Tag: Alien
*NEW* ALIEN: COVENANT REVIEW *NEW*
May 22, 2017 September 28, 2017 by pmbayobale, posted in Action, Animation, Bad movies, Best and worst films, Blockbuster, CGI, Cinema, Drama, Film essay, Hollywood, Hollywood mess, horror, Horror movies, Movie review, Prequels, Science Fiction, Sequels, Uncategorized
Even in space, no one should see this dreadful Alien prequel.
The crew of a colony ship, bound for a remote planet, discover an uncharted paradise with a threat beyond their imagination, and must attempt a harrowing escape.
Sound familiar? It should.
For the love of God, Ridley Scott. Just stop.
I can respect the man and the writers for trying to expand the Alien universe and explore the mythology behind the xenomorphs but if this is the answer, then I think some mysteries were better left unsolved.
They should have learned from Prometheus. But for all its imperfections, I preferred that to this meandering mess.
For all its beauty, brooding score and captivating cinematography; beneath the surface there wasn't much else.
Scott still can't get over Cameron perfecting a classic. Alien set the bar high. No one knew how iconic that film would become. Without that slow burning sci-if thriller, there wouldn't be the monster franchise that followed.
Aliens (for me) took things up a notch and actually delivered some character development and progression for the iconic sci-fi heroine Ellen Ripley.
I had to try and remember what happened in Prometheus (Watch out, spoilers): wasn't David just a head? What happened to the girl with the dragon tattoo?
The fiery opener certainly piqued my interest. Especially when Fassbender returned as another android called Walter.
BUT after 30 minutes of Scott panning from one lavish set design to another. Picturesque frame by picturesque frame. I thought to myself: "When is this going to pick up?!"
The writers tried to make amends for Prometheus by creating more mystery and questions BUT it just didn't work.
What's the title of the film? What is it about? Where are the frickin' aliens?!
Patience. The slow burning tension and existential debates boring me into a mini-coma.
We had Prometheus for all that. Give us something different. If anything, the questions Covenant tried to answer only made bigger plot holes that undermined the whole thing. Especially on the origin of the aliens altogether.
The special effects on the aliens were excellent and creepy as hell.
That was until they attacked. The stop motion movements and overindulgent CGI was disorienting to look at. The scuttling and wrestling looked so fake. Like something out of a dated Harryhausen flick.
The talented supporting cast were highly unmemorable.
Katherine Waterston (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) spent so much of the film moping and brooding.
By the time, she finally woke up; her character was nothing more than Ripley 2.0 (Yes, I know this is a prequel so she would actually be Ripley 1.0 BUT I digress).
She didn't deliver a bad turn BUT the film was always going against her.
Danny "Kenny ducking Powers" McBride should have nailed the space trucker role BUT was heavily underused. Billy Crudup's protagonist was so weak that I was screaming for a face hugger to dispose of him. Waste of an actor.
Speaking of wasted actors, Guy Pearce had the easiest job going. A completely needless role. Woeful.
I think there was only one reason why Prometheus got a follow up. And that was down to one man's performance.
Michael Fassbender stole the show yet again. BUT despite a stellar turn, I found his efforts failing to reprieve this mind-numbing disaster.
It wasn't all bad. It was watchable. Just very disappointing.
When Scott delivered the tension, I could feel myself wincing in dreaded anticipation. He delivered a demented introduction from the aliens with a gory entrance I didn't see coming.
I still flinched and cringed (as did the audience) as we all knew where it was going when one crew member stumbled across a dormant egg.
The different alien hybrids were a nice touch and looked brilliant. BUT they didn't go anywhere. A quick gory death to make up for mindless "Do androids dream of electric sheep? chit chat from Fassbender. Not good enough.
It went through the motions, relying on old formulas and retreading old ground that had been done before and much better. By Scott (ironically).
The actual alien screen time probably tallied up to 15/20 minutes. Out of a 2 hour movie? Come on!
The finale was dull, uninspired and a retread of Aliens with a much weaker and predictable twist. It built things up. Only to let me down.
I really hope there won't be another. To think this prequel trilogy stemmed from a few Alien fans asking about the giant space jockey found on the Derelict (Yeah, I'm a fan. Could you tell?). I wish they hadn't.
A movie of mere moments. Some finger biting tension here. One jumpy bit there. Some gory and inventive deaths does not a good movie make.
Would I rush to watch it again? (Maybe reassess and see if I missed anything the first time round?) NO.
Give me Alien, Aliens and hell even Alien 3 any day. But this?
Let this stop.
It needs to end.
Tagged Alien, Alien 3, Alien: Covenant, Aliens, Billy Crudup, CGI, Danny McBride, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Guy Pearce, Harryhausen, James Cameron, Katherine Waterston, Michael Fassbender, Prometheus, Ridley Scott1 Comment
*NEW* LIFE REVIEW *NEW*
April 16, 2017 June 15, 2017 by pmbayobale, posted in B-Movie, Best and worst films, Cinema, Drama, Film essay, Hollywood, horror, Horror movies, Movie review, Science Fiction, Thriller, Uncategorized
Despite the shoddy pace and wafer thin characters, there was still life in this tense little sci-fi horror.
A team of scientists aboard the International Space Station discover a rapidly evolving life form, that caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth.
I didn't expect much from this. The trailers bored me and the extended looks did nothing to win me over. BUT I was a fan of the line up. So was it shame on me?
Jon Ekstrand's ominous score certainly grabbed my attention. The brooding atmosphere, the simmering tension, the nothingness of space. Seamus McGarvey's glossy cinematography. Perfect.
It was just a shame that momentum couldn't stick. The slow burning opening act soon put me into a mini-coma.
The disorienting claustrophobic camera work may have simulated the feeling of floating around in a space station BUT it irritated me. The POV angle of Ryan Reynolds' Rory intercepting the damaged satellite was a nice touch.
BUT it didn't help that the characters weren't that interesting.
Rebecca Ferguson's (Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation) uptight doc and Jake Gyllenhaal's (Nocturnal Animals) depressed David were dreadfully dull.
I always felt Hiroyuki Sanada (The Last Samurai) was an underrated supporting actor BUT his character was dire. A perfect opportunity to shine squandered.
And Ryan Reynolds just played the same old spiel again. Adapting the role of the cocky fast talking joker. Boring.
There wasn't any depth and the bland exchanges between the crew just killed the tension. Especially as they left messages for their loved ones and gave cringe inducing virtual tours of the ship to the "world". Yuck.
Thankfully by the 25-30 min marker, the film finally hit its stride as the crew discovered life and the answers to the universe in the form of a squid-like jellyfish named "Calvin".
Ariyon Bakare (Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell) made a memorable impression as Hugh. The delighted doc whose fascination with Earth's new mascot bordered on obsession.
BUT I could still feel myself getting impatient as the crew carried out tests. However, one botched lab experiment later . . .
All that curiousity and wonder swiftly turned into sheer fear and panic as the crew's new play thing decides to make a break for it. A bloody trail left in his wake.
The middle act delivered with an unnerving and nail biting thriller as Calvin continued to grow in size and intelligence. A game of cat and mouse set in motion.
"Calvin doesn't hate us. He has to kill us in order to survive".
The Alien meets Gravity vibe worked as the killer creature craftily picked the crew off one by one.
The special effects were brilliant. Calvin's transformation creeped the hell out of me. His squid-like tentacles scuttling around the labyrinthine hallways. A spider toying with his prey. Shudder.
I was worried that the wafer thin character development would make me less interested in the crew's survival BUT Gyllenhaal and Ferguson's characters were thankfully fleshed out a little better as the danger ensued (Hell, I even warmed up to Reynolds).
There were genuine moments of suspense and I couldn't see how it was going to end which made for a tense and thrilling finale.
And by the closing credits, I left the cinema pleasantly surprised.
Just persevere with the pace and you have a solid effort that does just enough to hold its own.
Tagged Alien, Ariyon Bakare, Deadpool, Gravity, Hiroyuki Sanada, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jon Ekstrand, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Life, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Nocturnal Animals, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Seamus McGarvey, The Last Samurai1 Comment
*NEW* ARRIVAL REVIEW *NEW*
December 13, 2016 August 13, 2017 by pmbayobale, posted in Adaptation, Best and worst films, CGI, Cinema, Drama, Film essay, Hollywood, Movie review, Science Fiction, Uncategorized
The next Interstellar. Brilliant . . . if you liked that movie.
Unfortunately, I didn't. You can see where I'm heading with this.
A linguist (Amy Adams) is recruited by the military to assist in translating alien communications.
The endless Twitter trends, the crazy hype train. I was actually excited to see what the man who brought us Prisoners could deliver.
I'm not going to lie. By the time the credits rolled, I was left feeling a little disappointed.
An emotionally charged opening sequence (that rivalled Up) plucked on the heartstrings as we followed Louise's (Adams – Nocturnal Animals) relationship with her daughter over the blossoming years. Right up to her swift and tragic illness.
Bleak, heartbreaking and we hadn't even got to the aliens yet. The pace was left to simmer away and I was happy to allow the bubbling tension and theorising develop as Louise was recruited by Weber (Forest Whitaker – The Last King of Scotland) after 12 strange objects descended from the sky.
Adams was superb and delivered a sterling turn. She really carried the film for me.
I wish more was made out of the supporting cast. Whitaker disappeared into the background far too much and Michael Stuhlbarg (Boardwalk Empire) was completely wasted in his role as the shady Agent Halpern. Just another generic government agent.
The only other actor to make a memorable impression was Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker). His quips and chemistry with Adams was a much needed presence as the pair worked together to assess whether our new visitors were friend or foe.
I was actually quite impressed by how writers Eric Heisserer and Ted Chiang thought up such a situation. It was almost believable in a way if a superior race were to suddenly appear and try to communicate in an indecipherable and unknown language.
The special effects and CGI on the strange tentacly guests were fantastic. The motion capture methods to create their movements was impressive. They reminded me a little of the jellyfish things from Monsters.
The cryptography and puzzle solving as Louise and co. tried to form a dialogue was intriguing enough BUT by the 60 minute marker, I could feel my patience wading. My interest lost. I didn't even mind that we hadn't received any answers or real questions to ask the sinister looking squid things.
BUT the pace really did drag and it was like pulling teeth out to get anywhere. The constant flashbacks to Louise's daughter and bizarre dream sequences (at first haunting and hypnotic) soon irritated and numbed me into a mini-coma.
Thankfully as the growing tension and civil unrest across the world forced the UN to make a (predictable) decision, I was soon pulled back in.
The paranoia and suspense finally going somewhere with the military desperate to scratch those itchy trigger fingers.
The rising insurgence among the ranks. The hidden agendas from the international compatriots. The world in arrears. If anything, this was all too realistic with China and Russia refusing to share information and desperate to cut ties and eradicate this unknown presence.
All spurned on from one word (Finally deciphered) as "WEAPON". A reference? A threat? A simple misinterpretation from the linguistic team?
The final 20 minutes was frantic, thrilling and . . . unexpected BUT rewarding?
I won't say too much about the ending. BUT I will admit that I'm NOT the biggest sci-fi fan. Blade Runner, Alien, Twelve Monkeys, Looper; sign me up. Anything else . . . meh. Once I heard the phrase, "non-linear time difference", the wind had been knocked out of my sails.
Like Interstellar, Arrival delivered a cleverly woven ending with time paradoxes and hidden meanings galore.
I was afraid that I missed something. I checked the forums and discussed theories and realised I had it sussed the first time. BUT for all the hype and twists and turns, it just didn't grab me. I wasn't caught up in it as much as I hoped.
It was good BUT . . . a defining science fiction film? 5/5? Film of the year? I don't think I'll remember this by next month.
Maybe it was a case of hype hindering rather than helping. I felt the same for Sicario. Wondering if people had never seen a movie about the underbelly of the Mexican border before.
If Adams wasn't at the helm, I don't think my interest would have been grabbed at all. I felt for her character, shared in her grief and frustration as the ever-impending deadline pressed on.
I didn't hate it. There were genuine moments of suspense and tension. I don't know how Bradford Young's grainy cinematography could make a scene look so bleak and beautiful at the same time.
Johann Johannsson's musical score was sublime. It was perfectly composed and really heightened the mood and emotion of the scenes. Especially in the closing moments.
A clever, well acted, if muddled and drawn out affair for me. It certainly left for food for thought BUT one to remember?
I'll leave that to you.
Tagged Alien, Amy Adams, Arrival, Blade Runner, Boardwalk Empire, Bradford Young, CGI, Eric Heisserer, Forest Whitaker, IMDb, Interstellar, Jeremy Renner, Johann Johannsson, Looper, Michael Stuhlbarg, Nocturnal Animals, Prisoners, Sicario, Ted Chiang, The Hurt Locker, The Last King of Scotland, Twelve Monkeys, UN, Up2 Comments
*NEW* FINDING DORY REVIEW *NEW*
August 19, 2016 by pmbayobale, posted in Animation, Best and worst films, Blockbuster, CGI, Children's movies, Cinema, Comedy, Disney, Drama, Family movie, Fantasy, Film essay, Hollywood, Movie review, Sequels, Uncategorized
Was it worth the wait? Should they have bothered?
The friendly but forgetful blue tang fish begins a search for her long-lost parents, and everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of family along the way.
Awww. 13 years (That's right. 13 years?!) have passed since the first outing and surprisingly only a year has passed in the story line but either way I can happily say that it felt like they never left.
Despite being ripped by family members and work colleagues, I was happy to see that I wasn't the only 20 something looking forward to this. BUT did it deliver? In a nutshell, yes. Anyone who says otherwise, OFF! OFF! OFF!
Of course before the movie even started, we had an adorable little animated short about Piper. The baby bird who must learn to fend for itself and overcome the trauma of the tide. Delightful. Easing us in for one of the most anticipated sequels of the year.
A heart-warming opening explored Dory's past as we delved into her childhood and her battle with short term memory loss. The subject matter was handled delicately as Dory's loving parents try and support her condition. I loved how it filled in the gaps and explained the origins of that annoyingly catchy "Just Keep Swimming" song.
We follow young Dory as she loses her parents and her memory of them altogether. Wandering the ocean for years, disoriented and confused. That is until she crosses paths with a raving mad clown fish desperate to find his son.
The plot line may have been a complete retread of the original with Dory getting lost, abducted and thrown into a strange aquarium but it was a journey I was still happy to take. What Andrew Stanton and the Pixar co may have lacked in story; they delivered with humour, charm and heart.
It was great to see the old faces and I did crack a little smile when Dory, Marlin and Nemo surfed with Crush and the gang. However, there were several faces that I was disappointed NOT to see make an appearance (*cough* Hellooo Bruceee *cough*).
For the hardcore Pixar fans; I couldn't believe there wasn't even a John Ratzenberger cameo! The man whose vocal talents had featured in almost every one. Until now.
The aquarium world may have been a little confined (Pardon the expression) BUT at least we were rewarded with new faces that stole the show; Becky the dozy bird, Bailey the bumbling Beluga Whale (Ty Burrell – Modern Family), Hank the cantankerous Octopus (voiced to perfection by Ed O'Neill – Married with Children/Modern Family) and, my personal favourites, the sloth-like seals Fluke and Rudder (voiced by none other than The Wire's Idris Elba and Dominic West).
Every new supporting character helped bring some much needed fun and energy to a highly predictable story line from Fluke and Rudder's rock rivalry with simple Gerald to a depressed sea clam in need of some company. Burrell was hysterical as Bailey. His attempt at echolocation had me in stitches.
Marlin and Nemo were pushed into the background a lot more than I'd hoped or expected. I knew this was always going to be Dory's story BUT Brooks' mad ramblings and whimpering were missed.
However, DeGeneres was on fine form yet again as our leading lady. From the random stories to her hysterical whale babble. You really felt for Dory as she battled the memories and flashbacks. Desperate to reunite with her family once and for all.
The flashbacks were insightful (To begin with) but they soon overstayed their welcome and got a little repetitive. Reiterating the same old points by the closing act.
I liked the dynamic between Hank and Dory. They were a great duo. Hank's resilience to resist Dory's charm, as he focused on his mission to avoid returning to the 'filthy ocean life', was the perfect tonic.
A couple of the whale talking skits may have gone on a bit but it didn't spoil the fun. The touch pool sequence was like something out of a horror film with all the little sea creatures hiding and clinging on for dear life. An unexpected cameo and an underwater pipe sonar sequence delivered a brilliant Alien homage.
The chase sequences (especially a high speed truck chase) may have took the biscuit BUT it was far too silly and fun for me to gripe about too much. There were also some genuinely touching moments. BUT yet it didn't quite pluck the heart strings or grab me as much as the original did.
It was always going to be a tall order. Especially after Pixar outdone themselves with Toy Story 3 (I'm ignoring Planes and Cars on the sequel debate). BUT it was still good fun and easygoing with a mad bunch of characters. A nice post credits sequence subdued some of the little niggles that were bugging me.
Pixar delivered a wonderful message about coping with mental disabilities and still managed to work their magic to make this miserable movie moaner look like this for a couple of hours . . .
Tagged Albert Brooks, Alien, Andrew Stanton, Cars, Dominic West, Ed O'Neill, Ellen DeGeneres, Finding Dory, Finding Nemo, Idris Elba, John Ratzenberger, Married with Children, Modern Family, Piper, Pixar, Planes, The Wire, Toy Story 3, Ty Burrell
THE WORST FILMS OF 2014 – PART TWO
March 20, 2015 by pmbayobale, posted in 3D, Action, Animation, B-Movie, Bad remakes, Best and worst films, Blockbuster, CGI, Cinema, Comedy, Controversial, Crime movies, Drama, Film essay, Hollywood, Hollywood mess, Horror movies, Movie review, Supernatural, Suspense, Thriller, Uncategorized
Did you walk out of a film feeling angry, disappointed, baffled, confused?
Did you walk out of a film for that matter?
Did you sit in your car (or at home) reeling? Questioning, debating, pondering how on Earth it even got through the pitching process?
Then, welcome.
I think I've already compiled my worst films of 2015 which doesn't bode well for the year that lies ahead.
BUT let's (finally) review the worst films of 2014!
My criteria; Basically films that destroyed all excitement and anticipation or failed to deliver anything (Acting, talent, story, suspense, a movie).
Films that made me cry a little, scream with RAGE or just say, "I don't think I'm going to bother anymore" . . . With the cinema (Woah, let's not get too down now).
So I've already provided PART ONE from 20-11. NOW, it's finally time for PART TWO with 10 – 1
SCALE: 10 DISAPPOINTED! – 1 WTF!
I'll stick a few comments with each crappy film title accordingly. Enjoy . . . OR NOT. In fact, you won't with these 😦
10. WALKING WITH DINOSAURS: THE 3D MOVIE
I know, it's a kid's movie. BUT the dino facts were so patronising and stupid that it put me in a rage! I mean, come on! Kids can read. BUT the slow TRI-CER-A-T-OPS pronunciation was infuriating.
Plus they interrupted any interesting development in the dull by the numbers story line. The effects were good BUT the 3D? What 3D?
Not even John Lequizamo's vocal work could save the day. In fact he annoyed the hell out of me. A talking crow narrating the history of the dinosaurs to a family?
LOGIC?! It just didn't help the main character grated against me and the story was so predictable and corny that you lost interest.
The purpose of a family movie is to appeal . . . to a family. I don't even think the little 'uns would be fussed about watching this one.
Go watch the vastly superior award winning BBC documentary series instead!
9. THE HARRY HILL MOVIE
Harry Hill making a movie? Any good? There's only one way to find out?
NO! Hill tries to incorporate his TV Burp format to the big screen with a silly premise about taking his ill hamster to Blackpool.
Johnny Vegas does his best to get a chuckle as Abu the hamster. Abu? Wait. Isn't that the name of another furry sidekick? Hmmm . . .
It was a shame with the talent at Hill's disposal. Julie Walters, Matt Lucas, Jim Broadbent . . . Will from Inbetweeners.
For every good gag, Hill manages to balance it with a dozen duds.
It's surreal, stupid and a mess to boot. I felt like I was on something watching it. Maybe I should have to try and understand how Hill thought this would be entertaining.
8. DEVIL'S DUE
Another regurgitated, predictable, lazy, teen horror movie that desperately attempts to reap from the Paranormal Activity hype.
Paranormal Activity was a treat, an actual creepy, tension builder, that recreated and improved what the overrated handy-cam trend setter The Blair Witch Project set out.
A couple go on an exotic Brazilian honeymoon. They get lost. Get drunk. Suspicious taxi driver recommends strange place. Takes them before they can say, "Wait a minute". And that last drink, oh that inevitable last drink. Instead of passing out on the bathroom floor, poor Sam gets impregnated by a Satanic cult.
The main issue is that the writers and producers either have never seen Rosemary's Baby and inadvertently delivered a poor modern day rehash of it or they knew what they were doing which is even more tragic.
However, too many movies have popped their ugly heads out from this craze and I pray that this be the last but unfortunately the true horror is that it won't be. (Just keep scrolling)
7. THE LAST DAYS ON MARS
The . . . last film they should do about Mars. Oh my days. Shambolic. The pain endured watching this space turd was like having a xenomorph burst out of my chest and that still would have been more entertaining than this drivel.
Slow, tension less, shoddily acted, more holes than a sponge. This film should be jettisoned into space. Okay, rant over. Better? Better.
It is such a shame that an underrated cast have the opportunity to shine in a perfect B movie-esque vehicle and miss at every angle.
They could have done a shot for shot remake of Alien and they still would have messed it up.
If it wasn't for the fact it was funded by the BFI and Irish Film Board, this definitely wouldn't have made it to the big screen and rightly so. The fact it only featured at my cinema for five days says it all.
Also the film is called Last Days on Mars and yet when we join them, they are 19 hours away from going home so surely THE LAST DAY ON MARS. Couldn't even get the title right.
6. NATIVITY 3: DUDE WHERE'S MY DONKEY?!
Ho, ho, ho – horrible!
From the moment the first badly mimed, badly choreographed and terribly out of sync flash mob started busting shapes, I knew I was in for it. And that was just from the adults. The kids hadn't even started yet.
Just because it was Christmas that doesn't mean you can slap any old thing together and expect people to pay and see it. It was lazy, unfunny and poor. At a push, worth taking the little 'uns if they are aged up to 5 tops.
I'm sure it was fun for everyone who filmed it. It's just a shame they couldn't convey that for everybody else.
I didn't get me in the Christmas spirit but it certainly got reaching for the ones in my cupboard. Should be Dude, Where's My Money?
5. TRANSCENDENCE
Transcen-dunce or dense. A mind numbingly drab affair of a concept that has just enough meat to be a generic TV movie you'd expect to see on late night SyFy.
You know you're onto a loser when the opening five minutes pretty much tells you what to expect and an established cast sleepwalk their lines and fail to make an impression.
It just proves that a little thing called story, along with some others called character, plot and interest still count.
Sleep walking performances, along with a by the numbers story line, relying on the popularity of familiar actors does not a good or profitable movie make.
I hope the memory of viewing this film will transcend, evaporating like the little nano-bots into nothingness. Avoid or upload at your own peril.
Under the skin? More like grating against my skin. What the hell did I just watch? Now imagine Species. Replace Natasha Henstridge with the even more alluring Scarlett Johansson. Set it in a grittier, murkier Scottish backdrop and bang on, you have . . . something worse than Species.
In fact just watch Species or the even more dire sequels to this drivel.
ScarJo plays a flirty alien that feasts on weak, shallow, lonely Scottish men. How could this be so bad? How can the man who brought us Sexy Beast produce this?
I mean he did do the oddly bizarre Birth. You know Birth? Nicole Kidman and her husband who is reincarnated as a 10 year old? Oh, that Birth, yeah.
Where to begin? The insufferable shaky handheld camera work? The cheesy Day After Tomorrow guff that managed to be more vomit inducing than the Day After Tomorrow?
The redneck tornado chasers? Richard Armitage getting his arse sucked off by a twister? Well, it bloody looked like he was.
This just made me want to walk out of the screen. Go to the nearest store that had the Twister DVD. Go back to the projectionist and tell them to put that on instead.
It was cringe-inducing bilge. I have never laughed so much. This was a farce. I have seen B-movies on SyFy that have contained better story lines and characters than this.
2. AS ABOVE SO BELOW
As I watched, the more it blowed. Now childish sulky comments aside. Another found footage "horror" film graces the big screen with cheap scares, poorly acted, badly written characters and a laughable premise.
There is no tension. Random characters get bumped off left, right and centre without any background, interest or concern. Suspense. Naff all.
Loud noises and screams may make me jump out of my seat but what do you expect when the story has put me into a coma, near enough.
Feldman's character with a dark past who constantly keeps reiterating that he will not go down into the catacombs; inevitably gets pushed down into the cave and what is his big secret?
He's CLAUSTROPHOBIC! Why didn't he say that in the first place? Idiot. Oh my God, it felt like something out of a comedy sketch.
1. AND THE AWARD FOR WORST FILM OF 2014 GOES TO . . .
This film should be buried beneath a pyramid.
You know you're onto a loser when the saving grace is Jay from The Inbetweeners.
What a load of s#@! The demon bared a striking resemblance to those devil dog things from the live action Scooby Doo reboot. The one with Matthew Lillard as Shaggy.
It took half the film before they even got into the flipping thing. The ending was abrupt and predictable after all that endurance with the shoddy, shaky camera work.
Seriously, these found footage films need to STOP. It was too dark to see anything. Half of the time you get an elbow or a nostril. Come on, we're in the Go Pro age guys!
Mindless exposition about unoriginal premises that have been done to death with lifeless characters that bicker through predictable and unscary scenarios are not acceptable.
Tagged Alien, As Above So Below, B-Movie, BBC, BFI, Birth, Blair Witch Project, Christmas, Devil's Due, established cast, Go Pro, Harry Hill, Inbetweeners, Into The Storm, Irish Film Board, Jay, Jim Broadbent, Johnny Vegas, Jonathan Glazer, Julie Walters, Matt Lucas, Matthew Lillard, Natasha Henstridge, Nativity 3: Dude, Nicole Kidman, Paranormal Activity, Richard Armitage, Rosemary's Baby, Scarlett Johansson, Scooby Doo, Sexy Beast, Shaggy, Species, SyFy, The Day After Tomorrow, The Harry Hill Movie, The Inbetweeners, The Last Days on Mars, The Pyramid, Transcendence, TV Burp, Twister, Under the Skin, underrated cast, Walking With Dinosaurs: The 3D Movie, Where's My Donkey?!, worst films of 2015
CHAPPIE REVIEW
March 19, 2015 by pmbayobale, posted in Action, Animation, Best and worst films, CGI, Cinema, Comedy, Drama, Film essay, Hollywood, Movie review, Science Fiction, Uncategorized
This didn't make me a happy chappie.
BUT it wasn't all bad.
Chappie is basically a What If film.
What if Johnny Five was alive and hanging around in a South African ghetto with Die Antwoord?
Your reaction to that statement will probably be the one you have when you see it.
For me, it was a return to form (of sorts) for Neill Blomkamp.
After the drab affair that was Elysium, I feared the worst for Blomkamp. Especially after rewarding us with such a promising debut and sleeper hit, District 9.
I'm still waiting for them to return, Mr Blomkamp!
So what's it all about? In the near future, crime is patrolled by a mechanized police force. When one police droid, Chappie (Sharlto Copley) is stolen and given new programming, he becomes the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself.
Hardly original. BUT for the first 30 minutes, I was switched on and hooked.
The inevitable talking head documentary intro that Blomkamp has grown accustomed to was unnecessary.
The quick introduction of the police bots and "Who's Who?" kept things moving. Getting you straight into the thick of it.
The bots just reminded me of Robocop. Even their voices sounded like Peter Weller as they apprehended suspects. Granted, these upgrades were a lot more mobile.
The animation and special effects during the action sequences were fantastic.
BUT it's not long before we're introduced to a group of irritating street thugs and one unlucky police bot.
Die Antwoord? Where have you heard that name? They are responsible for the hit or travesty that was Enter The Ninja. Here's a crash course for you.
Shudder.
It was a big risk to give a music act two of the more meatier roles. I respect Blomkamp for choosing South African talent BUT surely there were other contenders?
Yo-Landi Visser and Ninja didn't do a bad job. It just didn't help that one couldn't act and the other's character was so deluded and irritating, you were praying for Hugh's Moose to crush him. (Wait, what? Steady now! I'll get to that reference in two paragraphs).
The maternal moments between Chappie and Visser were done well but when it came to delivering any real lines with conviction, she fell short.
Ninja was such an unlikeable character. His deluded gangster ego was laughable. I'm sure that was Blomkamp's intention but he was just so irritating. If he wasn't yelling at Chappie, he was beating up Dev Patel.
Brandon Auret's crime lord Hippo (A few animal names being thrown about) was ridiculous. It didn't help that he was subtitled throughout the film. Even worse when you could understand every word the bloke was saying.
He played the nutter well enough. I think there was only one thug that deserved subtitling and that was because he was actually dipping in and out of English.
Jose Pablo Cantillo (Crank) was good as the appropriately titled character American.
The idea that a sentient robot is being raised by surrogate parents in the form of a trio of dysfunctional street thugs is hilarious.
It certainly had some funny moments. BUT also some shocking ones. His lessons on the world were interesting and well executed. However, if you were expecting something more serious and intense, you may be left wanting.
Blomkamp uses recurring stalwart Copley to provide his vocal gravitas to the mechanical messiah. And he is brilliant.
Chappie's design looked great and his expressions were incredible. It was just the little things that made it for me. The little matrix dots that form eyes on Chappie's visors, his mismatching ears made up of various parts, the irritating bling around his neck.
I liked that he had to learn like he was a child. His cowering behind walls, watching He-Man and being read story books were nice little touches.
Dev Patel played the part of Chappie's maker Deon well. It was just annoying when his character seemed to keep disappearing for good chunks of the film. Merely popping up to reiterate exposition or when everything seemed to kick off.
Sigourney Weaver isn't looking too shabby at 65 and she played the corporate drone as well as she could. BUT all she did was pout and moan at either Deon or Vincent. A waste of a talented actress.
Bar one cracking line delivered with Weaver's conviction (Burn it to ASH!), you realise by the closing credits that her character was pointless.
Hugh Jackman, uh, well. He did his best. BUT his character was such a tool (Putting it mildly) that I couldn't take him seriously.
All he did was monologue. Providing a running commentary of everything he was doing while donning the Steve Irwin look. "Shall I execute this program? Yes, I will. What is he doing? Where is he going? I'm going to follow him".
Alright, mate. Inside voice, yeah?
He was so comical. It was cringeworthy. I was more afraid of his robo counterpart. The Moose. It was ED-209. Only it could fly and shoot missiles. So stairs won't be a problem any more.
It's racy, action packed, funny and the closing moments certainly surprised and disappointed at the same time.
In typical Blomkamp fashion, the ending leaves things a little . . .
District fans will know where I'm heading with this. If you don't, I'm not going to spoil it. Some clever little twists certainly surprised me BUT it still came to an abrupt end.
The problem that Elysium had was that it was too serious. Chappie was too comical and at times for the wrong reasons. District 9 had that balance perfectly.
This hasn't put me off the rumoured Alien reboot that Blomkamp is supposed to be directing.
If you're expecting super serious bot on bot action, I recommend Terminator or Robocop. But if you've read my review and are still intrigued, then give it a go. It ain't all bad.
Tagged Alien, Brandon Auret, Chappie, Crank, Dev Patel, Die Antwoord, District 9, ED-209, Elysium, Hugh Jackman, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Neill Blomkamp, Ninja, Peter Weller, Robocop, rumoured Alien, Sharlto Copley, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Irwin, Terminator, voice, Yo-Landi Visser2 Comments