Friday 30 March 2018

Review: Black Panther (second-pass)





Black Panther (second-pass / 2D / SPOILERS)
Cert: 12A / 134 mins / Dir. Ryan Coogler / Trailer



Perhaps only I could spend half a review wringing my hands about trying to be A Good Liberal™, while at the same time taking seven weeks to re-watch the most culturally-significant Marvel Cinematic Universe film to date. And it only stands out because I'll usually give these movies a second-pass in a week of them being released. But no, I'd spent the time between mid-February and the end of March looking at the listings and saying 'oh good, it's still on next week - I'll catch it then'. What can I tell you? I've had a lot of absolute filler to see in the meanwhile.

But on the plus-side, I've also had plenty of time to let my initial viewing of Ryan Coogler's Black Panther bed-in. And the good news is that the film is every bit as grin-inducing and awe-inspiring as it was the first time. Perfectly cast and brilliantly directed, what stands out is how effortless everyone makes this look (more often than not, the sign of gargantuan amounts of effort). More politically complex than other MCU entries both on-screen and off, some films in the series seem to fade slightly as they're superseded and sequelled; not so much ageing badly but becoming almost quaint in comparison with newer fare. But like Captain America's first outing, this could be could be one of the movies which gets better with each viewing.

But what I, personally, enjoyed the most about Black Panther is that it features the best and most brazen homage to The Phantom Menace you'll see this year (and quite possibly, ever).

To wit…


i. A Prelude To War...

Knowing a decisive battle is imminent and that they're outnumbered, our rag-tag heroic group goes to see the gruff, disinterested leader of an isolationist clan to ask for vital help in repelling an invading force. The leader doesn't want to get involved in what he sees as 'external' politics, but is eventually swayed by realising that co-operation is the key to larger victory.*1.

Black Panther / The Phantom Menace - A prelude to war…


ii. Death Of The Mentor…

A convention of The Hero's Journey, our protagonist sees their elder and mentor - the last connection with the status of being a student - struck down before them, by a foe they too will have to face. It's at this point that the hero has to branch out on their own, only able to rely on what they've learned, and develop it for the fight ahead.

Black Panther / The Phantom Menace - Death Of The Mentor…


iii. On The Ground…

The finale begins. Out on the grassy plains, tensions erupt in a clash featuring a mix of melee weapons and energy-shields. culminating in a moment where the aggressors suddenly and unanimously cease their attack.

Black Panther / The Phantom Menace - On the ground…


iv. In The Air…

Meanwhile, a slightly meek and surprisingly-gifted pilot, proves his worth in an impromptu mission that sees him taking out enemy fighters (and in a craft which was previously unknown to him) and landing that one crucial shot, just in the nick of time.

Black Panther / The Phantom Menace - In the air…


v. …and Blade-to-Blade

The climactic duel between the hero and antagonist takes place away from the ground and air battles, in an underground industrial complex where the combatants get separated mid-fight by an intermittent energy shield.

Black Panther / The Phantom Menace - …and Blade-to-blade.


The Phantom Menace is great.
I know it, Ryan Coogler knows it*2.

…whose side do you want to be on?



So, what sort of thing is it similar to?
The Marvel films.


Is it worth paying cinema-prices to see?
Well, tonight's crowd thought so.
Seven weeks into its run, and with Ready Player One, Tomb Raider and Pacific Rim: Uprising playing in the same building, and Black Panther was still packed out
.


Is it worth hunting out on DVD, Blu-ray or streaming, though?
At the soonest opportunity, yes.


Is this the best work of the cast or director?
Maybe best so far, but you know everyone involved is on an upward trajectory here.


Will we disagree about this film in a pub?
No, because you're going to think it's great as well.


Is there a Wilhelm Scream in it?
I'm not hearing one.
*sad-face*
.


Yeah but what's the Star Wars connection?
Level 1: What, apart from the film featuring Maz Kanata, Saw Gerrera, Supreme Leader Snoke and having an hour-long Phantom Menace tribute?
Well okay, the as-yet-unnamed Rebel pilot (Mr. 'God speed, Rebels!') of the doomed medical frigate 'Anodyne' from out of The Last Jedi is in this.



And if I HAD to put a number on it…


*1 Although to be fair, while TPM's Padmé convinces Boss Nass to help on-the-spot, Nakia and Ramonda's plea to M'Baku is met with continued petulant neutrality. When M'Baku and his army do appear at a crucial moment during the ground-assault, that's closer in tone to Han Solo's return in the battle of Yavin from A New Hope. [ BACK ]


*2 By this point, some of you may be thinking "oh, so if it's a film you happen to love then it's 'an homage', but if it's a film you think is rubbish then it's 'a shameless rip-off'?'". Yes. Yes, that's almost exactly how that works. Thank you for noticing. [ BACK ]


DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.

Thursday 29 March 2018

Review: Pacific Rim - Uprising





Pacific Rim: Uprising (3D)
Cert: 12A / 111 mins / Dir. Steven S. DeKnight / Trailer



Now, I'm not saying that Pacific Rim: Uprising is derivative of vast swathes of pop culture, but it opens with John Boyega living in a post-war wasteland, scavenging derelict hulks for parts which he can trade for food, while fighting off other wasters trying to do the same. Or to put it more simply, Finn is Rey now. And not even the cool kickass Rey, but the Rey in a vaguely unambitious spinoff comic.

So after a botched attempt at retrieving a power cell (or something) from the shell of a destroyed Jaeger robot-suit, we move to Finn Jake having a bit of a rumble in a mini-Jaeger courtesy of Cailee Spaeny's Amara, then they're both picked up by the robot police and escorted to military school for some Ender's-Game-style 'no, we have to train the kids to do it' antics, some Iron-Man-2-style 'automated defence technology is clearly a terrible idea' capers, and some Lethal-Weapon-style reluctant buddy-cop shenanigans with Scott Eastwood, the appearance of whom makes the audience start pining for the emoting ability of a 500 foot tall armoured war machine.

Pacific Rim: Uprising is, make no bones about it, A Summer Movie™. And not a particularly good one. The fact that Universal have shoved the film out in March suggests much about their faith in its ability to compete in the blockbuster-marketplace. While I didn't find the script as cringe-inducing as the first installment's, the whole thing is far more boring; devoid of the corny personality which at least had a thing for massive robots last time*1.

Charlie Day and Burn Gorman return as the comic relief and closest things the screenplay has to a macguffin, their roles interacting with everyone else's to the point where they could be assembled using out-takes from 2013. Imagine taking five years and coming up with this, though. It's like a Transformers film, if the only thing which changes is the audience's proximity to a migraine.

A two-hour effects-reel, when The Giant Robots are fighting The Giant Monsters, it's basically fine. Although for a film about giant robots fighting giant monsters, the audience spends a lot of time not watching giant robots fighting giant monsters.

Pacific Rim: Uprising is the perfect cinematic equivalent of popcorn; expensive, messy, and while it'd probably save you from starvation in a pinch - you wouldn't want to try and live off it…



So, what sort of thing is it similar to?
Transformers films, Independence Day films, Ender's Game.
Yeah
.


Is it worth paying cinema-prices to see?
If you're a fan of This Sort Of Thing, I guess it is.


Is it worth hunting out on DVD, Blu-ray or streaming, though?
No really, watch it in the cinema if anything.
This will lose all of its presence in your living room
.


Is this the best work of the cast or director?
No.


Will we disagree about this film in a pub?
Quite possibly.


Is there a Wilhelm Scream in it?
I have no idea; anything in the film which isn't a quiet, expository conversation is basically white noise.


Yeah but what's the Star Wars connection?
Level 1: FN-2187 is in this.


And if I HAD to put a number on it…


*1 And I see there's still no feasible explanation of why a battle-suit shaped like one human requires two humans to control it. The whole left-brain/right-brain thing doesn't really wash when both pilots are doing largely the same things in unison, and when each of those humans manages to get around outside the suit using only one brain themselves. The mind-meld itself is an interesting concept, but imagine pairing up with Scott Eastwood for a mission. It'd be like being trapped in a flatpack wardrobe... [ BACK ]


DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.

Tuesday 27 March 2018

Review: Isle Of Dogs





Isle of Dogs
Cert: PG / 101 mins / Dir. Wes Anderson / Trai032ler



The end of March sees me happy to have my doubt quashed, once again*1. It was all the way back in the emotional vacuum of January that I sat, stone-faced, through the trailer for Isle of Dogs, wondering why I wasn't sharing the excitement of everybody else. Obviously, my reaction wasn't at the same level of distaste I reserve for the likes of F*fty Sh*des, so when the opportunity arose for a preview screening of Wes Anderson's animated latest, the least I could do was give it a go.

And y'know what? They're right.
Isle Of Dogs is the most meticulously beautiful film you'll see this year.

Following a young boy in Japan who goes to rescue his guardian best friend Spots from a quarantined island, this is a near-future, metaphorical folk-tale presented as stop-motion puppetry, and voiced by more seasoned performers than you can throw an Equity-card at*2.

Although the film is dialogue-heavy in its execution, the occasional stretch in untranslated (and unsubtitled) Japanese means that this is primarily visual storytelling all round. Even in its heavily stylised form, the narrative is never unclear to the audience*3, and it's the visual element where the director's strength lies. Animated with such passion, precision and the unerring cinematography of Tristan Oliver, Isle of Dogs is almost hypnotic to watch. The formal structured storytelling, complete with chapter-cards, intercutting prop-labels, and a terse, sporadic narration makes this feel like Kill Bill-era Tarantino, particularly with its Japanese ties.

Although for all this, I feel the same (presumably deliberate) emotional disconnect that I did with The Grand Budapest Hotel, where Anderson seems to make the telling of the story more important than the story itself. And as great as the actors and expressive as the modelling are, I still think that the voice-cast don't feel like the dogs they're portraying*4.

What shines through most of all though, is that Wes Anderson makes animated movies in the same way he approaches live-action - with absolute, unremitting theatricality...



So, what sort of thing is it similar to?
Paranorman, Inglourious Basterds.
No, seriously
.


Is it worth paying cinema-prices to see?
It is.


Is it worth hunting out on DVD, Blu-ray or streaming, though?
For the committed cinephile, this will be a buy-er.


Is this the best work of the cast or director?
Best, no - highlight, yes.


Will we disagree about this film in a pub?
Unlikely, unless you really detest it.


Is there a Wilhelm Scream in it?
There isn't.


Yeah but what's the Star Wars connection?
Level 2: This film has the voice of F. Murray Abraham in it, and he was in that Inside Llewyn Davis along with Oscar 'Dameron' Isaac and Adam 'Ren' Driver.


And if I HAD to put a number on it…


*1 Which is nice because as I write this, I have yet to see Pacific Rim: Uprising, a movie which has caused me to take out a second mortgage to book enough storage-space for the reservations I have about it... [ BACK ]

*2 And yet, not a single level-1 Star Wars connection. Ridiculous, I know. [ BACK ]

*3 And bear in mind that certain other movies at the moment feature a cast who constantly explain everything, while the plot details still remain disconcertingly vague. [ BACK ]

*4 With the exception of Gondo, brought to life by Harvey Keitel, whose canine avatar looks as tired and fleabitten as the actor's vocal cords sound... [ BACK ]


DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.

Monday 26 March 2018

Review: Blockers





Blockers
Cert: 15 / 102 mins / Dir. Kay Cannon / Trailer



EXT. NIGHT.
On an otherwise deserted country-road, three concerned parents stand 15-20 feet away from their upturned car.
Mid conversation, the car explodes unexpectedly.

THE LESLIE MANN CHARACTER (screaming):
The car just exploded!


Yes, welcome to Blockers, the new R-rated comedy from Universal in which three slightly-fusty parents go out of their way to stop their teenage girls having 'fun' on their prom-night - an act which inadvertently expands to include the audience, as well. Hoping that those watching are fans of movies like Hall Pass and This is 40, but without remembering enough of those to make any direct comparison, Kay Cannon's film pitches Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz and John Cena as the blinkered over-protectors, against Kathryn Newton, Gideon Adlon and Geraldine Viswanathan, trying desperately to lose their respective virginities.

Whether it's because a) I'm not a parent to a teenage girl, b) I've never been a teenage girl, or c) I've seen almost every gag here done elsewhere and far better, I'm clearly not the target audience for this. Is "adults comedically decoding emoji" where we are in 2018? Who is Blockers for, demographically? Is it teenagers who want to see him from off of Midnight Caller padding naked around the house in some excruciating sex-game? Or adults who want to go and watch a comedy about three teenage girls trying to get laid? Neither seems convincing, while each explains the relative silence in screen 4 this evening - until a slightly portly chauffeur goes to do an action-roll over the bonnet of his car and ends up falling on the ground. Fat Man Falling Over™. That made them laugh.

Mann and Barinholtz act like two people at the Team Apatow reunion party who haven't moved on to bigger projects, while John Cena effortlessly demonstrates why he's the guy the studios phone when the budget won't stretch to Dwayne Johnson. Their teenage charges fare a little better in their own awkwardly charming way, albeit one which signposts that the roles have been written by two middle-aged men. As a gender-flipped Superbad, the film might have been worth making if the parents were strictly minor-characters. But without those same adults to telegraph and explain every joke in the script, the film wouldn't serve Universal's purpose.

Credit where it's due: I smiled three or four times in the last hour. But I don't know if that's because the script had started to pick up, or some kind of cinematic Stockholm Syndrome was kicking in…

There's a bit in Blockers where six teenagers in the back of a prom-limo are screaming and projectile-vomiting in time to The Marriage of Figaro. This is a crystallisation of the whole film.



So, what sort of thing is it similar to?
This is like someone's taken Superbad*1 and put it in a blender with Sex Tape and Bad Moms, then boiled it for long enough to remove all the jokes.


Is it worth paying cinema-prices to see?
It's not.


Is it worth hunting out on DVD, Blu-ray or streaming, though?
Stream it, tops.


Is this the best work of the cast or director?
It's not.


Will we disagree about this film in a pub?
That depends on how wrong you are.


Is there a Wilhelm Scream in it?
There isn't.


Yeah but what's the Star Wars connection?
Level 2: Leslie Mann's in this, and she was in that Knocked Up, alongside Alan 'K-2SO' Tudyk and Bill 'BB-8' Hader.


And if I HAD to put a number on it…


*1 Which, when you consider that the writers of Superbad, Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, are producers on Blockers, is not so much a compliment as a staggering lack of self-awareness. [ BACK ]

DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.