conclusion so ingrained in the classic nature of the genre it only emphasises Alvarez's love of full-blooded horror. Don't Breathe isn't The Witch but it is definitely the most enjoyable sub-par exploitation movie you might see this year.

Although the set-up isn't one of extreme originality, Don't Breathe focuses on the attempt of three young thieves to break into the home of and steal from a blind army veteran who after losing his only daughter in a car accident is compensated by the perpetrator's wealthy family. With Evil Dead's Jane Levy in the film's lead role alongside Dylan Minnette (Goosebumps) and Daniel Zovatto (It Follows), Don't Breathe is a full-on fillip of tension and scares, resorting to violence quite heavily throughout in a Green Room-esque fashion, and featuring one scene of extremely heavy sub-par sexual violence during the final act it's amazing the film only contracted a 15 rating from the BBFC. Although the film does include twists and turns throughout its' winding narrative, the conclusion does suffer from a sense of obviousness, one that can be recognised from foregone horrors in the past, yet its' 90 minute run-time feels as if Don't Breathe says what it needs to say and clocks out just in time for the audience to cool down. Alvarez's latest is a jolt of good fun, featuring the best use of night vision camera work since last year's Sicario. Check it out. 

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Review: Hell or High Water

"We Ain't Stealing From You. We're Stealing From The Bank..."

Much like Bone Tomahawk, which reaffirmed the cult status of the legend that is Kurt Russell, Hell or High Water, the latest from Sicario writer Taylor Sheridan and Starred Up director David Mackenzie, above all, highlights the power of the cinematic pro, those that have been in the game for so long, that you know, if given a decent script, are going to bring their A-game to the floor and pull it out of the bag. In the case of Hell or High Water, that pro is Jeff Bridges who brings his most True Grit performance since, well, True Grit, as rugged police chief Marcus Hamilton, unsure of the notion of his impending retirement when news of numerous bank robberies bring him swiftly back into the action alongside trusted colleague, Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham). Flip on to the other side of the coin however and we thrown into the lives of Toby and Tanner Howard, portrayed majestically by Chris Pine and Ben Foster, who are the cause of such crimes in order to align their families' financial difficulties amongst a seemingly despaired and depressing West Texas. Like Sicario last year, scriptwriter Taylor Sheridan has once again pulled off an intelligent and thought-provoking crime thriller, one which understands the impact of subtlety and the power of effective characterisation. 

Where many of this years' summer blockbusters have simply failed due to a sublime lack of any sort of residual quality, intelligence or fundamental originality, Hell or High Water is the perfect film to combat the pains of the past two months or so with it being a well-scripted, flawlessly acted work of drama which attempts to portray each side of the law, each with their own necessities and issues, with each given equal screen time to build up an efficient level of depth in order to sympathise and care for these characters in the space of only 100 minutes. Where Sicario was a film seeped in ambiguity and became a much darker entity for it, Hell or High Water is for the most part, a laid-back western bromance, with humorous banter and jet-black humour not only adding to the characterisation but to the audiences' perception of a plausible, true-crime drama which could perhaps be regarded as some sort of realism within the financial uncertainty of the 21st century. Of course, when the violence ensues, it is observed with sheen and calculative efficiency, something of which was sorely missing from the whirlwind-editing of the recent summer blockbusters. Hell or High Water is the type of movie which puts its' larger and bigger hyped Hollywood cash-cows to shame; it's a proper, hard-edged drama with top-end acting and a superb script, showcasing the ever-increasing talents of writer Taylor Sheridan. Ironically, Hell or High Water is this year's Sicario, just with a lighter touch. 

Overall Score: 8/10

Film Review: Sausage Party

"I'm So Happy The Gods Put Our Packages Together..."

Judging from the trailers alone, everyone knew what to expect with Sausage Party, the latest comedy venture from the Seth Rogen rubble, directed by Conrad Vermon and Greg Tiernan, with crude and vulgar humour set to being seeped throughout an animation which attempts to poke holes in the family-friendly works of Disney and Pixar by following in the footsteps of a supermarket-based sausage named Frank (Seth Rogen) who like every other food item in the store, believes being "chosen" by the "gods" results in a swift and joyous journey into heaven. Of course the reality of the situation is a closely-hidden secret, a secret in which Frank and his merry band of faithful food friends including Frank's girlfriend, Brenda (Kristen Wiig) attempt to bring to light.

Although strangely hypnotic for the first ten minutes or so, Sausage Party does swiftly descend into plights of sheer boredom, with the one-note shine of relying on vulgarity and ridiculous levels of swearing not exactly managing to survive the full 90 minutes in which subplots aplenty attempt to hold up the animation into earning its' reason to be on the big screen. Although the final act is one in which all involved must have been patting themselves firmly on the back after creating, its' ludicrousness as a whole confirms that if made as a 30 minute sketch, perhaps the idea of Sausage Party may have been a successful one. Instead, the film is just another excuse for Seth Rogen to make penis jokes, and although occasional laughter can be created by such, Sausage Party isn't the comedy I was hoping for. The animation is good though, so you know, not all bad. Peace. 

Overall Score: 4/10

Film Review: Morgan

"I'm Starting To Feel Like Myself..."

Oh nepotism, how we love you. It is regrettable that after losing track in recent years when it comes to replicating the real quality of his earlier projects such as Blade Runner and Alien, director Ridley Scott has somewhat diminished in terms of reputation, particularly when examining his recent work such as Exodus: Gods and Kings, Robin Hood and The Counsellor. Yes, The Martian was pretty solid and a welcome return to some kind of form, yet it is still rather disheartening to think films as radical as Blade Runner may indeed never break out onto the big screen ever again. In the meantime however, Ridley's knack of tackling sci-fi genre conventions has seemingly passed on through the gene pool and onto Luke Scott, whose directorial debut in the form of Morgan, no, not a documentary on Morgan Freeman, is the canvas to showcase whether the son has even half of his father's early talent. Part Ex-Machina, part Terminator, Morgan has the necessary blueprints to regard itself as a work of science fiction, yet its' ridiculous plot and complete lack of subtlety, particularly in its' shambles of a final act, means Morgan is a lukewarm start to the ventures of baby Scott. 

Although Morgan boats an extensive amount of talent in terms of its' casting, with Kate Mara, Toby Jones, Paul Giamatti and Brian Cox all managing to squeeze in to the films' 100 minute run-time, The Witch's Anya Taylor-Joy takes the titular role of the synthetic-based humanoid in her stride, pulling out a performance that if served by a sharper and tighter script, may have been something of better consequence. Although the film does hark back to classics of the genre, some even made by father, Ridley, Morgan fails on some level by not entirely deciding on what it really wants to be, much like its' titular character. Is it a horror? Is it an action thriller? Is it a bit of both? Who knows, and with the fast-paced editing of the latter act of the film not allowing one frame to settle, you leave the cinema with not only a head-rush bit with a sense of something that could have been better served if not for a more careful design. The main talking point of the movie may indeed be the final revelation, yet for anyone with a brain cell, it can only be regarded as wholly predictable, so much so that it shouldn't even be regarded as a full 360 degree twist. Maybe a 40? Anyhow, Morgan isn't the decades' Blade Runner and although guided by the no-how of his father, Luke Scott's debut is unfortunately one to forget. 

Overall Score: 4/10

Film Review: Mechanic: Resurrection

"You Have 36 Hours..."

Who doesn't love The Stath? An actor who knows his strengths as well as his limits and makes the big bucks by doing what he does best year in, year out; meaty action movies. Although the 2011 version of The Mechanic was a reboot/remake/re-imagining of 1972 Charles Bronson thriller itself, its' relative success didn't exactly warrant that of a sequel in any shape or form yet here we are, with Mechanic: Resurrection being an A-Z in the blueprint of Jason Statham movies; little plot yet a hell lot of action. Supported by a rather starry cast with Jessica Alba, Michelle Yeoh and Tommy Lee Jones all fighting for screen time, Mechanic Resurrection is pretty much everything you would expect from an end of summer action flick starring The Stath, with Resurrection going in one ear and heading swiftly out the other without preaching anything other than adrenaline-fuelled mayhem.

Where the first Mechanic attempted to delve a bit deeper into the ambiguous livelihood of Jason Statham's Arthur Bishop, the titular "Mechanic", a hired gun who articulately kills people in ways that makes their deaths appear like accidents, Resurrection simply wants to kill as many people as possible, dropping in the idea of a plot as background for Bishop to shoot, punch, stab, blow up and eradicate as many hired goons as possible without ever leaving a scratch on his silky bald head. Although strictly not a comedy, the sight of endless waves of bodyguards being swiftly culled in the most violent ways possible did manage to produce a few fits of laughter, and although the film is incredibly violent, it never stops long enough to dwell on such as well as not having the chance to be regarded as lazy and offensive as something such as London Has Fallen. Yes, both films are ridiculously stupid and so lacking in plot it would make first year media students cry in fear, the truth is Resurrection is just plain dumb fun, something of which we can all do with sometime. 

Overall Score: 5/10

Film Review: Bad Moms

"You're The Best Mother That We've Ever Seen, You Give Your Kids Salad...!

Let's face it; US comedy can sometimes be a drag. Not only is comedy itself one of the hardest genres to actually succeed in when it comes to the movies, it is also one of the easiest to get wrong. With Bad Moms however, it was one those rare cases in which although the trailer made it out to be another lazy, ill-judged mess of a movie, the final product was something rather solid, something that not only was continuously funny throughout, but also included a rare sense of warmth in its' attempt to address something trivial and commonplace in everyday life; motherhood. Where some may get upset by its' rather hideous portrayal of the father figure within the world of Bad Moms, personally, the shift from masculine-strung comedy to that of the female POV was a refreshing subject matter, harking back to the critical success of films such as Bridesmaids and others in recent years which have seen the rise of the female-led comedy in cinema today. Although it's fair to say that not every comedy has hit the mark in recent years, with The Boss being an example of when it goes completely wrong, Bad Moms is a solid example of when comedy is done right. 

Where the film ultimately succeeds is in its' true-to-life depiction of the overworked parent, with Mila Kunis' Amy being mother of unbearable struggles, with family life intertwining with school life intertwining with work life as well as the constant struggle to actually enjoy life rather than actually just managing to pull through reasonably unscathed. Where the movie loses touch is during scenes of recklessness, due in part to the two directors' affiliation with movies such as The Hangover, and although a film named Bad Moms has to include some sort of debauchery in some sense, the moral object of the film suggests that maybe being THAT bad isn't exactly the way to go. Although the film does sink into overbearing saccharin sweetness come the final act, Bad Moms manages to fight through the trivial acts of Hangover-esque plot-lines and sway into a comedic drama that says a lot about parenthood in the 21st century without ever feeling as if it's preachy or just plain dull. In a week where the creators of The Hangover franchise have pulled out both Bad Moms and War Dogs, maybe US comedy is back on the up and up? 

Overall Score: 6/10

Film Review: War Dogs

"When Does Telling The Truth Ever  Help Anybody...?

One of the most crystal clear components of War Dogs, the latest comedic drama from Hangover Trilogy director Todd Phillips, is the obvious and sometimes uncanny influence of Martin Scorsese, particularly that of Goodfellas and Casino, with the fast-paced formula and quick-fire editing of War Dogs being the staple within a blueprint which verges on the edge of daylight robbery. Saying that, although the principle layout of War Dogs is not exactly the most original, the film is saved two-fold by the inclusion of Miles Teller and Jonah Hill in the films' lead roles, lead roles which are characterised clearly by each side of a coin, with Teller's David Packouz being the twisted moral compass in partnership with Jonah Hill's greed-infested monster, Efraim Diveroli. Adding to the Scorsese influence is the notion that War Dogs is essentially Lord of War meets Wolf of Wall Street, a film in which Hill also starred in and a film which too has a black heart at its' core, showcasing the evilness of greed and the consequences certain actions inevitably lead towards. That doesn't mean it isn't fun though.

In a year in which The Big Short gave us a comedic insight into the downfall of the economy and America's presidential race being wholeheartedly in the spotlight, War Dogs does seem rather timely. A satire into the gun-ho nature of the US war efforts, War Dogs does feature some rather top-end black humour and although the movie does suffer when heading into the direction of vulgar, laddish type humour between our two leads, reminiscent of the director's previous work, its' the dramatic seriousness within the movie which makes the film work as a whole, particularly the third and final act in which we witness the inevitable downfall of our two leads who realise to what extent their "illegal" doings have had on not only themselves, but the country as a whole. War Dogs is by no means perfect, but it is very entertaining and a double-bill with a film like The Big Short would be a quickfire lesson into the politics and principles of the world as we know it today. Nihilism is a bitch. 

Overall Score: 8/10