Film Review: Johnny English Strikes Again

"The Country Is In A State Of Complete Chaos And The Universe Sends Me You..."

Winning the award for least anticipated sequel of the year, Johnny English Strikes Again sees the return of Rowan Atkinson's bumbling British secret agent following on from his first appearance on screen in 2003 and its' sequel, Johnny English Reborn in 2011. Directed by Northern Irish big-screen debutante, David Kerr, the third installment of the spy spoof franchise is ninety minutes of pretty much what you would expect from a Johnny English movie, offering PG friendly slapstick comedy within a selection of sketches which are marginally worked around the thinnest of narratives which sees English hooked back into the payroll of MI7 after every single serving secret agent's identity across the globe is revealed by an unknown, tech savvy hacker. Whilst most critics will undeniably head into Strikes Again fully aware of the certainty that the next Citizen Kane won't exactly be waiting for them inside, the real litmus test for Kerr's movie resides in the way in which it manages to work to its' strengths, and whilst Strikes Again fails to offer anything fresh or interesting to the catalogue of spy-spoof comedies, Atkinson's undeniable smirk-inducing talent results in a movie preferably best watched when either drunk or with highly energetic friends. Or even both. 

With a high proportion of the funniest set pieces readily available within the movie's trailer, ranging from a diabolical attempt at utilising cutting edge virtual reality to the complete and utter destruction of a classy, world renowned yacht, Strikes Again does manage to capatalise on Atkinson's hilarious slapstick persona to a somewhat effective degree, and with the film's best gag undeniably an elongated riff on a similar comedic routine seen in Jon S. Baird's 2013 black comedy, Filth, in which English feels the effect of adrenaline enhancing drugs, it's hard to prevent smiles being cracked even when you know the film as whole is absolute tosh. With the enigmatic presence of Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks) chewing the scenery as the opinionated, wine-dependant British Prime Minister, the more the movie remembers it has to at least follow some sort of plot is when it ultimately crumbles to pieces, with Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) and Jake Lacy (Rampage) managing to supply performances both instantly forgettable and agonisingly dull, and whilst it's quite sanctimonious to hate on a film not exactly aiming for anyone other than a child-friendly audience, Strikes Again manages to be neither good nor bad, just ridiculous nonsense. 

Overall Score: 5/10

Film Review: Jason Bourne

"I Know Who I Am. I Remember Everything..."

After a long and winding nine years since the release of the last "pure" Bourne movie, the one-two success duo of director Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon have once again returned with Jason Bourne, a return to the life of the amnesia stricken black ops operative, who once again is brought back into the spotlight after agreeing to help Julia Stiles' Nicky Parsons in her attempt to leak the entirety of the CIA's black ops programme to the public after turning against her former employees. After the success of the original trilogy, the question remains whether returning the character of Jason Bourne to the big screen was particularly needed and whilst Greengrass's latest is indeed a popcorn ridden action blockbuster with some incredibly well designed set pieces, the familiarity and cliched nature of the plot detracts the quality of the film as a whole and prevents it from being as impressive as its' predecessors.

Nine years on since The Bourne Ultimatum, Bourne has become an outsider, hiding in the dregs of society and earning a living through illegal fighting rings when he is located by former CIA and Treadstone operative Nicky Parsons who speaks of her desire to not only leak confidential information onto the web but to help Jason in his attempts to understand his decision to join the Treadstone program in the first place. Add into the account Tommy Lee Jones' aged and disgruntled CIA director Robert Dewey, Alicia Vikander's Heather Lee, a rookie Cyber Ops agent who is brought in to help bring down Bourne and Vincent Cassel's Blackbriar/Treadstone operative, The Asset, and Jason Bourne covers all the players you would expect from what we have seen in the franchise so far, with Jones clearly filling in the role of Brian Cox from the original trilogy, whilst Vikander and Cassel are simply the latest incarnations of Pamela Landy and The Professor from Supremacy and Identity respectively.

Where the film succeeds is in its' spectacular thrills, ranging from a glorious chase scene through the heart of an austerity demonstration within a destruction-filled Athens, to a climactic final act in Vegas, Jason Bourne only continues and emphasises the meticulous nature of Greengrass's ability in directing set pieces, with the famous "shakey-cam" making reappearing in order to give Jason Bourne that Greengrass touch. If it's plot and originality you seek then the original trilogy will serve you nicely, yet if thrills and stunning action sequences is what you desire in the warm confines of the British summer then Jason Bourne is for you, and although it isn't the masterpiece many would have hoped for, it's still a thrilling enough movie to give credence to the notion of bringing back Bourne in the first place.

Overall Score: 8/10 

Film Review: Our Kind of Traitor

"Never Before Have We Had An Informant This High Up In Russian Organised Crime..."

Following on from the hit BBC miniseries The Night Manager starring Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston in essentially what was a pretty strong audition tape for the now seemingly vacant role of Bond after this week it was reported Daniel Craig had turned down a rather lucrative amount of money to carry on as the famous spy. Our Kind of Traitor is an adaptation of the same-named best selling novel by John le Carré, the author whose novels have indeed caught the eye of both the small and the big screen rather recently, with 2011's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy featuring a near perfect performance from Gary Oldman, being arguably the best of the big-screen adaptations to date. Featuring Ewan McGregor and Stellan Skarsgård, Our Kind of Traitor is one of those strange cases of a film not entirely having much wrong with it, but it is no doubt seemingly a film which is too televisual and nuanced to have the spark many of the similar examples of the genre have had in the past, particularly when held up against The Night Manager, a much more interesting and complex thriller than that of the latest John le Carré adaptation. 

During their holiday in the far reaches of Marrakesh, married couple Gail (Naomie Harris) and Perry (Ewan McGregor) become embroiled in a Russian mobsters' plot to defect from his native country and find safe haven in the UK in return for handing all information regarding the illegal finances that split right through the heart of the organised crime syndicate. Although at first reluctant to help in fear of their own safety, Perry and Gail soon realise the lives of not only themselves but the lives of 

the traitor Dima (Stellan Skarsgård) and his family too. During the course of the movie, it is inherently hard to watch the acting talents of people such as Naomie Harris and Damian Lewis and wonder whether actually what you are indeed watching is a mix between Bond and Homeland, particularly in regards to the notion that much like The Night Manager, Our Kind of Traitor is a story that essentially belongs on the small screen, but by some rather miraculous achievement has instead managed to gather financial backing and the talents of McGregor and Skarsgård to be placed upon the big screen. Our Kind of Traitor is by no means a failure, it just doesn't seem to have the dramatic quality to render its' stay within the cinematic spectrum a necessity and whilst Skarsgård devours the scenery around him, less can be said about others around him. McGregor! Not bad, but not exactly remarkable. Watch with a cup of tea and a ginger biscuit. At home. 

Overall Score: 6/10

Film Review: Grimsby

"It's An Elephant Bukakkee!"

Halfway though Grimsby, the new comedy from the warped mind of one Sacha Baron Cohen, I remembered quite vividly how the satirical undercurrent of Borat, the more-than controversial piece of cinema which attempted to upset everyone from the Jewish community to American feminists, saved the film from swaying into simple bad taste, with Cohen's standpoint on the strange society of the USA being the fundamental notion at the heart of the comedic elements throughout the film. One of the most startling scenes in Borat is when our titular character ventures into the rodeo-ridden area of the south and speaks to a range of people voicing their rather right-wing opinions regarding everything from the strangeness of homosexuality to the war on terror. It's a surreal scene, one that portrays a old-fashioned society with a fundamental set of norms and values that are inherently wrong. Enter Grimsby, a film that shows what Borat may have indeed become, a film, which although believes it is some sort of standpoint regarding the culture of the working class, is indeed a film rife with bad taste. That doesn't mean it isn't funny though. 

Although Grimsby is undeniably and fundamentally a shoddy movie, one that consists of ear-scraping dialogue and cringe-worthy plot developments, the set pieces which attempt to out-gross one another as they come along during the films' more then generous 90 minute runtime have a stark repulsiveness of which I have to admit I couldn't help but laugh at. The infamous elephant scene for example is a five minute vision of vulgarity, one that although inherently reeks in bad taste, is so over-the-top and ridiculous that in a strange subverted kind of way, you have to admire its' wrongfulness. It's not offensive in a Borat style comedic element, its' just plain wrong, much like the existence of the film itself. Albeit's sheer ludicrous script, celebrity cameos and archaic treatment of the female characters within the film, Grimsby still manages to come off as strangely mediocre, neither awful, neither good, just here to make up the box office top ten within the week of Oscar supremacy. Grimsby is like a fart in the wind; repulsive to begin with yet slowly evaporating into non-existence. Sacha Baron Cohen's latest isn't the worst way to spend 90 minutes, it just isn't the best either. 

Overall Score: 5/10 

Film Review: The Man From U.N.C.L.E

From Russia With Love

With gun's and gangster's auteur Guy Ritchie seemingly popping off the radar recently, even after the release of the two Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes films, which let's face it, were rather forgettable affairs in comparison to the much better BBC series, his decision to return with a cinematic release of the famous U.S television series The Man From U.N.C.L.E was a strange one to say the least. Yet after promising trailers and a superb cast including Man of Steel's Henry Cavill, The Social Network's Archie Hammer, and queen of 2015, Alicia Vikander who has starred in everything this year from Ex Machina to Seventh Son, Ritchie's latest cinematic offering was something I was rather excited for yet its' final product ultimately is something unfortunately much more forgettable with only rare flashes of brilliance in what can only be regarded as great idea not fulfilled to its' full potential. 

After news of a potential nuclear threat is made by business mogul and suspected criminal Victoria Vinciguerra (Elizabeth Debicki), American agent Napoleon Solo (Cavill) is tasked with teaming up with Russian agent Illya Kuryakin (Hammer) in order to combat the supposed threat, aided by Russian defector Gaby Teller whose missing father may or not be aiding such developments. With moments of sheer entertainment, particularly in regards to the banter-esque relationship between our two main heroes, and scenes of high comedic value, with the late torture scene coming first to mind, The Man From U.N.C.L.E shows signs of how Ritchie could have potentially found an overly winning formula for such a film, but is ultimately let down by an overly cliched plot, a shocking lack of overall threat, and a desire to retreat to flashbacks to spoon-feed details of the plot. A missed opportunity? Possibly, but for the time it was on, The Man From U.N.C.L.E was reasonably harmless, just not overly memorable. 

Overall Score: 6/10 

Film Review: Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

The British Invasion

It never fails to amaze me how even after years of movie companies churning out the same age-old tale of the super-spy, whether he be American or British, that even in 2015, such a story can be just as entertaining and thrilling as ever, and in the case of Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, the fifth entry into the cinematic series based on the American TV series of the same name, the argument that too much of the same will inevitably get boring is lost in the chaotic spectacle that is Tom Cruise's latest run out as IMF Agent Ethan Hunt. If the first M:I showed us that stunts and deception were the core traits of the series, then Rogue Nation laps up such a notion and turns it up to eleven, with the film offering as much spectacle as all the previous entries in the series put together, whilst fully embodying the comedic element supplied by the inclusion of Simon Pegg in a clear attempt to distance itself from the darker and much tougher spy movies we have been used to recently in the form of the Bourne Series and the Craig-era of James Bond. 

In terms of the high points within the movie, the scene in which our beloved hero tracks down the leader of the so-called Syndicate during an operatic session within Vienna was a fabulous concoction of thrills, comedy and high-risk tension, with the background performance adding to the sense of drama that was occurring on-screen. Other highlights included the constant comedic output supplied by our team of agents, with Simon Pegg gratefully lapping up the chance to keep the British end up and be the star of the film in scenes in which we are reminded of how much a step-away Rogue Nation has decided to be from the darkness of say Skyfall and, I assume, Spectre, which from watching the trailer, looks even darker than its' predecessor. Setbacks within the film include the obvious over-use of CGI in certain scenes which unfortunately only weakens the sense of reality we get from watching scenes and stunts that did not rely on CGI and were actually done FOR REAL in a George Miller-esque fashion, whilst the overarching villain in the form of Sean Harris' Solomon Lane, won't exactly be remembered outside of the film, with it being a rather hollow and cliched performance from start to finish. Rogue Nation therefore features a whole lot of thrills, but ultimately, a few too many spills, making it entertaining for the time-being, but definitely not something to be treasured for the long-run. Still, its' better than M:I 2. Seriously John Woo, stop with the doves.

Overall Score: 7/10 

   

Film Review: Spooks: The Greater Good

I Spy With My Little Eye...

If 2015 is year of the blockbuster, with Furious 7 already in the top four of highest-grossing movies ever and Avengers: Age of Ultron slowly making its' way into similar box office territory, there is no surprise really that 2015 also brings with it a vast range of films that focus on the old-school favourite theme of spies and espionage, with Kingsman: The Secret Service being released earlier in the year, whilst Spy, The Man from U.N.C.L.E and Spectre all set to come out in the second half of the year, with all being odds on to make quite a substantial bit of dosh, particularly Spectre which will no doubt be the one that everyone will be anticipating the most.  For now however, we have the release of Spooks: The Greater Good, the big-screen adaptation of the popular BBC programme, featuring Kit Harrington, Jennifer Ehle, and Peter Firth, who reprises his role as Harry Pearce from all ten seasons of the programme in its' run between 2002 and 2011, and its' fair to say that Spooks more than holds its' own in the vast canon of spy movies, even if it remains in an overarching shadow of much more popular movies that have come before it. 

Part Bourne, part Bond, Spooks adheres to the expected tropes of any decent paranoia-filled spy movie with its' interweaving narrative focusing on the simultaneous plots of MI5's pursuit of Pearce after he is suspected of corroborating with escaped terrorist Adem Qasim, and Pearce himself, who attempts to discover a suspected mole within MI5 who may have been behind Qasim's escape in the first place. Between the two is Kit Harrington's Will Holloway, who after being discharged from MI5 years previously is tasked with locating Pearce in an attempt to prevent potential terrorist attacks on London, leading to a constant shift of allegiances between those in power and those on the run. With solid acting and rather enjoyable action sequences throughout, Spooks: The Greater Good succeeds in being an entertaining 100 minutes of London loving, not stopping long enough to question certain plot points whilst having too many similarities to previous spy efforts to be classed anything other than solid. 

Overall Score: 7/10

James Bond SPECTRE - TEASER TRAILER

Daniel Craig, yes
Christoph Waltz - OMG YES

New Bond movie? - GIVE IT TO ME NOW

Let's be honest, who isn't excited for this?

One of the most hotly anticipated movies this year, this spectre trailer shows huge potential for the long awaited return. Sided with one the best actors in the biz, I can see Spectre equalling the success of our beloved Skyfall.

Bring on October!

Film Review: Kingsman: The Secret Service

Cockney's Royale

To say Matthew Vaughn has had a rather entertaining film career would be a slight understatement. Shooting to the attention of many after producing Guy Ritchie's, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels in 1998, Vaughn has had a directed a wonderful array of films so far, with Layer Cake, Kick-Ass, and X-Men: First Class, all being particularly brilliant. Now we have Kingsman: The Secret Service, a film so unavoidable, particularly in my local Vue cinema, where trailers have been hyping it extensively for the past month or so, which in my own experience, is a risky business, with this level of hype more than often leading to a rather high expectation level from cinema goers such as myself. So as I walked into an empty, late-night, EXTREME screening of Kingsman, the bar was set reasonably high, probably more so than any other film so far this year. Mission commence...

First off, the plot is basically Kick-Ass meets the Bond franchise, with a helping of Johnny English. which on paper, sounds pretty damn fun. To sum Kingsman up in one word however, you do not to need to stray far from the film's choice of music; it's completely bonkers, with it's ultra-violent tendencies, including a wonderful Scanners-esque death scene, and ludicrous plot, albeit stealing riffs from 28 Days Later, Stephen King's Cell, and even Channel 4's wonderful Utopia, making it a highly entertaining couple of hours,.Furthermore, it's clear to see the amount of fun everyone involved in the film were having, particularly Colin Firth who makes the most out of playing the suave, smooth and exquisitely dressed Kingsman agent Harry Hart, perhaps making up for his lost opportunity at playing 007 himself*.

Amidst all the fun however, the film does have it's weaknesses. Firstly, it's not as good, or as funny as, Kick-Ass, where comparisons to such are inevitable. In fact, I laughed a lot less than I thought I might, which only results in seeing the flaws within the film much easier, especially in certain scenes when the film is attempting to get a chuckle out of the audience and falls flat on its' face. Secondly, the film is all over the place, and is shot at 100mph, which in an action flick is generally acceptable, yet for some reason, in Kingsman I found it rather annoying, much like I did every Samuel L. Jackson talked (seriously, what was with that strange lisp?). These weaknesses however, are outweighed by the positives, where if for some reason you are looking for a stupid, semi-funny, action spy romp, Kingsman is definitely the film for you. 

Part Johnny English, part Kick-Ass, Kingsman is pretty much what it says on the tin. Funny? Sort of. Action-packed? Most definitely. Violent? Unbelievably. Until the next time Mr. Vaughn...

Overall Score: 7/10

* http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/colin-firth-kingsman-the-secret-service-star-on-netflix-bridget-jones-3-and-why-the-james-bond-ship-has-sailed-9991024.html