Wolfwalkers - Movie Review - More greatness from the overlooked

When thinking about modern animation studios, not many seem to specialise in 2D / handrawn anymore. Pixar, Dreamworks, and Illumination are all giants thriving off of 3D, Disney have fully made the transition from one to the other, Aardman and Laika are the overlooked masters of stop motion, and Studio Ghibli have gone dormant since 2014. We now seem to get the occassional 2D animated film, and usually from a much smaller animation house - one of these being the Irish group Cartoon Saloon. They have produced only three animated films over the last ten years, and I've unfortunately only seen one, The Breadwinner (2017). I love that film quite a bit, so I've been trying my best to get round to watching their two other films The Secret of Kells (2009) and Song of the Sea (2014), both of which I've heard great things about. However, while I was doing some browsing, I found out a new film of theirs was releasing very soon, and that film was Wolfwalkers.

Going into this film, I was very excited. My love for 2D animation as well as what I'd seen from this studio had me keen that this would be another great film. It was a little tricky to track down a cinema playing it but I was able to eventually see it at the Barbican Centre, a lovely venue I hadn't been to beforehand. 

The film centres on Robyn, an English girl living in an Irish town with a vast forest on its doorstep. She desperately wants to go out and hunt the wolves within, but her father refuses to let her. One day, after sneaking out, she comes across a girl in the forest, named Mebh. She isn't a normal girl, as she is a Wolfwalker, someone who is united with the wolves in the forest and able to transform into one while sleeping. Having become friends with Mebh, Robyn must help save her and the pack before the hunters, including her father, destroy their home.

I think it goes without saying that this is a beautiful looking film. As mentioned, it's so lovely to see at least one studio still having faith in 2D, and rightfully so in my opinion. Even though it's clearly more time consuming than other art forms, the end product is completely worth it, because the visuals are just stellar. There's so much vibrancy, so much expression, and simply so much life. You can literally see the lines where the artists have sketched, and there's something so magical about that. It adds the magic of what you see literally being drawings that've come to life. I honestly can't express how much I love 2D animation and just how wonderfully it was utilised in this film. But the beauty of the film doesn't stop there. The music is also really enchanting, with the clear Celtic influence making it so much more unique than many other animated movie scores I hear nowadays.

I also really liked the story here. The two main characters were really endearing and the friendship between them just felt so natural, and the same can be said for the relationship between Robyn and her father. It was also a film that really tugged at the heart-strings, especially in the climax which I thought was rich, powerful, and emotional. One aspect that made the film so compelling was the really strong voice acting, with the two actresses playing the leads in particular feeling so genuine and conveying all the right emotions. The setting and lore of the film was also very well realised, with such a thoughtful world built around the premise. I'd imagine it does take inspiration from Irish folklore, and if so, it used it very well.

The only issue I had with the film wasn't that big a problem but still something I noticed, and that's the slight familiarity of it. If you've seen films like How to Train Your Dragon, Princess Mononoke, Brother Bear, and Brave, you will probably be able to predict where the story goes and what themes will be explored, making it quite predictable. Fortunately, it used a lot of its familiar elements in effective ways, and it never felt directly derivative of the afore mentioned films; it just occurred to me that I had seen a lot of what it was doing elsewhere.

As a whole, there's not too much else to be said; Wolfwalkers is just a terrific film. It's enchanting visuals and music combined with such a heartfelt and genuine story make it something truly special. In spite of a few similarities with other works, this is by far the best animated film I've seen so far this year as well as the best film I've seen so far this year in general. I just loved it. 

I'm going to give Wolfwalkers a 9.0/10

It feels so good to finally give that high a rating to a new release in 2020!

Bill & Ted Face the Music - Movie Review - A most excellent return

I'm not that big a fan of the original two Bill & Ted movies. Not because I dislike them, just because I'm not that familiar with them. I'd watched Excellent Adventure at least once many years ago, and I'd never seen Bogus Journey, so I don't really have too big of a connection to them. But, because big releases are slowly coming back to cinemas, and the thrid entry being one of them, I decided to familiarise myself with this series so that I could go and see it and hopefully enjoy it. 

In preparation, I watched the first two movies a few days ago. The first one I really like, I think it's a very clever comedy with a ton of creativity, and the second, while not as good, was still a ridiculous but fun adventure. So, I felt I was ready to face the music and that it'd be a pleasant way to spend ninety minutes. 

Many years after their initial capers, Bill and Ted are struggling to get by in life and aren't the successful rock stars they always dreamed of being. But, when approached by the daughter of Rufus one day, they discover they are yet to fulfill their prophecy of writing a song to unite the world. So, with little time before all of time and space collapses, the dimwitted duo travel far into the future in the hopes that they can save the world.

As I hoped, this was a really fun time. The great thing about all three Bill & Ted movies is the fact that they are just so hard to dislike. They all have plot holes and contrivances, but they just don't matter. This is mostly because of the central duo of Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, both of whom sink back into their respective roles very swiftly. It'll never not be funny to see two complete idiots going all over time and not really knowing what they're doing, there's simply something so delightful about that. It's made even funnier here by the fact that the stakes are higher than ever yet they don't act as if it's any different to before. It's also funny to see them encounter future versions of themselves whether they're all bulked up in jail or on their deathbeds.

One other thing I liked quite a lot was the addition of their two daughters, Billie and Thea (notice anything about their names?). They have their own sub-plot where they essentially reprise the plot of the first movie but instead of gathering various historical figures for a school report, they gather some of the most talented musicians to help assist their fathers with performing the supposed song to save the world. This obviously leads to plenty of great gags in line with the original, but a big part of what makes it so good is, once again, the performances. Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine, both of whom I was unfamiliar with beforehand, were really entertaining variations on Reeves and Winter, and it didn't just feel like they were doing impressions but really doing their own thing too. 

The one other thing I really liked was the visuals. Because the first two were made in the late 80s / early 90s, the technology wasn't really there to make a visually stunning experience. But here, it looks really exciting. Some of the effects were a tad cheap-looking, but most of the time, it was very visually pleasing. There's also a musical sequence towards the end, as you may expect based on the previous films, and it's nothing amazing, but really solidly put together and thoroughly upbeat. 

As far as negatives go, I suppose it's obvious that you could certainly look at the plot and pick apart all the nonsense on display. While I can excuse the plot being very meandering and silly because of how enjoyable the movie was, it still means that the movie wasn't that engaging. Also, the pacing is off and drags quite a bit, and the structure too is very messy. There's also somewhat of a disposable feeling about the film, in that it'll probably go down as something I saw and enjoyed but never really thought about again, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does make the film feel slightly unimpactful.

One other thing I will mention is that the movie will probably work a lot better if you are a strong fan, which I'm not. But, does lead into one of the best things about the movie, and that is the fact that it didn't feel cynical or corporate in the slightest. Sequels that come after many years have passed usually don't tell a particularly refreshing story and end up banking off of the nostalgia that the audience has for the previous films in contrived and unearned ways, making the movie feel more like a product designed to make money. If you look at Jurassic World or some of Pixar's sequels, for example, even though I really like some of them, they feel very cynical and not as if they were made out of passion but instead because they knew people would go to see them because of fondness for the originals. Here, I don't think the same can be said. It feels so good-hearted and completely as if it was made because the creators wanted no more than to please the fans, and any callbacks to the previous films feel natural and are satisfying, and this is coming from someone who isn't overly attached to the first two Bill & Ted movies.

Overall, this movie was a silly, nonsensical and ridiculous mess, but so much fun all the while. The titular duo were as good as before, some new additions were very welcome, and there's such an infectious sense of fun that's so hard to resist. Of course it's all over the place and doesn't make any sense whatsoever, but the fact that an absurd comedy like this is coming out in the turbulent year of 2020 basically makes that stuff meaningless. I had a great time with this movie and I recommend you check it out if you're a fan or just in the mood for a good laugh. 

I'm going to give Bill & Ted Face the Music a 7.0/10

Tenet - Movie Review - An appropriate welcome back to cinemas

If you ask anyone who their favourite film director is, or at least who one of their favourites is, Christopher Nolan is someone who is most likely to come up. He has gained a reputation for making clever, complex, thought provoking, and thoroughly enjoyable films over the last twenty years or so, attracting the attention of many. I've always admired him as a filmmaker, but have recently come to love a lot of what he's made, including The Dark Knight trilogy, The Prestige, Inception, Interstellar, and Dunkirk. So, a new film of his is always welcome.

Having been stripped of cinemas and generally good films from the year 2020, my excitement for Tenet kind of went through the roof. The intriguing look from the trailers as well as the general idea of time being played around with once again was enough to get me on board. However, I was also conscious of the fact that many had said this was Nolan's most complicated and plot-heavy films to date, and that this could weigh the film down, especially for someone like me who is generally rubbish at following along with films. Nevertheless, I was keen to see exactly what Tenet was with hardly any knowledge of what it was actually about.

The plot essentially centres on a man, simply named The Protagonist, who is recruited by a secret organisation to use futuristic technology in order to prevent world war three. 

As I hoped, this film is extremely enjoyable. Like all of Nolan's other films, the action stands out as being so different from what we're used to in other blockbusters. The way rewinding time is used is very effective and it gives way for some inventive sequences, including one-to-one fight scenes as well as vehicle chases. There are also many sequences, similar to the climax of Doctor Strange, where characters interact with things that are going a different direction in time to them, creating some very engrossing visuals.

The film also had some terrific performances. John David Washington was great as the protagonist, being very likeable and charismatic, he is definitely an actor with a big future if this and his work in BlacKkKlansman are anything to go by. Robert Pattinson also gives another solid performance, somewhat reminding me of Tom Hardy's character in Inception, that being the extremely British and witty member of the crew. He's also someone who, despite already being well-established, has a big future ahead of him, especially with the upcoming Batman movie. Everyone else such as Kenneth Branagh and Elizabeth Debicki did a good job too. 

One thing that concerned me going in was that the film wasn't going to have the usual Hans Zimmer music we've come to expect in a Nolan movie. Fortunately, Ludwig Göransson did the job phenomenally. The score, while occasionally overbearing, was excellent. It set just the right mood / atmosphere and was varied enough from generic action / blockbuster scores to be considered memorable and unique. It's no Inception or Interstellar, but still very impressive. 

As far as other things I liked go, one of my favourite things was the themes that the film plays around with. There are so many interesting ideas explored throughout Tenet, such as freewill, predestination, causality and effect, and more. It really leaves you with so much to chew on and think about, much like the best Nolan films do. 

Despite all this, there are some issues I take. The most notable is the fact that this is an unbelieveably complicated and very intricately structured film. You really have to pay attention very closely or the film will begin to just feel very confusing, just missing a single line of dialogue could sacrifice your enjoyment of the next twenty minutes or so. While Nolan always does a good job of keeping you entertained even when you're unsure of exactly what's happening, it is nicer to have a strong understanding or the film can feel less engaging. Granted, it took me multiple viewings and a bit of research to fully understand some of Nolan's other films, so this may be less of an issue with the more I look into / rewatch this film.

Also, the film is paced quite clunkily. A lot of the first act and parts of the second feels very rushed and as if the film is just jumping from one set piece to the next with little to tie them together. There is a plane crash as you may have seen in the trailers, and it occurs a lot sooner and with not as much build up as I was expecting. It eventually made sense but it still felt a bit unjustified, almost as if it was just happening for its own sake. 

The one other key problem I have is with the stakes, which didn't feel very prominent. The film is about the prevention of a third world war, but aside from that technically being a big deal, I never felt like a lot was on the line. The performances were all great, as I said, but the characters themselves were a bit one note. Compare this to Inception, which I rewatched just before seeing this. That film doesn't have an amazingly fleshed out cast of characters either, but it does have an emotional throughline with the central character of Cobb. It is explicitly clear that much is at stake for him, and once we are shown this, there is a lot of tension created. Additionally, that film was paced and structured a lot better, so the lack of proper character building outside of Cobb was perfectly excusable. Here, there doesn't seem to be much reason to care about what is happening, aside from the threat of war, which is only a threat by default. 

The only other thing I'd say was kind of an issue was the style. While the film was visually stunning and always doing something creative, once you strip away the rewinding time gimmick, it feels a tad bit dull. All of Nolan's other films have a distinct style and always something unique going on, to the point where any frame could tell you which one you're watching. Here, it seems more like a generic action spy movie at times without any of Nolan's fingerprints.

All things considered, Tenet wasn't quite the excellent return for Christopher Nolan that I hoped it would be. Fortunately, despite its excessively convoluted story, lack of emotional investment, somewhat weak pacing and slightly bland style, it is still a very enjoyable film. The bold and eccentric action, strong acting, spectacular score and fascinating themes make it something definitely worth thinking about. It'll always be nice to see a mainstream filmmaker doing something genuinely interesting and demanding with everything they do, so even if I didn't love this movie, my respect and appreciation for it is very large. I'm sure I'll probably go back to see this soon, but until I do, I doubt I'll stop wondering what exactly it was. I mean, it's without a doubt the best 2020 film I've seen so far, as if that needed pointing out.

I'm going to give Tenet a 7.5/10

Also, this was my third trip to the cinema post-lockdown, and it was the first time where I was in a room with many other audience members. It may not have been the most safe environment, but it was jolly good to be in the presence of many others absorbing the magic of the big screen. I can't wait to see how this does at the box office this weekend, hopefully it'll save cinemas as we know them!

Top 10 Films I watched for the first time during COVID

COVID wasn't really that great for the world in general, but it proved itself to be an efficient time for me to get round to watching many movies I had never seen before but had always wanted to, as well as discovering many movies I had no initial intention to see but ended up loving. 

As lockdown has slowly began to ease, and as many big movies are coming to the big screen for the first time in ages, I decided to take a look back at all the things I first encountered during this troubling time and see which ones were the best - so, here are the 10 best films I watched for the first time while stuck at home. This list does not include any new releases for 2020, as the focus is the pre-existing content I watched in this time. But, even if I did include them, I don't think any would even crack the Top 20...

10. BlacKkKlansman (2018)

This was one of those films that'd been on my watchlist for ages, and as it came to UK Netflix in late July, I was finally able to watch it. Thankfully, it was as good as I'd hoped. The most amazing thing about BlacKkKlansman is the fact that it manages to be really insightful into the lives of Black Americans throughout history and addresses many shocking issues I could not believe, while at the same time being thoroughly enjoyable and extremely funny. I laughed countless times during this film while my jaw dropped multiple times when I was faced with some of the unbelieveable information being given to me. So, being both a great time and a somewhat educational one, BlacKkKlansman is something I'm sure to return to. 

9. The Imitation Game (2014)

Another film I'd been meaning to watch for ages, and I'm so glad I finally did at the start of August. This is a very well made film in terms of its clever script as well as its cinematography and score. But, the best aspect was the lead performance from Benedict Cumberbatch. He brought the character of Alan Turing to life in such a way that was both entertaining and believable. Additionally, I'm a fan of wartime films in general, especially those that tell a really interesting story about something or someone I had little to no knowledge of beforehand. So, The Imitation Game is yet another film I'd happily sit down and watch again.

8. Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

This was the first Mission: Impossible film I have ever seen, and I'm really keen to see all the others if they're as good as this. There's not an awful lot to say about Fallout, it's just an extremely engaging, efficiently made, and well constructed action movie. The fights and chases are all really exciting, making me wish I'd seen this in a cinema. I also really like how despite being the sixth entry in a series, it works really well as a standalone movie, something rare amongst other big franchises. I really enjoyed this and will certainly be seeing each other mission.

7. Schindler's List (1993)

I'm honestly kind of amazed it took me so long to watch this movie. I visited Auschwitz back in December last year and became fascinated by this period of history, but seven months was what it took to get me to finally watch this. Schindler's List is a brutal but completely honest depiction of the Holocaust, and at the centre of it is a man who did something truly extraordinary. As mentioned before, I love wartime films about people I don't know much about, but especially those that did amazing things. This story captivated me and kept me enthralled for the three whole hours it played. But, beyond all that, what I find most commendable is the fact that this was made in the same year Spielberg made Jurassic Park, my favourite of his movies. You know someone is talented when they can make two excellent movies in the same year, but that is only intensified when those two films are completely different in almost every way. Hats off to Spielberg, he is the human embodiment of a true and love for film.

6. The Breadwinner (2017)

I adore 2D animation, so this movie already gains several points from me. But, I adore films about one of my favourite things on this planet - storytelling. The Breadwinner, despite being all about courage and independence, is a gorgeous tale about the importance stories play in our lives and how they can guide us through even the hardest of times. This all amounted to a film I loved so much about. I will certainly revisit this at some point soon, because it was simply beautiful.

5. Batman Begins (2005)

With a certain movie directed by Christopher Nolan currently in cinemas, I tried to watch the films of his I hadn't seen yet, of which there were quite a few. For some inexplicable reason, I had seen two thirds of The Dark Knight trilogy, but not where it all began. But, I was able to complete the legend in this time and I'm so glad I did. Despite being a bit bumpy to start, Batman Begins is essentially everything I want in a superhero movie. The world being taken seriously, the characters being properly fleshed out, a hero that's likeable, gripping action, pulse-pounding music, a healthy splash of comedy, and quotable lines. It's just a damn good and example of how to do things with the genre, and I will certainly be coming back to it, maybe more than the other parts of the series. 

4. Princess Mononoke (1997)

One of the greatest discoveries I made while in lockdown was Studio Ghibli, a company that almost everyone sung the praises of, yet I, a huge fan of not just animation but 2D animation in particular, wasn't all that familiar with. So, with them all on Netflix, I refamiliarised myself with the few that I had seen like My Neighbour Totoro and Howl's Moving Castle, but also watched many I'd only heard of, Mononoke being one of them. This is a remarkable piece of work, taking an age old conflict and offering a refreshing interpretation of it. It doesn't sympathise with or oppose mankind or nature, as both are presented to be just in the wrong as each other, and our hero, the one we connect with, is caught in the crossfire. This made the film a fascinating watch. On top of this, the animation is phenomenal. It's so inventive as well as unique, and the world presented is so immersive. My only issue is that I did find it to be and bit too profound and overwhelming at times, but I'm sure that won't be a problem upon revisiting, hopefully it'll just get better!

3. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)

This is by far the most underrated film on this list. Spirit is another beautifully 2D animated film, but it's enhanced by such an exhilerating atmosphere. A large part of this comes from the astonishing score by Hans Zimmer, with some parts coming close to his work on The Lion King. I don't really have much else to say, it wasn't that interesting from a story perspective, but if I want to sit down and watch something exciting and visually stunning, Spirit is sure to be something I'll go for.

2. The Prestige (2006)

Is it just me, or is nobody talking about what an amazing Nolan movie this is? Everyone rambles on about The Dark Knight, Inception, and Interstellar, and for good reason. But, why don't I see anyone discussing what an intricate and thrilling movie this is? The Prestige has a great plot. Magic is always fun to play around with in storytelling, so in the hands of such a great filmmaker, it gives way for a narrative that is engaging through the many puzzling yet satisfying twists and turns that it offers. Additionally, the performances were all terrific and the Victorian aesthetic was very interesting. This is one of my favourite movies from Nolan, simply because it just wowed me on a level that none of his other movies, aside from Inception, did. Fingers crossed I can say the same for Tenet!

1. Spirited Away (2001)

I'm sure that as soon as I mentioned Ghibli, you wondered where Spirited Away would appear on this list. Well, like many others, this is my favourite of theirs. It was also a film I was able to see in the cinema at the start of August, as they were doing a lot of reruns before the new stuff arrived. This is just a magnificent film, and Hayao Miyazaki's magnum opus. It expectedly looks and sounds utterly beautiful, but it is probably the most thematically rich of any other Ghibli movie. It is about many things, such as courage, kindness, and independence, and it's all anchored with a great protagonist who is appropriately anxious and vulnerable to begin with, but naturally grows over the course of the narrative in such a satisfying way. The film also manages to balance the many exciting and profound scenes of fear and confusion with many sequences and smaller moments of peace and simplicity, letting it all sink in. Aside from the occassionally peculiar English dubbing and one or two minor things that ticked me off, Spirited Away is one of my favourite animated films of all time and something truly special indeed.  

Well, those were the best things I watched for the very first time during lockdown. A few other great films that almost made the list include Gladiator (2000), Arrietty (2010), Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011), Searching (2018), Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), and When Marnie Was There (2014). This has been a great time for me and movies, and I'm super excited to hopefully get back into proper movie mode with new theatrical releases for the rest of this year while also continuing to find new things that are already about.

If you want to see my reviews of the many other films I watched during lockdown as well as the ranking of everything I watched for the first time in lockdown, be sure to follow me on Letterboxd @Jack W. I post a review on there for every film I watch, be first viewings and rewatches. Check it out!

All Digital 2020 Releases I've Seen Ranked

As I'm sure you know, 2020 robbed us of new theatrical releases for several months. This was especially annoying for me as I, despite visiting the cinema nine times this year before lockdown began, only saw one actual 2020 film, Pixar's Onward. While in lockdown, despite being content with working my way through my extensive watchlist of existing films, I was still craving some new material. Fortunately, I was able to watch eight new releases in this time. Unfortunately, they were quite a weak bunch. To put it into perspective, Onward was the only 2020 film I'd seen before lockdown, and it was a movie I thought was just pretty good. But, somehow, none of these films were better. So, with some new theatrical 2020 releases finally arriving soon, here's every digital 2020 release I've seen ranked.

8. Trolls World Tour

I was never too big a fan of the original Trolls movie. I remember thinking it was okay when I first saw it, but never revisited it. So, I didn't have too high hopes for this sequel. The animation was fairly creative, some of the characters were cute, and the overall message, while on the nose, was nice. But the movie as a whole was just extremely obnoxious. Most of the characters were irritating, almost all the songs are too noisy and overly flashy, and while it wasn't necessarily dull, it was quite a tiring watch. I don't know what has happened to Dreamworks lately. When I was growing up back in the 2000s, they consistently made many great movies, so I don't know if they've dropped the ball or if I've just grown out of their stuff. But, then again, I rewatched Shrek, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda during lockdown, and I still really like those movies, so I think this studio ought to up the ante from these lowest-common-denominator appealing kids movies that I don't think will please anyone above the age of ten - 4.5/10

7. The Old Guard

I would do a fair-sized writeup about my thoughts on this movie, but I have such a hard time remembering almost anything about it, and I only watched it a month ago! The Old Guard was so boring, it is a waste of such an intriguing premise. It could've been an awesome journey over many centuries, following this team of immortal guardians and their struggle to constantly protect the earth, allowing for many interesting settings to be explored and tons of varied action scenes. But, instead, it's a bland, wannabe John Wick, modern day action movie that I will allow myself to forget after writing this sentence - 5.5/10

6. Project Power

I only watched this a few days ago, and I can hardly recall much about it as well. Project Power is only slightly better than The Old Guard for me because it doesn't feel like the premise here is being wasted, even if it also isn't being fully utilised. There were also some cool visuals in amongst all the bland character interaction, but the best part about this movie for me was Joseph Gordon-Levitt. This guy is such a great actor yet I've barely seen him in anything since 2015's The Walk, so it was a nice surprise to see him still about here. Aside from that, I don't think I'll bother thinking about this either after finishing this sentence. I actually feel a lot more sour towards bland movies than bad ones, because they leave so little an impact on you that any value there is feels worthless - 5.5/10

5. Extraction

The best of the forgettable, 2020, Netflix, action movies trilogy, but that isn't saying much, if anything. Extraction is nothing special, but the action I came for was pretty decent. Chris Hemsworth is such a likeable lead and he punches his way through this movie pretty well. There's one unbroken tracking shot in the middle of the movie that felt like it went on for 10 minutes or so, and it was really awesome and, best of all, memorable. That scene alone was better than the last two movies combined. But, as I said, there is very little aside from the action to grasp onto here. It's just a solid, competently made flick, and I'll happily take that any day for the rest of this year at least - 6.0/10

4. The Gentlemen

Okay, this one is kind of a cheat. This was a theatrical release, but as its a 2020 release, and because I watched it around the time as all these other movies, I thought it'd fit just fine in this list. It also fits well on this list because it's the exact same, quality-wise. Despite having some really fun performances from Hugh Grant, Matthew McConaughey and Colin Farrell in particular, the storytelling was just all over the place. While I did enjoy myself in parts, the overall flow of the narrative felt so disjointed and messy that I had a hard time following along, which hindered my enjoyment elsewhere. This movie may get better upon rewatching, but as it is, I didn't have such a good time - 6.5/10

3. Greyhound

The rest of the movies on this list are ones I actually liked, to some extent. Greyhound is a fine, but largely flawed movie. As a war film, it never dedicated itself to a particular aspect to focus on. With films like this, the focus should either be on the story and characters, like in Saving Private Ryan, or the filmmaking, like in Dunkirk or 1917. Here, it doesn't develop the characters enough for the audience to feel tension for them, and the filmmaking isn't interesting or effective enough the put the audience in the right atmosphere. As a result, moments specifically designed for an emotional response felt empty, and the action felt repetitive with the endless shots of waves crashing onto the decks and men shouting navy jargon. Ultimately, the main saving grace was Tom Hanks, who is extremely watchable and charismatic in anything. In the end, Greyhound gets the job done just fine, even if it isn't that remarkable. It's easy to see why this was dumped onto streaming and didn't wait for cinemas to reopen, as it is basically a throwaway war movie - 6.5/10

2. Da 5 Bloods

I enjoyed this movie quite a bit. The acting from all the leads was terrific, and the cinematography was very inventive with how it played around with aspect ratios when going back and forth with points in time. My usual issue with pacing was very evident here, as it was quite a long watch and didn't strike me as something I'd frequently come back to. But, while it was on, even if I didn't enjoy it to the fullest, I respected it for the story it told and the way it was brought to life. This is probably the best film on this list, but the one above is something I just enjoyed a whole lot more. Also, while I'm here and discussing this film, I'd just like to address the unfortunate passing of Chadwick Boseman. Such a charismatic, bold, and talented figure, and someone who will be greatly missed. May he rest in peace - 7.0/10

1. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of the Fire Saga

According the Letterboxd, this is the second worst film on this list on average. But dammit, I enjoyed this movie so very much. I'm not going to act like it's anything amazing, because it follows a very cliché and tired formula for the most part, but it succeeds so well for what it is. Eurovision is a song contest that, from my perspective, is built on the idea of just spreading joy and being good fun, and this movie encapsulated that philosophy perfectly. Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams are both really funny as the two leads, and they massively help make this film the good time that it is. Additionally, I quite liked some of the songs, as they did feel very Eurovision-esque. I can imagine most people didn't like this movie because they just thought it was a lazy comedy, but if like me you're familiar with Eurovision and the fun you get from it, you'll probably like this too - 7.5/10

So yeah, not a particularly strong bunch, but that doesn't matter anymore. The cinemas are back and big, new releases are on the way, assuming nothing goes awry in the next few months. Obviously, Tenet is the most anticipated at the moment, but I'm also really looking forward to The King's Man, Black Widow, The French Dispatch, No Time to Die, and Dune. Let's hope they all see the light of day soon and aren't shoved back even further!

Onward - Movie Review - A promising return to originals for Pixar + Response to COVID-19 effects on cinema

This film is a U, was released on March 6th 2020, and this review will contain NO SPOILERS

This film takes place in a fantasy world where magic once dominated but was quickly forgotten as electricity was created and thus sent their world down the path of our own. An elf living in this world, named Ian, is gifted a magic staff left behind by his deceased father on his 16th birthday. With it comes a spell that can bring his father back for one full day. However, while performing the spell, he only brings back the lower half. With a particular stone needed to complete the spell and only twenty-four hours to do so, Ian, with his older brother Barley, set off on a quest to find it and see their father. 

If you know me, you know I'm a huge fan of Pixar. Their films never fail to amaze me, move me, and above all, entertain me. Despite this, the 2010s saw a considerable decline in quality for them. They only made two films that I love, some that I regard as "meh", and a bunch that I really like but don't love. This contrasts hugely with the 2000s, where every single film they put out was excellent, with some making it into my Top 10 films of all time. Anyway, that's the past, what about the future? 2020 sees them return to original filmmaking, as opposed to sequels, and their first of these is Onward. I didn't have high hopes for this film - the trailers made it look like a mid-tier Dreamworks offering and it just didn't ring the wonderful originality that I'm so used to from this studio. But, as a dedicated fan, I still went to see it with fingers crossed.

Thankfully, the film is actually quite good. It goes without saying that the animation is spectacular, but that's kind of inevitable for Pixar at this point so I can't really use that as praise for this film in particular. The setting was a lot of fun, and it was enjoyable to see a modern twist on the generic fantasy aesthetic that we're all so familiar with. The two leads had a nice dynamic, with one being awkward and nervous and the other naive and confident. The way they interacted on this journey really held the film together and made it an entertaining adventure - a large part of this being the charisma from the voices of Tom Holland and Chris Pratt (both of whom I love). Additionally, the story hit all the emotional beats sufficiently, and the sad moments never felt forced or hollow but very genuine. On top of all that, there were plenty of exciting set-pieces involving chases, dragons, magic and all sorts, as well as a nice score to accompany such. 

So, as far as a Pixar film goes, it has all the things I look out for going for it. However, this is sort of where the big problem lies. The film executed all of its elements well enough, but it all just felt a bit too conventional by Pixar standards. The quirky setting, the emotional story, the charming characters, etc. They're all done fine, but don't feel particularly special. While there wasn't anything the film necessarily did badly, there wasn't much it did amazingly, it was all just, as I said, fairly conventional. That may be fine for other studios, but because we've seen Pixar produce phenomenal films over the last 20+ years, anything that isn't as great, even if it's good, is going to be seen as weak to some extent. The wonderful content of theirs that I grew up with is just inseparable from them. This is just kind of an inevitability that all original content Pixar goes onto make will suffer from - unless they pull off something as strong as what they did in the 2000s. 

While it isn't the most memorable or ambitious film they've put out, Onward is still beautiful-looking, creatively constructed, emotional at times, and fun in places. I enjoyed it just fine, but then again, it's just another Pixar film to add to the ever-growing pile of films they've made that I like but don't love. I really want to see this company reaffirm their status as one of the greatest film studios currently in the industry, and not one that resorts to just good enough. Their next film Soul looks too reminiscent of Inside Out and not like anything particularly interesting to me, but there's a chance it'll be amazing. And as I said, I didn't have high hopes for Onward, so to say that I enjoyed it at all is still fine by me, so I think I can let this one slide. 

I'm going to give Onward a 7.5/10  

While I'm here, I thought I'd just take some time to address the unfortunate postponing of multiple new releases amidst the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. I wasn't looking forward to a lot of movies scheduled to release in 2020, but of the few that I was, it's irritating that I'm now going to have to wait longer to see them. 

No Time To Die feels like it's constantly been pushed back further and further. First, the Sony hack, then all the creative differences with Danny Boyle, and when we finally got a trailer and a release that we were just a month away from, we now have to keep waiting until November. I'm beginning to wonder if it'll ever actually get released at all. 

A Quiet Place Part II is another tragic delay as that was my most anticipated film of the entire year, and we were merely a week away from it entering cinemas. What's worse about this case is that we haven't yet got a new release date at the moment, so the uncertainty about how long I have to wait is killing me. 

As of right now, Black Widow is still scheduled for May 1st, and while I do think the virus will be under slightly more control by then, I wouldn't be surprised if it was pushed back to a later date, or even worse, released straight to Disney+, which would be depressing. 

Obviously, I respect that it is important to not put people's health at risk, especially in an environment where they should be enjoying themselves, but it is a huge pain for someone like me who loves going to see new films in the cinema on a regular basis and was ready to see all these new films shortly. I just hope that this virus outbreak doesn't act as a catalyst for the death of cinema and convinces studios to just release all their new films straight to streaming platforms. 

On the bright side, I can spend the coming weeks working my way through my extensive watchlist of already released movies I haven't seen, and I will still try to visit the cinema to show there is still a market for it during a pandemic like this. Additionally, let's all be grateful that this didn't happen a year earlier and thus forced Endgame to be delayed, as that would've just been the absolute worst thing in human history.     

The Lighthouse - Movie Review - Here's what the awards overlooked

This film is a 15, was released on January 31st 2020, and this review will contain NO SPOILERS 

Introduction 

The Oscars have just passed, and congratulations to Parasite and it's well-deserved wins. However, with every awards season, there's always that one film that everyone sings the praises of but is ignored by the Academy for the most part, with maybe only one nomination. This year, that film was of course... Knives Out! Well, to me it was, but there's also this other film that has landed the No. 1 spot on many people's lists of last year, The Lighthouse.

Thoughts Going In 

I didn't go to see this because of the trailers or because I like Robert Eggers, as I haven't seen his debut film The Witch. I went to see this because of curiosity. As I said, many critics praised this film enormously, and that was what convinced me to see this. So, instead of Dolittle or Sonic the Hedgehog this half-term, I chose The Lighthouse. 

The Story 

In the 1890s, two lighthouse keepers arrive on an island to run the lighthouse, until they begin to lose their sanity the longer they stay there.

What I Liked 

The best aspect of this film is the performances, of which there are few. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson give career-best turns as deranged, creepy and generally unsettling people. After some time you begin to forget that they are actors and just accept them to be the people that they portray. I was completely wrapped up in these characters and they carried the film in masterful fashion. 

The presentation of the film adds to the eerie atmosphere it demands. The choice to colour the film in black and white helps the audience to understand the characters as they lose track of time and place, as you struggle to follow what night and day look like and how each location is visually distinguishable from each other. Also, black and white, in general, can make something a bit creepier. The limited aspect ratio made the viewing experience feel more claustrophobic and as if you are stuck within the confines of this island. This was just fascinating to watch. Very few films are presented in this way anymore, so to see a film incorporate them is striking and effective. 

Other technical elements were excellently executed as well. The sound design was impeccable, the recurring motif of the generator (or horn? I'm not entirely sure) emphasised the irritants of having to live in this place and added to the unsettling nature of this location. The score, or lack thereof, was also very unnerving, the cinematography was wonderfully energetic and fluid (too bad it was competing with 1917), and the editing in certain places between various horrific images just heightened the tension and made this an alarming watch. In places, I couldn't believe what I was watching. It looked and sounded completely and utterly disturbing. 

However, one of the things that I feel I took away from the film most was the ambiguity. I love a nice concrete story where everything comes together and makes sense at the end, but more often than not, I prefer an ending where the opposite is so. I like it when a film doesn't entirely answer every question one may have or doesn't occupy itself with making sense of everything that has happened. I left the cinema completely puzzled as to what exactly I had just watched. Is the film trying to be symbolic of something? If so, what? Why? What is the significance of these certain aspects? How does it all tie together? What on earth does that ending mean? Hang on, what was that? Leaving a film off on a note that is up to interpretation is what makes film discussion fun and worthwhile. I doubt I'll be forgetting about this film anytime soon, and I am even more doubtful that discussion about such will ever stop. 

What I Didn't Like 

Despite having tons to take away, I don't know if I'll be leaping at the chance to revisit this too soon. I'd love to watch it again just to unpack all that is on offer, but as a piece of entertainment, it doesn't entirely suffice. It's not really a horror film, but it is definitely disturbing enough to put my fingers in front of my eyes. Looking at the other praised films of 2019, many that I've seen are a bit more catered to me in terms of how enjoyable they are. Parasite, which had big wins at the Oscars, is a film that I enjoyed hugely, and would love to go back and rewatch not just to unpack everything, but also because I know I'll enjoy it too. With this, I admire it enormously as a work of art but didn't completely enjoy myself while watching. This doesn't lower the value of the film in terms of being what it is, as this is coming from someone who doesn't get enjoyment from films of this calibre, but for me, it just lacked the entertainment that I particularly seek from films I see. 

Conclusion 

The Lighthouse is a disturbing, eerie, creepy, and largely effective piece of filmmaking. The central performances, the sounds, the presentation, and the lack of much clarity make it innovative and unique. Despite not entirely appealing to what I want to see, this is still completely successful in terms of fulfilling what it sets out to do, and I will not be forgetting it any time in the foreseeable future. Go and see it while you still can, and don't worry if you don't understand it, because maybe you're not really supposed to. 

I'm going to give The Lighthouse an 8.5/10