Whingewood Reviews

Live by Night (2016)

Good gangster film, follows a lot of the traditional story lines, but enjoyable nonetheless

[8/10 · 17 January 2017]

After seeing a few trailers for this, I was quite look forward to watching it. I like old-school gangster films, and Ben Affleck is on something of a roll at the moment, so I was optimistic.

The story follows the fortunes of Joe Coughlin (played by Ben Affleck) who becomes embroiled in the criminal underworld. It goes through the typical rise to power and betrayal themes of these kinds of films, which while it has been done before, was still entertaining to watch.

Ben Affleck does a good job, as do Sienna Miller, Robert Glenister, Remo Girone, and Zoe Saldana. Mention should also go to Chris Cooper who played Chief Figgis. His character's interactions with Joe Coughlin and the way their relationship changed as the film progressed were a highlight (can't go into details for spoiler reasons).

The action scenes were fantastic. I really like the old style cars and guns (who doesn't like Tommy Guns?), and these scenes really delivered. If you like gangster films, you'll probably enjoy this, I know I did.

(Originally published on my blog, whingewood.wordpress.com)

Sully (2016)

Interesting dramatisation of a real-life event

[7/10 · 17 January 2017]

This is not exactly the kind of film you get excited by the prospect of going to see; it's basically a dramatic documentary. However, it's directed by Clint Eastwood and stars Tom Hanks, so that's normally enough to warrant a look.

The film is about an incident in 2009 where a pilot had to make a water-landing on the Hudson River after both of his engines gave out. The film shows us what happened during the flight (from multiple points-of-view), as well as the investigation afterwards.

If you like films like Apollo 13, then you'll probably enjoy this too (not just because of the Tom Hanks connection). I don't have a lot to say about it other than I found it reasonably enjoyable. It also compelled me to seek out actual documentaries of the event.

(Originally published on my blog, whingewood.wordpress.com)

Assassin's Creed (2016)

Mediocre action film, decent for a computer game film (but that's not high praise)

[6/10 · 17 January 2017]

The only Assassin's Creed game I have played is the first one, and I never finished it. Needless to say, I'm not very invested in this franchise.

I'm familiar with the concept of the Animus (a machine that taps into your 'genetic memories' and allows you to see the events of your ancestors), so I had already suspended my disbelief when they plugged Michael Fassbender's character into it.

Assassin's Creed was a mediocre action film, and for a film based on a computer game franchise, that's probably high praise. Personally, I didn't particularly like or dislike this film, and that probably tells you all you need to know about it.

If you're a fan of the series you will probably enjoy it more than I did (and you will also spot the little Easter egg they throw in). If you've no interest in the Assassin's Creed franchise, wait for it to be released on DVD.

(Originally published on my blog, whingewood.wordpress.com)

Passengers (I) (2016)

Decent film, formulaic, but enjoyable nonetheless.

[6/10 · 7 January 2017]

(Originally published on my blog site, whingewood.wordpress.com)

There were some good points; the ship itself and the society that the characters come from (corporation-run, heavily-reinforced class system based on wealth) were glimpses into a universe that was interesting. Also the idea that they regularly send these kinds of ships on 120 year journeys made me want to know more of that story.

But the film isn't about that universe, it's about the two main characters and their interactions (which is fine, as it was marketed that way, so it's not like I was surprised by that), and it's upon these characters that we should judge the film by.

Without wanting to go into spoilers, the part of the film where Chris Pratt's character is on his own for a year reminded me of the only good part of 2007's I Am Legend, where the character of Robert Neville (played by Will Smith) roams around with only his dog for company (in Passengers, the companion this time is the android bartender, Arthur).

The rest of the film after that was formulaic, which in my eyes resulted in it being fairly mediocre. Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt both gave good performances, it's just that they didn't have much to work with. To top it off, the ending was far too 'Hollywood' for my liking, but that may be because I'm something of a cynic!

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Entertaining, looked & sounded good, good addition to Star Wars franchise.

[8/10 · 21 December 2016]

(Originally published on my blog site, whingewood.wordpress.com)

I had mixed feelings going to watch this; I like Star Wars but I really did not like The Force Awakens. However, I try to keep an open mind, so despite some 'meh' trailers for the film, I went to watch it. Any fan of Star Wars will already know the outcome of this film, but the journey is important.

The film looked and sounded great. There have been mixed opinions regarding the characters of Tarkin and Leia; I think they looked excellent, particularly Tarkin, but I know there are those out there that disagree. Based on my own brief research into non-Star Wars fans seeing Tarkin, a lot of them didn't realize that it was CGI.

The overall story was known to everyone going in (get the Death Star plans), but the story around Galen Erso (played by Mads Mikkelsen) and his role in the Death Star was good, and made episode four make a bit more sense (I know it's basically a retcon, but it works).

There's been a fair amount of criticism about lack of character depth for the characters that we are introduced to, and yeah, they don't have much depth, but do they really need to? Sure, you're never really going to feel much when waves of faceless Stormtroopers are mowed down (except maybe FN-2199, more popularly known as TR- 8R), but when that fella whose only contribution all film has been throwing out witty one-liners, and they gets shot to bits, you might be a little sad. Ultimately, this film is more story-driven than character-driven, which is fine.

So, what did it all add up to? Rogue One was entertaining, with great visual effects and a decent storyline. It gives more context to A New Hope, and is definitely a positive addition to the Star Wars franchise.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

Well-paced and enjoyable, fans of the series will probably enjoy it.

[7/10 · 14 December 2016]

(Also published on my blog site, whingewood.wordpress.com)

I've been putting off seeing this for a while now (for no particular reason), but decided to go before they stop showing it. I've not seen or read all of the Harry Potter series, but enjoyed what I have. Thankfully, you don't need to know anything about that series going into this film.

The story follows Newt (played by Eddie Redmayne) as he goes to New York with his case full of beasts, one or more of them escape, antics ensue.

The visual effects were up to the usual standard for Harry Potter films, which is to say, very good. Personally, I particularly liked the effect for the teleportation (which there was a lot of).

Despite having the word 'fantastic' in the title, this felt a lot less fantastical than the Harry Potter series. However, I am not listing that as a negative, but am instead just making an observation. I think this is due in part to the fact that the main character (Newt) is already extremely familiar with the wizarding world, and it wasn't necessary to go overemphasise the magical aspects (don't get me wrong; there is a lot of magic going on in this film, it's just that they don't go 'this is a MacGuffin, it does this…' a lot. Basically, there is a lot less exposition.).

The film progressed at a decent pace, and I didn't find myself bored at any time, which is usually a good sign. The ending had an interesting reveal, and although this film did feel 'complete', it definitely leaves room for sequels.

Allied (2016)

Interesting thriller, exceeded my expectations, ending wasn't rubbish.

[8/10 · 6 December 2016]

(Originally published on my blog site, whingewood.wordpress.com)

The trailers for this film were not particularly enticing, but there weren't many more appealing options at the cinema this week, so I decided to go and watch it. It turns out that this was a good decision.

This film is about two spies during World War Two. The trailer shows a lot of the story, so I won't delve into it any further.

I can't really say much more than it looked good, the acting was good, and the story was interesting. What was on offer was a well-paced, tense, thriller that kept me interested all the way to it's conclusion.

8/10, interesting thriller, exceeded my expectations, ending wasn't rubbish.

Arrival (II) (2016)

Slow-paced, disappointing reveal.

[4/10 · 24 November 2016]

(Originally published on my blog, whingewood.wordpress.com)

Based on the trailers I'd seen for this, I was quite excited to go and see it. I enjoyed Sicario (another film directed by Denis Villeneuve), so I was optimistic.

The basic idea of the film (spaceships arrive, they wait for us to communicate with them, some governments go mental, mass hysteria, etc) seems 'realistic' to me, so for a large part of the film I was engrossed, even though the film moves at a snail's pace.

Throughout the film you are sledgehammered with clues ('Your father is a scientist. SCIENCE! He likes science!'), which eventually build up to the 'reveal'. Personally, I found it a massive disappointment. Trying not to give spoilers, but it sort of invalidates the actions of nearly everyone else in the film.

The slow pace and disappointing ending made this film a gruelling experience. However, I think this is a film that will firmly divide opinion, it's just that I sit on the negative side of that divide.

War on Everyone (2016)

Hilariously funny in parts, strangely surreal in others, very enjoyable.

[8/10 · 13 October 2016]

(Originally published on my blog, whingewood.wordpress.com)

The trailer for this made me laugh (the scene with their car and a mime), so that was enough to convince me to go and watch it.

War on Everyone is a buddy-cop black comedy starring Michael Pena and Alexander Skarsgard, who play corrupt cops. The main plot is that a heist occurred and they see the money as theirs.

The comedy was mixed with parts that were quite surreal; the best comparison I can think of is to 1991's Hudson Hawk (a film which to this day is very divisive). Some of the comedy had me laughing until I was nearly crying (the scene in Reykjavik was probably the best example).

Some more examples include when they kick in a door to a house, guns out, they still have the burgers they were eating in their other hands. They find a man bleeding out with a knife in his gut and his wife sat there crying. So they carry on eating their burgers.

Personally, I really enjoyed this film, but it appealed to my sense of humour, which I fully accept may not be considered the norm (I enjoy dark humour; Frankie Boyle is one of my favourite comedians for example). I know that for every person like me that enjoyed this film, there will be at least one person that absolutely hates it.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)

Inconsistent story, weak villains, boring main characters

[5/10 · 9 October 2016]

(Originally published on my blog, whingewood.wordpress.com)

The trailers for this made it seem quite interesting (despite the pretentious title), and is also directed by Tim Burton.

The story hinges on the fact that among the 'peculiar' people there are some that can create time loops; havens that exist outside of time where they live the same day over and over. Time travel/manipulation always sets off an alarm bell for me, as it usually leads to either incredibly lazy writing or a massively- inconsistent plot. In this film we got the latter.

Without going into detail, there were many cases of inconsistencies that meant it was difficult for me to stay immersed in what was going on.

The villains of the story were hyped up a lot as something to fear, but they were either incompetent or over-confident (or both!). I find that Samuel L Jackson always gives enjoyable performances, and I thought he and his character were great in this, just not as the main villain (a guilty pleasure of mine is liking his performance as Octopus in 2008's The Spirit; a truly awful film that I recommend you never watch).

With Tim Burton directing it, you'd think it would be another amazing film. However, I tried to think of the last one of his film's that I actually enjoyed. I had to go onto IMDb to find out, but it was 2003's Big Fish. That's thirteen years since I last enjoyed a Tim Burton film. At least as far as I'm concerned, he's living on past glories.

Back on topic, this film was mediocre. The main characters were boring, which is a shame because the background characters (the kids at the school) were great. Quite disappointed overall.

The Magnificent Seven (2016)

Good remake, lots of action, entertaining Western!

[8/10 · 29 September 2016]

Yet another remake…but the trailers for this one were at least encouraging, especially with Denzel Washington playing the lead.

I have vague memories of seeing the original The Magnificent Seven, (which is in itself a re-imagining of Seven Samurai), and I seem to remember liking it. I think 56 years is long enough of a gap to justify a remake, so I'll give them a pass on this one (although you could argue that 1980's Battle Beyond the Stars was another Seven Samurai remake). So what was it like?

Each character was steadily added to the team, they had a bonding/preparing the town montage, the bad guys showed up, they shot each other a lot, characters were killed, the film ended. Pretty much what I was expecting, and that's fine.

Personally, I love Westerns (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is one of my favourite films ever), so for me this formula really worked. Is it going to win any awards? Probably not, but the performances were good (although it might be hard to argue that Chris Pratt was acting anything other than himself, which again, is fine), it looked good, and most importantly, I was entertained.

(From my blog site: whingewood.wordpress.com)

War Dogs (2016)

Interesting story, funny in places, worth watching, but perhaps not at the cinema.

[7/10 · 15 September 2016]

War Dogs is based on a true story. The actual story is far less exciting than the theatrical version, but still amusing when you consider what they managed to do.

I'm not going to go into detail about the story, but it follows the two main characters (played by Miles Teller and Jonah Hill) as they delve into the arms trade.

It all leads up to one massive deal they enter into with the US government, and circumstances arise that make it seem like they bit off more than they can chew.

War Dogs is at times a comedy and other times a serious drama/documentary. Certain scenes were added to make the story more interesting than it actually was (their real life counterparts never put themselves directly into danger, as was featured in the film when they smuggled guns from Jordan into Iraq), but they seemed necessary to make it more than just an exaggerated documentary.

Mechanic: Resurrection (2016)

Action was good, but mediocre overall, even by Statham's standards

[5/10 · 2 September 2016]

Jason Statham films are a guilty pleasure of mine. He plays practically the same character in every one of his films and the plots (what little there are) are usually interchangeable. That being said, the action is usually good and they films don't outstay their welcome.

Which is why I was disappointed with this film. It started so well, with a great action scene to kick things off, then it crashes to an abrupt halt.

Whoever was in charge of pacing for this film needs a talking to, as the island scene with Jessica Alba was so long and drawn out that I nearly considered leaving, and this is only a ninety-minute film!

After that some stuff happened which advanced the 'plot' (which was weak, as expected). I think they missed opportunities to add some plot twists with Alba's character, as she could have actually been the bad guy (which would have been awesome) and instead went for the expected path.

It seems mean to pick holes in the story (it feels like criticising a dyslexic's spelling), but the whole point of getting Statham's character (the Mechanic), to do the kills was to make them look like accidents (presumably so that the other targets didn't realise they were being targeted), but the third target (Tommy Lee Jones' character) immediately knew that Crain (the bad guy) was going after them, kinda rendering using the Mechanic a moot point.

Anyway, the action scenes were good, but not enough to raise up this very mediocre film. For a better example of a decent Statham film, watch Safe.

(Originally published on my blog, whingewood.wordpress.com)

Sausage Party (2016)

To use their vernacular, "f*****g spooge!"

[4/10 · 2 September 2016]

Personally, I have found Seth Rogen's previous efforts to be very hit and miss. I quite liked The Green Hornet, but absolutely hated This is the End.

With a title like Sausage Party, my expectations weren't set high. Just as well really, as it was extremely lowbrow (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). but unlike Matt Stone and Trey Parker efforts (South Park & Team America), it offered little in the way of intelligent commentary to counterbalance it.

I know that humour is subjective, but to me this wasn't funny. I'm not even sure that my twelve-year-old self would have found it funny. If you find animated food saying f**k and c**t amusing, then this is the film for you. For everyone else, spend your ticket money elsewhere.

The film's 'message' was not smart or original, and their attempt at shock factor ("haha, that vegetable said f**k!") fails because it's been done before, bigger, longer, and uncut (South Park movie).

(Originally published on my blog, whingewood.wordpress.com)

Suicide Squad (2016)

Entertaining comic book action film, well worth watching!

[8/10 · 9 August 2016]

Going into this film I was already aware of the Suicide Squad. I've had brief glimpses of some of the old and the new squads, and have also seen the animated version (which is definitely worth checking out by the way).

So, onto the film. I felt that the pacing was good, as at no point during the film did I feel bored. The story, such as it was, progressed at a good pace and never really gave me a chance to stop and think, which may have been a good thing as it was not overly deep or original. However, this is a comic book film, so I wasn't exactly expecting a highbrow masterpiece in terms of story, but the action scenes were enjoyable and kept the film moving along.

The characters were introduced through exposition, which would normally be written off as lazy, but was appropriate in this film in the context it was used. I'm not going to talk about the individual changes to characters compared to the comics as there are always going to be differences; I'll leave that to the fans to bicker about.

In my opinion, you were given enough information about each character to get a sense of their motivations and capabilities (very similar amounts to characters in films like The Magnificent Seven and The Dirty Dozen, and you never hear complaints about them). Some people may complain about the number of characters, but those same people won't question the amount in Game of Thrones…

The two main characters, Harley Quinn and Deadshot, were both portrayed well by Margot Robbie and Will Smith respectively. You'll probably hear a lot about how little of Jared Leto's Joker was in the film, which people are chalking up as a negative, however, I'd be disinclined to agree. The Joker should never be a main character in a film where Batman is not also the main character, and in this film, Ben Affleck's Batman was hardly present (again, not a negative thing).

This film is about Amanda Waller's Task Force X (the Suicide Squad), who was played very well by Viola Davis (Waller is definitely not someone to be messed with), and this film establishes them as 'The Other Guys'; the ones you call when the Justice League are too busy, and the ones that the government has near total control over.

If you enjoy films like The Magnificent Seven or The Dirty Dozen, and also happen to like comic book films, then I really think you'll enjoy this. People are far too quick to compare this to Marvel's misfit offering, Guardians of the Galaxy (which is an excellent film by the way, you should watch it!), when better comparisons are to the two films I just mentioned. Don't get sucked into the Marvel vs DC debate; it's OK to like both!

(Review from my blog: whingewood.wordpress.com)

Jason Bourne (I) (2016)

Enjoyable, worth seeing at the cinema, but not amazing

[7/10 · 9 August 2016]

I've seen all of the previous Bourne films (even the one with Hawkeye) and enjoyed them to an extent. They are definitely some of the best spy films out there, but my tastes run more to films like the Mission Impossible series (a great example of sequels being better than the original).

Jason Bourne doesn't waste any time and gets straight into the action. The sequence at the Athens riot was fantastic, and is exactly the sort of thing that fans of the series want to see.

The story, whilst not incredibly deep, was quickly established, as were the main characters' motivations (with one exception, but this is something of a reveal at the end, so that's fine). However, I'm not sure how well this would do as a standalone film, with numerous references to previous films (but then you kind of expect that in the fifth of a series), but that's not really much of a point against it.

All of the actions leads to a big finale in Las Vegas. Again, fantastic action (although perhaps too much shaky cam), including a car chase with a van that is clearly made of the same material as the Batmobile from Batman vs Superman (it just ploughed through vehicles).

The ending was fine, and the little reveal about one of the characters was nice as well.

(Review from my blog: whingewood.wordpress.com)

Avatar (2009)

Pretty, but unoriginal

[5/10 · 26 March 2014]

I watched Avatar again today after having seen it previously, shortly after it was released in 2009.

No complaints on the special effects side; they were superb. But nice visuals alone does not make a good film. Which leads onto the main problem; story.

As numerous other posters have stated, anyone that has watched a lot of films will notice the not-so-subtle similarities. This makes the whole film rather predictable and ultimately, boring.

Avatar was worth watching, once, but it is not a film that will leave a lasting impression on me, and I have zero desire to watch it again.