Change Your Image
henryluck
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Saw X (2023)
Saw X (2023) - A cut above the rest
Slicing into cinemas for its 10th instalment Saw X turns the gears back to when the Jigsaw Killer's crusade against the wicked was gathering steam.
Taking place between Saw 1 & 2, John Kramer (Tobin Bell) seeks vengeance against the con-artists who tricked him into believing they cured his brain cancer. For a series too often overindulged in torture, gore and questionable at best stories, I was delighted to see Saw X return the spotlight to Bell, a character whose iconic presence and performance is simply unmatched. If you dig through all the blood and guts in this latest entry (and trust me there is a lot), you're likely to find a little heart hidden underneath as Kramer's human side and moral code are given some depth for once.
Saw wouldn't be Saw without some delicious deadly traps and this latest game delivers gallons. Going back to the classic grindhouse aesthetic that made the original so memorable, the atmosphere surrounding these new abominations perfectly complement the bloodshed, guaranteed to make even those with an iron stomach wince. Saw fans or anyone in the odd mood for some bloody carnage and even the return of Billy the Puppet will be satisfied.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) - Cowabunga in the Turtle-Verse!
Paramount and Nickelodeon Movies fly out of the sewers to give the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cinematic justice.
Directed by Jeff Rowe, the story is another interpretation of how the Turtles first crawled out of the shadows to fight crime. But the stand-out character must be the villain, Ice Cube's Superfly. The film did a brilliant job of showing his tragic backstory and how our heroes in a half-shell could have been just like him without the guidance of their father figure Splinter, played by martial artist legend (Jackie Chan).
No doubt taking inspiration from the Spider-Verse films and several Jackie Chan classics, Mutant Mayhem takes on the style of classic comic books that gives the movie a stand-out identity. The use of lighting and hand-drawn animation captures the grungy atmosphere of the Turtles' Universe. Next to this year's Across the Spider-Verse (2023), Mutant Mayhem has some of the best action-packed animation I've seen this year.
The humour unfortunately doesn't go beyond reference material; the film's mainly just stops to point the finger at popular franchises and brands you might recognise, like Attack on Titan.
However, being part of the post Spider-Verse resonance, Mutant Mayhem is a rebellious action-packed thrill ride. The Turtles are here to kick butt and eat pizza... and their all out of pizza.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Thor: Ragnarok Review: "Rock and Roll!"
I loved my time with Thor: Ragnarok because it went for that feel good Guardians of the Galaxy vibe while also going in a more serious direction that previous Marvel films even Ragnarok's predecessor (The Dark World) mostly ignored. This makes me even more excited to see Thor again and other Marvel films to see if they go in the same direction as this film does and adds more flavour and excitement to the rest of the Marvel cast.
The film centres around Thor (Chris Hemsworth) of course as he witnesses the return of his powerful and demonic older sister Hela the Goddess of Death who in a surprising turn of events, catches and shatters Thor's hammer and begins her invasion of Asgard to return it to it's old conquering and corrupted ways. To top of all off, Thor is captured on the planet of Sakaar and forced to fight for his freedom. With the help of his morally twisted brother Loki, Valkyrie the last in a great line of Asgardian warriors and the most destructive and green being on Earth, the Hulk, Thor fights against time to defeat Hela and restore Asgard. The story may play out like any other Marvel film, but there are some great twists that I won't spoil that I'm sure you'll agree with dramatically change the path of Thor's character.
There were also some great and well-written side characters as well. For example, the rock-man character of Korg (Taika Waititi) never failed to add humour to any scene due to his unusually kind and light-hearted personality. Whether it be in the prison before Thor faces the grandmaster's (Jeff Goldblum) champion who is (big surprise!) Hulk, to the assault to take Asgard back near the end of the film.
The setting of Thor: Ragnarok was also greatly unique against it's predecessors. The setting of Sakaar looks bright, bold and really interesting as almost everything has bold neon colours and personality. But you also get the sense that the planet is plagued by poverty when you see the lower parts of the world. This creates the feeling of a brand new unique world that actually has depth rather then being just a crazy set piece used to get butts on seats.
Don't let the dumb over the top setting scare you. Thor: Ragnarok is exactly what a Marvel film is all about. Grand chaotic fun that both comic book and casual super-hero film lovers will love while also taking the character of Thor in a bold new direction. Here's to the Ragnarok!
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Blade Runner 2048 Review: Hype Train Derailed
As someone who thought the original Blade Runner was a good interesting film that does require a good attention span, Blade Runner 2048 will test that span and not in a good way. Instead of being a deep immersive neo-noir like the original, 2048 is a boring slog that will leave you with two thoughts in it's 2 hour and 45 minute run time: "when it's the film gonna be over?" and "I really need the bathroom".
I'll try to describe the complete mess of a story the best I can, a Blade Runner named K (Ryan Gosling) finds a childhood toy that he remembers, which leads him to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) the protagonist of the original Blade Runner, 30 years after his disappearance. It's been really hard to remember everything in this film because everyone and everything moved at the pace of snails and I was trying my hardest not to fall asleep or think of anything else other then "god, my bladder aches." Another thing that bothered me about this film, was it's portrayal of women. In multiple shots for example, there was this hologramed blue haired "pink" naked women to advertise these "hologram" women to cater to a bachelor's wants. I found to to be incredibly insulting to the audience's intelligence because it not only constantly shoved breasts and butt in our faces to keep our attention, but it creates the idea that all the men of the future want are naked women. Men are clearly more intelligent then that. The original did have some sexually attractive women, but we were never bombarded with them to the point of it being a distraction.
There were some good nods to the original film however. The Wallace headquarters looked well lit and interestingly decorated much like the Tyrell headquarters in the original but other then that, nothing else stood out. There's was a reason why the original's visuals were looked upon with such great praise. That's because the film was made in 1982 and people didn't even have cellphones and you were lucky to have a computer. Therefore being able to create that sense of scale in the original was a real sight to behold for 1980's audiences. But to a late 2010's audience, it's just another vast but lifeless establishing shot seen many times before.
To make things short and sweet, Blade Runner 2048 is a bland and lifeless film, just like the kind you fall asleep too. Even one of the film's main selling points which is the return of Rick doesn't even happen until the last hour of the film. In fact, the cinema room was only a few seats full and I even saw two people walk out and not come back. Need I say more.
It (2017)
IT (2017) Review
Great horror films are rare these days mainly because most of them are redundant sequels and remakes that do very little to aid the story or the scares. Even though this 2017 version of IT is a remake of the Stephen King classic, it is one of the best horror films I have seen in a long time. With killer clowns, death of children and monsters attacking you left and right, what's not to love? The film follows the same plot as the massive first part of the classic 1986 novel with the second half to be finished in a sequel. Seven children are being hunted and prayed on by a child-eating alien disguised as a clown known as Pennywise for each of their own fears and traumas. One child in particular, Bill Denbrough (Jayden Lieberher) is obsessed with founding and defeating the clown because he believes he will also find his younger brother who was captured by the alien months earlier with many believing him to be dead. This makes us connect emotionally with Bill as well as the other characters who have fears of their own such as Beverly Marsh (Sophia Lillis) the only female of the group who is sexually abused by her father. This formula can be repetitive but it is terrifying when each child has their own encounter with Pennywise. Cinematography is also to great effect in IT. Camera movement gets incredibly shaky during intense chase scenes but the camera also takes the time to slow down to explore the emotionally levity of some scenes. Shadows are used effectively to add to the sinister nature of the film like the sewer locations where the unknown evil of Pennywise lurk. The actors of the children also act well in their current surroundings and reasonably act like coming of age children. Bill as mentioned earlier is obsessed with finding IT and his younger brother and due to his young age acts impulsively without much consideration of his actions or his friends like any coming of age child would. CGI can look pretty suspect in a few scenes with Pennywise. When he starts attacking, he does these really forced shaky motions that can take away from the scene a little bit, but not enough to ruin the horror and tension of the scenes. For any horror fan, IT is an absolute must see, especially in the dark of the cinema.
The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)
The Hit-man's Bodyguard Review
Today we look at a film if you mix Ryan Reynolds and Samuel Jackson in a 007+John Wick situation. The results are absolutely hilarious and extremely fun. This film proves that experimentation is the key to making fresh and exciting films. The story plays out like your typical 007 film. Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) who is what he calls himself a "Former Triple A Protection Agent" has to escort an infamous hit-man, Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) to his Testimony at the International Court of Law to prevent the corrupt Russian president from getting back in power. But what really makes the plot shine is its characters. Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson absolutely nail their roles as respective former triple A protection agent and foul mouthed hit-man and their opposite chemistry is responsible for many of the film's funniest moments from their banter in-between action to full on shouting during the action. This proves that opposites can really attract in certain situations. Diegetic sound is used in an excellent manner in this film. Guns sound beefy and whenever someone gets shot you really feel the impact of the shot as they are appropriately used in this film with the right dosage of blood and pain. This film absolutely deserves its 15 rating. Cinematography is also used effectively in this film even during the non-action scenes of the film. Just by looking at the environment around us at the beginning when we're introduced to Michael, we get the feeling that he is a very successful "Triple A Protection Agent." Many shot types were used which help to portray Michael's character as well as Darius' when we find out about his backstory as well. But the camera worked during the action scenes as well because there was the right amount of tracking of both Michael and Darius when each individual needed the camera the most and there was rarely a lot of filler. With remarkable characters, great cinematography, sound and smart funny dialogue, The Hit-man's Bodyguard is a wild and funny ride for lovers of both comedy and action films.
Atomic Blonde (2017)
Atomic Blonde Review
Atomic Blonde is what you get when you mix the Cold War, James Bond, John Wick and a hint of Scott Pilgrim. Being based off of the 2012 graphic novel: "The Coldest City" by Antony Johnston, this colourful yet bleak world has a great stand-out personality with neon spray paint that sprays the intro and credits as you enter the end of the Cold War, but the beginning of a new threat that emerges when the KGB get their hands on a list of every active MI6 agent in the Soviet Union. Enter Lorraine Broughton, a A-class MI6 spy with icy blonde hair and a habit of taken constant baths of water and ice as she's held under interrogation about her last mission in Berlin. The story is very complex with a ton of twists and turns so I won't write anything spoiler related here but I can say this, be ready for one roller coaster of a story and the need to rewatch this title twice or maybe even a few times more.
Action in Atomic Blonde makes James Bond look like Mr Bean. Gun shots and punch impacts feel really beefy and many of the fight scenes keep you on your feet as Lorraine and her foes have the endurance of Olympic athletes rather then the latter being rag-dolls. Fight scenes are also just the right amount of bloody and brutal and definitely warrant the 15 rating. The use of sound is absolutely the winner in this film.
Music in Atomic Blonde does work in the moment with music like "99 Red Balloons" in German playing during an interrogation scene to add some light-heartedness to the graphic beat-up of a captive under the KGB. But the film was so fast-paced in it's action that I couldn't keep track of the music all that often as it was like a raging buffalo rampaging past a talented Mexican band.
I had (excuse the pun) a blast with Atomic Blonde thanks to it's balls to the walls action scenes and captivating in the moment music. Like I said before, the film may need a few rewatches to get the plot but this is one film that should metaphorically be the next film you see next in your film watchlist.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Spider Man: Homecoming Review
Spider Man: Homecoming is exactly the reboot Spider Man fans have wanted since the end of the Sam Raimi trilogy. Though it doesn't quite reach the same heights as the original trilogy, it's still way better then the previous abysmal Amazing Spider Man films and a must see for any Marvel and Spider Man fan.
The story takes place 2 months after the events of 2016's Captain America: Civil War. Peter Parker who's this time played by Tom Holland, has recently came across thugs wielding powerful alien technology that was extracted by the Chitauri who are the aliens the Avengers fought in The Avengers (2012). It turns out the bad guy behind all this is Adrian Toomes (aka: Vulture) who needs the technology in order to get money to support his family, including for his daughter Liz who inconveniently Peter has a crush on. Therefore it's up to Spider Man and a little help from Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man to stop him. This plot is as predictable as it sounds which does take away from the peril of the film and it doesn't help that an "Untitled Spider-Man: Homecoming Sequel" has been listed on IMDb. Another thing that doesn't help is that Peter is shown getting the Stark-made Spidey suit taken away from him from Tony Stark (who gave him the suit) for failing to listen to him about not going after Vulture in the trailer and that's exactly what happens in the film, so you do know what's going to happen. But nowadays it's not the plot that gets people excited for Marvel movies, it's the action which this film delivers on.
The fight scenes with the Chitauri technology and Vulture felt fast and tense. The fight scene of the Ferry for example just over halfway through the film was very well shot and kept me invested in the scene because it wasn't just noise. The film also made great use of Spider Man's new abilities thanks to the Stark-made suit such as the taser and ricochet webs which were just as fun as they sounded.
But the main thing that kept me invested in this film, was Tom Holland's character of Peter Parker because he absolutely excelled at the character. His character had such an optimist exciting view of the world but he's also a kind hearted and respectful person who cares deeply for the people around him. Even though he is coming of age and quite naive, he's still a very likable and relatable Spider Man very similar to Tobey Maquire's. Vulture's character was also very well made as you can understand his motivations and he an intimidating villain when he's in the Vulture gear, similar to the Green Goblin from the first Spider Man film in San Raimi's Spider Man trilogy. Tony Stark's character was also very well played as usual, being the likable unlikeable character that everyone loves him for, but he's also an excellent mentor for Peter almost being his father in certain ways.
But what I found most fitting in this film is that Marvel updated the classic 60's Spider Man theme for the opening Marvel logo, likely showing a new leaf after the distasteful Amazing Spider Man movies. It turns out after I watched this film, my prediction was absolutely true.
Dunkirk (2017)
Dunkirk Review
Dunkirk has to be one of the most awesome films I've seen in ages. Around every corner I was on the edge of my seat and constantly sucked into the intensity of the evacuation of Dunkirk. By what I loved about Dunkirk, was that it was a far more human film then a lot of other war films, making it a film that must be seen to be believed.
The film takes place during the mass Dunkirk evacuation of the Allied Forces (British, French and Belgium soldiers) in May 1940. The allied Forces were severely outclassed in terms of power to the German army and it looked that all hope was lost for the Allied Forces trapped on the beach of Dunkirk. But the army and civilians on ships nearby pulled together in the most humane and brave act of heroism ever displayed in military history.
One of Dunkirk's strongest points was that it didn't have a lot of dialogue or gore like in other war films. The film instead focuses on the intensity of the evacuation through both the land, sea and air. All three of these stories are separate at first but begin to merge with each other near the end. This makes Dunkirk one of the strongest war films I've seen because it's an actual representation of the evacuation instead of some "Rambo" or "Call of Duty" wannabe. But I did find it weird that there was no mention of Nazis or Germans even once with not even a flash of the Swastika. Nobody spoke German either from what I could recall. This made the film somewhat censored which slightly took away from the feeling that I was in World War 2.
Music is well used in Dunkirk as Hans Zimmer is behind the soundtrack. However, I didn't find a stand out track through the film but the film's music worked well for the scene I was watching such as a plane fight. But considering that Dunkirk is a film about just struggling to survive instead of some big bold action film like the Dark Knight then it shouldn't be so much of a problem rather then just a nit pick.
Sound is absolutely incredible in Dunkirk. Hearing the roaring of a German plane getting ever so louder before it drops an Earth-shattering bomb or hearing and seeing bullets puncture a ship feels jaw-dropping and actually keeps you on your toes. That's just seeing the film in standard cinema, so just imagine what an IMAX screening feels like.
Voice acting is solid and fit with the time of the film. Nobody talked slang or sounded out of place. But none of the characters' felt rememberable or had a sense of charisma. But again this is something that can be overlooked for the greater message of the film.
Dunkirk is one of those films that deserve the big screen treatment because not only does it blow you away in terms of sound but it also feels a lot more human then most war films. It doesn't tell a tale of victory as Dunkirk was one of the worst military operations ever suffered, but from this defeat the allies were able to learn from their mistakes and fight back to win the war, therefore preserving freedom and life for future generations to come. This is what makes Dunkirk special and a film that should be well respected in today's ever growing list of war films and games that make you feel unstoppable when you should actually feel at your most mortal.
9/10
Superhot (2016)
Superhot VR Review For PlayStation VR
Superhot VR is a splendid awe-inspiring blend of the Matrix and John Wick. Dodging bullets in slow-mo in VR makes you feel legendary. This thought only is more then enough to make this game your next PSVR must-buy.
There isn't much of a story to go on in Superhot VR. You're inside a run-down apartment room with the only source of light being your monitors and you are forced to go through a series of trails to "prove your dedication." You also know nothing of your main protagonist either, adding a sense of mystery in the game. However after the 3 hour campaign, I was still just as uncertain of why these bizarre events were happening. It would of been very useful to understand our protagonist and why he's doing these tests. But hopefully this is covered up in the original Superhot.
However, the gameplay is the main star of the show in Superhot VR. You stay in the same spot all the time in Superhot VR, but like in the original version of the game, time only moves when you move, which I find to be a very entertaining game mechanic as it makes you feel like a god but also makes you alert and more careful because even though enemies die in a single hit, so do you. Physically moving your body and head in VR to pick up weapons with the required move controllers and dodging bullets or slicing them in half using a knife and watching red glass heads explode in slow-mo feels incredible and makes Superhot VR a reference quality transfer to virtual reality. But like virtual reality itself, it's got to be seen to be believed. I haven't played normal Superhot yet, but after playing Superhot VR, I'm not sure I want to. But the gameplay does have flaws on the PSVR. Since Superhot VR is a game where you have to move around a lot, tracking with the PlayStation Camera can go haywire at the worst possible moments, resulting in some frustrating deaths. In addition to this, throwing objects in VR can be hit or miss when your using your hands and checkpoint are quite far apart from each other meaning if you die at the very last part of a segment, you will be forced to play that segment again from the beginning, which can also get frustrating, especially if the tracking is at fault. However, due to the amazing gameplay I can look past these flaws and still have a blast.
Superhot VR also has a unique look to it as well. All the environments you'll be fighting in are all white but enemies are a red colour and everything you can pick up and use as a weapon are in black. This art style is very effective because I was never confused on what was a weapon or enemy and what wasn't which is really useful in a game where a split second of indecision can cost you your life. There are a wide array of weapons at your disposal, from wine bottles to shotguns. Smart players will probably grab a weapon such as a gun or knife and a shield like a saucepan to block incoming shots, adding a new level of tactic. However, white, red and black colours do look kind of muted on the PlayStation VR which is likely to be expected due to the PlayStation VR's limited graphical process. I've played this game on the standard PS4 so I'm not sure as to how it looks on the PS4 Pro.
Sound is also used really well. The 3D audio in VR allows you to recognise exactly where shots are coming from, making playing with headphones a must. Hearing the unknown announcer say the words "Super... Hot" at a checkpoint feels well earned after a tense encounter as the words constantly pop up to where you look.
There's also a lot to challenge yourself to once you finish story mode. There are a wide range of challenges from speed runs, hardcore, headshots only, completing the game without dying, endless and of course, playing story mode again. However, I wished that there was a way to exit the story mode at any time and that I didn't have to complete the story mode just to get my choice in what I played. The modes are all labelled on these big memory cards on your desk which are kinda of tricky to see in such a dark room and you physically pick them up to put them into your computer. However, I wished I could put my choices down again instead of having to insert them into the computer to let them go and change my mind by inserting the card I wanted. I could drop things easily when I was playing, why couldn't I do it here? Despite all these shortcomings, I found Superhot VR to be one of the best purchases I've ever made for my PlayStation VR. At just £20, I think you get more then your money's worth as Superhot VR's challenging additional modes will keep you coming back for more. This game is an absolutely must if you own a PlayStation VR! 9/10
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
War for the Planet of the Apes Review: The war to end all wars
War for the planet of the Apes is a magnificent achievement in direction and storytelling in the 21st century. Written and directed be the extremely talented Matt Reeves, War for the Planet of the Apes concludes an excellent trilogy on a very high note but also stands out as it's own film as well.
Set two years after the events of the previous instalment in the trilogy Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the film follows the ape leader Caesar and his tribe of apes as they are still fighting against the human military. After suffering heavy casualties in his tribe, Caesar begins to have dark hallucinations of the previous film's antagonist Koba and his descend into anger and darkness, tempting Caesar to travel down the same path. We understand Caesar's anger due to the brutal fight scenes and horrific treatment of apes that are captured in the film. This is one of the many great things that this film captures beautifully. Other great moments in the film show multiple confrontations between Caesar and the film's main antagonist known simply as The Colonel played by Woody Harrison. During these confrontations, we understand why The Colonel is capturing the Apes and treating them in such horrific manner. Moments such as those really help to make the film extremely thought-provoking and creates a theme of sacrificing for the greater good. This is made even better by the fact that you don't need to do any catching up on the previous films in the trilogy to understand the plot.
Speaking of the action scenes, they are beautifully directed and are extremely beefy due to the Dolby Atmos mix. Explosions are beefy, guns crack like lightening and the setting of the snowy military base really help to make use of the theme of war. What I also liked about this film, is that the CGI looked real constantly throughout the film, therefore making me emotionally connect with the Apes.
Voice acting is also incredibly solid too. We understand Caesar's struggle through his tired and battle-worn voice given by Andy Serkis, proving that Andy Serkis is a superb fit for the character of Caesar.
I saw this film in 3D but unfortunately, the 3D isn't much to write home about. Despite a few moments where the 3D stands out, there really isn't enough to make you warrant paying extra for that 3D screening.
Overall like I said earlier, all these reasons are why War for The Planet of The Apes is not only a superb end to an excellent trilogy, but also an amazing film in it's own right. You'll be bananas to pass it up! 9.5/10
Wonder Woman (2017)
Wonder Woman Review: A Marvel of a film
Wonder Woman surprised me on so many levels. This character's gone from an awesome sidekick in Batman VS Superman to an awesome main lead in DC's first live action origin story of the superhero. From it's action to setting, Wonder Woman marvels! The adventure begins when Diana (Wonder Woman) rescues a young British spy (Steve Trevor) from drowning when he crash-lands in the ocean of Diana's home Themyscira. When Diana hears of the war that is raging outside of the invisible Island, Diana travels with Steve into his world to put an end to it, with the belief that the man behind the destruction is Ares, the God of War.
What I really liked about Wonder Woman, is how the director showed how child-like Diana reacted to the new world (London- World War 1 era) Examples of this was when she kept holding her sword and shield around something clearly out of the ordinary in London, even during World War 1 times. This kind of child-like approach to the new world helps flesh out Diana's personality as she's in a world completely different from her own. Speaking of her personality, Diana is a very attachable and admirable character because she fights for the safety of innocents and is willing to fight to ensure their safety, something gifted to her from her upbringing by her amazon queen mother. I also liked how Wonder Woman comes to the realisation that people are just plain evil and there often is not just "one bad person." This questioning of morality really helped to flesh out Wonder Woman's character even further as it changed her perspective of what the real world is like.
Wonder Woman's also got the action to match the character as well. The movie makes amazing use of sound to deliver earth-echoing sound in the cinema every time Wonder Woman smashed a mortar away with her shield for example or smashed through debris like a bull. Wonder Woman's weapons are also showcased beautifully and fit incredibly well with the film's setting. The weapons even felt real as well with Wonder Woman's weapons like her sword and shield shining beautifully as well as having some shadows to the explosive firing of a cannon. The best part was that nothing looked suspect in terms of CGI.
The film even looks amazing too and the amount of detail that was put into this film really helped to flesh out the worlds, from the breath-taking Greek inspired Themyscira to the gritty war torn battlefields of World War 1. Each place had a unique personality that made it easier to follow the story. Even though the film had some gritty moments during the London and battlefield scenes, they were rarely distracting.
Wonder Woman was exactly the film to put the DC extended universe on the map. Wonder Woman has gotten the film she deserved since her breath-taking appearance in Batman VS Superman. Here's the hoping that Justice League and more DC films will be just as amazing, just like Wonder Woman's theme! 😃 9/10 Is it better then? Batman VS Superman: Dawn Of Justice- Yes. Wonder Woman has a much more likable protagonist as well as having a more centred plot and less CGI action.
Man of Steel- Yes. Even though Man of Steel has a larger scale, Wonder Woman feels more impactful and feels much more rememberable.
Suicide Squad- Yes. Wonder Woman has much more charisma and is unlikely to have anyone cringing.
Logan (2017)
Logan Review: Blades of Brilliant Sorrow
Listen to me right now, because I'm gonna tell you why Logan is one of the best superhero films I've seen in ages. I know that it may be cliché now since the film's been out for a few months, but if you haven't seen the film yet just here me out.
The film stars Hugh Jackman as a past his day Wolverine (Logan) who's greatest strength has now become his worst weakness. The adamantium that is bound to his skeleton is poisoning him. This is shown when bullets now do a number on Wolverine when he should of been able to pop them out of his body with ease more angry then hurt. Hugh Jackman has really worked hard to portray how much Logan has aged in this film. Hugh Jackman even stated that he went without water for 2 days to help further portray this which is evident when Logan begins stumbling in some scenes, especially near the end. This level of commitment really shows how much Jackman put into this project in order to give his Wolverine character a fitting send-off.
The other actors also do an excellent job of portraying their characters. Patrick Steward has done a superb job of portraying an elderly Charles Xavier who's telepathy powers are starting to deteriorate, forcing him to become isolated from the world under the care of Logan, causing him to go borderline insane.
Dafne Keen also did a superb job in her portrayal of Laura, a violent young girl with powers very similar to Logan as she too has an adamantium skeleton. She is also put under Logan's care without his consent and as Logan is forced to care for her, you definitely see the bond that forms between her, Logan and Charles as Logan must protect Laura from a man named Donald Pierce and his group of soldiers who are hunting for children like Laura to create living weapons out of them. The character designs also matched the characters themselves with elderly characters like Logan wearing vests and old boots and characters like Laura wearing "brighter" clothes like denim jackets. It makes the film feel more grounded, more realistic and gives it a "Last Of Us" kind of feel as it shows the difference between the young and old.
Speaking of a "Last Of Us" kind of feel, the film's violence is absolutely on par with the film's dark nature. The film defies the usual superhero clichés of saving the world and getting the girl and the usual superhero film rating has been increased from 12 to 15. In fact, Logan rarely feels like a superhero film most of the time and the film is very aware of this when Logan mocks Laura for reading X-Men comics. The action looks slick and bloody stylish and the CGI and green screens rarely looked suspect. The blood and dismemberment was never in your face either. Right from the opening scene from Logan's first fight with a group of thugs vandalising his car, you know this film's gonna be bloody and brilliant. The film's soundtrack and sound also moulded with the violence really well as you could feel every moment claws slashed against flesh like an Old Man Freddy Kruger and the soundtrack that matched the intensity of every action scene flawlessly, especially during the forest massacre.
The film's themes also blow it away from everything else on the market. The theme of loss is present because it is the year 2029 and nearly all mutants on the face of the Earth have been all but extinct. The theme of family is also present because Logan's family are nearly all gone and having to look after Laura has made him rethink about why family is so important. The use of light and darkness adds even more to the sense of hopelessness and sorrow that Logan is facing as you can really sense in the trailers.
James Mangold should feel really proud of himself for Logan. This was definitely the kind of Wolverine film we needed for a character that's so dark but scaled down in previous instalments of the X-Men franchise. It's no bark and all bite! Let's hope more superhero movies follow this trend so we can have more classics like this and The Dark Knight. Here's to a "lethal" 17 years Jackman! 😃 9.8/10
Is it better then? The Dark Knight- No. it's without a doubt a close one, but the Dark Knight's slightly superior writing and the theme of insanity slightly edge Logan.
X-Men: Apocalypse- Yes. Logan trumps Apocalypse in almost every way from setting to action and everything else in between.
The Wolverine- Yes. As I said, Logan defies all superhero movie clichés and tells a darker better tale then what The Wolverine could.
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Kong: Skull Island 2D Review
Kong: Skull Island 2D Review Watching Kong: Skull Island was mostly like watching my childhood dreams being reborn. As I marveled at the overgrown ruins of Skull Island and at the ginormous King Kong, the film caught my attention like a fish on a line. Why are our main characters on this deadly uncharted island in the first place? The year is 1973 and a group of explorers accompanied by US soldiers want to explore Skull Island to find the source that the US has been dropping bomb tests on. Even though the actors did a fine job of portraying the explorers, I didn't feel fully connected with them and the only actors I would really remember were Samuel L. Jackson's Preston Packard who seeks revenge on King Kong for killing his men in self-defence and John C. Reilly who played as an American war Lieutenant known as Hank Marlow who crashed landed on Skull Island in during World War 2 and had lived on the Island since. But even though the story served a valid enough excuse to go to Skull Island, the real magic of the film was in the action. When I first saw the hairy and battle-scared King Kong arise and swat helicopters out of the sky like they were flies, I felt a great sense of nostalgia like I felt as a child watching the Hulk. I also watched in amazement as King Kong tore apart a giant Octopus with his bare hands. I knew from watching this that King Kong was not to be underestimated. But there wasn't just Kong on the island. There were other atrocities too, such as a giant spider that impaled an unfortunate solider through the mouth with one of its legs. There were also the terrifying Skull Crawlers, hideous giant reptile-like monsters that created a giant aura of fear and savageness around them. They were so strong, that one of them sent a man flying hundreds of feet in the air with the flick of their massive tail. I was also amazed by the scale and sight of Skull Island too. Everything from the forest to the unholy wildlife intimidated me of the secret yet sinister powers of Skull Island. After, doing a bit of handy research on IMDb (International Movie Datebase) I found that Skull Island was shot with the Arri Alexa XT Plus and had Dolby Atmos Sound. This made the film gorgeous and pulse-racing even in the 2D screening that I saw which is something I thank the producers for spending a good part of the film's budget on. However, the film had a habit of killing the music before King Kong or other monsters lunged out to attack, which unfortunately made the jump scares predictable.
But overall, I had a well fun ride with Kong: Skull Island. The setting of the island was intimidating and felt realistic in a fantasy setting, King Kong was portrayed exceptionally as a giant ape and the fearsome king of the island, the other monsters were menacing and captivating and the many epic fight scenes throughout kept my attention from start to finish, despite many of the characters feeling forgettable and the jump scares giving you fair warning before they happened. But if you're looking for a thrilling monster move from the producers of 2014's Godzilla, then Kong: Skull Island should be next on your 2017 watch list. 8.5/10