My Top 10 Favourite Film Scores

Hey! Have you read something extremely subjective today? If not, then allow me to completely change that, if you insist on continuing to read this, that is. 

So, I have really come to appreciate scores for films in the last year or so. I've picked up on how scores can impact a scene in terms of emotion, power, and awe. This list consists of scores that I personally think work well in the context of the film and outside of the film. I'll list what I like about the film's score, the composer, and some of my favourite tracks from it.

Note: I am not particularly knowledgeable about technical jargon when it comes to music, so my vocabulary will be somewhat limited and repetitive. Sorry!

10. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009) (Mark Mothersbaugh)

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is one of my favourite animated films of all time, and aside from the humour and animation, the score is one of its best attributes. The film is very science-y and a lot of the music has some really nice electrical leitmotifs that reflect this aspect. It gives the sense of all the wonder that is on display, and it works really nicely outside of the film for what I call "Thinking Music" which is music that I can listen to and not get distracted by when I'm working. In terms of my favourite tracks, Swallow Falls is a really nice opener that sets the mood, Introducing Flint has some quirky sounds to it that all culminate into a really exciting ending, and Flint's Determination is a good tune too.

9. How to Train Your Dragon (2010) (John Powell)

The How to Train Your Dragon series isn't just visually stunning, it's musically stunning too. The first film has the best score in my opinion because it both started the series and has two of the best tracks in it. Forbidden Friendship is a charming tune that has sounds that speak of discovery as it builds to a really sweeping conclusion, along with the awe-inspiring moment when Hiccup places his hand on Toothless' face for the first time. And Test Drive, need I say more? You'll see that many of the scores on this list have a track that accompanies one of my favourite scenes ever, and this is one of them. The music feels so epic and blood-pumping and you can feel every burst of wind and sharp turn in the scene. It's just so terrific. The rest of the score has the same elements, and it works wonders.

8. The Social Network (2010) (Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross)

The Social Network is one of the best acted and best written films I've ever seen to the extent that I was legitimately sad when it ended as I could continue watching more like it forever and ever. But, the score is brilliant, and you know it. Much like Cloudy, this film has some really good Thinking Music, but what sets this apart is that the music doesn't feel as if it was written to accompany scenes in a film. It genuinely feels as if it is written on its own, and all the better for it. Intriguing Possibilities, Painted Sun in Abstract, and Pieces Form the Whole are all so abstract and ominous yet really exciting. I always just love to listen to such interesting sounds, and this film delivers a score that has just that. 

7. Ready Player One (2018) (Alan Silvestri)

Okay, Ready Player One is a movie I've liked less and less with time. It's not because it's boring or anything, but some plot holes just become more prominent the more you see them. If there is one thing that keeps me a fan of this movie, it's the score. This is my optimum cup of tea when it comes to scores. I love grand, epic pieces of music like this. Ready Player One's strength is the fact that it is somewhat generic. As much as I love the Star Wars or Lord of the Rings themes, their iconicity can be a little bit distracting, even though they are excellent. Sure, this film does have some recurring leitmotifs but they don't necessarily trigger the thought of this film. So, this is beneficial because whenever I just want to hear something awesome and epic, I can listen to this. Additionally, they work fabulously in the film. "Why Can't We Go Backwards?" has a really quaint start but builds to be really big and boisterous, making the scene really exhilarating, Looking for a Truck and She Never Left are equally tense and exciting, and "What Are You?" is a really cosy piece that can calm you down after all the craziness. So, while it isn't iconic, it serves its purpose as a generic, epic score really efficiently.

6. Dinosaur (2000) (James Newton Howard)

I'd imagine you're probably seeing this and thinking "What?" But I think that this may be the most underrated score of all time. I think that because the film Dinosaur was passed off as an average Disney movie, most people overlooked a lot of the effort that went into this film. In all fairness, I do have a soft spot for this film as it was one of my favourites as a child, but I do think that the CGI holds up amazingly and the score is masterful. So many tracks in here are memorable and work well with their scenes. The Egg Travels is another one of my favourite scenes of all time and the music is a major part of that. The building from being small and quiet to vast and loud really emphasises the progression of the egg's journey as it goes from the hands of a raptor running through a jungle to a pterodactyl swooping over a canyon. It's simply magnificent. Inner Sanctum / The Nesting Grounds is tranquil and soothing, while Across the Desert and Breakout are equally as powerful. I think this score deserves more credit because it really is something special.

5. Isle of Dogs (2018) (Alexandre Desplat)

Both of Wes Anderson's stop motion features have brilliant scores, and while Fantastic Mr Fox is a better film than Isle of Dogs, the score isn't. Although, it would be at number 11 if I extended the list. The score to this film encapsulates the charming and bizarre nature of it. The End Titles in particular are really fun with such odd combinations of instruments intricately playing out together, it often has you struggling to choose something focus on, in a good way. Another key thing about this film's music is that it is very integral to certain sequences in the film. Six Months Later + Dog Fight is a key aspect of its respective scene. Many components such as the dogs move in beautiful choreography with the music. It's rather hard to explain it's true brilliance unless you watch it yourself. The other notable track is The Municipal Dome, which is great Thinking Music but with a Japanese-esque twist to it, especially with the percussion and brass. So, this score is where it is because of its unique nature. 

4. The Martian (2015) (Harry Gregson-Williams)

The Martian is one of my favourite films of all time, and while the score isn't one of the primary reasons, its still something I bare in mind when thinking about it. You've probably guessed that I love a lot of this film's tracks because they serve as Thinking Music, but the best thing about this film, is that the Thinking Music works really well outside of the film, and even better in the context of the film. When you hear something like Making Water or Science the S*** Out Of This, you feel like Watney is thinking to it too, whether he's problem solving or calculating something. The fact that this music works in both settings is the best part. Other notable tracks include Hexadecimals, which is oddly satisfying as it plays out over a silent montage, and Crossing Mars which is such a simplistic and vague piece that it captures the scope and haunting emptiness of Mars as Watney crosses it. So, the big achievement here is the wide appeal of this score, being perfectly fit within the film, and greatly satisfying outside of it. 

3. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) (Alan Silvestri)

Yep, you knew it was coming. One might even say, it was inevitable. But of course I love this score, and I'm sure you can guess what one of the top two is from this. Even though I said iconicity can be distracting when listening to film scores out of context, what makes Infinity War an exception is the fact that this score offers much more than just the Avengers theme. A lot of it is impactful and as this film goes in directions that one may not have expected, it is only amplified. The End Game makes the very brief one-to-one fight between Iron Man and Thanos as powerful as it could be, and Infinity War playing out loudly over such insipid credits really makes that ending feel all the more shocking and emotional. Also, in terms of the Avengers theme, I have huge amounts of respect for this score because prior to this film, many people said the MCU's music was really lacking and that they didn't have a memorable tune under their belt. But, then this film came along and has immortalised the Avengers theme as one of the best themes in history. Forge uses the tune perfectly and when Thor arrives in Wakanda (another one of my favourite scenes ever), I get chills all over and my blood pumps faster and faster. So, how could this list get any better?

2. Avengers: Endgame (2019) (Alan Silvestri)

Well done Mr Silvestri, you've managed to make not one or two but three scores I really adore. Much like Fantastic Mr Fox and Isle of Dogs, despite Endgame being slightly inferior to Infinity War, the score isn't. There are so many excellent tracks in this film and all of them work beautifully in and out of the film. Arrival is a really sombre rendition of the iconic Avengers theme as well as setting the tone for the next three hours suitably, One Shot does a great job at providing the hope that the Avengers may succeed, and Worth It accompanies the greatest moment in the MCU, involving Cap and a hammer, and it makes me smile whether I'm just listening, or listening and watching, and it probably would if I was just watching. But then you have Portals. Which, in my opinion that I am entitled to, is the best piece of music ever written for a scene in a film. It captures the awe and amazement as all you heroes who were once thought to be dead return in one giant formation. It is a spectacular thing to behold and I don't think words could ever do it justice. And, surprisingly, there's more that comes close to topping that. The Real Hero is really earnest and makes you think about the entire journey the last twenty-two films have told, and Main on End is my favourite version of the Avengers theme. Seeing the silhouettes of the original six with the signatures of their respective actors writing themselves as the music builds around it, I just cannot physically express how swept up I feel whenever I watch or hear that. So, how on earth can the list get better? Well, it can. 

1. The Lion King (1994) (Hans Zimmer)

This is my favourite score for mostly reasons that have already come up. The music accompanies some of my favourite scenes ever, it works in and out of the film, and I have a soft spot for it because I grew up with this film and the score forever stays in my head. But, if it's all for the same reasons, why does this get the top spot? It's because this contains some of the most glorious and majestic sounds I think I'll ever hear. Remember Who You Are and The Rightful King are so unbelievably phenomenal that I'm not even going to attempt to put their greatness into words, it simply cannot be done. I Was Just Trying to be Brave, Kings of the Past, Stampede, and essentially every other track is just amazing. What's also amazing is the fact that the score only has a small number of leitmotifs that are slightly rearranged in different scenes. This is such an accomplishment because the ability for strictly finite pieces of music to be perfectly fit for so many different moments is outstanding. It fits the film's cyclical themes really neatly. And, above all, it is just great music. Anyone who listens to this can appreciate it, even if they don't like The Lion King or even the score itself. I don't really know what else to say. Sometimes, the magnificence of the very best things in life cannot be truly deciphered, and I know that this can't. 

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed reading something you don't agree with. But, these are just my favourites. The fact that we all have different favourites is something to be celebrated. I am planning on doing more top 10 lists as this was fun to put together, so get ready for even more subjectivity, because this was just scratching the surface.

It Chapter Two - Movie Review - Three hours of what exactly?

This film is a 15, was released on September 6th 2019, and this review will contain NO SPOILERS 

Introduction 

I'm not really a huge fan of horror movies as I generally don't like the idea of getting scared as entertainment. So, going by this, I never saw It (2017). It didn't particularly seem like the kind of thing that I'd get anything out of. However, literally the day before I saw this, I decided to watch it for the first time to see if I was wrong. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed it. It's a really well-acted, enjoyable, engaging, and well made film, despite not being particularly scary to me and a bit too long. But, I enjoyed it to the extent that I wanted to see the next chapter of this story. 

Thoughts Going In 

Like I said, I saw It for the first time the day before I saw this, so I don't really have a great deal of affinity for it nor did I have much time to really form an opinion about what I was about to see. I didn't really think I'd be writing an in-depth review as I guessed all that I'd have to say could be condensed into an NMTS review. But, I suspected it'd be something very similar to the original if the trailers were anything to go by, so I was moderately looking forward to it.

The Story 

27 years after the Losers club defeated Pennywise, he's back to haunt the town of Derry. So, Mike, the only member who remained there, calls the rest of the gang back together in the hopes that they can put aside their subsequently made differences and truly defeat the evil clown and all the evil he brings about. 

What I Liked 

The best thing about this film is the acting and characters. Firstly, the casting is fantastic. I don't believe for one minute that these are not grown up versions of the children from the original - it's near perfection. The performances they give off also feel very reminiscent of how the characters were beforehand. You can tell what each of them have been through and how it has had an effect on them in some way. That and they were all really likeable and quriky. I can't really pick a favourite as they were all equally great, but I do think James McAvoy was my favourite if I had to choose. This was a great strength as it was the best part of the original, so to see it wasn't lost was relieving. Bill Skarsgard was also excellent as Pennywise. His deliciously freaky voice and appearance were great. He makes for a really threatening and oddly entertaining antagonist. 

The way the film looks and sounds is appropriately gorgeous and unsettling. It gives off a frequent sense of fear from the somewhat muted colour palette and evokes it when a sudden burst of bright blue or blood red appears. The way the music also swells around certain scenes is chilling and it knows when to cut it for effect. Certain sound effects like creepy laughs also created an eerie atmosphere. So, it was good to see that this film was both a pleasure to watch and listen to, and have both elements take you right into the world of the film. 

The one other thing I really liked about this film was the way that it followed up from the original. Bear in mind that this isn't coming from someone who adores the first film like many others do, but I thought this was a really satisfying narrative. All the loose ends feel like they've been tied up, without it feeling like there's a single thread left behind, and there are many sweet callbacks to the first film which incorporated in a nice theme of memory and confronting your past, which I liked. It was also neat to see some parallels between how the characters acted around one another as children and how they do so as adults. 

What I Didn't Like 

The length is problematic. You've probably seen this criticism but I thought I'd throw mine in too. I think a film being long is only ever a problem if you're not enjoying it, so I have no problems sitting through films like The Lord of the Rings trilogy or, more recently, Avengers: Endgame, because I enjoy those films enormously. With this, I was enjoying it quite a bit, but not enough to endure nearly three-hours worth of material. I also felt as if that runtime didn't need to be, as many scenes could've been shortened and the film would still work just fine, or even better.

One thing I admired about the first film was the fact that it wasn't necessarily scary, but it was horrifying. Now, obviously fear is extremely subjective so this argument really only works for me and / or other people that weren't scared of the first It film. But, to me, even though I wasn't scared, I still thought there were plenty of horrific elements in it, such as the zombies, or bathroom covered in blood, or the way Pennywise's mouth opens. These elements were enough to connote to me, the viewer, why the children in the film were scared or uncomfortable. And, it was used to the right extent where I didn't feel uncomfortable watching the film and could still enjoy watching them on their adventure, because usually when I'm scared of something, I'd have to look away or stop listening which I feel could take me out of the film, even though I completely relate to the fear the characters feel. Here, I felt the horrific elements were a bit excessive. This may seem like a silly argument when talking about a horror film, as it may have been an intentional decision here to go above and beyond with the horror, but I don't feel that it needed to be. The first film managed to show fear without going crazy, so this film didn't have to either. I also think this may be a viewpoint unique to myself as unrealistic horror such as this doesn't scare me because it is very clear that it isn't real. Also, in regards to jump-scares, this film has them and I don't regard them as actual scariness in a film, because they're scary in the moment and never again. Also, they're not even that scary in the moment because it doesn't take a genius to see when one is on the way. 

Another minor issue I have is that I feel like the characters are bit less compelling as adults. When they were all children, you felt as if they all needed one another as being young makes them much more vulnerable to anything that happens to them, and the way they bickered was more believeable and more entertaining. Here, they're still great as I said earlier, but some of the novelty has been lost. This wasn't a dealbreaker, but something I did notice while watching. 

Conclusion 

How I feel about It Chapter Two is nearly the exact same as how I feel about It. Both are well acted and look and sound great with clever narratives, while being a bit too long and not really scary. However, as much as this may seem so, I think the first is slightly better. It's a better length, doesn't feel excessively horrific, and has a more compelling set of characters. That said, I did still enjoy this film enough. It has plenty of what I wanted to see for me to say I had a fine time. So, I'm sure anyone who liked the original will get something out of this, even if there are some issues that present themselves. 

I'm going to give It Chapter Two a 6/10

Hobbs and Shaw + Angel Has Fallen - Movie Reviews - Exciting action or forgettable fodder?

So, over the past week, I visited the cinema two days in a row. I had a bit of a crazy week as I recieved my long-awaited GCSE results (which I was happy with if you were wondering) and these two visits provided me with what I needed around this time. One I saw the day before my results, making it serve as a last-minute cleanser, and the other I saw on the day I received them, serving as a reward of some kind. But, beyond that, the reason I am combining them is because I don't have much to say about either and what I do have to say about them is similar stuff. Both action, both cheesy, both part of franchises I like, and so on. 

Hobbs and Shaw 

This film is a 12A, was released on August 2nd 2019, and this review will contain NO SPOILERS 

This film puts the characters of Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham on a mission to stop an evil Idris Elba from getting his hands on a deadly virus. I actually really like the Fast and Furious franchise. As much as it is ridiculous and over the top, I do get some genuine enjoyment whenever I watch one of them. Well, I'm not huge on 1-4, it's only 5-8 that I'm a proper fan of, with 7 being my favourite. However, its biggest issue is that it feels very pretentious whenever they attempt to be dramatic among stuff like cars jumping out of planes or between buildings. However, I hoped this would finally be an entry into this series that didn't take itself seriously at all, so I was excited to see it. 

THIS MOVIE IS SO STUPID AND I LOVE IT. What makes Hobbs and Shaw work is that the filmmakers understand that the audience want to see these two characters doing some awesome stuff as a team, and they have a fluid definition of awesome. The stuff that happens in this movie is so proposterous that even the mere thought of it for one second makes you realise how it absolutely cannot happen in the real world. But, who cares. This film reminds me why I enjoy cinema so much. It's not a work of art in the slightest, but it embraces the fact that cinema is about taking us to a different world, one that may not play the rules of our own, and that makes it more enjoyable. Additionally, you can't help but laugh at some of these stunts. The climactic battle involves a chain of four cars clinging onto a helicopter and being suspended above a cliff edge, and that was so gloriously bonkers that I laughed until I cried. What also makes this film work are the characters, Hobbs and Shaw are a great duo and their banter between one another makes for some entertaining moments. The Rock and Statham are two actors I really get a kick out of watching in ridiculous settings such as Rampage or The Meg, so this was a great combination. Idris Elba was great as a cheesy villain, and Vanessa Kirby did a good job as Shaw's sister. It was also a huge relief to see this movie didn't take itself seriously. There is drama in the film but it's hardly prominent. Took you long enough, Fast and Furious. 

The film is far too long. I can watch a feature based around these characters with this premise but it feels stretched out. I feel like a solid 90 minutes would've been just fine but the extra 45 minutes is really pushing it. The action also gets a bit dull after some time, whenever it isn't being proposterous and completely stupid in a good way, it feels quite uninteresting. The hand to hand fight scenes were the main culprit as I was more interested in the things going on with the cars. It's also really generic and lazily put together as an excuse for these characters to team up. The biggest problem is that this really isn't much of a film as much as it is a series of set pieces involving the same characters.

Overall, this is probably one of my favourites in the series. Hobbs and Shaw is ridiculous, stupid, absurd, fatiguing, generic, and I loved it. The fact that we finally have a Fast and Furious film that doesn't have any pretentions and understands how great the implausabilities of the action are is simply wonderful. I really enjoyed this film as it offers what I've been so desperate to see from this series ever since I became a fan. It isn't quite as consistent or even as other entries like 5 or 7, but it's one I'd pick to watch again as opposed to the rest. 

I'm going to give Hobbs and Shaw a 7/10 

Angel Has Fallen 

This film is a 15, was released on August 21st 2019, and this review will contain NO SPOILERS 


Mike Banning is framed for the attempted assassination of the President after he was the only person to survive an attack. I like the 'has fallen' series well enough, it's good for a round of trash filmmaking that is enjoyable. Olympus has Fallen is decent, enough action and cheesy lines to keep it afloat, and London has Fallen is so terrible with ridiculous action and cheesier lines that I actually like it more, even though it is much worse. Going into Angel, of course I didn't have high hopes. I wasn't keen to see a truly great film, I just wanted to have some fun. 

This film definitely delivered. What sets this apart from the previous films is that the formula they had has been ditched. It was always an initial attack on a nation, Banning escaping, the president being held hostage and at gunpoint, before Banning saves him and all is good. This time, it's Banning himself that is in danger. This made the film feel instantly more engaging as it's only the lead who is in danger, not an entire nation. The film also delivers in terms of the action. While there isn't an individual set piece that stands out like the last films, there's consistent amounts of action throughout the film and it is entertaining and even tense sometimes. Gerard Butler does a great job as Banning, he is a really likeable hero in all of these films, but when his father, played by Nick Nolte, enters the mix, it gets better because the two have a fun dynamic that is really entertaining. This film also felt more refined than the others and more as if it was trying to be good film, which it somewhat succeeded at because I could see some competency on display.

This movie is quite predictable, you know how it'll go based on the set up. The action can be quite unremarkable at times and thus feel less enjoyable, and it is overly long and a bit tiring at points. But, inevitably, this isn't a genuinely good film. Even though it has more competency than before, I'm still unable to take this series seriously because most of the enjoyment I got was ironic, and I was riffing on the film with my friend the whole time it was on. So, despite the series' best efforts, I still can't respond in the way they were probably intending.

The best of the trilogy. Angel has Fallen offers a different narrative into this series which makes for a competently made, and somewhat entertaining, action movie. It's not good by any means, but I got some decent enjoyment out of it and would rather revisit it than any of what had fallen before this. 

I'm going to give Angel has Fallen a 6/10

MCU Phase 4 Rant

Over the weekend, all of the phase 4 entries into the MCU were announced. There were 11 new projects announced. Some of them I am keen about but some less so, but my biggest issue with phase 4 isn't primarily what is coming, but how it is coming. You see, out of all the 11 projects announced, 6 of them are films, with the other 5 being TV shows streaming exclusively on the soon to be launched streaming service, Disney+. They are:

Films (Order of Release):

- Black Widow

- Eternals

- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

- Thor: Love and Thunder

- Blade

TV Shows:

- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

- Loki

- Wandavision

- Hawkeye

- What If...?

All interesting titles to say the least but what is really ticking me off about this bunch is how it is being presented. To put it lightly, I absolutely hate the fact that TV shows are now being incorporated into the MCU. 

I am aware that there are already TV shows with characters in the MCU such as Agents of Shield or Agent Carter. Those are fine because they act as spin-offs where you don't need to have seen them to understand what happens in the movies. I haven't watched any of the current MCU TV shows, yet I understand the events of the films just fine. But, here it looks as if the TV shows are continuing arcs and stories that will be crucial for understanding things within the films. This means the TV shows have to be seen to understand the films. This really irritates me because they're all streaming on the new streaming platform, Disney+, which according to my research, is only launching in the USA once these shows are out. Even if it does come to the UK, I don't want to have to pay for a monthly membership or anything to just watch a few shows. Sure, Disney and Marvel will make more money, but they literally just made the highest grossing film of all time, can't they catch a break? Also, I'm not a huge bingewatcher. I can't dedicate to watching an entire show once it is released or even over a few weeks.

Additionally, some of these shows are taking ideas from the end of Endgame that I was really excited to see the continuation of, more so than any of the films they announced. I was really looking forward to seeing what would happen now that Captain America has passed away and given his trusty shield to Falcon. I really wanted to see what would be the next chapter of Hawkeye's life, and Wanda's too. So all these great ideas are being limited to an extremely exclusive streaming platform in the form of TV shows.

I'd like to take this time to address an unfortunate truth that I have a strong opinion on. Nowadays, it seems that the idea of films going straight to streaming services is more popular than the idea of going to the cinema. This doesn't anger me, but it makes me sad. As such an avid fan of film, the cinema is a huge part of what I like about film. There's nothing to me that beats going to watch a new film on a huge screen, with fellow audience members who are all being swept up too. And I don't like to think that this way of watching a film may soon go extinct and instead all I do is sit at home and watch it on my laptop. Sure, it is more convenient for many people, but to me it lowers the experience. What's worse about this situation here, is that the MCU helped amplify my experiences in cinemas. When I went to see Endgame, the audience laughed at the jokes, we cheered when Cap picked up Thor's hammer, we applauded when the heroes came out of portals, we cried when Iron Man snapped his fingers, and we all celebrated the achievement of the film together. That was a series of moments I'll never forget. Cinema has many powers and what the MCU's next phase is doing is encouraging the opposite. Thankfully, the new films will be theatrically released, but let's not remain used to it.

Anyway, in regards to the films that actually are coming: I'm excited for Black Widow because she's one of my favourite characters and definitely deserving of a feature movie, Eternals and Shang-Chi are both properties I am unfamiliar with and thus am unsure what to expect, Doctor Strange 2 is really exciting because he's another character I like and the titular multiverse sounds intriguing, and despite some negativity, I can't wait for Thor 4, I loved Ragnarok and with the Taika Waititi returning I'm sure it'll be another round of the same awesomeness.       

The Lion King (2019) - Movie Review - Has anything changed at all?

This film is a PG, was released on July 19th 2019, and this review will contain SPOILERS, but to be fair if you don't know what happens in the original Lion King, what?

Introduction 

I love The Lion King. It is one of my favourite films of all time and definitely the best-animated movie that Disney has made without the help of Pixar. It has such gorgeous animation, lovable characters, a majestic sense of scale, excellent songs I know every word to, a really powerful message, and some strong emotional moments. It's just flawless. So, why remake it?

Thoughts Going In 

I didn't have my expectations high for this film. I could tell that it was going to be worse than the original but also lack a lot of the original's magic too. This was evident from what I saw in the trailers. I also suspected Jon Favreau, while being a talented director, wouldn't be able to do a great job here. This is because when he made the first Iron Man, it was great. But, Iron Man 2 wasn't as good. Here, he's already made one fabulous Disney remake, The Jungle Book, so maybe he'd run out of steam by the time The Lion King came around. Who knows, I was just keen to see it now. 

The Story 

Simba is a young cub who is next in line to the throne of Pride Rock. However, his jealous uncle, Scar, brings tragedy into his life and Simba is banished from the Pride Lands and forgets who he is. Yadda yadda you know the rest.

What I Liked 

Well it kind of goes without saying but the visual effects work in this film is stunning. You begin to forget that this film was entirely animated in a computer after some time as you just accept it as real. The attention to detail to make this as photo-realistic as possible is astonishing. The fur, the water, the blades of grass, each individual leaf on the trees, every little spec of dirt, the rocks, the sky, it is all well done to a remarkable extent. This is one aspect of the film that you can't fault because it is clear that a lot of people have spent a lot of time on this part of the film. 

Some of the voice acting was good. Not a stamp on the original but competent. Donald Glover was really good as Simba. I love Donald Glover as an actor, he's done so many great performances in recent years in films like The Martian, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and others. Even though he had minor roles in all of the above, he still makes the most of what he's meant to do. Here, he has all the charm and charisma that Matthew Broderick had before. Seth Rogen was perfect as Pumbaa, his comedic timing and his laugh were on point, even if his singing wasn't quite. Of course, James Earl Jones being back as Mufasa was the right decision because nobody could ever replace him, and he did a great job once again. 

The score is absolutely as electrifying as it was before. Although, they do some nice variations on it here which were well done. This is one of the best scores of all time and I don't think it will ever not feel epic.   

The last thing that is praiseworthy is that the film has the overall tone and feel of The Lion King. While I was watching it, even though it looks and sounds different, it still felt like the 1994 classic. I know the opening to the original like the back of my hand, I know it starts with the sunrise, then a rhino, then some antelope, then some meerkats, then a leopard, and so on. And the opening shots of the film were exactly the same but in live-action. I wasn't hoping for them to make any great changes as that would risk tarnishing what we love, and I liked seeing how they recreated nearly every scene from the first time around but with the live-action twist.

What I Didn't Like 

There are many issues with this film. Firstly, these characters are all made to look like real animals. The issue with this is that they are no longer as expressive as they were in the original. This is a big setback in a story where connecting with the characters is quite a significant attribute. Then you look to the voices. Because the actors are all acting with the necessary emotion and energy, it felt unnatural when it looks to be coming out of the mouth of a creature that doesn't look as if they feel the same thing. What's even worse is that some of the animals have limitations where it doesn't seem as if they can pronounce certain words. Zazu's beak moves up and down like a Muppet's mouth so you couldn't see what he was saying from what you saw, and it looked jarring when you heard what he was saying. Additionally, some actors seem to be going over the top. Chiwetel Ejiofor seemed like a good choice for Scar, but he was so melodramatic when delivering lines such as "long live the king" or "run away and never return" which was unnecessary when Scar was better off as sly and malicious in his delivery, which Jeremy Irons pulled off perfectly. As much as I liked Donald Glover, he too seemed to be exaggerating in the wrong way at certain points, the climax in particular. As for the other actors, John Oliver didn't have the witty and charming nature of Rowan Atkinson as Zazu, Billy Eichner lacked the energy and quirkiness of Nathan Lane as Timon, and Beyonce didn't add much to the role of Nala, her delivery felt flat and dull and it was clear that she was only cast because she's popular and can sing well. The actor for young Simba was also really irritating, which made me feel bitter about the character when that was clearly not how I was meant to feel. Unfortunately, there were even some times when James Earl Jones seemed a bit artificial as Mufasa. This is most likely due to how he was in the original so it feels like his dialogue was just slapped into this new version. So, as a whole, the film presents many issues with its characters and actors.

Secondly, the aesthetic of the film, while visually impressive, felt wrong for this story. When I think of some of the most memorable scenes in The Lion King, I think of the beautiful opening sunrise against the monotonous red sky, or the variations of colours and designs for a more exotic feel during the Just can't wait to be King song, or the murky greens in the Be Prepared song, or what about the obvious contrast of colours of the Pride Lands in Mufasa and Scar's reigns. A lot of what makes these scenes special is the colours. Animation is what allows for such vibrancy and it makes certain stories more visually interesting and engaging. This is why I felt underwhelmed when I saw the bleak sunrise against a much less atmospheric sky that opened the film, or how Just can't wait to be King is basically Simba running around singing, with all the colours remaining the same, and then Scar sings Be Prepared in an insipidly grey cave area, and when he becomes king, there isn't a great difference between how the Pride Lands looked when Mufasa was king. This has also had an effect on the character design. You no longer have the iconic red manes, Zazu's bright blue feathers and bright orange beak, Scar's beady yellow and green eyes, and so much more. So, the transition to live-action has washed out a lot of the adventurous colour palette that made the original so visually exciting.

Another odd thing is that the film doesn't feel as grand as it did before. Once again, thinking of memorable scenes in the original, I think of the sharp reveal of a striking Pride Rock, or the gigantic stampede of charging wildebeest which allowed for an equally as gigantic sense of impending doom, and then there are my favourite scenes in the original, the majestic ghost of Mufasa and the awe-inspiring moment when Simba slowly walks upon Pride Rock in the rain. The original film has an unmatchable sense of majesty and scale, all due to the animation. So, once again, I was underwhelmed when I saw a slow pan to some pile of rocks I'm supposed to see as Pride Rock, as well as a stampede that takes place in what felt like an extremely narrow ravine with wildebeest not running particularly fast nor in as great of a quantity, and Mufasa's ghost is swapped to be some swirly, faceless cloud in the sky, and when Simba walks upon Pride Rock, he literally just walks upon Pride Rock. The same way that he walks throughout the rest of the film. Not in slow motion, not over a great period of time, and even the score can't make it seem great. These once terrific scenes no longer feel as glorious or as huge as they were before. 

You may look at a lot of these criticisms and say "Well they can't fix those issues because it's meant to look realistic." And in many ways, that is the film's major issue. It is trying to be realistic. Animation is a criminally underutilised medium of film, and I hate how so many people pass it off as just a way to tell stories to kids. No, that is absolutely not true. Animation allows us to tell stories that would seem ridiculous in the real world, animation can allow you to feel emotions for things that you can't feel for in the real world, and animation allows for limitless amounts of expression, creativity, imagination, wonder, character, vibrancy, beauty, and so much more. It is the very reason why we could ever have imagined The Lion King, to begin with. When you go to live-action (or try to make it look like live-action) you take away all of the above. And all of the above can be summed up in one word, magic. 

Conclusion 

The Lion King remake does feel like it is The Lion King, and there are some good performances, the same brilliant score, and groundbreaking visuals. But, the fact that it tries to be live-action has taken away the expression, vibrancy, grand scale, and simply the magic of the original. This film has absolutely no reason to exist, and because it is essentially a shot-for-shot remake, I cannot see myself rewatching this instead of just rewatching the original. I can see plenty of people going to see this film and loving it. After all, it is the start of the summer holidays for a lot of people and many families will go to see this and enjoy it, and that's fine. Although, if you have kids and you're excited for this film so that you can introduce them to this story, why not just show them the original? It's superior in every way and much more serviceable to young children. Don't ignore a perfect film for a bland and lifeless retelling of the same story. 

I'm going to give The Lion King a 5/10   

Apollo 11 - Movie Review - Both immersive and informative?

This film is a U, was released on June 28th 2019, and this review will contain NO SPOILERS because there is nothing to be spoiled, unless you've been living under a rock the size of the moon.

Apollo 11 is a documentary about the titular space mission when three astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, set off to land on the moon for the first time in human history. I love space and I thought that this would be a good thing to see in the cinema and also good for some insight into the mission. We recently had First Man which was a dramatisation of the same mission but that was more focused on the life of Armstrong and the sections in space and on the moon were somewhat secondary. So I was excited to see more about this achievement in American history. 

The thing I was so happy about with Apollo 11 is that it really only gets the title of a documentary just because it uses archival footage of a real event. I was so glad to see this film didn't have a cheesy narrator nor interviews with some of the people involved, as that would've distracted from the point of the film. Instead, the film just shows you everything that happened from the moments preparing to lift off, to when the three made it back to earth and were celebrated. So, I enjoyed this film so much because it felt like it was telling a story, and given the fact that it is only made with real footage, it was a much more engaging and gripping experience. The film also masterfully uses sound. It is so well implemented that it makes the film more atmospheric, and the wonderful score adds to this. There are times when the film goes silent, sometimes it has tons of voices at once, and it always felt appropriate to the scene. The biggest accomplishment of this film is that it has an atmosphere. When what you see and what you hear are combined, it takes you right into the world of the film and you can feel everything the film wants you to, whether it's the high heart rates of the astronauts, the complications of calculating landings / other manoeuvres, or the awe of watching the first man step down a ladder onto the moon. One thing I should mention is that this film demands a big screen. The bigger the screen and the louder the volume, the more invested you can be in the film. Although that's not to say it can't be enjoyed on smaller screens, its only the experience that gets enhanced by the larger size. Another thing is that the films does a great job at helping you understand how a lot of technical aspects of the mission worked. This was especially good for me as even though I love space, I'm not familiar with how any of this mission was pulled off, so it was beneficial to get a technical understanding.

In terms of negatives, there are very few. My only real issue is kind of inevitable for a film like this, and that is that some of the footage is a little bit poor in quality as is some of the sound. However, this isn't a legitimate critique in my opinion because the fact that they could get all the footage they did is largely commendable, its only problematic when you can't clearly identify what is being said or what is happening. 

Apollo 11 is one of the biggest surprises of the year. I'm not usually one to enjoy documentaries nor can I really put up with archive footage of a low quality, but I loved this film. This is an enthralling experience and I can't wait to see it again. Even though some of the novelty may be lost from the transition of cinema to home, I'm still really excited. It takes you right into the legendary mission of 1969 with excellent usage of sound, music, and really impressive footage. This is a film I'd highly recommend to anyone who likes space or just wants to be blown away for an hour and a half, because it is worth it. I can't remember the last time I left the cinema so keen to revisit the film I'd literally just witnessed.

I'm going to give Apollo 11 a 9/10

Spider-Man: Far From Home - Movie Review - A worthy continuation?

This film is a 12A, was released on July 2nd 2019, and this review will contain NO SPOILERS, but there will be a discussion of MAJOR SPOILERS after the main review. There will also be spoilers for Avengers: Endgame.

Introduction 

Spider-Man is probably the one superhero we've seen the most iterations of in the shortest amount of time. With Tobey Maguire starting it off, Andrew Garfield briefly giving it a go, Tom Holland being the MCU version, and even the animated Into the Spider-Verse. This character has been through many highs and lows but at the moment, he's been doing really well. Spider-Man: Homecoming was a really entertaining movie, offering a more down to earth aspect of the MCU, Into the Spider-Verse was fabulous and upon rewatching, it got so much better, I criminally underrated that film when I initially reviewed it. But now, after the earth shattering events of Endgame, Spidey is here to hopefully calm us all down. 

Thoughts Going In 

I was certain that I would really like or even just enjoy this movie, there was nothing throwing me off. My only concern was that this film would feel underwhelming after Endgame which was not that long ago, similar to what Ant-Man and the Wasp suffered as a follow up to Infinity War. But, regardless, there wasn't much I held as a concern.

The Story 

Now that Tony Stark is gone, Peter Parker is left without a mentor and feels lost in the world, feeling unable to fill the shoes of Tony. However, he soon leaves for a holiday all over Europe. On this trip, he hopes to connect with MJ and tell her about how he feels about her, as he has a crush on her. However, Nick Fury interrupts his trip and introduces him to Quentin Beck / Mysterio. They need his help to battle elemental beings who have invaded earth from an alternate dimension. Peter is then left with the choice, help to save the world, or spend time with people he cares about. 

What I Liked 

Spider-Man: Far From Home takes everything that worked wondrously in Homecoming and either continues it, or makes it even better. 

Firstly, the action. Homecoming had some great action scenes such as the one at the Washington Monument, however some of it felt slightly uninteresting and fatiguing because the down to earth segments of that film with Peter in school were more entertaining. Here, the film makes the action more interesting and more exciting. The fights with the various elemental beings were really cool to watch and CGI was remarkable. The climax which takes place in London was also excellent with some fascinating visuals. The music stood out most in these sequences and there were even some exhilarating versions of the classic Spider-Man theme. This was the best aspect of this film because it was something the first film was lacking. 

Secondly, the characters were also much better. Peter feels as if he has grown as a character since Homecoming as he now clearly understands the responsibility he has. He frequently hesitates to join the fight simply because he'd rather be on holiday with his friends. He wants to remain a normal child with normal friends and doesn't want to get wound up in all the action. This made him much better as it shows that he is progressing as opposed to remaining as a naive and desperate child, as in Homecoming he was eager to be out saving the world instead of being at school. Ned was just as likeable as before and he delivered some really funny jokes. One trait I like about both Peter and Ned is that they always have a tendency to claim "that's awesome" at certain things in the film, and this is great because that is absolutely how teens would react to these things, coming from me. MJ was also a standout because she is essentially the same as she was before, but there's more of her. The relationship between her and Peter was also really endearing and somewhat relatable as I could understand how Peter felt, being desperate to approach a girl you have feelings for, but too shy to actually do so. This made me enjoy watching how their interactions played out, and it was more entertaining when MJ begins to get suspicious of Peter being linked to Spider-Man. The only other notable character was Mysterio. Jake Gyllenhaal did a really good job and the chemistry between him and Peter felt very genuine. The other characters such as Nick Fury and Happy were essentially the same as before, but like MJ, there's just more of them, which was good. 

The last thing was that the movie seemed to be a good balance between all its strengths. It doesn't dwell on one aspect significantly more than another and felt very consistent. Each part gets its time to shine with there being enough of the down to earth stuff and enough of the superhero stuff so that they're both equally as entertaining. The film also throws in a bit more drama regarding Peter and his struggles. There's a twist in the film which allows for his struggles and fears to be visualised and enhanced and it made the film both dramatic and engaging. And, oddly enough, it didn't distract from the other two aspects. This film got the perfect balance between all three of these components, and it made this an unbelievably satisfying watch. This was another improvement from Homecoming because that film had plenty of the characters and action, but we've established that the latter was less interesting than the former, and the drama in that film wasn't quite as prominent, even though it was still really well executed and even powerful.

Also, one other thing is that the ending of this film (as in after the post-credits scene) left me completely clueless as to where the series is going next. And honestly, I love that. For a franchise this big and elaborate, that is not something I thought I'd ever say, and the excitement of not knowing where we go next is unlike any other feeling.

What I Didn't Like 

There are some minor problems with this film but not severe. The biggest issue is with the central twist. I won't give it away and I'll expand later but it was extremely predictable, explained in a messy way, and will probably undercut some of the tension in scenes prior to the reveal upon rewatching. You'll know this when you see the movie. 

Like any comedy, there are jokes that don't work. However, this film has a few running jokes that fall flat as well as elongated jokes that wasn't much fun to begin with and were completely inessential. But that does go for any comedy so I suppose it is inevitable. 

Conclusion 

Now THIS is how you follow up the biggest movie of all time in style! Spider-Man: Far From Home was everything I wanted and more. It gets the absolute optimum balance between thrilling action, endearing characters and interactions, as well as new drama to deepen our protagonist. I loved this movie and it outdoes Homecoming easily. I don't think it's quite Into the Spider-Verse nor is it as spectacular as Endgame, but it proves that although we've seen tons of this character, we've barely seen anything. I can't wait for more of this interpretation of Spidey and I hope this one goes on to do really well. 

I'm going to give Spider-Man: Far From Home a 9/10  

Update to Marvel Rankings 

As this is an MCU film, and we've had two entries since my ranking, I thought I'd update my ranking of all the films with the additions of Avengers: Endgame (which I have revisited) and this. There are a few other differences too, but keep in mind that I can never properly rank a set of films as my opinion on films are constantly changing and never set in stone. 

23. The Incredible Hulk
22. Thor
21. Iron Man 3
20. Captain America: The First Avenger
19. Thor: The Dark World
18. Iron Man 2
17. Iron Man
16. Captain Marvel
15. Black Panther
14. Ant-Man and the Wasp
13. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
12. Avengers: Age of Ultron
11. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
10. Doctor Strange
9. Ant-Man
8. Avengers Assemble
7. Guardians of the Galaxy
6. Captain America: Civil War
5. Spider-Man: Homecoming
4. Spider-Man: Far From Home
3. Avengers: Endgame
2. Thor Ragnarok
1. Avengers: Infinity War 

I'd like to address that Endgame improved drastically upon rewatching. I think a film of such scale has to be seen multiple times before you have fully comprehended the whole thing. My issue with Thor wasn't as problematic as he was funnier than I remember, some of the discombobulated aspects of the time heist weren't as apparent, and the final battle was still as awesome. However, you may notice that Infinity War has dethroned Ragnarok as my favourite entry. The reason is because I rewatched it after seeing Endgame and thus knowing what happens after the cliffhanger ending. Amazingly, I still enjoyed it hugely and was still shocked by the ending. It is a film that I don't see myself getting bored of at any point in the near future. Also, because my main issue with Infinity War was whether it would hold up after Endgame, and it did, I have now moved it up to be the first 10/10 in the franchise, it just deserves it. 

Spoiler Time 

Don't read this part if you have not yet seen the movie

So yeah, the twist with Mysterio was really interesting because initially, when I first heard he was in the movie and I saw him in the first trailer, I actually thought he was quite simply a villain and he was this movie's baddie. However, the thumbnail for the second trailer showed him joining forces with Peter, so I then got confused. The trailer and start of the film suggested he was on the hero side, but I was still very doubtful that he was. Turns out, I was right. But the weird thing here is that I predicted this twist without knowing it was a twist, which is a little bit mind blowing. But then, the way the twist was then explained felt very messy and just an exposition dump.

Anyway, his illusion technology was the thing that enhanced Peter's struggles and fears. The sequences where he basically traumatises Peter were horrifying and really compelling. And the final battle where Peter takes down the fake elemental from the inside has some really dazzling visuals. My only concern with this is that when I rewatch the hydro-man and molten-man fights (both of which took place before the twist occurred) they will be less tense because I now know Peter is just fighting a load of fake nonsense. But, for the time being, those sequences were great and really cool. 

Ok, the mid-credits scene. So, I'm probably not as excited as other people by this scene. The reveal of JJJ (portrayed by J.K. Simmons, the same actor as the original Spider-Man movies) was cool as he is great in the role but I didn't get super pumped upon this reveal like other fans did. I was more concerned about the fact that Peter's identity has been revealed and Mysterio tricked people into thinking Peter killed him. Does this mean that Peter Parker is going to be on the run from the police in the next movie? Who knows.

The post-credits scene wasn't exciting but more confusing. It is revealed that the Nick Fury and Maria Hill that appeared in the film were actually Skrulls in disguise. It is then shown to us that the actual Nick Fury is on some kind of space vessel alongside more Skrulls. Not only does this force me to remember the bland movie that was Captain Marvel, but I don't know what this means for upcoming films. This may also make me look back on the events of the film differently as I now know some people are just Skrulls, but I can't be sure just yet. 

Also, there was no "_____ will return", so this only intensifies the fact that the future of the MCU is completely unknown. Seriously, what is even the next movie?