Film Review: The Shining

"I'm Sorry To Differ With You Sir, But You Are The Caretaker. You've Always Been The Caretaker..."

In a year where the works of Stephen King have seemed to have taken siege upon both the big screen and the small, the re-release of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining ironically seeks out to remind how much the horror masterpiece differs from its' ghostly source material, and whilst King himself has famously distanced himself from the 1980 classic on a moral level, the haunting ambiguity and off-kilter tonal essence of Kubrick's classic once again reminds why such a movie is always part of the conversation when discussing the greatest and most influential horror movies of all time. Published in January of 1977, King's third novel quickly followed the breakout successes of Carrie and Salem's Lot, and whilst the story on the surface primarily focuses on the horrors of the Overlook Hotel and the toll it takes on the Torrance family, the underlying notions of alcoholism and regret mirrored the struggles of the novel's own during that period of time, resulting in The Shining being arguably King's most personal work up to that date, creating an understandable air of indifference from King to a movie released only three years later which decided to focus primarily on the supernatural elements of the novel rather than the subplots regarding familial tensions and the conflicted leading character of Jack Torrance to a larger extent portrayed on film. Thankfully for Kubrick, his version of The Shining is arguably more terrifying than one could have envisioned when adapting King's story from page to screen, thanks primarily to a typically maddened performance from Jack Nicholson whose portrayal of the writer's block inflicted father will arguably go down as his most iconic and memorable role within a career which goes down with arguably one of the greatest ever. 

Whilst the casting of Nicholson seemed to many at the time to be one of ease over exploration, with Nicholson's Oscar winning performance as Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest already showcasing Nicholson's penchant for portraying the slightly insane, the guidance of Kubrick as the film's master of puppets resulted in a live-action Jack Torrance which seeped with uncertainty and ferocious ingrained rage from beginning to end. With Shelley Duvall as the repressed, doe-eyed Wendy Torrance on Nicholson's arm and the youthful appearance of Danny Lloyd as son, Danny, a child afflicted with the titular mysterious power as coined by Scatman Crothers' Dick O'Halloran, Kubrick's take on the already well established horror genre is arguably his most auteurist within a filmography which puts most recent filmmakers to shame, and whilst the likes of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Dr Strangelove proved the widening spectrum of Kubrick's work, his OCD-esque tendency for frame-by-frame perfection and famously subverted workings of actors, sets and camera usage is no more apparent than in The Shining, a film, which not unlike the book, has a surface narrative regarding one man's descent into darkness but underneath is filled with famously hidden notions which ranged from everything from Kubrick's stance on the moon landing to a comment regarding the massacring of native American indians. 

Of course, the discussion regarding the hidden elements of Kubrick's masterpiece is not exactly hot topic for most, and when reviewing the movie on just cinematic grounds, The Shining is near flawless, a ice-cold spook-a-thon which although was aware of previous examples of the genre such as The Haunting and more obviously, The Amytiville Horror, broke new ground in its' ghostly balance between psychological horror and flat out slasher, one which is all helmed together by the performance of Nicholson and arguably the most impressive batch of iconic set pieces to ever grace the genre of horror. Whether it be Danny's meeting with the mysterious visitor in Room 237, the image of two deceased twins or of course, the legendary, improvised line of "here's Johnny", The Shining is a rare case of a movie which although is a shadow of the source material of which I am undoubtedly a huge fan, is undoubtedly a masterwork in its' own way, and with the chance to see Kubrick's movie on the big screen for the very first time this week, such an opportunity is one which film fans in general cannot pass by.

Overall Score: 10/10

Film Review: Jigsaw

"Now The Games Are Simple. Best Ones Are. You Want Mercy? Play By The Rules..."

It's Halloween guys, and the return of the sadistic rampaging murderer with a moral compass known as Jigsaw returns after a few years hiatus, and whilst the Saw movies were the epitome of a series which died a slow and painful death after every subsequent release following the undeniably impressive first film directed by James Wan and released all the way back in 2004, it seems the audience's thirst for blood continues to be a factor in the return of such an undying horror franchise. Continuing with Jigsaw therefore, Predestination directors, The Spierig Brothers, take the helm of an entry which although is still retrograde in terms of its' complete lack of originality, minimal levels of substance and a penchant for leary comments regarding the movie's leading female characters, is undeniably not exactly the worst Saw sequel to embrace the big screen, and with the inclusion of a major franchise character and some rather gooey death scenes which encompass the exploitation goodness of the series, Jigsaw is passable in the sense that it really isn't worth remembering after you evacuate from its' relatively harmless ninety minute runtime. 

Featuring a brand new handful of relatively pointless cannon fodder to act as instruments of subverted play for our titular serial killer, Jigsaw spins its' narrative round and round in a sickening twisting motion, one which seems dead keen on keeping the audience guessing in regards to what truly is happening and who is really behind such elaborate, murderous schemes, and whilst the depth or shock value of previous entries make the latest entry pretty pointless on the face of it, the inclusion of Tobin Bell is always a pretty remarkable bonus, whilst the concluding twist was extravagant enough to overcome the gaping plot holes, resulting in a sensation which allows you to just ride with it, culminating in a final death scene which reminds everyone just how stupidly fun the franchise can be when not taking itself too seriously. With the sounds of hysterical screeching becoming unbearable at times however and the rather silly, B-movie budget holding it narrowly together, Jigsaw is complete trash, just not trash that has been as harmless as similar movies which have preceded it in the past.

Overall Score: 4/10

Film Review: Breathe

"No One's Ever Believed It's Possible To Live As You Do..."

Whilst Andy Serkis is the type of Hollywood star who can rarely do wrong in my own humble and completely correct opinion, his directorial debut in the form of Breathe puts aside the man we have come to know and love as Gollum, Caesar and that one armed chap from the MCU with a movie which is as far away from mystical beings and superhuman heroes as one could possibly get, with Serkis' debut focusing on the true story of Robin and Diana Cavendish and their lifelong battle with the former's fight with permanent paralysis after being stricken with polio. Whilst the film features a likeable leading duo in the form of Andrew Garfield and The Crown star, Claire Foy, Breathe is unfortunately a hard task of a movie, one which takes both too long to begin and an eternity to end in the space of a two hour runtime which utilises a narrative which really doesn't have enough to say at all in order to keep its' audience entertained throughout, and whilst there is real heart at the centre of the film's production, Serkis's movie is the type of movie which more often begins to grind the mind rather than warming the heart.

With an opening title which not only sets the pacing for the movie but evoked the workings of classic movies in a similar ilk to Sofia Coppola's beautifully crafted title card in The Beguiled earlier this year, Breathe begins by handing the audience the movie's leading relationship pretty quickly but without any real meaningful sense of substance, a decision which becomes much stranger as the film heads into a final act which easily could have been condensed into losing at least twenty minutes, twenty minutes which instead could have been spent on an opening act which focused more on the development of the meeting between Robin and Diana rather than just passing it off and expecting the audience to generate empathy from out of completely nowhere. Because of this decision, the opening act ultimately feels rushed whilst the concluding act features more endings than The Return of the King, and whilst I can enjoy saccharin sweetness when done effectively, Breathe is the type of movie which feels it necessary to flog the sympathy doll as much as possible without any of it really working. Sorry Mr. Serkis, we're off to a rocky start. 

Overall Score: 4/10

Film Review: Thor: Ragnarok

"We Have To Stop Her Here And Now, And Prevent Ragnarok, The End Of Everything..."

With arguably two of the weakest entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far, the return of Chris Hemsworth's Thor marks the seventeenth entry in the gargantuan comic franchise, and whilst the character is awash with charisma and undeniable charm, it seems Hemsworth's God of thunder has been the recipient of being better served when mixed in with the collective Marvel characters rather than being free to fight battles on his lonesome. Inevitably therefore, Ragnarok, directed by New Zealand's Taika Waititi, manages to follow in the footsteps of Captain America: Civil War by for all intents and purposes being an Avengers movie, just without the titular phrasing slapped across it, with Hemsworth's character this time being surrounded by the likes of Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner and the return of Tom Hiddleston's Loki in his battle against Cate Blanchett's evil goddess of death, Hela. With Waititi's previous works including the likes of What We Do In The Shadows and last year's critically acclaimed independent groundbreaker, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, the Kiwi's ascent into Hollywood stardom continues the MCU's usage of interesting, promising directors after Shane Black's Iron Man 3 and Jon Watt's take on Spiderman: Homecoming earlier this year, and what Waititi has managed to achieve with Ragnarok is undeniably create the best of the Thor standalone releases so far, but with a aching sense of inconsequentiality running through it, the latest MCU release is supercharged in style but lacking wholly in any sense of prolonging substance.

Faced with the passing of father Odin, Thor heeds the warning of the coming of Cate Blanchett's Hela, the Goddess of Death, whose desire to overthrow the Asgardian kingdom could potentially lead to the coming of Ragnarok, a prophetic armageddon which eradicates the existence of Asgard from the face of the universe, but with the God of Thunder's preoccupied exile onto the planet of Sakaar, Thor must first overcome the greatest gladiator battle of all time before returning to save his home planet from certain destruction. With the chugging riffs of Led Zeppelin and a colourful, sparkly tone which made Guardians of the Galaxy so joyous throughout, Ragnarok is a movie which soaks up the fundamental ridiculousness of Thor's character and simply hands the audience an undeniably entertaining comic adventure on a multi-coloured plate, and whilst the rib tickling comedy and likeable characters, both old and new, keep the audience chuckling and the lengthy running time manageable, the latest Marvel adventure does suffer at times from having almost too much to say without any of it having any real consequence. With a emo-inflicted villain who is too camp to take seriously, strangely jarring cameos from particular Hollywood stars and a limited screen presence from the likes of Jeff Goldblum and Idris Elba, Ragnarok suffers where the likes of Civil War prevailed, with the latter working with each pieces of the chess board onto something of consequence, and considering the future which lies ahead for the fate of the MCU, Ragnarok is indeed a highly enjoyable addition to the Marvel universe but ultimately doesn't seem exactly necessary. 

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Review: Happy Death Day

"I've Already Lived Through This Day. Someone Is Going To Kill Me Tonight..."

For a film which even come the concluding act references Groundhog Day, Happy Death Day, the latest from the indie-horror sensation filmmakers at Blumhouse Productions, at least doesn't attempt to shy away from the fundamental similarities between it's own narrative and the Bill Murray comedy classic, and whilst this time the titular groundhog is replaced with an ice cold, rampaging murderer with a penchant for baby-faced, plastic masks in the ilk of famous slashers of the past, Happy Death Day is still a highly entertaining black comedy which although undeniably lacks completely in originality, makes up for in pristine execution. Helmed by the rather unknown low-key figure of Jessica Rothe as the stuck-up, air-headed student, Theresa, Happy Death Day follows a narrative in which although is overly predictable in a paint-by-numbers kind of fashion, mixes together well a blackly comic violent streak with a life-affirming redemption tale without seeping too far into overkill or saccharin silliness, and with the chance to witness again and again the death of the movie's leading character, director Christopher B. Landon plays around with the comical elements almost too much at times that if it weren't for moments of shock-inducing violence, Happy Death Day could pass itself as a late-turn edition of Scooby-Doo, and whilst such a notion sounds fundamentally ridiculous, the turnaround of the film's leading character results in the movie ultimately coming across too charming to dismiss as just overly ripe silliness. 

With moments which include nicely orchestrated jump scares and a brilliant supporting performance from Israel Broussard as the non stereotypical stereotypical fresher student and exposition handler, Carter, Happy Death Day understands the joyous nature of films which on the one hand balance traditional horror tropes and on the other, light hearted comedy, and whilst a few scenes throughout the course of the film's 90 minutes don't entirely work, including a compilation of our heroine's attempts to locate her own killer and a final twist which is the definition of obviousness, Landon's movie works on a level of popcorn-fuelled escapism of which I went into the screening particularly yearning for. Whilst Blumhouse Productions have undoubtedly crafted much more impressive and long-lasting horror releases, Happy Death Day passess the time effectively enough to warrant its' existence, even when half way through I couldn't get the image of Bill Murray out of my mind.

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Review: The Death of Stalin

"Have A Long Sleep, Old Man. I'll Take It From Here..."

Before taking the reigns of the Tardis in Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi was best known for his unforgettable role as infamous spin doctor, Malcolm Tucker, in the critically acclaimed political satire The Thick of It, and whilst Capaldi undeniably made such an iconic character very much his own in the years on-screen, the orchestrator of chaos in the form of Armando Iannucci easily deserved as much credit for handling a show which went from strength to strength in attempting to depict a modern political system awash with daily chaos. Returning to the spectrum of cinematic political satire for the first time since 2009's The Thick of It spin-off, In The Loop, Iannucci's latest, The Death of Stalin, tackles the titular passing of the infamous leader of the Soviet Union in early 1953 and the subsequent days leading to up to his funeral, albeit with a hilariously played, blackly comic edge of which Mr. Iannucci is arguably the leading figure of in the current entertainment climate. Whilst The Death of Stalin is undeniably hilarious, with a number of well orchestrated set pieces resulting in leaving me in a fit of giggle inflicted tears, Iannucci's latest also includes a darkened hole at its' narrative epicentre, and whilst the mix of the bizarre and the bleak is interestingly played, The Death of Stalin doesn't hold together as smoothly as I would have liked, but its' undeniable comic streak makes it a worthy inclusion into the Scottish comic's impressive repertoire of political satire.  

Beginning with a scene which not only sets the tone for basis of the movie but outlines the terrifying balance between historical reality and outright fiction, The Death of Stalin uses the narrative essence of Aaron Sorkin-esque political dramas such as The West Wing alongside a mix between intelligent, quip-laden dialogue of Iannucci's own famous satirical shows and the slapstick, almost ludicrous comedy of which Monty Python made so famous in their lengthy run on and off screen, and whilst the plot does waver in places, with the script simmering up and down in terms of engagement level, the inclusion of a perfectly formed cast, each utilising either their own accents, or in the case of Jason Isaacs, one of Yorkshire descent, who are all at the top of their game in comically portraying leaders of a nation which in Iannucci's eyes is filled with utter chaos and political incompetence following the passing of a terrifyingly powerful leader. Whilst the comedy does undeniably work, the switch from light to darkness within the movie always doesn't, with the juxtaposition between humour and plot threads which feature murder, child abuse and rape seeming more than jarring at times, even when their inclusion was downright inevitable when effectively examining the workings of a Stalin-led Soviet Union, but with enough cracking one liners to put most contemporary comedies to shame, The Death of Stalin is highly enjoyable, just not in the same pedigree as previous Iannucci-led satires.

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Review: Brawl in Cell Block 99

"You Are A Man Of Principle. You Know The Difference Between Right and Wrong..."

Although the thought of seeing the latest Vince Vaughn movie doesn't exactly fill me with mountainous levels of excitement, the real drawing power of Brawl in Cell Block 99 is of course director S. Craig Zahler, the American filmmaker behind one of last year's most surprisingly violent and impressively crafted movies in the form of Bone Tomahawk, who in Tarantino-esque form, managed to create a dark and overly twisted Western which not only had a growling, moustache wearing Kurt Russell on top form, but placed Zahler front and centre amidst the many impressive underground filmmakers out there today. Swapping the Western horror genre for a modern-day based crime thriller, Zahler more than effectively continues the successes of Bone Tomahawk with his latest release, creating a movie which simultaneously emphasises the director's love of exploitation cinema and midnight movie B-releases, alongside showcasing a redefined Vince Vaughn in a superbly crafted, unrecognisable fashion, and whilst Vaughn has flirted with dramatic roles in the past, with True Detective and Hacksaw Ridge being the most recent examples, Brawl in Cell Block 99 is the type of movie which could inevitably end up giving the American actor his very own mcconaissance, and whilst Vaughn is only the tip of the iceberg for a film which has so many positive elements, the real plaudits undeniably belongs to the film's commander in chief, with Zahler continuing to prove why so many cinema loving audiences have began to become truly interested in his work. 

Fired from his job and sucked back into a previously departed life of criminality, Vaughn's Bradley Thomas quickly finds himself in the confines of a cell after a drug deal gone sour, and with the welfare of his wife and unborn child at risk, Bradley is forced to meet the demands of a high ranking Mexican gangster in order to pay the astronomical debt caused by Bradley's sudden incarceration. Using a similar narrative technique to that of Bone Tomahawk, Zahler's latest is a movie which understands the balance between character based substance and exploitation style violence, utilising the film's two hour plus runtime to examine a character who bounces back and forth between a charming, family oriented man of the people and a brooding, merciless, violent thug, and with Vaughn using his natural, bulky physique as an essential part of the character's appearance, Brawl is arguably the first film to really showcase to what Vaughn's strength's truly are as an actor. Of course, with the exploitation style violence inevitable for a man who shocked the world with Bone Tomahawk, the scenes in which we witness Bradley rip apart fellow criminals with his bare hands are undeniably shocking and squeal-inducing, but to the film's credit, always have an undeniable air of B-movie fun within them, and for a film as violent as this, Brawl in Cell Block 99 manages to blend seamlessly the mix between violence, drama and guilty pleasure to a wholly entertaining extent. With brilliant cameo performances from the likes of Jennifer Carpenter and the charisma covered Don Johnson, the best course of action is to remember the name, with S. Craig Zahler slowly becoming the most interesting director working out there today. 

Overall Score: 8/10

Film Review: Geostorm

"We Were Warned And We Did Not Listen..."

Although hailed as some form of guaranteed audience grabber, Gerard Butler's most recent backlog of film appearances isn't exactly the greatest run from the growling, wide-chinned Scot, with the likes of Gods of Egypt and London Has Fallen being two of the worst cinema releases in recent history, and whilst there is always hope for redemption, the release of the CGI-fuelled Geostorm brings with it a heavy sense of, "here we go again!", particularly after months and months of trailers hyping up a movie which on the face of it, might give Independance Day: Resurgence a run for its' money as worst big-budget science-fiction disaster movie of the past few years. Directed by American debutant Dean Devlin, whose past producing credits ironically include the likes of Resurgence and erm, Eight Legged Freaks, the latest movie to showcase how much destruction can be created from the screen of a computer in the form of Geostorm is unsurprisingly a gag-inducing barrel of garbage, one which takes the cliched notion of leaving your brain at the foyer to a whole new level of unparalleled literalness and too a movie which just makes you question why and how it ever made it past the cutting room floor. 

With Butler showcasing the limited amount of range he has as an actor, portraying a supposed super intelligent science engineer with all the efficiency of a leather based raincoat, Geostorm is the type of movie which doesn't even begin to offer credible reasons for making the audience believe any events which depict on screen are even capable of actually occurring, and whilst end of the world, disaster movies fundamentally require a minimal level of audience open-minded participation, the mind-boggling and headache inducingly bad narrative at the heart of Geostorm leads to a movie which although features scenes of tidal waves, gigantic laser beams and gargantuan explosions, is undeniably boring from beginning to end. With plot turns aplenty all resulting in a synchronised round of sighs from the audience and a tacky, saccharin sweet family narrative thread acting as the film's through line, Geostorm is trash unrefined, and whilst Devlin's CGI-based load of hogwash isn't exactly the worst film of the year, it is undeniably the stupidest. 

Overall Score: 3/10

Film Review: The Ritual

"We Should Have Gone To Vegas..."

Based upon British author Adam Nevill's novel of the same name, the Andy Serkis produced The Ritual might go unnoticed within your respective multiplex this week amidst snow-obsessed serial killers and the latest big-screen Lego animation, and whilst black comedy horror is sometimes hard to get spot on, the likes of Dog Soldiers and Shaun of the Dead prove that when done effectively, such a genre is hard to top in terms of entertainment value, and whilst The Ritual isn't exactly a movie rooted with jaw-dropping levels of originality, director David Bruckner has executed a movie which does manage to tick the entertainment box rather extravagantly, and with a central four man show including the likes of Rafe Spall at the heart of the action, Bruckner's latest is a movie bursting with cine-literate genre threads and snigger-inducing, quip-laden dialogue which helps twists the narrative through both horror and comedy ridiculously smoothly through a beautifully harmless ninety minute B-movie feast.

Evoking a wide range of classic horror releases, The Ritual nods its' twisted head primarily through a Blair Witch style setting into the Pagan influences of Anthony Shaffer's The Wicker Man and through once again into the creature feature elements of The Descent, and whilst it was entertaining to mentally jot down the movies imbedded within the film's narrative, Bruckner's movie does hold enough strength to be classed as a movie on its' own right, particularly with the four key characters at the heart of the movie each having their own individual characteristics to be much more than just horror movie cannon fodder. With director David Bruckner having past experience in low-key horror releases before, including the "Amateur Night" segment of the highly enjoyable horror anthology, V/H/S, The Ritual does manage its' horror elements incredibly well, particularly in the first two-thirds of the movie when the film's leading threat is seeped in ambiguity, and whilst the final act is incredibly ludicrous and ultimately predictable, The Ritual is a highly entertaining piece of popcorn horror cinema which revels in the chance to not take itself seriously whatsoever. 

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Review: The Snowman

"You Could Save Them You Know. I Gave You All The Clues And Everything..."

Tackling a subject matter light years apart from the similarly titled Raymond Briggs written animation, The Snowman, a cinematic adaptation of Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbø's best selling novel, marks the highly anticipated return of Swedish director Tomas Alfredson, whose decision to adapt his fellow Scandinavians' work from page to screen makes some sort of sense considering the dark, twisty tones of his previous work, and whilst Nesbø's novel is the seventh in a series based around the trials and tribulations of Michael Fassbender's leading character, Harry Hole, Alfredson's movie is the first attempt in bringing the author's famous detective to some sort of cinematic fruition. With good omens behind it therefore, it comes at a complete surprise to report that Alfredson's latest is unfortunately nothing more than a shockingly dire and unintentionally woeful, manufactured work of disillusioned trash, one which seems to have faltered primarily at a pre-production stage and ultimately released just for the sake of it, and when considering the talent behind it, with a cast which mirrors the impressive ensemble within Alfredson's previous, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Snowman is undoubtedly one of the most infuriatingly contrived let downs in recent Hollywood history.

Suffering from a handful of flaws which range from sloppy unprofessionalism to sinful laziness, The Snowman seems to be the spawn of awful judgement primarily from a production standpoint, with the film's narrative lacking any meaningful level of threat, coherence or substance in complete contrast to previous Scandinavian thrillers such as The Killing and the Millennium franchise, and whilst the absence of threat results in the bulk of the movie being replaced with utter tedium, the film is worsened by the bizarre comedic tendency it seems to evoke each and every time the movie slips into supposed dark territory, with awfully designed murder clips and the scene of a snowman's head being planted on the top of a deceased body resulting in a combination of sniggers rather than the nail-biting thrills I believe the novels were famous for. With editing which verges on the point of insanity and scenes which move from one to another without any sort of meaningful connectivity, The Snowman is a incomprehensible mess of a movie, and whilst the likes of Fassbender and even Alfredson to some extent can't be entirely to blame, the first entry of a supposed Jo Nesbø based franchise is a complete and utter stinker. 

Overall Score: 3/10

Film Review: The Mountain Between Us

"I Don't Wanna Die Up Here Because You Are Too Scared To Take A Risk..."

Based upon the novel of the same name by American author Charles Martin, director Hany Abu-Assad takes his first big budget chance with The Mountain Between Us, a romantic survivalist drama featuring Kate Winslet and Idris Elba in the leading roles as journalist Alex Martin and Dr. Ben Bass, strangers who are stranded in the heartland of the wilderness after the crash of their charter plane. Whilst survivalist tales are not uncommon, with the likes of The Revenant and even It Comes at Night showcasing the genre-bending facet of the much explored narrative of man's basic instinct to keep on going, Assad's movie suffers primarily from a nonexistent level of threat, one which weakens the majority of the film's first half, and a central relationship from two of Hollywood's most bankable actors which not only lacks any sort of meaningful authenticity but is completely vacant of romantic chemistry, resulting in a schmaltzy mess of a movie which even manages to make its' icy surroundings feel placid and dull. 

With Elba and Winslet sinking to levels thought impossible in terms of their performances, Assad uses the first ten minutes of the movie to complete the setup, placing our leading duo in a contrived state of confusion which results in them deciding to fly together upon the creakiest, most unsafe charter plane possible, and whilst the inner shot of the plane's inevitable descent onto the snowy terrains below is actually pretty well done, the subsequent ninety minutes is an exercise in mediocrity, with the narrative choosing to repeat the same notions over and over again without any sense of threat or belief that our leading heroes will subsequently perish, with the movie coming across instead as the type of saccharin-flavoured money grabber which even decides to save the dog when the whole audience was expecting a mutt-flavoured barbecue to occur upon the screen. With no sense of peril or real meaningful characterisation, the concluding portion of the film's romance-based section is inevitably gooey and pointless, and whilst The Mountain Between Us isn't the worst example of survivalist dramas, it is certainly the tackiest. 

Overall Score: 4/10

Film Review: Blade Runner 2049

"I Always Told You. You're Special. Your History Isn't Over Yet. There's Still A Page Left..."

Reissued to the big screen last year, Ridley Scott's 1982 cult, science fiction classic Blade Runner is one of the greatest films of all time, period. Directed by a Scott on form of which has never been topped and beautifully designed through soaring cinematography and a world class Vangelis soundtrack, the cinematic adaptation of Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is likely never to be topped within the genre of forward-thinking futuristic fiction. Treading with an air of trepidatious caution therefore, the release of Blade Runner 2049 is shackled with a the undeniable questioning of why a sequel was ever needed to a film laced with ambiguity and uncertainty twenty-five years ago, but with Scott being reduced to a production role only, a factor most fortunate considering the lack of mediocre releases from the American lately, and arguably the best filmmaker working at this moment in the form of Sicario and Arrival director Denis Villeneuve in charge, 2049 manages to create a heavy sense of confliction regarding its' existence inside my cinematic mind. With a returning Harrison Ford, a grit-infused Ryan Gosling and the who's who team of top class filmmakers, featuring the likes of Hans Zimmer and cinematographer Roger Deakins, 2049 holds the ace card for complete success, and what Villeneuve has managed to create is fundamentally a multi-million dollar art house inflicted masterpiece, one which expands the Blade Runner universe into expansive, lurid territory whilst simultaneously paying complete tribute to an original so beloved by many by coming oh so close to toppling the foundations of its' predecessors unwavered supremacy as the masterwork of nightmarish, dystopian science fiction. 

Whilst dissecting the details of the plot would be utter sacrilege, 2049 works as both a worthy continuation of the plot threads left over from the 1982 original and an organic beast in its' own right, using the underlying narrative regarding the existence of replicants to a more than effective degree in attempting to piece together a story which both points to the past and propels into the future, with Ryan Gosling's Agent K central to a narrative which combats its' high-profile cast by giving each star a sharply defined character of notable distinction and interest, with Jared Leto's Tyrell inflicted Wallace and Sylvia Hoeks' Luv the standout characters of the piece. Concluding with all the ambiguity and uncertainty of the original, opportunity ultimately remains open for yet another sequel in the Blade Runner canon, yet with the care and delicate approach clearly given to its' creation, 2049 seems more beneficial to remain solely as a chance to explore deeper the world originally created by Scott as a one-off, and whilst Villeneuve has the American to thank for handing him the chance to mould the Blade Runner world to his liking, the touch of a man who directed the woozy tranquility of Arrival is all over Blade Runner 2049, a film which revels in handing its' audience a sense of exploration in attempting to piece out the satirical, sociological and thematic notions which are laid out on the screen, a screen which attempts to hold together images which evoke a sense of jaw-dropping awe when attempting to conclude how any living human could create such art. With amber-infused radioactive plains of a destroyed Las Vegas, the surrealist, art deco interior of Wallace enterprises, and the polluted airs of downtown Los Angeles, cinematographer and long awaited Oscar recipient, Roger Deakins, is at the top of his game, creating eye-widening spectacle after spectacle in helping Villeneuve establish the world in which the darkness and despair of the plot ultimately relies on, and whilst beauty has never been absent from the work of such a talented DP (the descent into darkness from Sicario and the sniper scene in Skyfall to name a few memorable shots), 2049 is undoubtedly the picture which will make the world stand up and proclaim Deakins as the undeniable master of his respective art form.

With Gosling's Agent K on Drive territory, the brooding, bloodied body of his character is essential to the picture's overt sense of dread which is played straight from beginning to end, and whilst the deliciously packed two hours and forty five minutes may seem a tad of a stretch to some, the film's excesses never bothered me and even could have gone on further without a hint of objection or disdain. With a eye-watering budget at his disposal, it is quite remarkable how Villeneuve's approach to 2049 is to completely follow the essence of the original in terms of both tone and feel, using long, sometimes drawn out sequences to enforce the eerie sense of isolation felt by the film's leading characters, with the best moments sometimes utilising no dialogue or musical accompaniments at all, with the camera focused instead on how a particular character moves, feels or reacts to a particular scenario or plot development, with even Ford managing to be so much more than just a cast-off cameo in his return as Deckard, with a tense and almost Lynchian scene involving him and Leto's Wallace a breathtaking example of each of the respective actors at the top of their game. With Hans Zimmer supplying the honking, synthy, Vangelis inspired soundtrack to completely encompass the film's heart of darkness, the resulting chemical equation of putting together so many skilled filmmakers in the same room is rather quite staggering, with Villeneuve's film managing to not only topple the lofty expectations set upon it, but also managing to portray science fiction cinema at its' most beautiful and imaginative. Handed with the chance of the lifetime, Blade Runner 2049 is undoubtedly Villeneuve's film, and with the Avengers style team of movie makers around him all working in complete synchronisation, the world can now finally see what it truly means to be a true sequel to film that never thought needed to be continued in the first place. 

Overall Score: 10/10

Film Review: Flatliners

"Okay, Now's The Point When You Say It's All A Joke..."

Remake. Reimagining. Reboot. Whatever. Of all the many psychological horror one-off's in the world, Joel Schumacher's 1990 cult flick, Flatliners, is indeed a movie devoid of all reasoning for such a continuation, and whilst the original had interesting ideas and a youthful, enthusiastic cast including the likes of Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts and Kevin Bacon, the jury still remains out on why exactly a sequel is needed at all. With The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo director Niels Arden Oplev helming the similarly titled sequel this week, which from trailers alone, comes across as the bare-bones, cheap money cash-in many would expect it to be, at least there is some reason to be slightly excited, particularly with Oplev helming the likes of Mr. Robot and the somewhat mediocre, if stylish Colin Farrell starring, Dead Man Down since his success with the first of the Swedish-based Millennium series. Whilst it's almost lazy to tarnish Oplev's latest with all the obvious cliched quips, it is startling how much Flatliners is completely dead on arrival, with the latest Hollywood sequel lacking both pulse and heart as it only manages to succeed in making the original look like a forgotten cinematic classic. 

Using the narrative of the first film to almost pinpoint exactness albeit for minor, lacklustre tweaks, Flatlines suffers fundamentally from the age old issue with sequels with it being a film which doesn't attempt to build on the successes of its' predecessor but simply decides to rehash the exact same ideas, and whilst there is an idea at the heart of Schumacher's original movie which could be made into a thrilling exercise of science fiction, screenwriter Ben Ripley resorts to creating a sequel which attempts to be more Final Destination-esque in tone than the Black Mirror style of story the underlying narrative brings to mind. Whilst Ellen Page tries her best in the leading role, her untimely conclusion creates a vacuum of dullness in the film's second half, one which utilises tiresome jump scares aplenty and hopeless horror to carry the story to its' overstayed conclusion, and without a sense of threat and the element of mystery to hold the audience's attention until the very end, Oplev's movie is unfortunately a remake than simply cannot be revived no matter how much adrenaline charged substances can be shoved into its' veins. 

Overall Score: 3/10