Log: week 42 / 2021
Literally filler. When they expanded the new Halloween series to three films, they needed some extra padding, which is basically all Halloween Kills is. There's no real plot, no obvious ending, just Myers running around, killing people. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but Green just isn't the man for the job. The problem with Halloween Kills is that Myers isn't very formidable. He kills a lot of people in rather unadventurous ways, and that's that. He has lost a lot of charisma in Green's series, and that used to be the thing that set him apart. Performances are pretty weak too, but at least it's slightly better than the 2018 version. Not great, but acceptable filler.Read all
I'm not familiar with the comics at all, in fact, for some reason I was expecting to see a horror film. Turns out Bloodshot is a full-on action flick with some sci-fi elements thrown in. And a pretty self-conscious one at that, the film doesn't take itself too serious, which is probably the only decent way to do a silly story like this. The plot doesn't make a lot of sense and the sci-fi elements are pretty exaggerated, but the film seems gleefully aware. Instead, director Wilson focuses more on delivering over-the-top action scenes and some general badassery, in that context Diesel's a pretty good casting choice. Much better than I expected it to be, good fun.Read all
A coming of age drama that adds a little extra spice. Usually films like these are content with just showing the characters and their everyday struggles growing up, I would say Margaret is slightly more ambitious. I don't feel Lonergan was entirely successful, but he at least gets points for trying. It's somewhat interesting to see how a single event can impact the outlook on life of a person, performances are solid and the presentation is decent, but the film's a little long in the tooth and the drama does get a little overbearing. Not a bad film, but it didn't feel all that memorable or special and three hours really was a bit much. Read all
My second Ceylan. Distant is a touch better than Winter Sleep, though it's clear that Ceylan's style isn't something I can really warm up to. I don't really mind the quieter parts, nor the lack of narrative, the dreary conversations and the lack of visual panache on the other hand are killing it for me. The performances are decent and the scenes with characters just strolling around are nice enough, but the drama didn't really hit me and there were too much throwaway moments in between. Minimalist films tend to be a bit hit-and-miss for me and Ceylan's work just doesn't appear to be polished or moving enough to wow me.Read all
It's not like there's a lack of Fast & Furious films, so it's probably fair to say few people really needed this spin-off. Still, the idea of The Rock and Jason Statham teaming up for a bit of over-the-top action didn't sound too bad. And sure enough, Hobbs & Shaw turned out to be pretty entertaining, if you like this kind of thing. The film is little more than a back and forth between Johnson and Statham banter and a handful of oversized action sequences. It's exactly what you could expect from a film like this, the nice thing is that it actually delivers. And yes, the plot is silly and predictable and the CG isn't always very convincing, but if you want some silly fun, you could do a lot worse.Read all
Communists! I have to admit that I still haven't fully recovered from 4 years of Trump-dominated political news and online discourse. The prospect of watching some film about the rise of communism in the US a good century ago wasn't very appealing, though I didn't even realize until I started the film. Part character drama, part political history, Reds is a film for people who care about its themes and subjects. The presentation is rather bland, performances are decent but unremarkable and the runtime is pretty excessive. I didn't really care for any of it, safe some stand-alone moments, but if you dig US history then this film does highlight some rarely talked about figures and events.Read all
War on Everyone certainly doesn't have the most original setup, instead this little film about two vigilante cops trying to rid the world of organized crime scores points on execution. It's a film that hinges its success on the delivery of the comedy, and McDonagh (together with his leads) aces that part. Peña and Skarsgård are a great duo, the writing is funny, and the direction is pretty slick. It's probably not the best recommendation if you don't like boorish cops and crude comedy, and you shouldn't expect the world of this film, but if you're looking for some funny crime business, War on Everything has you covered.Read all
Ron Perlman is an actor you need to use wisely. He has presence, but he's not the best drama actor. It's no surprise then that he stumbles in a straight-faced crime/thriller about a hitman falling in love and hoping to find redemption. Michael Caton-Jones' heavy-handed direction only makes things worse. Perlman and Janssen are weak and there's no spark between them, the sullen and loaded atmosphere feels somewhat misplaced and the pacing is a little too sluggish. Somehow Caton-Jones convinced himself he was making a really deep, moving film, but the result is basic genre fare that takes itself way too serious.Read all
If Ducourneau's Raw was still somewhat restrained and apprehensive, Titane does away with that first-time timidity and serves a gritty, angry and unrestrained kick in the gut. Well-acted, unrelenting, stylistically polished and bewilderingly creative, Titane is a film that leans on the crutches of genre cinema while propelling it forward with vision, courage and integrity. It's certainly not a ride for everyone, but those who love films that explore the boundaries between genre and auteur cinema better strap in for a memorable experience.
A basic, somewhat amusing little thriller. It's certainly not a standout in its genre and it's obvious the director relied on Cage and Cage alone to sell his film. Cage isn't at his best, he doesn't have a whole lot to work with either, but if you love yourself some simple thriller filler then there are worse choices you could make. Grand Isle is typical genre fare. The plot is predictable, the direction is mostly functional and everything is neatly wrapped up within a span of 100 minutes max. If you came here for some vintage Cage rage you're well out luck too, but at least the film has the basics down. Pretty decent genre filler in other words. Read all
Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time
I've seen the old series and films twice, I've watched all the newer features, but still Evangelion is a lot of waffle to me. In a way, I do appreciate the extended lore and dedication that went into this series, but I simply don't care enough about it to sit through the lengthy explanations and excessive melodrama. Luckily, this latest (and supposedly final) film has more to offer than just lore and drama. This final Evangelion is a film with lots of ups and downs. The animation is exquisite, the action scenes are stupefying and a lot of the imagery is intriguing, but the drama drags the film down and the lore is simply too nerdy for me. I'd prefer Eva as a simple mecha action flick, but I know most people won't agree with me. Not a film that will bring new fans to the franchise, but existing fans will have a lot to chew on. A worthy finale.Read all
Solid Chinese genre fare. The Matrimony was an old favorite of mine. When I first watched it, it felt like a welcome change of pace for Asian horror, with a stronger focus on romance/drama, less so on horror. It certainly wasn't a disappointing rewatch, but almost 15 years later the film simply doesn't feel so special anymore. The cinematography is on point (though some special effects haven't aged too well), the performances are solid, and the plot is actually well-developed. The pacing is perfect too, the only problem is that nothing in the film stands out enough. It's a perfectly fine horror/romance cross-over, but nothing more.Read all
Netflix is very eager to get a slice of the anime pie and isn't afraid to throw its own IP in the mix. Sometimes it turns out pretty well (think Altered Carbon), but it's certainly no guarantee for success. Bright reminded me a bit of Kai Doh Maru, only it lacks the artistic vision, and it gets trapped in some tried and tested Feudal Japan alteration of a world that wasn't all that interesting to begin with. The setup is very basic, the link with the live action Bright is there in the characters and broader lore, yet it still feels like some kind of awkwardly tacked on anime extra. The art style isn't entirely successful either, but at least the camera work and shot compositions are quite interesting. It's decent (and relatively short) filler, but Netflix needs to do better than this.Read all
The first film became somewhat on an unlikely hit, so it's no surprise a follow-up would eventually materialize. Such a sequel doesn't even have to be good to make its money back, and so it's no surprise that part 2 feels like something that was penned down in a day. This is truly fan-only material. If you like the idea of an American girl not fitting in with coquettish overseas royalty, this film might be for you, but even then you'd have to get past the poor performances, lame jokes and lazy writing. That said, I'm clearly not the target audience for a film like this, so your mileage may vary.Read all
A quirky little comedy that hinges its success on a ridiculous premise, which is then played relatively straight for the remainder of the film. It makes for the kind of dry and slightly absurd comedy that not everyone will appreciate, but I'm quite partial to it, especially when the casting is on point. Caine and Rush are a lovely pair and both commit to their roles, which keeping things cheeky enough, so the film doesn't get too serious. There are a couple of fun jokes, the pacing is solid, and the film finds a nice balance between comedy and light drama. Not the greatest comedy ever, but amusing filler for sure.Read all
I wasn't really familiar with this franchise, but apparently there are quite a few Eko Eko Azarak films, next to a TV series and a manga. The latter should be no surprise, as it really feels more like a live action manga adaptation, rather than a Ringu-like horror flick, which was becoming the norm at that time. For that reason alone, Wizard of Darkness is an interesting title worth seeking out. The high school setting and demonic resurrection themes offer some nice variation for those who have tired of tragic ghosts and vengeful curses. Performances are somewhat mediocre, but the visual effects are decent enough and there are some pretty cool kills here. Eko Eko Azarak isn't a genre classic, but solid filler with a slightly atypical vibe.Read all
A quintessential 80s anime, so much in fact that it has quite a bit of trouble standing out. The franchise has a troubled history, with only 4 manga volumes and one OAV episode ever appearing, leaving the story very much unfinished and taking away the characters' potential to become loved stereotypes. High octane car chases, some lewd comedy and a simple kidnapping plot, that's what you're getting here. It's also what a lot of other anime series of that time were offering (think City Hunter, though it's not quite as cheeky), so a single 45-minute film isn't going to make much of an impression. Pretty solid and fun filler, but I'm not too heartbroken they never expanded the franchise.Read all
It's quite rare to find a documentary that excels in the visual department, but fails to offer anything else of note. Borley Rectory is a partially animated doc about the history of Borley Rectory, presumed to be the most haunted house in the UK, even though I don't think a haunted house has ever been this boring. The interesting thing about Borley Rectory is that the doc is made to look like a classic horror film, though sporting a more contemporary mixed-media animated vibe. It's a pretty successful experiment, the only problem is that the result is anything but scary or tense, which kind of goes against the setup of this film.Read all
A film made famous by a cute little dog. Not quite as special anymore, in an age where pet videos dominate the internet, but watching an old man and the loving bond with his pet is certainly something that ages pretty well. Sadly, that's about all I got out of this film, which isn't a lot for 90 minutes of drama. The film looks better than most other Italian Neorealism dramas of that time, but not spectacularly so. Performances are decent and the bond between the man and his dog is nice enough, but it's also pretty sentimental and the finale is well overdone. Not the worst in its genre, but nothing memorable either.Read all
Another one made to fill China's insatiable hunger for tomb raider adventures. The base quality of these types of films has risen considerably the past couple of years, though subpar CG and a very strict adherence to genre clichés keep them from becoming anything more than easily consumable genre filler. The Mystery of Muye is no exception. Having watched a couple of these films before, it becomes pretty difficult to separate them. This one sure felt like it was part of some franchise, but it's hard to tell without so much of the context hidden for Western audiences. Apart from some shoddy CG monsters, it was a pretty fun and amusing adventure, helped by slick pacing and a short runtime. Good genre filler. Read all
A direct sequel to The Water Margin, a film I haven't seen yet. While I do my best to watch film franchises in the correct order, availability is somewhat of an issue with Chang's Shaw Bros output. And since most of his films are pretty basic martial arts stories anyway, I figured it wouldn't hurt much to go ahead and watch All Men Are Brothers. Turns out I was right. There's a bunch of familiar Shaw Bros faces here, the film is pretty action-packed, and it's nice to see Chang shot quite a bit on location. In the end though, it's just another typical Shaw Bros/Chang production that doesn't do quite enough to set itself apart from the rest. Not a bad film, but not really a standout either.Read all
I knew absolutely nothing about Free Guy going in, apart from the fact it was some big blockbuster gaming film. Generally, those are better left alone, but at least this one wasn't directed by Spielberg. The result isn't that much better though, Free Guy is a pretty bland and childish take on video games/gaming culture. There are some cute gaming references, but most of them are very phoned in. Performances are quite poor (not even Waititi lands his part), the action is somewhat uninspired, and the plot is a bore. What remains is noise and expensive set pieces. A pretty typical Hollywood blockbuster in other words. Big budget, no creativity.Read all
A film with ups and down, but it's certainly a lot better than Yamamoto's Carnival in the Night. I'm still not convinced by Yamamoto's particular mix of drama and punk influences, but at least there were some very nice scenes that made it a lot easier to get to the end of Robinson's Garden. I liked the quieter moments here. There are some truly beautiful scenes, helped by the unique setting, a very nice soundtrack and some inspired set designs, but they're mixed with some louder and more hectic moments, that took me out of the film time and time again. Still, a film worth seeking out.Read all
The Mortal Kombat films have to combat the same shortcomings as the games: shallow characters and cheesy lore make it difficult to get truly invested in the franchise. The 2021 Mortal Kombat reboot isn't any different. Bland characters (and poor casting) get in the way of some fun and over-the-top fights. The fights are pretty brutal, including a couple of juicy fatalities. So much in fact that the horror tag isn't entirely out of place. The problem lies with the scenes in between. Second-rate actors (and/or miscasts), dumb characters and some truly boring lore take up way too much time. A lot of the actual fights ends up in a pre-finale montage, which is a real shame. Not great, but there are some memorable scenes here.Read all
The Shop on Main Street
A Czechoslovakian war classic reiterating the Nazi atrocities. There's no lack of films handling this subject and even though The Shop on Main Street takes a more local approach, the result isn't that much different from other films handling the same subject. More so, I found the presentation here rather lacking. There's some moral ambiguity to work through, while the Czech focus adds a unique angle. The performances are rather poor though, the pacing is sluggish, and the cinematography is pretty dull. I was pretty much done with the film after 30 minutes, so the 120-minute runtime surely didn't help either. Not my cup of tea.Read all