TV Review: Doctor Who Series 10 Episode Three - "Thin Ice"

"I'm 2000 Years Old And I've Never Had The Time For The Luxury Of Outrage..."

As previously mentioned in last week's review of "Smile", the latest series of Doctor Who definitely has an air of Classic Who surrounding it, taking the blueprint set by early stories in the 1960's and 70's where mystery and intrigue are the leading force of a narrative in which although is rife and based in science fiction, is ultimately an A to B through-line of which audiences of all ages can understand and enjoy. In contemporary comparison, recent years have seen particular episodes of Doctor Who come undone by the vast array of knots certain scripts tie themselves due to silly plot points and the endless issues of dwelling with notions of time travel, yet with "Thin Ice", the fun factor is very much back in place, with the eerie element of the unknown horror acting as a common thread between each of the episodes so far this series with water-based stalkers and emoji-crazed robots being traded this week for a murderous entity which stalks its' prey underneath the frozen footpaths of the 19th century River Thames. Who's up for Piranha, Doctor Who style?

Whilst the threat of a gigantic hidden alien life form, one hidden in the confines of the surrounding area in which our favourite Time Lord seeks to venture upon is nothing exactly new, the charm and nostalgia factor which arises from seeing such harks back to days gone by when the BBC's prop department consisted of a rubber suit and fluorescent laser beams in their attempts to portray a wide range of life forms and whilst the overall narrative behind "Thin Ice" is standard to say the least, the relationship between The Doctor and Bill is once again at the forefront of an episode which seeks to identify what weaknesses are there when the two of them are faced with such a deadly menace. Witnessing death for the first time within the story, Bill's reaction to such conveys a deeper sense of characterisation than previous companions couldn't manage throughout their tenure and her questioning of The Doctor's violent past was an interesting side note, particularly for die-hard fans such as myself. With issues of race, power and responsibility all arising within the course of one 40 minute episode, "Thin Ice" is an interesting episode which continues and solidifies the solid relationship between its' two leading stars,

Overall Score: 7/10

Catch-Up Film Review: Rings

 "I Keep Thinking About This Story. There's This Video That Kills You. Seven Days After You Watch It..."

Blah, blah, blah. Whilst there is nothing new in the notion of American remakes, the category in which really grinds my gears is the one filled to the rim with English-speaking "re-imaginings" of foreign language horror movies, with absolute classics in the form of A Tale of Two Sisters, Let The Right One In and Ju-on: The Grudge all being mashed up and reproduced in the flight of gaining a quick yet tainted blood-stained buck on the account of the butchery which tends to happen when foreign movies are translated onto an audience which is primarily English speaking. Of the many horror franchises which has roots well and truly set in the minds of more intelligent filmmakers, Rings, directed by Spanish filmmaker F. Javier Gutiérrez, is yet another entry into the Ringu canon which began all the way back in 1998 with Hideo Nakata's terrifying cinematic take on the Koji Suzuki novel of the same name, and whilst the third American entry seems to begin with an element of interest, Rings unfortunately, yet unsurprisingly, ends up being yet another wasted opportunity, with it not only coming across as incredibly offensive to horror fans across the world, effectively spits on the shadow of its' former self with its' sheer and utter dreadfulness.

With a leading star who carries as much charisma and interest as an ASDA bag for life, Rings begins with a narrative which looks as if it is set to offer some new light into the world of spooky water-covered teenagers with long black hair by delving into a somewhat underground network of shady college preps who view the infamous killer video tape as a reason to get up in the morning, using the threat of Samara as a messed up type of adrenaline rush alongside a basis for Johnny Galecki's character's thesis on the mystery of her existence. Whilst this interesting notion covers roughly the first fifteen minutes of the movie, the following 90 minutes is essentially a cheap re-telling of a story in which every single person in the cinematic world is now bored to death with, trading real elements of threat and suspense with cheesy dialogue and awful jump scares which rely on the power of the cinema's sound system in order to actually come across as worthwhile. News alert; they don't. Ending on a supposed twist which offers up the idea that the franchise is set to continue into the future, Rings is the type of cinematic face-palm which you really struggle to understand its' existence. If you're thinking of buying it on DVD, don't. 

Overall Score: 3/10

Film Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

"Sometimes, The Thing You've Been Looking For Your Whole Life, Is Right There Beside You All Along..."

Whilst the first Guardians of the Galaxy was perhaps the first entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which expectations were not exactly of the highest order, the finished product was ironically one of the best the franchise has had to offer so far, introducing expertly characterised leading heroes amongst a crowd-pleasing narrative which managed to balance the irregularity and oddness of the source material whilst serving up arguably the best jukebox soundtrack this side of Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. With power comes increasing levels of responsibility however and a sequel to the biggest surprise of 2014 was downright inevitable, yet with James Gunn returning as director and the added involvement of iconic screen presences such as Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell, Vol. 2 is indeed up there with the most excitable releases of the year and a movie which is lynch-pinned within a period of twelve months in which there are so many superb upcoming movies to look forward to and a year in which Vol. 2 begins the triage of MCU movies which are set to be released over the course of 2017. What we have with Vol. 2 however is a sequel which is indeed as inventive and magical as it's predecessor, playing all the cards in all the right areas to keep its' intended audience more than happy, but too a movie which suffers from the issue in which many sequels tend to have, with it not entirely being up to the critical level of the original but still being an excellent new addition into the MCU.

With the added input of Kurt Russell as Ego, the long lost father of Chris Pratt's Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Vol. 2 thrives on the same sense of retro-loving freedom which encompassed the original, nodding its' head at a wide range of nostalgic avenues alongside yet another successful jukebox soundtrack which ticks off everything from E.L.O to George Harrison across a two-hour plus runtime which does seem a tad too drawn out come the final act. Furthermore, in a similar vein to that of Age of Ultron, Vol. 2 attempts to differ slightly from its' predecessor by sticking to a driving narrative which comes across as a much darker and melancholic tale, focusing upon a wide range of notions such as the meaning of family alongside a deeper sense of characterisation for each of the leading guardians who individually have enough substantial screen time between them to sway off arguments of favouritism from fans, even when the superbly managed inclusion of Baby Groot manages to steal every scene in which he is involved in. Whilst not setting up anything major in terms of the future of the MCU, Vol. 2 is a substantially entertaining blockbuster which although features arguably a higher dose of comedy than the first, is inevitably not as surprisingly awesome than one indeed hoped for, yet with a core character base in which you could happily spend an entire lifetime with, James Gunn's second helping of galaxy saving guardians is entertainment galore. 

Overall Score: 8/10

Film Review: Alien

"Ash, That Transmission... Mother's Deciphered Part Of It. It Doesn't Look Like An S.O.S..."

In preparation for what can only be regarded as Ridley Scott's last chance to revive the Alien series once and for all after the middling mediocrity which was 2012's Prometheus, cinema chains across the country are gearing us Xenomorph lovers up for Alien: Covenant with the re-release of the greatest science-fiction horror of all time in the form of the original 1979 Ridley Scott classic which for many, including myself, will be the very first time to witness the menacing threat of the first and very best entry of the everlasting Alien franchise upon the big screen. When it comes to the dissection of such a monumental piece of cinema, the release of Alien came at a time in which a 42 year old Ridley Scott was fresh and ready to begin his second high-profile cinematic release after the completion of the 1977 historical drama The Duellists, and with a script in-hand from American writer Dan O'Bannon, the journey onto the Nostromo was well and truly underway. Assembling a cast which featured an already well-versed acting talent in the form of Tom Skerritt, the Oscar nominated John Hurt and a leading star of Invasion of the Body Snatchers only one year previous in the form of Veronica Cartwright, Ridley Scott's had already embraced a solid acting staple to work from, yet unbeknown to possibly him at the time, the real ace in the hole was the seemingly unknown figure of Sigourney Weaver who in her portrayal of Ellen Ripley created a character who still to this day is as iconic as anyone in the entire backdrop of cinematic history.

With a narrative which is original as it is intelligent and rational, with each of the individual characters having enough solid background and personality to make choices and decisions that are both understandable and lifelike throughout the course of their torment upon the Nostromo, Scott takes the paranoid ambiguity of O'Bannon's script and treats it with equal portions of precision and care, with the real mesmerising features of witnessing Alien on the big screen for the first time dialling down to elements which on the small screen can sometimes be missed and washed over. These outstanding big-screen elements include a wickedly sharp sound design from renowned composer Jerry Goldsmith, one which encompasses the dark and grungy feel of the on-board surroundings of both the Nostromo and the alien planet in which our heroes venture upon, with Goldsmith trading full-blown levels of acoustic mayhem which is rife within modern-day horrors for carefully constructed moments of squeaks and hums which only enhance the oppressive nature of the film and the sheer predatory nature of its' titular murderous specimen. 

 Alongside the awesomeness of the soundtrack, the truly remarkable set design is a mind-boggling sight to behold, with it to this day being as groundbreaking as it is legendary in its' attempts to create a historic mythology which even in contemporary cinematic circles continues to baffle and blow the minds of every true science fiction fanatic out there who in their obsession with the world in which Scott has created link every clue from every subsequent release in order to understand the through-line to which the world of Alien has plated up since its' inception in 1979. Whilst many favour the James Cameron led sequel in the form of Aliens, the action-packed blockbuster which propelled Sigourney Weaver even more into the realms of cult status, my personal favourite of the franchise will always be Alien, a plain and simple masterpiece of cinema which laid the template for so many films that followed and a movie which ticks all the boxes for what I desire when sitting down and spending time delving into a cinematic universe, and with the direction and masterstroke of Ridley Scott, Alien is the type of cinematic universe which offers so much in return and will continue to do so for centuries to come. This is Ripley, signing off.

Overall Score: 10/10

TV Review: Doctor Who Series 10 Episode Two – “Smile”

 "Hearts Though, Why Two? Does That Mean You’ve Got Really High Blood Pressure..?"

When esteemed writer Frank Cottrell-Boyce was first introduced into the land of all things Doctor Who back in 2014 with Series 8's "In The Forest of the Night", it is indeed safe to say that the reputation which preceded the author of literature such as both novel and screenplay for Danny Boyle's Millions was not exactly lived up to, creating a story in which, let's just say, won't rank up there with the best the entire history of Doctor Who has had to offer up over the course of its' fifty year run. Returning this year with "Smile" however, Cottrell-Boyce is the first sacrificial lamb to throw an attempt at writing a tale for the Doctor's latest companion Bill, whilst reuniting with Capaldi for an episode in which although will never be regarded as a Who classic, is a solid enough second attempt for Cottrell-Boyce, with "Smile" having a successful double edged-sword which combines the classic formula of the original 1962 run amidst a narrative which is clearly designed to poke fun at contemporary technological vices in a manner which ultimately feels like a low-key and child friendly version of Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror. 

In regards to the echoes of Classic Doctor Who stories, the idea of the Doctor visiting a future alien settlement and coming across not only an unsettling evil presence but a life-changing decision regarding the fate of the entire human race, perhaps the most obvious similarities are shared with both the Tom Baker led "Ark In Space" and "Robots of Death" with the former sharing the idea of human survival whilst the latter having a similar foe in the form of murderous artificial intelligence, albeit represented in completely different forms with the creepy green coated look being replaced with robots which communicate solely with the help of everyone's favourite messaging pastime; emoji speak. Once again, Pearl Mackie is impressive as companion Bill, asking the right kind of questions which are seeped in human ignorance regarding the existence of alien space-races and the complexity of time-travel, whilst the practical design of the episode is impressive, with the leading robot foes being something in which could easily be heading in our direction come the near future. Whilst the story does indeed seem to jump the shark come the end, with the final resolution a complete and utter cop-out, "Smile" is a strong enough episode and continues to set the groundwork for an impressive central partnership between the Doctor and his newly found companion.

Overall Score: 6/10

Film Review: Rules Don't Apply

"You're An Exception. The Rules Don't Apply To You..."

Whilst Warren Beatty might be best known in contemporary media circles as being lead conspirator in the Best Picture fiasco at this year's Academy Award's ceremony, a recent high-profile cock-up more commonly known as "La La-Gate", the attention comes in a somewhat suspiciously well timed manner considering the release of Rules Don't Apply this week, a picture directed, produced, written by and of course, starring the cinematic legend, who takes the leading mantle as infamous businessman Howard Hughes within the setting of 1950's Hollywood, supported by a simply enormous cast featuring the likes of Hail! Caesar star Alden Ehrenreich, Lily Collins, Matthew Broderick, Annette Bening, Alec Baldwin and the always superb, Ed Harris. With a cast as vast as this, Rules Don't Apply is the type of movie you would think on the surface is one which everyone in the current cinematic world seemed to aching to be involved in, particularly with the reputation of Beatty at the helm, yet the finished picture is one of entirely mixed fortunes, one which suffers from a non-existent narrative and some misjudged moments of self-indulgence amidst some basic film-making errors which makes you wonder whether the real Warren Beatty should most definitely stand up.

Of the good things within Rules Don't Apply, the leading trio of Beatty, Ehrenreich and Collins each give respectable performances amidst a screenplay which doesn't really offer much chance to break new ground, with Beatty really hitting the zany mark in his depiction of Howard Hughes, taking cues from DiCaprio in The Aviator when needed but strictly focusing on the wilder side of the infamous billionaire, whilst Ehrenreich continues to impress every time I see him perform on screen, gearing him up for inevitable higher levels of stardom come next year's Han Solo spin-off release. Star of the picture however is Lily Collins as the doe-eyed and wondrous Marla Mabrey, the keen and confident Virginian rookie who although is trying sometime in terms of awkward character quips and decision making, is a real find and completely holds her own against the likes of Beatty in a leading role. As for the not-so good elements of the film, Beatty treats the film as a personal blueprint for himself to engage in exceptional levels of excess, an understandable element when considering the character in which he is portraying, yet the sight of an aged Hollywood legend feeling up an intoxicated young star really didn't sit well on a personal level whilst some fundamental film-making traits are completely disregarded, with endless questionable edits and narrative trails which simply go nowhere. resulting in a movie which ultimately is a complete drag to sit through and when you consider the talent at hand behind it, Rules Don't Apply can only be regarded as a monumental disappointment. 

Overall Score: 4/10

Film Review: Unforgettable

"You Gave It All To Her, Right In Front of Me..."

Tackling the ridiculously difficult genre of the erotic thriller for a debut picture, new kid on the block, Denise Di Novi, seems to have gone full flow with the notion that to get somewhere quickly, the hardest options are sometimes the best to get out of the way. In regards to recent depictions of such a genre, within this year even, the widespread level of excellence ranges from the utter shoddy in the form of the Fifty Shades franchise to the interesting and brilliantly executed, with Elle and Park Chan Wook's The Handmaiden being top-end depictions of eroticism upon the big-screen, helped primarily from scripts which attempt to shake up the format and offer something original instead of simply falling into the pot of generic silliness. Unfortunately for Di Novi, Unforgettable is the type of movie which you question how it actually managed to make it onto the big screen with it clearly being the type of erotic thriller that is destined for the clearance DVD bin in your local supermarket sometime in the near future, yet with star power in the form of Rosario Dawson and Katherine Heigl holding down the fort, Unforgettable is passable, generic popcorn nonsense which ticks all the boxes in a manner which is both swift and unoffensive.

Whilst the trailer for the movie conforms to the common issue of giving away not just the main bulk of the movie but indeed the entire bleeding plot, Unforgettable comes across as representing itself as the 21st century model of Basic Instinct, yet without the shore footing of Elle director Paul Verhoeven in its' corner and without the iconic image of Sharon Stone as the film's leading bunny boiler. Replacing Stone in such a role is Katherine Heigl, the plain faced barbie doll who takes the character of the kooky and wholly obsessive ex-wife and completely runs with it. demonstrating the idea that girls with slicked back hair and a penchant for cleaning silver utensils are without question a grade A psychopath. On the other side of the court is Rosario Dawson's leading heroine, a character who through a wide range of questionable decisions ends up battered, bruised and completely ostracised from her newly found fiancee throughout the course of the movie in a manner in which is meant to exert a sense of tension from the audience, an audience which are way too clever and knowing to see where the entire plot is heading straight from the outset. The Handmaiden it ain't, Unforgettable is ironically, quite forgettable and is saved primarily due to its' two leading stars which prevent the film from disappearing into nonexistence forever. 

Overall Score: 4/10

Film Review: The Belko Experiment

"We Do Not Have The Right To Take Innocent Human Lives..!"

Written by Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn and directed by Greg McLean, the menacing mind behind the spine-tingling and wholly gruelling Wolf Creek, The Belko Experiment is the type of B-Movie which relies on an incredibly niche audience, one who doesn't entirely rely on the thrill of advertisement to venture out and see a movie and one which revels in the sight of movies which attempt to be slightly different from the inevitable and often mind-bending levels of high-profile generic garbage which are released simply with an economic opportunity at the forefront of its' mind and ironically, the same type of releases which more than often end up being a complete pile of crap. I'm looking at you Furious 8. With The Belko Experiment therefore, from the singular, quickfire trailer which I observed in the cinema a few weeks back, I knew from the outset that a cagey, ultra-violent affair was afoot, and with the successful duo of both Gunn and McLean at its' core, what could possibly go wrong? 

Whilst the central narrative at the core of The Belko Experiment is one of which cinematic audiences are more than familiar with, with Gunn taking leads from a wide range of culty sci-fi classics such as Battle Royale and Cube, McLean's directorial lead results in a picture which although begins in a spine-tingling and intoxicating manner, one which revels in a winning mix of dark comic humour with Gunn's penchant for quick, snappy dialogue, ultimately does begin to completely lose steam come the hour mark due to the simply ultra-violent levels of bloodshed which instead of coming across as enjoyable B-Movie splatter, tarnishes the latter end of the movie with a sense of bad taste, a notion which is particularly hard to construct from a self-proclaimed lover of all things horror such as myself. Whilst endless shots of combustible heads and cold-blooded murder is of course something which is ripe in many gore-filled movies nowadays, the violence within The Belko Experiment seems so off-key with the middling tone of the movie that this particular element of the movie ended up seeming inherently rank and unnecessary. High-Rise meets The Hunger Games/Battle Royale, The Belko Experiment may be a mis-judged pile of tastelessness, but it too was a movie in which I was never bored and a film which effectively passed the time thanks primarily to the involvement of James Gunn.

Overall Score: 6/10

TV Review: Doctor Who Series 10 Episode One - "The Pilot"

"What, In The End, Are Any Of Us Looking For? We’re Looking For Someone Who’s Looking For Us..."

After an excruciating year-long absence, aside from the inevitable yet slightly disappointing Christmas special last year, BBC's flagship and longest running sci-fi gem, Doctor Who, finally returns to the small screen after months and months of speculation and discussion regarding not only the fate of the show as a whole but its' current leading star and whether or not Series 10 will indeed be his last. As you may be well aware, this is indeed the case, with Peter Capaldi's brilliant incarnation of the mad man in a box ultimately leaving our screens come the end of the year just in time for new show-runner Chris Chibnall to take over in a fashion similar to Matt Smith's first season back in 2010 when essentially a brand new slate was offered to him after the astronomical success of the Tennant/Davies partnership which had brought the series back into the limelight twelve years ago. Beginning Capaldi's farewell season therefore is "The Pilot", an episode which attempts to introduce Pearl Mackie's depiction of the latest companion, Bill, and an episode which manages to tick all the boxes for a series opener by being a smart, snappy and wholly enjoyable hour of television which offers a fresh new start to a Doctor ultimately coming to his end.

Whilst Capaldi is his usual red velvet loving self, one who is still unable to understand certain elements of humanity but is still eager to help solve the issues that seem to form around him, the real star of the show is indeed Pearl Mackie's Bill, an intelligent, comedic figure who from only one episode has manged to transpose a sense of character development which sometimes is sorely missed by the introductions of previous time-travelling companions, offering a sense of depth to her character with relatable and down-to-earth familial issues who from the outset clicks automatically with Capaldi's Doctor and the quick-quipped figure of Matt Lucas' Nardole, who comes across as somewhat bearable after struggling for fans after a mixed performance in last year's Christmas episode. At the centre of "The Pilot" is a simple, yet effective narrative which not only irks back to a wide range of previous releases such as Stephen King's It and the David Tennant led episode, The Waters of Mars, but is one which successfully both suspenseful and creepy, all the while offering a variety of wholly enjoyable Easter eggs for fans, ranging from a long-lost companion to a modern incarnation of The Movellan's from the Tom Baker-led Destiny of the Daleks. Series 10 therefore begins in a effectively enjoyable fashion, introducing a highly likeable new companion and setting the tone for a series which is set to continue Capaldi's brilliance in the leading role.

Overall Score: 8/10

Film Review: The Fate of the Furious

"Our Paths Have Crossed Before, Dom. You Just Didn't Know It. I Think I Need To Remind You Why You Chose To Be Here..."

Franchises, franchises everywhere. Whilst the unexpected is utterly unreliable when it comes to the release of particular films in the current cinematic tidal wave, it does seem that the golden dollar bill sign is precedent as the leading force in the development of modern cinematic treats, evidenced by the return of the ridiculously indestructible Fast and Furious series in the form of The Fate of the Furious, a continuation of the franchise two years on from the previous instalment which managed to take an eye-whooping 1.5 billion dollars at the global box office. Whilst the mountain of eye-rolling snobs sniff at the sight of yet another jumped-up, adrenaline-heavy fluff piece, myself included, there is to some degree a sense of enjoyment watching a series continuing to live on despite stretching out what is a basic plot thread throughout eight films, due primarily to a overly ripe cast which all seem to have bundles of laughs causing endless waves of destruction and chaos with a seemingly blank cheque book at their disposal. As for the franchises latest offering, The Fate of the Furious is a surprisingly dull affair, offering very little originality amongst a tonally bipolar and utterly stupid narrative which aside from a few, minor elements could be regarded as the worst the series has had to offer so far. 

Of the good things within Furious 8, Jason Statham absolutely steals every single scene in which he is present, from scenes consisting of a constant battle of words between himself and Dwayne Johnson to a final act in which he massacres a variety of killers whilst attempting to save the life of a incredibly important minor, all the while aboard a seemingly untraceable aircraft, one which is operated by Charlize Theron's Cipher, a character which unfortunately offers no sense of threat whatsoever despite her attempts to come across all edgy and unhinged by wearing Metallica tees and moulding her hair on the likes of Bob Marley and Gary Oldman's character in True Romance. The absolute absence of threat is fundamental to the film's overall flaws, with each of the characters acting and performing in such a superhuman manner that the risk of injury or even death is so minimal that at times the film seemed to sink to the level of the worst the Roger Moore era Bond films had to offer, whilst the truly awful CGI comes across as so lazy and haphazard, particularly when considering the array of practical-based action we have witnessed recently within good examples of the genre such as The Raid and Mad Max: Fury Road. If The Fate of the Furious is indeed the future of the franchise, perhaps it's time to hang up the cape, but with astronomical ticket sales inevitable, the likelihood of such is as solid as Vin Diesel becoming the next US President. Well, to be fair, that wouldn't be the worst option right now. 

Overall Score: 4/10

Film Review: The Handmaiden

"It Would Have Been Better If I Was Never Born. To Have Never Taken A Breath And Live..."

Korean director Park Chan-wook is the type of gifted individual who simply doesn't make a bad movie no matter how hard he tries or how strangely subversive the subject material at his disposal comes across. With perhaps one of the greatest trio of movies in Chan-wook's back catalogue in the form of the Vengeance trilogy, consisting of Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, the immensely re-watchable and utterly twisted Oldboy, and of course, Lady Vengeance, the South Korean auteur returns to his language of birth after 2013's English speaking Stoker in the form of The Handmaiden, a cinematic adaptation of the historical crime novel "Fingersmith", penned by Welsh author Sarah Waters, albeit with the novel's Victorian-era Britain setting changed to early 20th century Korea when the country was under Japanese rule. Whilst Chan-wook's penchant for the surreal and the violent have somewhat calmed down with his latest release, the erotic undercurrent and captivating thrill of mystery regarding the narrative of The Handmaiden is another winning formula for a director who continues to impress with a beautifully designed love story which features the director's best twists and turns since the release of Oldboy in 2003.

Tasked by Ha Jung-woo's Count Fujiwara with infiltrating the life of the affluent Lady Izumi Hideko in order to sway her into marriage, young yet intelligent street hustler Sook-hee swiftly begins to feel a sense of conflicted devotion towards not only the Count but towards Lady Hideko's sense of isolation and departure from the world outside the confines of her majestic household. With the plan set in motion in regards to the outcome of Lady Hideko, a chain of events take place which twist and turn at every available chance, resulting in a tale of lust, love and sexual desire which rank up there with the best that director Park Chan-wook has offered in his already highly distinguishable film career. Not only does The Handmaiden present itself as arguably the most stunningly presented film of the year so far, with everything from the set design to the imperious array of costumes a real sight to behold, each of the leading quartet of actors give it their absolute all in creating characters which not only are characterised within an each of their life, but are utterly compelling from beginning to end. With a narrative as winding as that which is witnessed on-screen, The Handmaiden zooms through its' nearly 150 minute runtime with considerable ease whilst the dramatic turns which occur throughout are as jaw-dropping as the infamous twist within previous Chan-wook movies, resulting in a stunning piece of work which is as niche in terms of its' targeted audience as it is fundamentally beautiful to behold in terms of film-making prowess. Seek it out. 

Overall Score: 8/10

Film Review: Going In Style

"Worst Comes To The Worst, We Get Caught, We Get A Bed, Three Meals A Day, And Better Health Care Than We Got Now..."

From the trailers of Going In Style alone, the narrative for such a film could be concluded as a crime-centred comedy featuring classic and well-respected actors, all of whom have won numerous awards for their respective art, most notable of which is of course the esteemed Academy Award, which focuses upon a narrative of elderly trials and tribulations with the ultimate endgame being a resort to criminal activities. Sound familiar? Oh yeah, particularly with the inclusion of Alan Arkin in a leading role which of course links oh so heavily to the 2012 movie Stand Up Guys that it seems so redundant that a film so obviously similar in terms of narrative could be released only five years later, even worse so when considering Going In Style is a remake in itself of the 1979 movie of the same name. Alongside films such as Last Vegas and the widely panned release of Dirty Grandpa last year, the genre of esteemed acting money grabbing releases is once again rife within your local cinema chain, a chance to rejoice if ever there was one. With the release of Going In Style therefore, a movie written by Hidden Figures director Theodore Melfi and directed by Scrubs star Zach Braff, it comes as no surprise that Braff's movie is one which pulls no punches in terms of originality but as a whole is a surprisingly enjoyable piece of fluff which does no harm whatsoever and actually accomplishes something many contemporary comedy films fail to do; make me laugh!

With a leading trio in the form of Arkin, Caine and Freeman, the notion that Going In Style is the type of movie for each of the three to simply come in and pick up the cheque was indeed at the forefront of my mind throughout the course of the film's meaningful 90 minute runtime, yet unlike it's sibling this week in the form of Table 19, a similarly timed so-called comedy, Braff's movie is Annie Hall in comparison, with Going In Style not attempting to be anything more than a cheesy, throwaway geriatric-based comedy which lavishes in the charm and fundamental reliability of its' leading stars. Whilst the film's concluding act mirages into the sort of narrative that watchers of Hustle would be extremely snobbish at in terms of its' utter, utter silliness, Going In Style is a solid enough comedy to be worthy of entering your local cinema screen just long enough to appreciate how good Ann-Margaret looks for someone aged 75. Not exactly going in style come the end, Braff's movie is passable cheese and sometimes passable cheese is just good enough. 

Overall Score: 6/10

Film Review: Table 19

"What If You Came Here For A Different Reason Today...?"

Famous for appearing in a supporting role within the epitome of marmite movie-making in the form of the Twilight franchise, the fundamentally annoying figure of Anna Kendrick is the type of leading star which I just can't comprehend how she has managed to successfully integrate herself into the mirage of contemporary cinema, particularly in the genre of comedy-based dramas in which her latest release in the form of Table 19 seems to adhere to, due to the basic fact that she simply doesn't have a comedic bone in her body. Harsh much? Sue me. What we have with Table 19 therefore, the latest release from director Jeffrey Blitz, a character perhaps most famous for his directorial duties on the American adaptation of The Office, is a movie in which the void of motionless performances and the quiet desolation of cringe-inducing silence is so vast and multi-faced that for Table 19 to class itself as a romantic comedy is a complete and utter insult to not only its' audience but towards its' cast too, who unwittingly attempt to turn a dour narrative into something worthwhile. As you might be able to tell, unfortunately they do not.

After accepting an invitation to the wedding of her former best friend's brother of whom a relationship is seemingly a thing of the past, Anna Kendrick's unbearable leading character tries her hardest to offer evidence as the best on-screen sober drunk girl at a wedding I can remember seeing in recent years, annoying each and every audience member from start to finish with her whining cries of self-loathing and self-indulgence which involves a strange sub-plot regarding a pitiless and immature response to childhood amongst an overall narrative which literally has nothing memorable or imaginative from the outset. With characters who act as simply cannon fodder for Kendrick to spit at in anger regarding her truly first-world problems, Table 19 can only be regarded as a sold enough example as one of the most boring romantic comedies I can remember, with my respective cinema stoked in silence for a painfully slow 90 minutes in which on-screen jokes were greeted unanimously with sighs and glances towards the nearest clock face to see how long it was until the torture was nearing its' end. Table 19 is a ugly, self-obsessed and wholly repulsive movie which has nothing redeemable about it whatsoever. Avoid. 

Overall Score: 2/10

Film Review: Ghost In The Shell

"Everyone Around Me, They Feel Connected To Something. Connected To Something I'm Not...!"

With the levels to which the hidden advertisement gurus have gone to in order to make sure this year's adaptation of Ghost In The Shell is popularly positioned within every cinema, street corner and television set, one of the main reliefs of finally sitting down and watching such is to be safe in the knowledge that never again will we see the propaganda-esque levels of publicity for Rupert Sanders' Americanised remake of the 1995 Japanese animation which in turn was based upon the famous manga series of the same name. Whilst the background to the development of the project was rife with controversy regarding the announcement of Scarlett Johansson in the leading role of a film which is primarily Japanese based, mirroring in an almost uncanny fashion to the awfulness which was The Great Wall, Ghost In The Shell fortunately is a solid enough by-the-numbers sci-fi flick which through a wide range of elements is strong enough to bypass the controversy surrounding its' leading star's heritage, yet still suffers from a wide range of issues which prevent it from being the culty spectacle it almost feels obliged to be.

Of the good elements of Ghost In The Shell, director Rupert Sanders has created a future world in which not only is highly plausible but beautifully admirable in its' construction. Think Blade Runner meets The Fifth Element with a hint of Minority Report and the surrounding boundaries of our heroine's setting is the grungy science fiction landscape which many films have attempted to utilise without a sense of physicality. Luckily for Ghost In The Shell, such physical spectacle is there to be admired, although one which is amongst a narrative which unfortunately isn't as groundbreaking as it thinks it is, with it taking plot threads and twisty turns into realms of extreme obviousness, particularly amongst science fiction fanatics like myself, whilst the real interesting notions, such as Scarlett Johansson's Major attempting to discover who she truly is in a Blade Runner-esque fashion, are left to one side in favour of various action set pieces. Having a soft spot for Peter Ferdinando, star of the Ben Wheatley directed A Field In England and High-Rise, his performance as the (SPOILERS AHEAD) villain-in-chief is passably fun, whilst Boardwalk Empire's Michael Putt is truly wasted as the cast-off cyborg thingy who speaks in a way which combines the weirdness of The Man From Another Place from Twin Peaks and Stephen Hawking. Solid and spectacular in places, Ghost In The Shell is the type of movie you can sense what the ultimate endgame of the narrative is a mile off but for a cheap Friday night blockbuster, it does the job suitably. 

Overall Score: 7/10