Dune

Posted on December 19, 2021 by Craig M

Viewed – 18 December 2021 online rental

Set in the distant future, a family dynasty are awarded the responsibility of reining over the planet of Arakis, a world who’s deserts contain a valuable resource called ‘spice’, sort after throughout the galaxy. As the only air to his family’s empire Paul Atreides stands on the brink of a greater destiny only hinted at in his dreams.

Under the direction of Denis Villeneuve, who gave us Blade Runner 2049 as well as sci-if gem Arrival… it’s clear that Frank Herbert’s epic tome couldn’t be in better hands. Bathed in a haunting, majestic beauty, this ‘part one’ of a proposed saga is arguably the year’s most visually captivating movie. Brought to the big-screen previously by David Lynch, this carries over the same structure and plot details whilst creating a feel all it’s own, managing to weave a Shakespearean-like tale of warring houses that also made me think of Game of Thrones. Casting is solid, with decent performances including a sensual Rebecca Ferguson, suitably supported by Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin and Jason Momoa. However the story sits on the shoulders of young newcomer Timothee Chalomet, who thankfully manages such a task in an understated yet capable turn.

The first half did take its time building characters and plot, and I found some elements easy to get lost by such as the various races / houses. So this may not be the easily digestible space opera of Star Wars, yet was still full of imagination and had some decent action … and as the credits rolled, with the promise of a story just beginning – I was left thirsty for more.

Verdict: Recommended

Star Wars: Episode IX

Posted on December 24, 2019 by Craig M

Viewed – 23 December 2019 Cinema

The Rise Of Skywalker

(edited after second viewing)

If this wasn’t my most anticipated movie of the year, I don’t know what was. I struggled with the last entry, The Last Jedi a movie that with subsequent viewings has gone up in my appreciation but remains highly uneven. This final movie though, the conclusion of the Skywalker saga brings forth the return of a long suspected dead enemy … The Emperor! With a new threat to the galaxy, Rey and her friends intend to seek out and destroy him once and for all, whilst conflicted Kylo Ren intends to turn to him for guidance as the new supreme leader of the First Order.

I’ll admit this storyline comes out of nowhere and is a blatant attempt to steady the ship following some of Rian Johnson’s ill-conceived plot twists in Last Jedi … but the return of Ian McDiarmid‘s Emperor Palpetine was welcome and the ageing actor nails the necessary maniacal menace. The immediacy of the threat propelled the action from the off as we’re treated to some great battle sequences, mixed with solid character moments that showcase the chemistry this new cast still has. The psychic bond between Daisy Ridley‘s Rey and Adam Driver‘s Kylo-Ren turns out to be the big focus and is further explored and the movie used it in several creative ways. It proves the best aspect and is surrounded by many highly entertaining scenes including a plot thread involving C3P0 losing his memory and some (thankfully) well-timed humour as well as a perfect tone that took me right back to how it felt seeing Star Wars as a kid.

If I had to nitpick it would be the clearly forced Emperor plot, and there’s too much emphasis on nostalgia. And like all Star Wars movies it has some silly bits, and there’s a couple of jarring character moments (General Hux!?!). Yet in the grand scheme of things it’s so damn enjoyable, such gripes can be forgiven. As a story that has spanned over 40 years, this felt like a good conclusion and ticked many of my boxes. There was a lot riding on this final movie and the conclusion of such a long running saga. There’s not a great deal here that entirely makes this trilogy a story that had to be told other than to reintroduce Star Wars to a new generation and make up for the failings of the prequel trilogy. Yet with highly memorable characters, some great moments (and some questionable ones) I feel this has still been a worthwhile endeavour for the filmmakers and as a fan I am mostly satisfied with what they achieved.

Verdict: 4 /5

Annihilation

Posted on March 19, 2018 by Craig M

Viewed – 18 March 2018 Netflix

As much as I’m a fan of Natalie Portman, I confess to not really seeking out her stuff since the acclaimed Black Swan … strange when I consider that one of the best movies of the last ten years. So I jumped at the chance to check out this latest Netflix Original movie. Portman plays a biological scientist who following the mysterious disappearance of her military officer husband (Oscar Isaac) gets recruited by a government organisation headed by Dr Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh). You see, a strange alien encounter has occurred affecting a now closed off area where a strange vapour has cut communications and anyone who has ventured inside, has not come back.

This gritty and scarily-convincing sci-fi drama is helmed by Alex Garland, the man who made Ex Machina, another great thought-provoking piece of sci-fi. This guy clearly understands his subject and has delivered another very effective experience. The entire movie has a tone to it that’s rather dream-like and sometimes messes with one’s head; trying to figure out what’s real and what’s not. Add to this flashbacks exploring Portman’s and Isaac’s relationship, with several revelations along the way and this proves a meatier story than it first appears. The alien ‘presence’ and how it effects the female scientists who go looking for answers is also handled imaginatively and gives an interesting spin on the whole alien-encounter subject, with truly unnerving possibilities.

It takes a while to get going, and is marred by some questionable CGI, and the logic behind the expedition left me a tad puzzled. However, with strong performances across the board, especially an excellent Portman – this is well worth checking out … especially if you’re after something that will leaving you really thinking afterwards.

Verdict: 4 /5

Star Wars: Episode VIII

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Craig M

Viewed – 20 December 2017 Cinema

The Last Jedi

After what I’d call the triumphant success of Episode VII: The Force Awakens for re-establishing a much loved franchise and resurrecting it from the ashes of George Lucas’ mostly misguided prequels – I awaited this follow up in the proposed trilogy with no small degree of anticipation. What would Luke Skywalker say to Rey on top of that mountain? What would Kylo Ren do in wake of what he did to his own father Han Solo? I was about to find out…

Following the destruction of star-killer base, Kylo Ren and General Hux lead the First Order in an assault against the resistance to restore rule over the galaxy. Rian Johnson (Looper) takes over directing duties and has delivered what largely looks like a Star Wars movie, has the action and confrontations you’ll expect from a Star Wars movie, but offers up a decidedly different feel than expected following Force Awakens and Rogue One. This is a much more lighter in tone movie with what appears to be a stronger focus on a somewhat child-friendly audience with as a result, a surprising lack of menace. Almost every serious situation is sprinkled with humour, sometimes well judged, sometimes out of place. When two of the main bad guys end up coming off like a squabbling comedy double act, something seemed a little off.

Thankfully we do get what we came for, especially Rey (a more mature Daisy Ridley, settling into her role) finding herself getting reluctantly trained by a world-weary and cynical Luke (Mark Hamill), and discovering a telepathic link with Kylo Ren (a still slightly bratty yet complex Adam Driver). This as expected turns out to be the movie’s beating heart, with the myriad of space battles and daring missions onto enemy starships proving less enthralling (especially that casino sequence). Finn (John Boyega) again sits awkwardly between hero and bumbling buffoon, with Po (Oscar Isaac) taking a (much appreciated) larger role at the forefront of the dogfights and fancy X-Wing piloting. However the late Carrie Fisher seems to get put on a pedestal (be it intentionally or following reshoots after the iconic star’s passing) and is bizarrely given a rather God-like stature with one scene in particular just coming out of nowhere, leaving me baffled. She’s great, but her character doesn’t seem to fit in with what we’ve previously known.

That’s ultimately where Episode VIII falls a part. Characters that we’ve grown to know and love, are poorly handled (Luke included), add to this a Saturday morning cartoon vibe to action, performances and situations, and although I still gasped at certain moments and got the feels where it counted … I also didn’t get all that invested – and I really should have. For it’s pluses and minuses, this is still a fun, visually spectacular and at times exciting sequel. Yet as a long time Star Wars fan, it leans closer to those prequels than either the earlier movies or the recent ones … and that’s slightly worrying.

Verdict: 3 /5

X-Men Apocalypse

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Craig M

Viewed – 08 November 2016 Online-rental

An ancient Egyptian mutant, said to be the very first mutant finds himself resurrected in the eighties after thousands of years and is hell-bent on rising up against humanity. However when Dr Xavier stumbles upon his plot, a somewhat disbanded collection of X-Men must unite to save the world.

I wasn’t expecting much from this and wasn’t the biggest fan of the previous movie, Days of Future Past which everyone seemed to love (?). However presented with a rather formidable villain from the off and with plenty of colourful and recognizable characters I soon found myself enjoying an X-Men movie again. Director Brian Singer seems to have swapped that rather convoluted time travel plot-device this time around in place of a more coherent good versus evil battle with a threat of global genocide thrown in for good measure. It works much better having a simpler narrative in such a complicated universe with so many characters and their various back stories. Yet the movie cleverly weaves in nods and often funny references to past movies and the comics without beating the viewer over the head. It made for an experience that was more comfortable and easier to simply enjoy.

The story took time to build tension, focus on key characters, explore individual motives and convincingly bring them together when required. Standout performances came from Jennifer Lawrence who this time is more character driven and less kick-ass as Mystique and James McAvoy as the always fascinating Xavier. I also enjoyed Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse, perhaps his first bad guy role and he nails it – sinister, powerful and visually bad-ass. It was also fun to see an origin story of Cyclops and to an extent Jean Gray (Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner – still not much of an actor, sadly). However Michael Fassbender’s Magneto whilst good has a character ark that purely services the plot and doesn’t entirely ring true, and well the whole end of the world stuff is particularly clichéd. Yet with often stunning action, some excellent CGI and plenty of energy this 2hr 20min+ movie still zipped along. For me it’s the best in the franchise since X2 … and probably the most satisfying blockbuster of the year.