Power Rangers is directed by Dean Israelite and stars Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, Elizabeth Banks and Bryan Cranston. This enjoyable romp tells the story of a group of teenagers who are infused with superpowers after stumbling upon ancient coins, later finding they have become the Power Rangers and must fight against the newly awoken Rita Repulsa to save the world.
What played originally as a ridiculous but enjoyable TV program has morphed into a big screen live action flick. So yes, with an incredibly bloated budget and a swap of lycra for metal we have the Power Rangers -2017. Like the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films, this is a cheerful nostalgia trip back to the 1990s golden era of cheesy superhero movies Quirky, gritty and kind of cool, the John Hughes style first act perfectly creates the team of teens and their backstories, with almost as much depth as possible for a superhero movie. The acting was surprisingly Breakfast Club standard and the strong relationship between the teens maintained throughout the film. This was abruptly interrupted by the gorgeously over the top Rita Repulsa, who very much stuck out like a sore thumb against the otherwise cool youths. The film aims for but fails to deliver two contrasting things - a trendy, modern re-boot and a cheesy nostalgia trip. It's almost as blinding as the coloured spandex to see these really don't go together. Put it like this, Ketchup and Mustard are both enjoyable on their own but definitely don't mix. That said, Elizabeth Banks's delivers an incredibly chaotic performance that completely changes the moody tone of the film when she finally burst onto the screen. Sadly, the time taken to develop the Rangers' characters means little time for the hilariously camp mighty morphin action, which only arrives in the later stages of the movie In the end Power Rangers has bags of heart and some impressive acting, a very healthy portion of cheese, and a respectful nod to it's small screen past. Sadly though it fails to be either the modern moody teen drama it could have been, or the colourfully camp action flick it always was I am going to give Power Rangers 5.2/10
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Beauty and the Beast is directed Bill Condon and stars Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Ian McKellen and Ewan McGregor - plus some starry support. It re-tells the classic Disney fairy tale adaption of a young girl imprisoned after stumbling upon a castle where those within are enchanted by a spell that can only be broken by true love.
A tale that may be as old as time but a story that will forever live on. Disney not only dominate the animated box office but now triumph with their live action remakes. Beauty and the Beast continues this trend and shows us all there's still life in the old dog - or Beast. As kid's films are becoming so much more intelligent and accessible to adults than they use to be, this remake sustains the solid plot of the 1991 original whilst containing a few new surprises along the way. With the right balance of kindness and determination Watson creates a marvellous Belle, improving the classic Disney princess by showing us why she is so different to everyone else in the village Though the most Beastly aspect to the film may be its over stretched run time, the extra chunk is wisely spent setting up more of a background to the Beast. This not only stretches our love for the character but creates much more of a blooming relationship between him and the beauty. It's always difficult brining 2D animation to life, especially when the cast consist of a talking candlestick and a teapot. That said, being brought to life on screen really works in the antiques favour - as Mrs Potts, Cogsworth and Lumiere are all improved with witty one liners and enchanting animation, not to mention A -list star voices Beauty and the Beast stands out through its visual splendour, the sumptuous use of sprawling landscapes and huge castle interiors make for a wonderful backdrop for the story. As for the film's new additions, in most cases they work but all the extra songs that are introduced make the film more of a musical than - perhaps - it should be. With a huge Sound of Music-esque opening number the songs we all know and love sound and look fantastic. The rest of the 'new' songs aren't really necessary to the film however, and contribute to the particularly slow pacing. In the end Beauty and the Beast offers a lot more than just an average remake. We are treated to a few new extras that mostly work, and rewarded with improved characters and a visually stunning experience. It's classic Disney magic, but in the flesh. I am going to give Beauty and the Beast: 7.9/10 Kong: Skull Island is directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and stars Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L Jackson, Brie Larson and John Goodman. Set during the Vietnam War in 1973, a group of scientists visit an uncharted island only to be stranded as they try to escape the wrath of mighty Kong, along with various other mysterious creatures.
Marvel have done it, Star wars has done it, DC are trying and now Warner Brothers are the latest to create a movie universe. After the highly enjoyable 2014 Godzilla remake they decided it was a good idea to develop another shared world, however Kong: Skull island really is as ridiculous as it sounds. To those of you cinema goers who salivate over the thought of giant creatures beating the sense not only out of each other but the audience too, I highly recommend this film. Undoubtedly enjoyable, Kong: Skull Island is certainly one to watch on the big screen. Bucking the current trend today of films being very slow, the relentlessness of short scenes throughout the Kong: Skull Island is completely exhausting. It is very much like a theme park ride, ups and downs with exhilarating and energetic moments throughout, but at the cost of the characters which ironically feel like the one dimensional animatronics we see along the way. Literally every leading actor in this movie felt like they were trying not to make something of their role. Tom Hiddleston played Tom Hiddleston throughout the entire movie down to the now compulsory end credit scene - King Kong v Godzilla anyone? Larson carries around a camera - all she does - whilst Jackson plays some stereotype hard done-to, hard bitten army general. The one good character was Goodman, as always, however with such short screen time he had no real impact at all. Though its visual effects make for something sweet the continuity was lacking, suggesting lots of material left on the cutting room floor. This was very much a film that can be both loved and hated at the same time. A mix between Jurassic Park, Apocalypse Now and Indiana Jones, Kong: Skull Island is never really sure what it wants to be. The scenes featuring Kong were phenomenal, but the film is less about King Kong himself, being more 'Skull Island'- including Kong. In the end Kong: Skull Island served as a stunningly shot monster movie that lost all originality from the word go, but can be enjoyed for its borderline 15 certificate violence. A truly terrifying cinema experience to scare audiences in more ways than one. I am going to give Kong: Skull Island: 5.4/10 Logan is directed by James Mangold and stars Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart. Set in the near future of 2029, we see an ageing Wolverine struggling to take care of the ailing Professor X across the Mexican border In a world where mutants are all but extinct. Logan's attempts to hide from the world are turned on their head as a mysteriously gifted girl one day appears, along with the dark forces that follow.
Doubling down on action that last year's blockbuster 'X-men Apocalypse' over indulged itself with, Logan boasts a disappointing sequence of bloody slasher scenes and mediocre story telling. Though it might be the better of the three films in 'The Wolverine' trilogy, it's clear that Logan tries to be different with a more artistic style of filming. Realistically however, there are few things that save this film from being just another face in the comic book movie crowd. A dissatisfying send off for Jackman as Wolverine, this sadly doesn't feel like the ending fans, neither Logan truly deserves. By no means is Logan a 'bad film', but with 137 minute run time you expect it to be a little faster paced. There are various elements to the film that are yet to be fully explained - Charles Xavier's seizures - The shortage of Mutants - things that had no effect, nor meaning to the plot and feel misshapenly slotted into the story. Noticeably glazed over, maybe the film could have been something if only these ideas were explored a little more. Undeniably, Jackman gives it his all for one supposed last time as The Wolverine. The role that made him famous continues to shock audiences, and Logan is quite possibly Jackman's best career performance in the X Men album. Aged and Broody, almost Batman-esque, this last outing for Wolverine feels the most accurate portrayal of the character to date. Logan's rating opens up so many doors in exploring the true rage and violence of the character. In this the most violent superhero movie yet, one isn't ever far from an amputation or decapitation. The amount of blood shed may sometimes feel like overkill, but on the whole it works and very much defines the animal instincts of the name 'Wolverine'. Easily the most satisfying aspect to the film is the creation of the mysterious X-23 - Wolverine's genetically modelled daughter. With very little speech, supplying the most impressive action scenes and heartfelt interactions with Professor X and Papa Logan, this young girl is the inspiration for the film. What director Mangold attempts to create is one of the more accurate comic book story lines in the superhero film genre. Previous X Men favourites like Storm and Jean Grey are discarded in order to create a singular focus on the lone Wolverine. In recent years superhero films have sometimes succeeded in taking a more sombre tone, see 'Civil War' and 'The Winter Solider'. This doesn't quite work for Logan though, which instead becomes a little boring - think 'Batman v Superman' - though Logan does try ever so hard to be edgy, with a more emotional take on the genre. The inevitable ending feels anticlimactic with no surprises or big reveals. Then to make matters worse the film throws at you a ridiculously out of place Terminator 2-stye twist that feels very much like a silly deja-vu of the last film. In the end Logan makes efforts to be different but turns out to be a long, lacklustre two hour flick that has few redeeming qualities. Ultimately the ageing Wolverine feels empty and Logan is very much a mediocre ending to what sadly has been a mediocre trilogy. I am going to give Logan: 6.6/10 |
Pinch of infoHi I’m James - a huge welcome to my film blog! I started this site just after my 14th birthday and have been bringing you my own take on the hottest box office arrivals and many art house triumphs ever since. Archives
August 2019
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