Split (2016)

Split is the latest from director M. Night Shyamalan who I am happy to say is back on top form delivering a terrific thriller that is alot of fun.
The main thing that makes this movie is James Mcavoy's tremendous performance as the antagonist, he is just so utterly compelling and the film probably wouldn't have worked as well without him. He just manages to give life to Kevin's different personalities so incredibly well and he just shine through especially during the films great climax. The rest of the cast are pretty decent too and do a fine enough job.
I also really liked alor of the cinematography, it has lots of intricate camerawork that was quite intriguing and really fit in well with the film.
It's a little more predictable than you'd expect from M. Night Shyamalan but there is a nice surprise right at the end that kinda blew my mind but it may go over alot of audience members heads. Still the films constantly engaging, it's got humour, it's got tension and it thrills us like a good thriller should. Is it  a little O.T.T? sure but I love that and overall I thought this was great and one of the best things Shyamalan has done. Good Stuff. ****

Lion (2016)

So here's another one of this years Oscar contenders, It is a rather safe and conventional film but one that executes it's touching true story exceedingly well, making it a very solid drama.
For starters the acting is strong, the emotional moments hit well and both Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman definitely deserve their acting award nominations, though the rest of the cast are also very good and I'd particularly like to mention Sunny Pawar who plays a young Saroo and who is probably on screen more than anyone else and also deserves praise for his performance.
The film is also really nicely shot with the cinematography being very beautiful at times making it clear to see why its also got award nominations with lots of wonderful wide shots which is what I like to see.
I do think the first half is a little stronger and more consistent than the second half which I think unfolded a tad slower than it should have but overall this is a really good drama that runs exactly how you'd expect but it gets its message across clearly and is really well made and enjoyable. There's nothing there that would personally make me want to re-watch it, but I still have a strong appreciation for its execution. ***1/2

La La Land (2016)

What a an absolute wonderful film this is, a jazz musical full of charm and heart that is thoroughly engaging throughout. It takes inspiration from classic Hollywood musicals and blends that influence  into a more modern, real life setting. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone play the lead roles and their performances are great, with Emma Stone being a particular stand out especially during her one solo song towards the end.
Speaking of music the score is fantastic and works perfectly with the film and considering this is a musical it actually has quite a minimal amount of sung songs and the ones that there are have great purpose and never less than good.
The film also also beautifully shot with some great cinematography and set design that brings the films world to life incredibly well.
This was a project that Damien Chazelle had been wanting to make for a good few years and thanks to the success of his previous film Whiplash, he was able to and you can really see the passion and love that has been poured into making this, translating into a film that is truly wonderful film. A magnificent musical that is worthy of its awards buzz. ****

Manchester By The Sea (2016)

So here's one of the films currently riding the awards trail leading up to the Oscars. It's a little drama starring Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Michelle Williams and a few others, and its pretty darn great. The drama itself is very strong a mixture of Sadness and hope laying at its foundation, though it is the melancholy that is most prevalent and it is quite the emotional experience but it's certainly no heavy-handed tearjerker, its approach is a little more subtle and genuine and handled exceedingly well.
What really makes this film though is it's characters and performances, the characters are well fleshed out and interesting and are backed up by great performances by its entire cast. I give particular praise to Casey Affleck who is outstanding in the lead role and deserves all the nominations and awards he's been getting. He plays the most interesting character in film who on the surface it may not seem like he is but there's alot of depth going on beneath which we get because of the way Affleck embodies the role.
the film is also well shot with alot of nice static camera work being used particularly in the films first 10/15 minutes which I thought was done in an intriguing way. I also like the classical music that was used throughout which fit in very nicely with the films atmosphere and tone.
The film does run at 137 minutes so it's a little long, but it's certainly not boring and stays engaging thanks to the characters, performances and certain story elements. Overall this is a great piece of drama that is full of strong acting and characters and I'd definitely recommend it. ****

Underworld: Blood Wars (2016)

So here it is, the latest film in the Underworld series and straight off the bat I have to say this is the shoddiest film in the series and I mean this mainly in terms of execution as it has a lot of messy editing and bad pacing with everything feeling rushed. It once again stars Kate Beckinsale and features Charles Dance and Theo James reprising their roles from the previous film, as well as some new faces including Tobias Menzies and Lara Pulver and her various provocative outfits.
Now the story's a bit of a mess and very generic but I preferred it to the previous film as theres lots of deceit going on that keeps it a little fun and its more reminiscent of the first film. This is also the films problem as its all too samey and just it feels a little stale with the most interesting scenes happen when they are at Vador, its a nice little change from the rest of the film and feature some fun action moments as well as introducing a couple of ideas that I wished they had explored more.
In terms of action overall the film as a good amount of it as well as some gore, although most of it is not the best, mainly because of the execution, but there are some enjoyable bits scattered abour.
The acting also varies in quality ranging between fine and kind of bad, but nothing flat-out terrible or good.
Overall the film is only partly successful at being  fun piece of mindless escapism and is really let down by its execution. Had things been handled better I definitely would have preferred it to the previous film, but as it stand this film is the weakest of the series and I think its time to put a stake into the franchises heart, but much like Selene, it's hard to kill for good. **

Underworld: Awakening (2012)

The fourth entry in the series and this time the humans have joined the war after discovering Vampires and Lycans do exist and go on a mass purge. Plus we have the edition of research facilities and science stuff which all bring the film into more generic and bland territory. But stories have never been these films strong points, its more about if they deliver the expected action goods and the film does indeed have some solid action particularly in its climax with a nice amount of gore and I gotta give kudos for the film still using practicals for the Lycans at certain points, though alot less than previous installments.The acting is varying in quality but Kate Beckinsale is fine as usual and there's the nice addition of Charles Dance in a small role as an elder.
Overall this is definitely alot weaker than the first 3 films but still supplies some fun action moments.
**1/2

Underworld: Rise of The Lycans (2009)

The 3rd film in the Underworld series and one that is a prequel that shows the origin story of Lucian, who was the antagonist of the first film. It pretty much just shows what we see and hear about in the first movie and pads it out to a needless 90 minute movie. But these films have never wanted to amount to more than mindless escapism and I still quite enjoyed this. The acting is still pretty decent which is expectec when you have Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy, the effects are pretty good and there is a nice bit of action and gore. The old period setting is also a nice change of pace/though nothing particularly special and the story holds no surprises and goes as expected, especially if you have seen the first movie. Overall its not up to par with the first two movies but I still find it to be somewhat enjoyable for what it gives us. ***

Underworld: Evolution (2006) Review

The second film in the Underworld series and it certainly ups the ante with more action, more gore, more sex and more fun. I quite enjoyed this, more so than the first movie, for starters its shorter and briskly runs through its 105 minute runtime, and while it still maybe be very superficial and shallow it delivers where it intends to with some very entertaining action and gore, which there is alot of through out and some good visual effects including the  some practical effects still being used for the Lycans so they still look rad as hell. The film is also again nice to look out and still uses its cold washed out look, but adds some nice added warmth in necessary places. Overall is just a very fun movie and that's all it aspires to be, which makes it a success in my book. Just some enjoyable action horror. ***

Silence (2016) review

Decided to do a short video review for the film Silence, though I was invisible at the time...

Underworld (2003)

In tepid anticipation for the new Underworld movie that hits UK next week, I've decided to go back and revisit the rest of the series. So here's the first film that kicked it all off, released in 2003 and inspired by the likes of Blade and The Matrix, Underworld is a leather-clad, gun toting action 'horror' pitting Vampires against Lycans(werewolves). Now I really enjoyed this film as a kid and having watched it again after a good few years, I still quite enjoy it, though not nearly as much as I used to.
First I want to talk about the Positives films strongest element which is its visuals, from its minimal colour palette to it's great set design the filmmakers did a great job of crafting the films world so it all looks good and nicely sets the films tone. It also got some good visual effects that still hold up quite well with a nice amount of practical effects that are utilised including for the transformed Lycans which look fantastic. Some of performances are also pretty good particularly  Kate Beckinsale, Bill Nighy and Michael Sheen, though there are a few that aren't so good but not flat-out bad. Finally the story is pretty standard but works well enough and I like the detailed mythology that's included within it.
So that's pretty much the positives, so what about its flaws?, well its biggest problems, is the lack of attachment to anything happening as the films is a little too superficial and shallow and it's only really towards the end of the film that they start to add in any character depth which is just too late, especially considering the films run time. Now it was the extended cut that I watched which clocks in at 2 hours 13 minutes, but the normal version is still 2 hours which is just too long for this movie and it really would have benefited alot just being 90 minutes, maybe 100 at a push. The film just drags at times and should have been more concise, also the action is decent enough but the gunplay does get a little boring at times.
Overall the movie is pretty fun and there's enough there to keep your attention throughout but it's certainly nothing stand out or great. A pretty decent first entry. ***

Top 10 films of 2016

So last year I waited til I'd seen a few Oscar contenders in January before doing a top 10, it was mainly to make a more definitive list, as I did struggle making it. But this year I've seen enough great stuff already that I can happily make a good list now rather than wait around. So 2016 was a significantly better film year than 2015 with alot more films resonating with me and despite alot of the blockbusters under-delivering there's been a lot of solid films out overall. So here are my favorite films of year which aside from the top 4 are not necessarily in a definitive order.

Honourable Mentions

Hail Caesar!

The Nice Guys

Zootopia

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Captain America: Civil War

10. Sausage Party

Nope, this is no joke, I had a hell of a fun time watching this and the film is way better than it should be. Not only is it really funny, but beneath it's gross out exterior lay a heart and some depth that help make it a  great adult animated comedy. Its ridiculous content maybe be too much for some, but I super enjoyed it.

9. The Shallows

 Probably the best shark movie since Jaws, featuring a strong leading performance from Blake Lively and the best supporting performance of 2016 by a seagull. This is another film that worked alot better than it should have and I had a blast watching it. A shark/survival film done exceedingly well.

8. Hell or Highwater

Following the recurring theme of films exceeding expectations(though on a smaller scale), Hell or High Water was a film that I already knew was supposed to be great before seeing it, but I didn't think I'd be that big on it, as it seemed like the kind of film that doesn't have much appeal to me, but I know I'd still appreciate. However my presumptions were wrong and I ended up really liking it alot.  From it's superb opening shot, it just keeps you hooked from start to finish and It's just a great movie with great characters (even the side characters are really interesting), that's really well shot, acted and written. 

7. Swiss Army Man

 Now here's a film I knew pretty much nothing about before watching, except that was supposed to be good and that Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe were in it. I certainly didn't expect to see one of the most unique films to come out this year, so it was a very pleasant surprise. It's a weird and wonderful comedy with great performance from it's two stars and with moments that are funny, disturbing and gross all at once. I can't help but love it's bizarre nature and it's got a good heart too, a great film all in all.


6. The Witch

 The best horror film of the year, one devoid of jump scares, but full of pure tension and includes brilliant ending. It's a simple but very effective movie with strong performances, great atmosphere, great cinematography and a unique setting that sets it apart from all modern horror. A great horror that had a lasting impression on me.


5. The Hunt For The Wilderpeople

Taika Waititi's latest film is an absolute joy to watch. It's a lovely and incredibly likable film full of heart and good humour. Waititi's nails it yet again providing probably the most pleasurable watch on this list. It's simply wonderful and I can't wait to see how Waititi handles Thor: Ragnorok.

4. Kubo and the Two Strings

Laika's best film so far featuring some of the most beautiful stop motion I've ever seen. Kubo is an incredible film with a story thats ripe with emotion, excitement and a heartfelt message. Combined with some top notch vocie acting and stunning visuals,. Kubo is simply fantastic.

3. Arrival

Arrival is an incredible piece of Sci-fi that is thought provoking and intelligent. It's so utterly engrossing and intriguing and features quite a few surprises. The performances are strong, the sound is superb, It's also emotional, leaves a lasting a effect and has themes that are very relevant for today. Denis Villeneuve really shows his talent as a director, as this could have easily been really boring in the wrong hands, but he manages to make it work incredibly well. Simply fantastic.

2. Neon Demon

Love him or hate him, Nicolas Winding Refn is one of the most interesting directors working today and one that's not afraid to take risks. The Neon demon is one of his best films to date(perhaps even his best), a sinister look into the modelling industry that is both fascinating and horrifying. A brilliant piece of work with a stellar central performance from Elle fanning. Incredible to look at, surreal at times and totally engrossing, I loved it.

 

 1. Your Name

 For a good number of months I was certain that The Neon Demon was gonna be my film of the year, then Your Name came along and completely changed that. My 3rd animated film on this list (and 3rd animated style), Your Name is nothing short of brilliant, a beautiful anime that contains super likable characters and is full of great drama, humour and emotion. It's constantly intriguing and utterly enthralling and I just love it. My favourite film of 2016.



So that's my list for the 2016 and I'm very much looking forward to what 2017 brings and there's a lot of intriguing films that are gonna come out. Hopefully I'll be getting more reviews done throughout 2017, so until then. Good Bile.