Month: February 2016

Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon a Time), Jason Bateman (Horrible Bosses), Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation), Jenny Slate (Obvious Child), J.K. Simmons (Whiplash), Bonnie Hunt (Cars), Octavia Spencer (The Help), Alan Tudyk (Frozen)

Directors: Byron Howard (Tangled) & Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph)

Writers: Jared Bush & Phil Johnston (Wreck-It Ralph)

Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes

Release Date: 4 March (US), 25 March (UK)

All great children’s films have a strong message behind them, but rarely do they say anything particularly revolutionary. It’s usually just slight variations on ‘be yourself’, ‘follow your dreams’, and ‘don’t let others get you down’. Don’t get me wrong, there are some films for kids that have stronger, more subversive messages than that, but there are many more that don’t even try. Even Disney doesn’t always bother with an interesting moral, relying more on formula and heart to win audiences over than making them think. Frozen kind of changed their mindset on that, creating a perfect balance between traditional fairy tale magic and modernist perspectives on gender roles, and with Zootropolis (or Zootopia for any Americans that might be reading this) they’ve gone out of their way to make something equally conscious of our evolving world.

From the outset, Zootropolis doesn’t seem like a particularly original film. Anthropomorphic animals living in a human-style city is a long established idea, the buddy cop formula has been overdone to the point of monotony, and what seems like the initial message (an optimistic small-town girl proving she can stand up with the big city folk) prepared me for something acceptable but not astounding. The film’s first half is very cute and certainly does a lot of inventive things with the richly detailed world it’s created, fashioning a lot of imaginative scenarios and gags about the animal kingdom without completely relying on stereotypes. But from a story perspective, it’s just a simple detective caper with plot elements we’ve seen as far back as the days of film noir. However, by the film’s halfway point, it’s quite clear all of the familiarity was on purpose to set up what the movie is really about. What begins as a very kid-friendly buddy comedy seamlessly morphs into a social commentary about racial profiling that uses the tropes of cop movies and kids’ movies alike to subtly get across its message. It’s a feat that’s completely going to go over children’s heads, but for the adults in the audience it’ll be something they can appreciate and assure them that their kids have actually learnt something from the experience. That doesn’t mean the film completely eschews formula from there, as the second half does still heavily rely on familiar plot beats and smart audience members will probably see the final villain reveal coming, but it uses them for power and emphasis rather than being lazy. By the story’s conclusion, Zootropolis completely destroys any preconceptions you may have had going into it by delivering a far richer film experience than anyone could suspect.

The buddy pairing of the by-the-book cop and the sleazy hustler they’re stuck with has been around since the genre began, and with the team of Judy Hopps (Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Bateman) they don’t stray too far from the established formula. Ginnifer Goodwin has pretty much mastered the art of playing unbelievably nice people, and for the role of Hopps that brand of ‘gosh-darn’ wholesomeness works perfectly with the go-getter nature of the character. On the other hand, Jason Bateman’s performance as Wilde is a great change of pace for the actor, who’s excellent at playing the roughneck con man but rarely ever gets the chance to do so; he’s mostly been stuck playing variations on Michael Bluth for the past ten years. The two do compliment each other well as complete opposites, but the characters ultimately work not because of their clashing personalities or lifestyles. It’s because they both have inner prejudices of each other, and over the course of the film they learn to overcome those; again, a great example of how the film takes your expectations and flips them. However, the rest of the supporting cast doesn’t quite get as much subversive treatment. Idris Elba as the typical angry police captain comes off as way too harsh, mainly just to make Hopps’ situation more crushing and time-sensitive, and he never gets any sort of notable comeuppance for this behaviour. J.K. Simmons feels a bit wasted as the city mayor, disappearing for large chunks of the movie despite being often talked about, and though the marketing made a big deal about Shakira being in the movie she only has one real scene; she’s basically just there to plug the soundtrack. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some bright spots in smaller roles, with Jenny Slate as the clumsy and put-upon mayoral assistant Bellwether being an often amusing presence, and Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister’s brief appearance works as a hysterical disparity between character and voice.

When you usually see animals acting like people, all they do is throw clothes on them and have them walk on their hind legs. Zootropolis goes beyond that and creates a world that feels far more viable for these various creatures to co-exist in. It remembers variables between these different species like size, body temperature and habitat, in turn making for a film with a wide variety of environments to explore, and they take every advantage of this they can through inventive production design. The animation quality is Disney perfection as expected, with rich detail in textures and fluid character movement. The sheer amount of varying characters on screen at once, all with unique details like varying speed and posture, further adds to the engrossing vibrancy of this world. Michael Giacchino’s score isn’t quite as memorable as many of his other works but it does help propel the film’s action, and Shakira’s theme song for the movie “Try Anything” is an enjoyable if clichéd pop song that fits the story’s message.

Of all the phrases I thought I’d use to describe Zootropolis, I never thought “socially relevant” would be one of them. Far more than just a fun family film with cute animals, this is a movie that feels important in the climate we live in where prejudice pervades almost every aspect of our daily existence. It teaches kids that generalising a group based on a small number of radical exceptions is unacceptable, that people from certain backgrounds are capable of making their way in untraditional fields for them, and that we all sometimes make unintentional mistakes that could be seen as disrespectful to others. Those are some pretty deep themes for an animated Disney film, but for a company that lords over so much of our popular culture it’s momentous of them to make a statement like this. I haven’t seen a film that cuts so deep like this since The LEGO Movie, and I’m sure that certain media groups are going to have a field day of claiming Disney is trying to indoctrinate kids with some sort of “agenda”, but they’re exactly the kind of idiots this film is against. If you’re a parent, take your kids to see Zootropolis not just because they’ll have a good time. Take them because it might make them better people.

FINAL VERDICT: 9/10

Starring: Ryan Reynolds (Buried), Morena Baccarin (Firefly), Ed Skrein (The Transporter Refueled), T.J. Miller (How to Train Your Dragon), Gina Carano (Haywire), Brianna Hildebrand

Director: Tim Miller

Writers: Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick (Zombieland)

Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes

Release Date: 10 February (UK), 12 February (US)

Deadpool has merely been a dream film for comic book fans for a long time; that movie that’s always been on the cusp of reality but always pulled away by fearful studio executives. After the treatment of the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, demand for a standalone Deadpool movie was practically demanded as penance. And now, thanks to fan insistence plus a few strategic leaks of an early screenplay and test footage, that dream film is now playing in a theatre near you. After so much anticipation, partnered with possibly the best marketing campaign in Hollywood history, you’d think the final product wouldn’t be able to live up to the hype. Anyone who still says that after watching it is a jaded contrarian, because this movie delivers everything it promises and more.

Yes, Deadpool is another superhero origin story, but I doubt you’ve ever seen one quite like this. Told through a fragmented structure a la Batman Begins, the story of how Wade Wilson became the Merc with a Mouth follows many tropes of the genre, but also breaks just about as many and makes fun of the others. It’s very self-aware of what it is doing, with direct call-outs to certain movies and the character of Colossus essentially serving as a metaphor for the traditional superhero movie. In terms of humour, the movie completely nails the fourth-wall breaking witticism of the comic books laced with copious amounts of innuendo. Is it a sense of humour that’s particularly biting or ingenious? No, but it’s not aspiring to be. The plot is mainly there as a platform for a series of ridiculous action sequences and some potty humour, but there is some substance underneath the style. If the movie were nothing but violence and sex gags, as much as that alone would have satiated fans, the film would have quickly become one-note. In a surprising twist, Deadpool is at its core a surprisingly touching romance story about staying with the one you love in spite of dire circumstances. It’s nothing that’s going to make you cry, but that ultimately invests you in the story far more than ironic quips about not being able to afford more X-Men cameos. This is a movie that delivers pure, adulterated entertainment (yes, I know that’s an oxymoron, but it’s intentional), tightly packing in a sh*tload of action and gags into a brisk run time that is never boring for a single frame. Oh, and like I even have to tell you, but STAY THROUGH THE CREDITS!

Ryan Reynolds was born to play Deadpool. In his first five minutes of screen time in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, he proved that before the movie got totally lazy and ruined him (don’t worry, it’s an issue firmly addressed here). Now getting to play the role unfiltered, Reynolds shines in what is his genuinely best performance to date. He belts out the one-liners like a champ and revels in every piece of awesomeness, but he’s also wonderful in the more serious moments (well, “serious for a Deadpool movie” moments). There’s an authentic horror when he sees what has become of him, a real fear when he can’t bear to show the woman he loves, and certified anger at the one who did it to him. They even make sure to give him his limits through a simple moral code; it’s one that only makes sense to him, but at least he has one. Again, this level of commitment is what sells the movie beyond its bizarre personality. Reynolds certainly ain’t getting Oscar consideration for this, but for a comic book fan this is the most accurate translation of a character since…well, actually, ever now that I think about it. Morena Baccarin makes for a perfect romantic foil for Wilson as the vivacious Vanessa, matching his quirks with her own for a very messed up but equally heartfelt romance. Her chemistry with Reynolds shoots off the screen and, though she does serve a damsel role in the climax, she’s no defenceless Mary Jane. Ed Skrein finally gets a decent role here as the villain Ajax who, though not an adversary for the ages, is an effective counterpoint to Deadpool’s personality and even quite funny in a deadpan way. T.J. Miller steals every scene he is in as the sardonic Weasel, blurting out kooky and nonsensical punch lines that will have you laughing every time, Gina Carano doesn’t get much dialogue but makes up for it through exemplary glowering, and Brianna Hildebrand is a revelation as the ever-apathetic X-Man-in-training Negasonic Teenage Warhead (yeah, if you couldn’t tell already, it’s that kind of movie).

When they promised that Deadpool would be R rated, fans were overjoyed and I think they’ll be more than satisfied by the carnage on display. Whilst not diabolical on a Takashi Miike level, there is certainly a good abundance of blood, dismemberment and colourful four-letter words. The action sequences are wonderfully photographed and creatively composed, completely avoiding lazy action movie choreography to create a vivid and totally awe-inspiring experience. The humour is even flavoured into the look of the film, with as many jokes in the background as there are in the dialogue (here’s a free hint: look closely at the pizza box). It’s hard to believe Tim Miller has never directed a feature film before, and he certainly deserves to do more considering the natural talent he’s displayed here. In a similar sense to Guardians of the Galaxy, Deadpool is also a movie defined by its eclectic soundtrack featuring a mix of rock, hip-hop and 80s cheese. Some are used for comedic effect, others for the sake of badassery, but they’re all fitting choices that are sure to making it to your iTunes playlist very soon. Combined with Junkie XL’s fantastic retro-inspired score, it’s a movie that’s as aurally pleasing as it is visually.

Is Deadpool a transcendent piece of filmmaking that epitomizes not only comic book movies but also the art form in general? F*ck no! But does it accomplish everything it sets out to do with exemplary form? Abso-f*cking-lutely, and that’s why it gets a perfect score. My cheeks are in literal pain right now because I was laughing so much in this movie, and whenever I wasn’t doing that I was grinning in awe. Deadpool is certainly a movie that doesn’t have mass-market appeal, but it perfectly appeals to the market it’s targeted at and that’s all you can ask for. This movie would have been perfectly satisfying if it has just been 90 minutes of jokes about giving Wolverine a blowjob, but it goes that extra mile by actually putting genuine heart and effort into the proceedings. Now it’s up to you, fanboys. Get out to your local cinema and support this movie with your cash. Don’t make this another Scott Pilgrim vs the World. If you simply go see this movie, we are going to get more of what we want and I think Hollywood would be a far more interesting place with more edgy, eccentric, batsh*t insane comic book movies.

FINAL VERDICT: 10/10!

Starring: Lily James (Cinderella), Sam Riley (Maleficent), Bella Heathcote (Dark Shadows), Douglas Booth (Noah), Jack Huston (Kill Your Darlings), Matt Smith (Terminator Genisys), Charles Dance (Last Action Hero), Lena Headey (Dredd)

Writer/Director: Burr Steers (17 Again)

Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes

Release Date: 5 February (US), 11 February (UK)

Let me get this off my chest: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is an underrated modern classic! OK, maybe that’s a bit much, but damn I do love it in all its crazy glory. I certainly understand why a lot of people don’t appreciate it, and I think the problem is that the main joke is a hard sell. The humour in the premise comes from adding ridiculous elements to an otherwise straight story and playing it completely sincerely. For most people, it ends up feeling either too silly or too serious, but for me it worked and I found it to be a ridiculously fun plundering of American history. And now Seth Grahame-Smith’s other most well known work, a reworking of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice into the world of the undead, has finally arrived on the big screen too. Does the joke work upon retelling, or will this one be lost on the general audience too?

First up, I must admit I have never read the original Austen novel. However, I have seen the 2005 film version with Keira Knightley, so I am at least somewhat familiar with the original story. From that standpoint, this retelling does follow all the same basic plot beats of the story for at least the first two thirds, though the context of many events have now been changed in the zombie apocalypse. Despite the imminent threat of the undead horde, the story’s main themes of class, love, and the role of a woman remain completely intact. The film’s main joke is still playing the story sincerely despite the absurdity, and again for me it’s a gag worthy of a few laughs. Adding kung fu battles to simple scenes of characters exchanging banter about betrothals and betrayals is a humorous sight, and by changing Elizabeth (James) from just a woman wanting some independence to one who wants to prove herself as a warrior first surprisingly adds a more modernist subtext. If you took out the zombies, the film would be a perfectly acceptable adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, but the third act is where the film does diverge considerably into a big action climax. It’s an understandable change, as a zombie film with the straight-up original ending would be a little anti-climactic, and for what it is it’s an enjoyable sequence that does fit well with the film’s own arc and tone. However, setting up this new climax not only means restructuring the original sequence of events, it means adding in some new story material at the cost of developing the original plot better. The film is well paced and I wouldn’t want to see it much longer, but to add so much to the story and yet make the film shorter than your average regular version of Pride and Prejudice does make it feel a little like cliff notes.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has a very strong cast that would have been excellent even in a regular adaptation, and their presence here in such a bizarre reinterpretation only gives the film more credence. Lily James makes for a wonderful Elizabeth Bennet, her previous experience with period pieces like Downton Abbey and Cinderella certainly helping her look the part, and she manages to make the character her own. Then again, considering she’s the only Elizabeth Bennet who knows Chinese martial arts and can decapitate zombies with a battle-axe, it’s easy for her to stand apart. Equally, Sam Riley’s Mr Darcy captures the original essence of the character whilst also adding a more tragic back-story and a gruffer demeanour; he’s basically a Georgian Batman. He and James share good chemistry as both adversaries and lovers, but unfortunately their story feels a little truncated. Most importantly, not as much time is given to Darcy’s important character arc, and by doing so it makes it a little harder to understand why Elizabeth eventually accepts him. The film does reinterpret their relationship by making their eventual love more mutual, through them saving each other rather than Darcy simply righting his wrongs, but even that feels a little too brief for it to be fully satisfying. This simplification also afflicts the story between Jane (Heathcote) and Bingley (Booth), but given both actors are amongst the weaker cast members the loss isn’t so disappointing. Mr Collins is the character most unaffected by the scenery change, still the awkward doofus he was in the original, but Matt Smith’s certainly taking the film a little less seriously than everyone else with his excitable performance; he’s an entertaining presence for sure, but he perhaps takes it a little too far. Charles Dance’s Mr Bennet is suitably doting and fatherly, and Lena Headey’s reinterpretation of Lady Catherine into a kick-ass zombie slayer is a change that provides both humour and awesomeness. Ultimately, it’s Jack Huston’s Wickham who has gone under the most drastic change from the original. Reinterpreted from a mildly scheming side character into the film’s main villain, it’s a change that has roots given the already present rivalry between him and Darcy, but considering so much of the film’s new material centres around his character, it’s a bit baffling that he ends up feeling like an even less nuanced character than he was before.

From a visual perspective, the film from a distance again looks like it could be a normal adaptation, but it’s the little details that clue you into the different dynamic. It’s a great exercise in visual contrast, seeing Georgian country houses surrounded by spiked gates or women brandishing blades on their garters, but it manages to never feel out-of-place. The action sequences are well choreographed, especially the martial arts sequences, but on a horror level it’s somewhat dissatisfying. There are plenty of decapitations, dismemberment and gutting, but the blood levels are pretty tame and some of the more gorier moments feel like they’ve been edited around to secure a lower rating; hopefully they can reinstate these for an unrated home video cut.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: if just the title sounds stupid for you, then you need not apply. However, if the idea of aristocrats bickering about inheritances whilst shooting zombies in the face sounds cool to you, then there’s certainly enough to enjoy here. Again I’m worried I might be the only one who appreciates the joke, as I’m sure Jane Austen fans will be frustrated to the concessions made to the story, whilst horror nuts will be annoyed by the lack of gore, but for me it struck the right balance between sincere adaptation and glorified joke. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is the still the superior film for me, mainly because that did embrace the goofy a little more (c’mon, there’s a scene in that movie where Lincoln fights a vampire who throws horses at him!), but as its own film it achieves its goals admirably. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to write a version of To Kill a Mockingbird where it turns out Boo Radley was a werewolf the whole time.

FINAL VERDICT: 7.5/10

Starring: Casey Affleck (Gone Baby Gone), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Clifton Collins Jr (Crank: High Voltage), Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead), Teresa Palmer (I Am Number Four), Michael K Williams (The Wire), Gal Gadot (Fast Five), Woody Harrelson (Zombieland), Kate Winslet (Titanic)

Director: John Hillcoat (Lawless)

Writer: Matt Cook

Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes

Release Date: 19 February (UK), 29 February (US)

Making a unique heist film is very hard to do. They’re heavily reliant on formula, so it’s very easy to follow it to the book and end up being generic, but if you stray too far it loses something. Triple 9 does bring a couple of new ideas to the table and, though nothing it does is particularly groundbreaking, it is an entertaining ride whilst it lasts.

A major theme of Triple 9 is crossing threads and coincidence, so fittingly the story is told through various intersecting characters that form the bigger picture. It’s a technique that certainly helps increase the citywide scope of the narrative, but with so many plotlines to follow it does end up meaning the individual stories are quite simple. You’ve got the rookie cop struggling to fit in, the noble criminal fighting for his family, the crooked cop caught between two worlds, and they’re all stories you pretty much know the basic beats of; if you’ve seen The Departed, The Town, Point Break, Heat, Sicario, or any other such film, you know what’s coming. However, the film ultimately works because all these different stories are weaved together well enough through pitch-perfect pacing. After an exciting opening bank heist, a looming sense of tension is quickly created and the anticipation for the climax slowly builds throughout the entire film instead of just the last third. When the finale eventually kicks off, it feels a little abbreviated, but the epilogue is where every storyline truly pays off and the film ultimately ends on a suitably thematic note.

Triple 9 has an incredible cast, and though many of them get far less screen time than they deserve, I don’t think anyone’s phoning it in here. Casey Affleck’s Chris Allen is a little by the numbers, but the actor overcomes the marginal material with a powerful performance that hints at a darker, more inquisitive character. Anthony Mackie is great as the conflicted Marcus, injecting his natural charm into the character whilst never making us forget his more nefarious side; whether he and Affleck are arguing or bonding, it’s a compelling watch. Woody Harrelson is as engaging as ever as the vice-ridden but noble detective, and it’s great to see Clifton Collins Jr get a more prominent role that actually allows him to show off his talents. Chiwetel Ejiofor ends up stealing the show though (as he so often does), mining a lot of sympathy with very little screen time to create a character whose moral compass is very hard to pinpoint. The rest of the cast, whilst generally good on a performance level, is more problematic in terms of material. Aaron Paul is saddled with yet another variation on Jesse Pinkman, Norman Reedus’ role is basically an extended cameo, and Teresa Palmer and Gal Gadot’s roles can be summed up as “Affleck’s wife” and “Ejiofor’s baby mama”; that’s literally all there is to say about them. Kate Winslet playing a Russian mob boss is something I didn’t expect to be in her range and, though she certainly looks the part, her accent faded in and out and she ultimately doesn’t get her hands dirty enough to be threatening. Oh, and Michael K Williams is only in one scene, but he gets to play a role you’d never expect him in and he nails it.

Triple 9 doesn’t do anything to really make it stand out as a heist movie, but it does its job effectively enough. The pacing is tight, the performances are generally strong, and the way its structure and themes intertwine is interesting, but there isn’t anything that makes it something you need to rush out and see. If you’re curious enough and are in the mood for a dark but fun crime thriller, you could do far worse.

FINAL VERDICT: 7/10