Film Review: Annabelle Comes Home

"Everything You See In Here Is Either Haunted, Cursed, Or Has Been Used In Some Kind Of Ritualistic Practice. Nothing’s A Toy..."

Following on from the most anti-horror horror movie of the year so far in the form of the excellent and magnificently barmy, Midsommar, your local cinema screen this week is once again reunited with the more mainstream, financially friendly sight of the Conjuring universe, with everyone's favourite and overtly nightmarishly designed porcelain doll gracing the big screen once again just in time for the summer holidays. With the tangential Annabelle series beginning particularly sloppy and then improving rather nicely for 2017's nicely worked, Annabelle: Creation, the financial success of both ultimately results in yet another very familiar threequel in the form of Annabelle Comes Home, the seventh installment in Warner Bros' horror series banker which sees returning screenwriter, Gary Dauberman, bumped up to directorial duties in his big screen debut for a movie which is the definition of a very safe pair of cow-poking and slightly creepy, fog covered hands. 

Whilst the leading antagonistic figure of "Annabelle" itself is fundamentally creepy on first glance, conveying to the rules of horror by inverting objects which are meant to bring joy and happiness, the sheer amazement that only one, rather unkempt doll has successfully landed a trilogy of spin-off movies is rather impressive in its' own right, and whilst Creation was the first movie aside from the central Conjuring pictures to really have its' own voice, Dauberman's movie does annoyingly take a slight step back, offering less of an enjoyable cliche and more of a semi-talented, copy and pasted template with only minor delights. Of the more positive elements, the cinematography and set design is actually pretty darn neat, with nice inventive set pieces, including one referenced in the movie's trailer involving a multi-colour night light, offering a certain level of creepiness, something of which can be somewhat lacking from the weakest of the series' offerings such as The Nun and The Curse of La Llorona, and with yet another standout performance from Mckenna Grace (I, Tonya) in the film's leading role, Annabelle Comes Home is not exactly the worst horror genre film, it just happens to be one which screams "PLAY IT SAFE." 

Overall Score: 5/10

Film Review: Aquaman

"My Father Was A Lighthouse Keeper. My Mother Was A Queen. But Life Has A Way Of Bringing People Together. They Made Me What I Am..."

With Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and the morbidly depressing, Justice League, all successfully topping the charts for the worst contemporary examples of the superhero genre over the course of the past couple of years, the release of Aquaman ironically ends a twelve month period in which the Marvel Cinematic Universe has undoubtedly solidified itself as the most impressive and respected comic-based franchise ever, which in the process of doing so, effectively ends any chance for their DC Comics counterpart to pull themselves out from the gaping black hole created from their woefully inadequate skills at creating a similarly interesting universe. Aside from Wonder Woman and the first half of Man of Steel, even the most optimistic of DC fanboys must admit Warner Bros in general has ultimately failed in giving the fans what they want, but with every subsequent release there is always a rare ray of hope, and with the release of Aquaman, directed by James Wan, the interesting mind behind the likes of Saw, The Conjuring and most crucially, Furious 7, the DC universe finally has a movie which knows not to take itself too seriously and embrace the notion that when people go to the cinema, they generally want to be entertained. Whilst not exactly reaching the heights of Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman or even Man of Steel, Wan's movie is a partial step in the right direction for the DC universe, an absurdly bonkers aquatic adventure with a central hero who not only is likeable but actually looks like he is having a blast, and for someone who has sat through the likes of Batman vs. Superman, what a relief it is to see the franchise move out of the morbidly depressing and into some sort of optimistic light. 

Completely disregarding the overriding sensibility of the universe in which it sits by choosing to utilise a lighter, more welcoming tone which feels more in the ilk of Marvel than any release previously, Aquaman is a film which undoubtedly knows how fundamentally silly the source material truly is, and with shots of a drum playing octopus and armoured sea horses, Wan chooses to embrace the absurdity rather than fall into the trap of the Snyder-led ventures which have attempted to follow the route of Nolan when making the as of yet not bettered, The Dark Knight trilogy. With Momoa pretty much perfectly cast in a role oozing with charisma and charm, the Hawaiian's physically imposing persona and likeable rockabilly style makes him alongside Gal Gadot, one of the more memorable leading performers in the franchise thus far, and with some interesting supporting performances from the likes of Nicole Kidman, (Lion) Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man) and long term Wan counterpart, Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring), the only real minor blimp in terms of the acting slate is Amber Heard (The Danish Girl) whose role as the central love interest is rather underdeveloped and overly two dimensional. With a storytelling technique much simpler than previous entries within the universe and some interesting action scenes when Momoa's physicality is utilised in a practical sense, the overriding downside is undoubtedly the over-reliance on CGI which makes up a huge percentage of the film's action, but with the film overall miles head of the worst the DCEU has come to offer, Aquaman is enjoyable enough to be sort of heading in the right direction for a franchise that still falls behind its' Marvel equivalent by quite a fair margin. 

Overall Score: 6/10 

Film Review: The Commuter

"Someone On This Train Does Not Belong. All You Have To Do Is Find Them..."

Whilst many took to the idea that Liam Neeson had adhered to his word of refusing to star in any future action movies, something of which which he stated profoundly across media lines last year, it comes at no surprise that this week audiences are treated to The Commuter, the latest from Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra, whose reunion with Neeson follows on from their previous work together on Non-Stop and Run All Night, with the word of the Irish actor much more uncertain and dishonest since he laughed off the possibility of Taken 3 in 2013, a sequel which was then swiftly released only two years later. Whilst the obvious similarities to previous action movies are inevitable for a movie starring an actor recently renowned for jumped-up, high octane nonsense, Neeson's latest is a movie both ridiculous and enjoyable in equal measure, a laughably absurd ideas thriller which although suffers from a wide range of clearly defined issues, is indeed up there with the better Neeson action movies to be released since his turn as the revenge seeking killer in Pierre Morel's 2008 cult classic, Taken, a movie which launched a latter-stage chapter of the actor's career to ridiculous levels of newly found action hero fame. 

Approached by the mysterious Vera Farmiga during his daily commute, Neeson's Michael MacCauley is tasked with attempting to hunt down a particular unknown fellow passenger without truly understanding the reasoning behind such, aside from the offer of excessive monetary reward. Jumping in and out of the shadow of previous film ideas as swift as the film's chaotic editing, The Commuter is the type of movie which evokes so many previous stories that the film almost becomes a entertaining ferris wheel of bingo in which you tick off every film that comes to mind as the carnage unravels in the loudest and silliest way possible. Switching from Red Eye to Source Code to Under Siege 2 as quickly as possible within a completely manic first act which does manage to contain a rigid element of threat and mystery rather entertainingly, The Commuter then concludes with a amalgamation of Unstoppable and 16 Blocks with added predictability and cheesiness, and whilst Neeson's latest is obviously not as smart or original as it may think it is, the action is decent enough and the tone is welcoming and undeniably crowd pleasing, and for a man who may have given up on action movies for good, you can't deny Neeson does look like he's enjoying himself. As are we. 

Overall Score: 6/10

Film Review: The Founder

 "If I Saw A Competitor Drowning, I'd Shove A Hose Down His Throat..."

Whilst not a huge fan of McDonald's selection of economically priced fast-food personally, with it tending to come out quicker than it seems to have gone in, a film regarding its' elusive early success isn't something I would immediately choose to lap up either, with the most strikingly interesting movie depiction of the multi-billion fast-food franchise being Super Size Me, a documentary which put off everyone who saw it from ever buying a McDonald's again. However, with a leading man in the form of the modern incarnation of Michael Keaton, a man whose career is most definitely at the peak of its' powers after successful turns in both Birdman and the superb Spotlight, both of which picked up Oscar wins for Best Picture, as well as Saving Mr. Banks director John Lee Hancock in the armchair, The Founder is a surprisingly enjoyable comedic drama which utilises the abilities of Keaton in the leading role to the extreme, adding a much deeper and interesting level to a movie of which's narrative doesn't exactly have the same stopping or selling power as the man in which the movie attempts to portray. 

Whilst not privy to the history of McDonald's in any format at all on a personal level, the titular "founder" of the fast-food giants at the heart of the film is a character many cine-literate audiences may have seen many times before, one which has featured in the likes of Wall Street and more recently The Wolf of Wall Street, with Keaton's magnetic portrayal of Ray Kroc being one of greed-inflicted determination, resembling fictional portrayals of similarly hateful white-collar figures including Jordan Belfort in Scorsese's three hour orgy of vomit-inducing sleaziness. Whilst Keaton's Kroc doesn't hit the the heavy heights of hatred which others before him have mustered, The Founder doesn't exactly adhere to a strictly balanced POV in terms of the historical elements of the company either, settling for a portrayal of a character which is seeped in shady sliminess. Whilst the movie does feel anti-climactic at times, Keaton manages to worm his way into holding the movie together in a fashion better than my stomach manages to hold a Big Mac on a cold Saturday evening.

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Review: The Conjuring 2

"This Is My Home. Get Out Now..."

When it comes to originality and genre-bending ideas within the realm of horror cinema, perhaps such a genre is the hardest in which to grasp a concept of freshness with cliches and tropes alike being ever present within recent examples of what makes a 21st century horror movie. With The Conjuring, the unbelievably successful 2013 horror directed by Saw creator James Wan, the genre of horror was never more boosted into the spotlight, where although the film suffers from a sense of rehashing ideas from other, better and more influential movies from the past, there was indeed a sense of enjoyment that the horror genre has not completely vanished into nonexistence. As per the norm in the land of Hollywood, the success of the original has now sprouted a sequel, once again led by director James Wan whilst switching from the rural environment of Rhode Island to the working class locale of Ponders End, Enfield. Much like its' predecessor, The Conjuring 2 is a cliche ridden blockbuster, the horror equivalent of the Marvel franchise where the same blueprint is laid down to satisfy the masses but ultimately something of non-importance and irrelevance but also something that is inherently good fun with some major jump scares thrown in for good measure. 

After being criticised for their involvement in the Amityville murders, Ed and Lorraine Warren are left to wonder whether their occupation as demonologists are becoming subject to irrelevance in a time where science has overtaken the beliefs of the supernatural and the unknown. Reluctant to carry on their duties, Lorraine becomes transfixed with the notion that if they continue, Ed may indeed die at the hands of the insidious entity that has been stalking her within her visions. Against all warnings however, the Warrens are asked by the church to travel to London to investigate supposed paranormal activity in the home of the Hodgson's, one of the most notorious real-life cases in the history of paranormal research, yet they soon realise their involvement within the case may be part of a larger picture, one that threatens the lives of both Ed and Lorraine. Creaky doors and windows? Check. Huge spine-tingling jump scares? Check. Creepy children and spooky entities? Oh yeah. Of course The Conjuring 2 is not exactly the most original horror movie, with nods to The Exorcist, The Evil Dead and a severe likeliness to films such as Insidious and Sinister from recent years, but what it is is entertaining, entertainment that although is way too long, with a ridiculous two hour plus run-time, is guaranteed for success. There's one thing you can rely on from the general public; they love their creepy movies. Good on them.

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Review: Bone Tomahawk

"Say Goodbye To My Wife. I'll Say Hello To Yours..."

Whereas in most cases a film that has casting credits that include Kurt Russell and David Arquette may be mistaken as being one that is heading straight-to-video, unless directed by Quentin Tarantino of course, Bone Tomahawk, written and directed by new guy on the block S. Craig Zahler is a feat of slow-burning exploitation greatness, a film that attempts to ramp up the tension and then swiftly cripple it with swift acts of merciless violence, violence which as well as being extremely graphic and tough to swallow, is among the most horrific examples of such in recent memory. Forget the comic book violence of Deadpool or the B-Movie splatter fest of The Hateful Eight, Bone Tomahawk is a film that wants you to feel the pain in every scalp-scraping moment in which it occurs. Although many could argue the unwanted exposure to recent depths to which the genre of "torture porn" has decided to delve into has desensitised film goers of the current generation into believing gore can no longer be an effective notion within film, director Zahler understands the shock value of less being more, with Bone Tomahawk being a horror film that doesn't dwell on its' resorts to violence and instead wants to use them when they are most effective, and boy, does it work. 

After an attack on the overtly civilised town of Bright Hope leaves one of its' township dead and three missing, Sheriff Franklin Hunt, played in a brilliantly moustache twisting fashion by Kurt Russell, leads the charge to locate the missing townsfolk, one of whom is the wife of Patrick Wilson's Arthur O'Dwyer, the town proclaimed cowboy recently injured yet determined nonetheless to reclaim his lost love, alongside Matthew Fox's narcissistic John Brooder and the elderly deputy, Chicory, played majestically by Richard Jenkins. Although made aware of the troglodyte clan to which such an attack can be blamed upon, the quartet soon realise the cannibalistic dwellings to which their townsfolk have been captured within and begin to wonder whether their return will indeed be a safe one. The recent explosion of the western genre in recent years with films such as Django Unchained, Slow West and this years' The Hateful Eight may indeed have met the prime contender for the best example of the genre in recent times, with Bone Tomahawk being a compelling, well written and gruesomely horrific thrill ride which bends the two genres of western and horror rather well. Although the desire to play the script out as long as possible leads to a film that could possibly lose 20, 30 minutes from its' runtime, not once could I say I was bored, owing much to the films' credit to find tension in the smallest of places as well as getting the quartet of leading actors cast to a sharply fined T, with Russell and Jenkins stealing the show.

Although one scene of complete exploitation greatness may steal the limelight, with YouTube searches rather inevitable in the foreseeable future, Bone Tomahawk is much more than just a set piece and is a film that requires attention in the most sombre of moments in the fear of quick-fuelled blood lust being right around the corner. Never before have I jumped at the sight of an unexpected arrow or been set so aghast at the speed to which one of our leading heroes loses a certain appendage, a testament to the films' desire to create and display an enemy so intense and ruthless the audience will fear their every move. R-Rated greatness is what Bone Tomahawk strives for and blimey does it achieve it with a culty sensibility that will inevitably become a firm favourite within the formidable, if isolated, clan of violence loving exploitation in which I'm glad to say I'm part of. I look forward to your next body of work Mr. Zahler. 

Overall Score: 8/10