John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) Review

He's Back! and better than ever, John Wick: Chapter 2 does what all the best sequels do, build on it's predecessor and create something superior. Chocked full of great action including gun fu and hand-to-hand combat, John Wick: Chapter 2 is a stunning and hugely enjoyable action thriller. It expands on the interesting film world the first film created, keeping it all the more intriguing. It's the kind of world you'd expect to be from a comic book and I love how it's just its own thing and getting to explore that world more is very enjoyable. The film also still has that layer of odd quirkiness that leads to some rather humorous moments
The film also features some great cinematography and production design, a lot of the sets looked really cool especially the one used in the climax and theres a really nice use of lighting and a lot of the action was shot really well with some minimal cuts and wider shots being utilised. It just looks really great throughout and its influences from asian action cinema are clear to see.
Overall I think this is a great action film, that knows it exactly what it is and greatly succeeds at what it does and I would happily welcome a 3rd film. ****

The Lego Batman Movie (2017) review

Everything is still awesome in the Lego movie world, as The Lego Batman movie delivers a frantic barrage of pure fun. An Absolute joy to watch from start to finish, full of references to the Batman mythos including previous films, shows and comics, as well as other pop culture references that all providing many little laughs throughout. It has the same impressive Lego animation style seen in the Lego Movie, so it looks absolutely stunning, though every now and again the  does get a little too cluttered but it all still looks good. This also got a big cast of well known actors and celebrities doing the voice work and they all do a good job, I particularly loved Michael Cera and Will Arnett who are both top notch as Robin and Batman.
Overall this was a blast and almost on par with the Lego Movie, just lots of fun. ****

Loving (2016) Review

Loving is an historical drama about the lives of the interracial couple who were the cause of the 'Loving V. Virginia' supreme court case that invalidated state laws prohibiting Interracial Marriage. It stars Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga who is nominated for the Academy award for best actress.
The film I'd say is pretty solid but far from great. Its intentions and message are clear and well executed and the performances are good (didn't scream oscar-worthy to me though). the problem is the film just seems to be going through the motions, we jump forward from scene to scene in a brisk manner that just tells the story, but lacks a good amount of drama and emotional weight. Don't get me wrong there are a couple of strong scenes here and the fill certainly isn't devoid of emotion. But the understated approach just didn't connect with me that much. Of course they wanted to be as true to their lives as possible, so it is understandable and like I said the film is definitely solid and well made and is sure to connect with many people in different ways. Its also a story I didn't know anything about, so at the very least I learned something, so it certainly serves its purpose well. ***

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Bursting in with as much subtlety as an Independence Day parade, comes Mel Gibson's Hacksaw ridge. A war movie that is Brutal, Excessive but definitely powerful.
Based on a true story the film follows a really interesting  real life character played by Andrew Garfield who does a really great performance in a somewhat similar role to what he plays in Silence. The drama is also strong and the films emotional moments hit quite hard, one of the things that really makes the film standout though are it's incredible sequences on the battlefield. The way it thrusts us into the heat of war creates a harsh, chaotic and intense experience. It's chock full of gory moments and action in excess that are shocking but also somewhat perversely satisfies those of us that enjoy a bit of bloody action even with its real life context. These sequences are ripe with tension and backed up by some great camerawork, editing and sound.
The rest of the movie is also very good and there are strong performances from all the rest of the cast. It is all very on the nose and there is a strong sense of patriotism running through it, but it never detracts from the viewing experience and overall this is just a really great war movie. ****

T2: Trainspotting (2017)

20 years after the first Trainspotting film that was critically acclaimed and loved by many, the boys are finally back in a sequel and its pretty darn solid.
Now I actually only watched the first movie a few months back for the first time and while I did really enjoy it, I don't have the same loving attachment to it that alot of people have and coming out of T2 I found that I enjoyed this sequel just a much as the first movie. That's not to say that the first movie isn't superior, because it certainly is, I just found my own enjoyment of these films was on par with each other.
The acting as very solid as expected and its got some good drama and humour, and its compelling throughout. there's also a lot of intriguing cinematography with some strange and unique camera angles and movements, which was very cool to look at but was almost at times a bit jarring and distracting.
I will also say that I think the movie was a little safe, in that most things seemed to lack any real consequence and it doesn't offer much that is particularly surprising or unexpected.
Still the references and throwbacks to the first movie are fun and its interesting to see how these character's life compare now 20 years on.
Overall it's just a really entertaining time that very solid overall. ***1/2