Film Reviews

October 18, 2016

Warcraft: The Beginning (2016) Review

Rating: 7/10

Starring: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell

Written By: Duncan Jones, Charles Leavitt

In short:

This is definitely one for the Warcraft fans. If you are a fan of the franchise, or have played World of Warcraft in the past, chances are you will enjoy seeing familiar heroes in live action. The cast do a good job, and at times I found myself getting lost in the magic of the whole thing. However, this is not my favourite part of the Warcraft storyline, and at times the visuals of the film felt too cartoon-like and clunky; clearly to remain in keeping with the game.

The full story:

I have been looking forward to this one for a long, long time. As I had mentioned in my preview post, this film had me eager in anticipation ever since it was first announced as a possibility almost a decade ago. There was always going to be a danger entering the cinema with those kind of high hopes. As a huge fan of the franchise ever since Warcraft 3 came out in 2002, I was ready to fully embrace the cinematic magic which was to follow, and embark on the story of how orcs had first encountered humans. However, I must say that whilst I thought it was a decent film, I did not walk out of that cinema glowing. The cast was well done in my opinion- all of them fans of the Warcraft franchise, and most of them hardcore World of Warcraft players at some point in the game’s 12 year old lifespan. Travis Fimmel won me over through his other major role- that as legendary viking Ragnar Lothrbrok on the Amazon original series Vikings, Dominic Cooper charmed me as Dakin in The History Boys (I have followed his career ever since), and Toby Kebbell captured my attention as the drug-addicted son of a major London mob boss in Guy Ritchie‘s Rock’N’Rolla.

Although it must be said, the actors themselves were a little hard to recognise underneath the orc CGI, even if their mannerisms gave them away. All of the cast did well in their roles, and I especially enjoyed Ben Foster‘s performance in the role of legendary Warcraft mage Medivh. The costumes were a slight let-down for me, in particular the armour of the human warriors. It seems that the film attempted to replicate the look of World of Warcraft a little too closely, resulting in armour that looks almost comical due to it’s silly proportions. The visuals were stunning at times, and there were some fantastic shots of locations which will be very familiar to World of Warcraft players, including the breath-taking city of Stormwind (as seen below).

It was an incredibly satisfying experience to be able to identify nearly all of the locations used in the film and place them on a mental map. Furthermore, having been in all of these locations at some point in my World of Warcraft career, it was awesome to see the action recreated by these legendary characters of the World of Warcraft universe. It is exactly these moments that make the film special, but only if you are already a fan of the franchise. I can see how it would fail to appeal to anybody who did not play any of the games, or is not generally a fan of the fantasy genre. In my opinion, the story and Warcraft universe in general rivals even that of Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings, with its rich and diverse stories, locations, characters and races, however I feel like this early part of Warcraft’s history is not as compelling as some of the other events which are to follow. In this sense, the film feels like it is just setting up for a long franchise (let’s hope so) with many more and possibly better quality films in the future. To conclude, if you are a Warcraft fan, the film is pretty much a must see. If not, you wouldn’t be missing out on too much with this early installment.

April 19, 2016April 19, 2016

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) review

Rating: 6/10

Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg

Directed by: Zack Snyder

Written by: Chris Terrio, David S. Goyer

In short:

A film which I knew I had to see, but one which did not particularly stand out in any way. Ben Affleck was convincingly sad as Bruce Wayne, and Henry Cavill was his usual Superman. Jesse Eisenberg’s Luthor was dark and unstable- a highlight in a film which tries to achieve too much.

The full story:

Ever since I heard about this film I knew that I would have to see it. However, I was not excited about its release in the slightest. The first Superman film starring Henry Cavill was disappointingly underwhelming, culminating in a pointless fist-fight between two immortal combatants. In fact, I went to watch this most recent DC Comics offering purely out of curiosity. I wanted to see if Ben Affleck could make a convincing Batman, and how the story would unfold around the creation of the Justice League, in what is essentially just the first film attempting to set up a franchise to rival Marvel’s Avengers. In addition I have always been a fan of Zach Snyder and Jesse Eisenberg, and would pay to watch any film in which they are involved.

My first observation when watching the film was “Wow, Ben Affleck is really sad”. This was probably somewhat influenced by the viral video of the interview with Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill talking about the negative reception the film has had to date (if you don’t know what I am referring too, you need to see it). But it worked perfectly when portraying Bruce Wayne/ Batman. In truth, Wayne is sad. He walks the line between hero and villain, always staying in the shadows, the perfect opposite to Superman. Ben Affleck also bulked up for the role, and this is clearly visible in one training scene- credit where credit is due, the man prepared for the role. Personally, I liked him more than Christian Bale in the role, although I know many would disagree. Batman’s deep voice is much more believable and menacing in the film, unlike Bale’s comical attempt. It is also well explained, showing Batman’s voice changer built into his suit. Jeremy Irons fit the Alred role well, but one cannot help but miss Sir Michael Cane’s portrayal.

I cannot say much about Henry Cavill’s Superman. The performance was the same as in the other films in which he has played the role, and I feel it suits him well, however there is nothing exciting or standout about the performance.

Jesse Eisenberg is convincingly crazy in his role as Lex Luthor, and I feel he will be a great villain for the two titans (and the rest of the Justice League) going forward. For me, this was the highlight of the film. Maybe this is because I am a huge fan of the truly insane villains in the comic book series (with the Joker being my favourite, whether expertly portrayed by Heith Ledger in the Dark Knight, or voiced by Mark Hamill in the cartoons and games), as I feel they create an unpredictability which is welcome in super hero films.

Gal Gadot was a pleasant surprise in a film which lacked these. Not only is she incredibly easy on the eyes, but also made a convincing powerful woman (later turning out to be Wonder Woman). I am looking forward to seeing more of her character in the later films, and she (alongside Jesse Eisenberg) will probably be my reason for seeing any of the future films in the franchise.

Overall I feel that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice attempts to achieve too much- much more than would be comfortable for a single feature film. After two and a half hours of watching Superman destroy the city of Gotham, I was ready to stop watching. Luckily the film had some interesting characters and moments, and these are what persuaded me to give it a 6/10 rather than something worse. If you are a fan of the franchise, you will need to watch this film, and you may even enjoy yourself. Otherwise, give it a miss.

March 4, 2016March 4, 2016

Deadpool (2016) Review

Rating: 7/10

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller
Directed by: Tim Miller
Written by: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick

In short:
Deadpool is a highly entertaining film, though most certainly not one for the kids. Ryan Reynolds is convincingly funny in his role as Wade Wilson, although in my opinion Morena Baccarin was simply eye-candy, and I was not convinced of their romantic bond. The unique styling and consistent breaking of the 4th wall to address viewers made Deadpool stand out from the seemingly never-ending stream of superhero movies.

The full story:
To be brutally honest I had never heard of Deadpool as a super hero before the film. I was never into comic books, and was too obsessed with the Spiderman and X-Men cartoons as a child. However, from the very beginning, he seemed like an entertaining character, and one that would most certainly make for a good film. Ryan Reynolds is no new comer to super hero films, having previously starred in the awful Green Lantern (2011) and briefly in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) as the character of Deadpool. He suited the character perfectly, and his one-liners and jokes often provoked genuine, laugh-out-loud kind of laughter. My issue with Deadpool as a film is that unlike other series (The Avengers comes to mind) it does not tie him in with other superheroes. We see only two X-Men: Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead- both by no means X-Men A-listers (although I did always love Colossus due to his Russian origin). This is somewhat a disappointment, as I would have loved the character of Deadpool to meet and make fun of some more of the famous super heroes and mutants of the academy. However we do get to meet Dopinder (played by Karan Soni)- Deadpool’s often employed taxi driver, paid only through “crisp high fives” and often dangerous advice. He provides an added element of entertainment throughout the film, and is a crucial side character along with Blind Al (played by Leslie Uggams), Wade Wilson’s blind elderly roommate. These unusual characters provided a different platform for some of Deadpool’s more obscure jokes, and made the whole experience of the film a lot more enjoyable.

Overall, I would recommend Deadpool for those looking for some entertainment through super hero style ass-kicking and mature jokes, however it was not one of my favourite super hero movies.

You can find more information about Deadpool the film here, and more about the comic book character here and even more here.

February 25, 2016March 4, 2016

Cast Away (2000) Review

Rating: 9/10

Starring: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Paul Sanchez, Wilson the Volleyball
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Written by: William Broyles Jr.

In short:
Amazing film. Brilliant acting from Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt. Truly moving moments coupled with great cinematography. One of the most believable and well-shot airplane crash scenes in film history, and plenty of shouts of “Wilson!” throughout.

The full story:
I had wanted to see Cast Away for a long time. It has been on my ‘to watch’ list for a number of years now, so I was certainly excited when I finally decided to dedicate the time to encounter Cast Away for the first time. The things that I already knew around the film came from internet culture- the basic storyline, the great use of product placement (mainly FedEx and Wilson), and of course the iconic character of Wilson. We have all seen the amazing memes created online, and the shouts of “Wilson!” which have been appropriated for many situations, with often-hilarious consequences. I came in to the film with extremely high expectations, having read many a positive review online as well as hearing great things about it from my friends. Let me tell you that I was certainly not disappointed. Cast Away delivered for me on all fronts- great acting (nothing less is to be expected of the legend that is Tom Hanks), gripping scenes, touching moments, and a great ending. One of the most fascinating aspects of this film for me was the portrayal of humanity when stranded in a futile situation. Hanks of course plays his character brilliantly, but I also feel that there is some great writing in presenting how an average human male would cope with the extreme situation of being stranded on a desert island with seemingly no hope of escape.
I won’t ruin too much for all of you who are reading this and have not yet had the pleasure of watching Cast Away, but my recommendation is to schedule it for your next movie evening, if you haven’t already.