Wreck-It Ralph (2012) – Film Review
2nd Oct 2020 31st Oct 2021 / Joe Baker - Film Reviews / Leave a comment
Equally entertaining for both children and parents who will catch the many references to classic arcade games, 'Wreck-It Ralph' is a funny, colourful, and exciting adventure from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Directed by Rich Moore, most known for his work on 'The Simpsons' in addition to some other recent Disney flicks. This eight-bit odyssey may not quite match-up to some of the other iconic films Disney has released in its many years of crafting animated stories, yet is still sure to please any game-enthusiasts in search of a new favourite.
Plot Summary: After many years of being the bad guy and being defeated in his own game day-after-day, 'Wreck-It Ralph' longs to be as beloved as his game's perfect protagonist: 'Fix-It Felix.' So, when a modern, first-person shooter arrives in his arcade, 'Ralph' sees his opportunity for heroism and happiness. But now, with his game at risk of being put out-of-order due to his disappearance, 'Ralph' must quickly return home before its game-over for everyone…
From the get-go, one of the best elements of: 'Wreck-It Ralph' has to be its initial concept, as the film portrays the idea of video-game characters coming to life in a similar fashion to the 'Toy Story' series, but also adds a living virtual world alongside. Interestingly, Disney first began developing an animated film based around a world of video-game characters in the 1980s. At that time, the project was titled: 'High Score,' it was then changed to 'Joe Jump' in the 1990s. Until in the late 2000s, when the film was finally pushed forward, the first two months of story development focused on 'Fix-It Felix Jr.' as the protagonist, which eventually evolved to the film we received in 2012.
John C. Riley and Sarah Silverman lead the cast as the titular characters: 'Wreck-It Ralph' and 'Vanellope Von Schweetz' superbly, as unlike most animated films, the main group of actors regularly recorded their sessions together in the same room, a situation which led to large amounts of improvising and gave the cast a real sense of chemistry. But regardless of how much of his dialogue was improvised, 'Ralph' still remains, in my opinion, one of the most memorable and likeable characters Disney has created in their more modern animations, mostly due to his design and understandable motivation of wanting to be seen as a hero rather than a villain. Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, and Alan Tudyk make-up the remainder of the cast, who are all also wonderful within their roles as 'Fix-It Felix,' 'Calhoun,' and 'King Candy' respectively, as each actor plays into whichever type of game they originate from, e.g. intense sci-fi solider with a overly dramatic backstory or a quirky/cartoonish kart-racer.
An area 'Wreck-It Ralph' is lacking, however, its on the promise of exploring the many different video-game worlds its story implies. As while the film does explore its two signature worlds of: 'Hero's Duty' and 'Sugar Rush' well, ensuring each location feels vastly different in terms of both its design, animated cinematography, and colour palette. The film is limited in how many video-games its characters actually explore, which is a shame when considering the many possible adventures its different arcade worlds could contain, especially when taking into account the huge number of cameos from video-game icons like 'Pac-Man,' 'Q'bert,' and 'Sonic the Hedgehog.'
Although the original score by Henry Jackman is a huge missed opportunity to have a classic eight-bit score to further fit with the video-game narrative, the film's soundtrack still features plenty of great tracks, which just like the film's visuals, alter depending on which video-game world the characters are currently inside. As outside of the generally enjoyable tracks: 'Wreck-It Ralph' 'Life in the Arcade,' and 'Messing with the Program,' the score occasionally gets quite creative, even having an original theme created for the kart-racing game: 'Sugar Rush' by J-pop band: 'AKB48,' as the fictional video-game is supposedly manufactured in Japan.
Whilst the animation itself is visually stunning and brimming with small details as with nearly every animated Disney film, the main flaw 'Wreck-It Ralph' suffers from its without a doubt its story structure. As what may throw many viewers off is that the film begins focused entirely on 'Ralph' and his journey, before then quickly and drastically changing direction to focus more on 'Vanellope' and her desire to become a playable 'Sugar Rush' racer, which can be a little jolting when recalling the film's first act.
Overall, 'Wreck-It Ralph' may not always use its signature concept to its best extent, and can often go too far when it comes to some of its immature or video-game-related humour. Yet the film's delightful characters, gorgeous and distinctive locations and beautiful animation all manage to save the film from its faults. So, despite 'Wreck-It Ralph' not going down with audiences as successfully as some other animated Disney flicks like 'Frozen' or 'Zootropolis,' for example, I still feel the film is worth grabbing a joystick for should you get the chance. Final Rating: 7/10.
The Problem with Live-Action Disney Remakes – Film Discussion
18th Jul 2020 6th Nov 2021 / Joe Baker - Film Reviews / 1 Comment
In years recent years, Disney has noticeably been taking quite an aggressive approach to reimagining many of the company's classic animated adventures into live-action blockbusters, which I personally feel is having a bad influence on the rest of the film industry in more ways than one…
Despite Disney actually beginning the trend of remaking their classic films all the way back in 2010 with the semi-sequel/remake of: 'Alice in Wonderland' directed by Tim Burton. Disney didn't begin to get truly rampant with its approach until the later successes of: 'Cinderella' and 'The Jungle Book' in 2015 and 2016 respectively, with 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'Dumbo,' and 'Aladdin' following not far behind, eventually leading to their most recent releases, that being: 'The Lion King' and 'Lady and the Tramp'. Yet whilst all of these films did receive mostly positive reviews from both critics and audiences upon their initial release, I personally have never understood why. As for me, none of these remakes ever manage to really justify their existence, with each new film simply feeling like nothing more than a product, a money machine disguised as a film created purely for the purpose of rinsing profit out of Disney fans who desire to see their childhood classics recreated in a new light, and by this point, I just find it irritating.
Of course, remaking iconic films is nothing new for the film industry, with dreadful remakes such as: 'RoboCop,' 'Ghostbusters,' and 'Robin Hood' all being great examples of how taking a classic film and giving it a sleek modern aesthetic doesn't automatically make it superior to the original. However, it's the way Disney goes about executing their remakes that makes them even more frustrating, as even though most reimaginings may not differ too much of the original story, the majority of Disney remakes feel almost identical to their animated counterparts, featuring nearly all of the same scenes and dialogue, now just dragged down by much weaker visuals, vocal performances, and songs. Which, in turn, also allows directors and writers to simply borrow material from previous filmmakers without having to innovate much themselves. Another issue I have with Disney converting their animated classics into live-action is that many of the original stories were always envisioned to be animated as they were being written, meaning when transferred into a different style of filmmaking, they usually are forced to rely on enormous amounts of CGI.
Although most audiences seemingly don't take issue with Disney's constant remakes, there are still some Disney fans who have spoken-out about losing interest Disney's future live-action endeavours. In particular, I personally recall many weren't looking forward to watching the 'Aladdin' remake around the time of its release, which I feel is understandable, as just from its trailer alone, it was clear that not only would the film intensely mirror the original, but it was obvious just from a glance that its visuals were also far, far duller, as the remake was lacking in both colour and style. Focusing more on being semi-realistic rather than fully engaging in its elements of fantasy (which for a narrative revolving around a powerful genie who grants three magical wishes feels like a huge mistake to me). Whilst the original: 'Aladdin' may not be the most visually enthralling of Disney's catalogue of family flicks, the classic style of 2D hand-drawn animation is still very pleasing to look at even by today's standards for CG animated films.
It may even surprise some to know that many of these bland remakes were actually directed by talented filmmakers like Jon Favreau and the previously mentioned Tim Burton. Yet with each new film, every director's unique style always seems to be stripped away or completely absent, as not only does each remake barely utilise any creative cinematography or editing, relying nearly entirely on CG effects to impress the audience. But usually inventive directors such as Guy Richie, who has made phenomenal use of his unique style editing and humour in the past within his films: 'Snatch' and 'The Gentlemen,' suffers as a result of how simply generic and even somewhat boring his reimagining of: 'Aladdin' is, and while Disney may not be entirely to blame for this, I do believe the company would prefer to keep each remake fairly easy to digest in order to appeal to a wider audience.
In addition to both the visuals and directing, however, the cast of the original animated flicks were also a huge contributing factor to them becoming as beloved as they now are, with not only actors like Robin Williams as the original: 'Genie,' of course, but also lesser-known actors such as Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella as 'Timon' and 'Pumbaa,' to Jodi Benson and Pat Carroll as 'Ariel' and 'Ursula.' As all these voices not only gave the characters great comedic timing and a distinct tone, but they soon even became an extension of the characters themselves, making them recognisable purely through their voice. Whereas Disney's newer remakes prefer to just take the much easier approach of simply casting the most relevant actors at the time and throwing them into an iconic role, and whilst actors like Donald Glover and Chiwetel Ejiofor will always be superb at their craft, forcing these performers into roles within 'The Lion King' simply due to their popularity will always make their vocal performance feel very out-of-place when in comparison with the original film.
The final area I find Disney remakes to be most lacking is with the tampering of classic Disney songs, as although I'm personally not an enormous fan of musicals within the realm of live-action, I've always enjoyed many of the songs in Disney animated classics. As not only do I feel these songs add to the characters and the story of each film immensely, but many classic Disney songs also manage to become iconic amongst themselves, with nearly any fan of animation more than likely knowing all the words to 'Be Our Guest,' 'The Circle of Life,' and 'Under the Sea' (just to name a few). But when it comes to the remakes, once again, both the original score and songs feel far duller, even in spite of the legendary Hanz Zimmer returning for: 'The Lion King' remake to recreate many of his classic tracks. Still, a few of the reimaginings do at least attempt to throw in some original songs, which unfortunately end-up being mostly forgotten due to them being overshadowed by the classic songs audiences more familiar with.
In conclusion, it seems the influx of live-action Disney remakes won't be stopping anytime soon, with 'The Lion King' racking in over £1 billion worldwide, Disney will most likely continue this remaking trend until their audience completely loses interest. As reimaginings of: 'Mulan,' 'Peter Pan,' 'The Little Mermaid,' 'Pinocchio,' The Sword in the Stone,' and 'Lilo and Stitch' as well as many, many more, are already set for release. Whilst the 'House of Mouse' does still have a few original films on the horizon, Disney seems to be heading down a similar path to their paired animation company Pixar, that being one of laziness, relying mostly on their previous stories and franchises for profit rather than creating something new, which in turn is also encouraging other production companies to do the same. So if you share my opinion, perhaps sit-out Disney's next live-action release, stay at home, and just relive many of the beautifully animated stories from the past, as I honestly believe many of these films are timeless.
Inside Out (2015) – Film Review
7th Jun 2020 31st Oct 2021 / Joe Baker - Film Reviews / 1 Comment
From the iconic animation studio Pixar, who brought-us animated classics such as: 'Toy Story,' 'Monsters, Inc.' 'Finding Nemo,' 'The Incredibles,' and 'Ratatouille' among many others. Comes another emotional and beautifully animated adventure with some surprisingly deep concepts and ideas to-boot. As 'Inside Out' takes place nearly entirely inside the mind of a young girl, focusing on how her various emotions handle new and unexpected changes within her life.
Plot Summary: After young 'Riley' is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions: 'Joy,' 'Sadness,' 'Fear,' 'Anger,' and 'Disgust' all being to conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school. But after a freak accident causes 'Joy' and 'Sadness' to be flung from 'Headquarters' with 'Riley's 'Core Memories,' the two have to find their way back before its too late and 'Riley' loses all emotion…
Even though 'Inside Out' usually streamlines many of its story's concepts and themes to make them more understandable for children, the animated flick also never fails to remain both very imaginative and very colourful throughout its runtime. As with the film's story taking place within the mind of an eleven-year-old girl, 'Inside Out' doesn't hold back from bringing to life the world within a child's head, a world not confined by the barriers of logic and psychics. From 'Imagination Land' to 'The Train of Thought,' and 'Long Term Memory,' 'Inside Out' constantly explores plenty of amusing locations and is always building on its enchanting ideas.
Despite some characters not receiving quite as much screen-time as others, 'Riley's various emotions are portrayed superbly by Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, and Mindy Kaling, with Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith as 'Joy' and 'Sadness' being the true stand-outs of the cast. As their two characters bounce extremely well of each other due to the polarity of their friendship, which also makes for plenty of humorous moments. Richard Kind also makes an appearance within the film as 'Bing Bong,' 'Riley's imaginary friend from when she was younger, who in many ways is the true heart of the film. As alongside his variety of entertaining quirks (some of which do result in a few immature jokes). 'Bing Bong' also ends-up becoming a very likeable and charming character mostly as a result of the scene: 'The Memory Dump,' easily one of: 'Inside Out's most impactful and heartbreaking moments.
Filled with plenty of inventive shots throughout, the animated cinematography does add to the film's already incredibly vibrant colour palette and varied locations, with a constant array of attractive shots, the film's visuals are always appealing to look at when inside 'Riley's mind. Yet when the viewer is thrown back into the real-world, the colour palette is far more pale and tame, creating a clear visual contrast between the two.
Featuring a number of memorable tracks such as: 'Bundle of Joy,' 'Team Building,' 'Rainbow Flyer' and even the track that plays over the film's ending credits: 'The Joy of Credits,' the original score by Michael Giacchino is truly one of the best scores Pixar has to offer, even when taking into account their already impressive list of soundtracks. As nearly all of the film's best moments whether comedic or emotional are elevated by the film's wonderful score, with many of the tracks throughout 'Inside Out' displaying great variety and talent.
Similar to many of the other films from Pixar's catalogue, the animation throughout 'Inside Out' is simply gorgeous. As not only do all of the designs of the different emotions differ drastically depending on which emotion they representing, but the level of detail on every character and location throughout the film is astounding, with the individual particles that make-up each emotion even being visible during many of the film's close-ups. Interestingly, when 'Inside Out' was in the very early stages of its development, many other emotions were also considered as characters (around twenty-seven in total). But after the writer's decided to just settle on the core five emotions to make the narrative less-complicated, many other potential characters had to be left on the cutting-room floor, e.g. 'Surprise,' 'Pride,' and 'Trust.'
Overall, 'Inside Out' is definitely worth a watch for any age, as although this animated flick isn't without its faults, 'Inside Out' still remains a delightful experience from start-to-finish, mostly due to its unique story, great voice performances, and extraordinary visuals, the film really feels as if there isn't the slightest ounce of laziness put into crafting it. And whilst there has been plenty of other exceptional animated classics produced by Pixar in the past, their fifteenth animated feature is certainly one of their most experimental yet least discussed to-date, which I think is a shame. As while 'Inside Out' may be aimed mostly towards children, I feel this film might speak an even deeper volume to adults. Final Rating: 8/10.
Tangled (2010) – Film Review
25th May 2020 16th Jul 2021 / Joe Baker - Film Reviews / Leave a comment
Disney's first CG animated fairytale is both incredibly funny and heartwarming. As 'Tangled' brings to life the well-known fairy princess: 'Rapunzel,' now-updated for a new generation of children. Through some beautiful animation, wonderful original songs and an incredibly vibrant colour palette. 'Tangled' feels almost as if it's an enchanting classic restored from Disney's golden age of animation, despite its few small problems here and there.
Plot Summary: When the 'Kingdom of Corona's most-wanted and most charming bandit: 'Flynn Rider' hides-out in a mysterious tower, he's taken hostage by 'Rapunzel,' a feisty tower-bound teen with magical golden hair. Eventually leading the two of them to strike a deal so 'Rapunzel' can achieve her long-desired dream of seeing the annual release of the kingdom's lanterns…
Heavily praised since its release, 'Tangled' was created by Walt Disney Animation Studios, which have produced a variety of fantastic animated films in recent days. Releasing films such as: 'Bolt,' 'Zootropolis,' 'Wreck-It Ralph', 'Moana' and of course, the smash-hit: 'Frozen' in 2013. Many of which even beginning to surpass Disney's other animation company over-time, this obviously being Pixar, who now seem to be far more focused on creating constant sequels, prequels and spin-offs rather than original stories.
Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi bounce extremely well-off each other as 'Rapunzel' and 'Flynn Rider,' with both the characters having plenty of amusing moments in addition to some surprisingly great chemistry (considering they are fully animated). The cast also features Donna Murphy as 'Mother Gothel' and Ron Perlman as one of the 'Stabbington Brothers' (a.k.a. The antagonists of the film), and although neither of these two villains ever become quite as memorable or as iconic as some other Disney antagonists. They do serve their roles within the story effectively and are intimidating enough. During the story, 'Rapunzel' also receives a character-arc, growing as a character to become more confident and independent as the runtime continues on, which I feel is not only executed well but also gets across an important message for children.
Featuring an array of stunning wide-shots, the animated cinematography throughout 'Tangled' is decent overall. While nothing overly imaginative, the animated cinematography works really well for many of the film's fast-paced action sequences. The animated cinematography is also improved by the film's incredibly colourful visuals, as many scenes throughout the film are dripping with bright colours and magnificent lighting. Some of the colouring of character's clothing even reflect their personalities, as 'Rapunzel' wears purple, a colour often associated with royalty and 'Flynn' wears blue and white, colours that often stand for goodness. Whereas 'Mother Gothel' wears red, a colour that usually symbolises evil.
The original score by Alan Menken is certainly the weakest element of the film, as ignoring the actual songs within the film, most notably: 'When Will My Life Begin' and 'I See the Light.' The score is mostly generic and little bland at points when it comes to animated flicks, as I feel the soundtrack could've been greatly improved if the score would've embraced the more fantasy-esque aspects of its narrative. Occasionally, the film can also over-rely on musical cues, as during a number of scenes the film feels the need to accompany every action or piece of humour with a trumpet cue, which feels nothing but unnecessary throughout.
Being many years on from the film's initial release, it's inevitable that the film's animation would begin to age. However, although a couple of the close-ups on character's faces may look a little out-dated. 'Tangled's animation predominantly holds-up well since 2010. In particular, the CG effects on 'Rapunzel's long-hair, which still look marvellous even today. The film's humour is also fairly excellent, as the film has a large amount of range when it comes to its jokes, usually having plenty of comedic moments that will appeal to older viewers as well as young children. 'Tangled' also gets some great comedic moments out of its horse character: 'Maximus,' who quickly ends-up becoming one of the film's greatest characters through his constant drive to catch 'Flynn Rider,' with many of his movements being presented as if he is a large dog or even a human.
Although it may not be one of Disney's best, 'Tangled' is still very enjoyable from start-to-finish. Despite its sometimes overly-fast-pacing and slightly dated animation. The film has more than enough to please families, with some likeable protagonists, plenty of memorable songs and an overall joyful and adventurous tone. 'Tangled' is in my opinion, on the higher-level of fantastical family films, and whilst some may feel the film is aimed more towards one gender with its story being based-around a fairy princess, I'd argue otherwise. Final Rating: 8/10.
Rango (2011) – Film Review
29th Apr 2020 6th Nov 2021 / Joe Baker - Film Reviews / 1 Comment
From the director of: 'The Ring' and the first three entries in 'The Pirates of the Caribbean' series, Gore Verbinski, comes 'Rango,' an animated western featuring a bizarre cast of comedically grotesque animals. And even though that strange concept may not sound as if it couldn't possibly work, 'Rango' is without a doubt one of my favourite animated films in recent memory, as the film's entertaining story and classic western visuals make the film an incredibly fun watch, regardless of your age.
Plot Summary: When 'Rango,' an ordinary pet chameleon accidentally winds-up in the small town of: 'Dirt' following a car accident, he begins to realise the dry, lawless outpost is in desperate need of a new sheriff. Being the talented actor that he is, 'Rango' poses as the answer to their problems…
Whilst 'Rango' is front and foremost a family flick, 'Rango' also serves a pretty successful throwback to classic westerns, balancing plenty of hilarious moments with more serious scenes and even some exciting action sequences throughout its story. The film even features a reference to the icon of the western era himself, that being Clint Eastwood as 'The Spirit of the West,' which I really appreciated as a fan of the genre. However, the character himself isn't actually portrayed by Clint Eastwood, which I did feel slightly took away from the scene he appears in despite its short length.
Although all the supporting cast of Isa Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Bill Nighy, Alfred Molina, and Ned Beatty are all fantastic as the residents of the small town of: 'Dirt.' Each having a western accent which sometimes even makes their voice unrecognisable in Isla Fisher's case. Johnny Depp as the protagonist: 'Rango' is truly some flawless casting, as Depp always portrays 'Rango' as likeable and funny, yet cowardly, with plenty of humourous lines throughout the runtime. The film's antagonist: 'Rattlesnake Jake' is also worth mentioning, as Bill Nighy lends his voice to this gigantic menacing gunslinger, actually mirroring the two actor's characters within 'The Pirates of the Caribbean' series, whether intentional or not.
'Rango' is also one of the rare animated films which actually has some pretty stunning cinematography, as all of the film's animated cinematography is very reminiscent of classic westerns. From extreme close-ups of character's faces during stand-offs, to wide-shots of the barren desert, to even close-ups of broken bottles hanging above a door-frame, every-shot really adds to the narrative, whilst also displaying the film's large variety of distinct locations. Truly utilising the limitless potential of animated cinematography. Legendary cinematographer, Roger Deakins, who worked on iconic films like 'The Shawshank Redemption,' 'No Country for Old Men,' and 'Skyfall' in the past, was even consulted when it came to the film's cinematography.
Iconic composer Hanz Zimmer returns to the work once again with director Gore Verbinski, and once again with another magnificent original score. This time replicating classic western scores without taking-away from the film's adventurous tone. Making fantastic use of both electric and acoustic guitars, tracks such as: 'Rango and Beans' and 'Rango Returns' feel as if they were ripped straight-out of the golden age of film. The soundtrack even includes a unique western-esque version of the orchestral classic: 'Ride of the Valkyries,' which backs-up what is already a very memorable action sequence.
The animation itself is wonderful throughout the film, as 'Rango' takes a more daring and unique route when it comes to its animation. As rather than being overly colourful and cartoonishly attractive similar to films like 'Toy Story,' 'Frozen,' or 'Despicable Me,' 'Rango' focuses far more on being rather realistic and dirty, with each location always feeling very old and rustic. The character designs themselves also reflect this, as every piece of clothing and every object is coaked in scratches and dirt, giving the film an unpleasant yet not necessarily unattractive look. This animation style also continues to the film's colour palette, as the pale beiges and browns give the film a true western feel. Due to 'Rango's reliance on this highly detailed kind of animation, however, there is the occasional shot where the animation looks slightly dated by today's standards.
Packed with plenty of great comedic moments, attractive visuals, a great original score and, of course, its marvellous cast. 'Rango' stands as one of the best modern animated films to date, as this western adventure truly does anything it can to make itself stand-out. As despite the film's few fourth-wall-breaking moments (which come across as slightly cheesy) and the film's sometimes overly fast-pacing, 'Rango' still remains an enthralling ride. Although this animated flick may seem pretty unusual when compared to many other films the family can enjoy together, this true oddball of a film is sure to please those who decide to give it a chance. Final Rating: 8/10.
Corpse Bride (2005) – Film Review
14th Mar 2020 16th Jul 2021 / Joe Baker - Film Reviews / Leave a comment
Tim Burton's twisted story of a man accidentally marrying a deceased bride could certainly be seen as too dark for an animated family adventure by some, but the film actually blends many of its dark scenes with plenty of heart and humour throughout. Making this stop-motion flick not quite one of the director's best, but definitely a must-watch for fans of the unique director.
Plot Summary: When a shy groom (Victor Van Dort) practices his wedding vows in the inadvertent presence of a deceased young woman, she rises from her grave assuming he has married her. Before he knows it, 'Victor' soon finds himself in the land of the dead, and now must find a way to return to the land of the living before he loses his still-living wife forever…
Alongside the entertaining narrative, throughout the film there are various different musical sequences, which were surprisingly entertaining considering I'm usually not a huge fan of musical numbers in film. But I actually found many of the songs throughout the film actually added to the plot and gave the film another creative element which worked really well when combined with the brilliant original score by Danny Elfman.
Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter portray: 'Victor' and his accidental 'Corpse Bride,' alongside the supporting cast of Emily Watson and Paul Whitehouse. Who are all pretty great, with the two leads in particular having pretty some great chemistry with each other, which really added to some of the romantic scenes throughout runtime (especially when it comes to an animated film). The cast also features Richard E. Grant, who portrays the villous: 'Barkis Bittern' perfectly, coming off as very sly, rude and intelligent from start-to-finish.
The cinematography by Pete Kozachik is pretty effective considering his previous work is usually far from the realm of stop-motion animation, as although there is definitely room for improvement, the cinematography is interesting enough to keep the viewer engaged throughout the film's story.
Without a doubt, the original score by Danny Elfman is definitely one of the best elements of the film, as well as being one of my favourites for a Tim Burton flick. As while not quite on the level of the original: 'Batman' or 'Edward Scissorhands' for example, the entire soundtrack still perfectly captures the creepy tone of the film, as well as many of it's more emotional moments, all adding to both an extremely memorable and beautiful score. Especially the tracks: 'Main Titles' and 'End Credits Pt. 1,' which are my two personal favourites from the film.
The stop-motion animation throughout the film is simply outstanding, as each character's unique design influences their movements, with many of the characters having very interesting and over-the-top designs which perfectly fit within the world of a Tim Burton story. The film also has an unexpectedly ranged colour palette, as in addition to the usual dark Burton-esque colours. The film surprisingly also uses a large range of bright greens, purples and reds in a few scenes, which all really help the film stand-out, and give a little more light to many of the miniature sets and various characters.
Overall, while I didn't expect to enjoy 'Corpse Bride' as much as I did, the film's fantastic stop-motion animation, great humour and emotional scenes all topped with the unique Tim Burton style, I'd say the film is a pretty solid watch aside from the occasional cheesy joke or scene. Final Rating: 8/10.
Film Quiz – Test Your Film Knowledge
7th Mar 2020 3rd Jul 2021 / Joe Baker - Film Reviews / Leave a comment
Test your film knowledge with seventy-five questions from a number of truly iconic films, all with varying difficulties. Available now via this link to Kahoot!
Be sure to challenge your family and friends for the best experience possible.
Kahoot: https://create.kahoot.it/share/joe-baker-reviews-film-quiz/b59322c6-64a1-4bbc-ac79-db83cf6ab3b0
This Year in Film (2019) – Film List
30th Dec 2019 2nd Mar 2022 / Joe Baker - Film Reviews / Leave a comment
Personally, I feel this year in film has been a bit of a mixed-bag, as while I do feel we've had our fair share of great films this year, I also feel we've had plenty of disappointing entries as well. Obviously, I haven't had the chance to see every film this year, and I will most likely update this list as time goes on, but for now, in no particular order, here are my thoughts on a variety of films I saw this year…
Beginning the year in quite a disappointing fashion, Jordan Peele's follow-up to his 2017 smash-hit: 'Get Out' was a far-cry from excellent for me. As despite its brilliant reviews, I personally found the film's story to be bloated with unexplained ideas and ridiculous scenes alike, equalling to a horror flick that places far more emphasis on it's themes than it's actual narrative, alongside being incredibly inconsistent with its tone.
One of my favourite films from this year, 'Joker' directed by Todd Philips, is an interesting take on the comic book genre. Focusing more on being an engaging character piece with themes of untreated metal illness rather than your usual barrage of CG action and explosions, all shown through some beautiful cinematography and an eerie original score.
Director Rian Johnson proves himself a talented filmmaker once again after his smash-hit: 'Looper,' as although I personally wasn't an enormous fan of: 'Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi,' I knew this director had skill elsewhere, and this was proven to me by 'Knives Out.' A hilarious and clever twist on the classic murder mystery, with some great performances from the huge cast, plenty of plot twists and a well-written narrative. I feel you'd struggle to not enjoy 'Knives Out.'
One of the many Steven King adaptations from this year, 'In the Tall Grass' comes to us from 'Cube' director Vincenzo Natali, and with that sci-fi classic being a personal favourite of mine, I had high hopes for this Netflix thriller despite its somewhat weak source material. However, as the runtime continued on, I soon realised the film was far more interested in attempting to explain its bizarre and messy plot rather than experiment with any of its unique ideas.
Standing-out mostly for the fantastic performances from the all-star cast of Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, director Noah Baumbach takes on this wonderful story of a couple broken apart by relationship troubles and long distances, which, despite not being anything outstanding in regards to filmmaking, still manages to be entertaining, emotional, and very enjoyable from start-to-finish.
Easily one of the worst films I've seen this year, 'The Silence' directed by John R. Leonetti, best known for the awful 'Conjuring' prequel: 'Annabelle' and 'Wish Upon.' Is another generic horror with weak performances, dreadful CG effects and a plot which feels as if it's been ripped straight from 'A Quiet Place' released back in 2018.
Although the plot of a group of teens heading into a haunted house on Halloween only to get more than they bargained for may initially sound incredibly over done, 'Haunt' is actually one of the hidden gems of the year, in my opinion. Utilising some visually impressive sets and lighting in addition to an array of tense moments and creative ideas, the film is certainly one of the better horrors/thrillers from this year despite its issues.
Le Mans '66 (Ford v Ferrari)
After directing one of my favourite films of 2017: 'Logan,' director James Mangold now takes on the real-life story of the creation of one of the fastest race cars ever built in order to win the iconic: 'Le Mans '66.' Featuring some excellent performances from the main cast in addition to some great cinematography and high-fueled racing scenes, 'Le Mans '66' is a true thrill-ride of a film.
'Toy Story 4' is definitely one of the most disappointing films of the year for me, as the original: 'Toy Story' trilogy is, in my opinion, near perfect, and this film seems to do nothing but continue the story for the sake of it. As although the animation is incredible throughout the film, and the performances and original score are also pretty great, the narrative and character-arcs simply let the film down and make it the weakest of the 'Toy Story' series for me.
I Am Mother
This slick science fiction thriller had me excited for quite some time leading-up to its release. However, when I eventually watched 'I Am Mother' I found myself a little disappointed. As the beautiful visuals and solid sci-fi soundtrack are sadly let down by a drawn-out and sometimes bland story. As while not boring by any means, I felt the film was a bit of wasted potential overall.
It: Chapter 2
Director Andy Muschietti returns to bring the demonic clown: 'Pennywise' back to life in this sequel to the 'It' remake from 2017. This time around, however, I personally found the film to be a bit of a letdown. As although there were plenty of entertaining scenes and great character moments throughout the film's extremely long runtime, there were also plenty of ridiculous moments alongside the barrage of enormous CG monsters.
Going off the initial reviews, I originally had high hopes for: 'Crawl,' hoping it would be an extremely tense, edge-of-your-seat kind of experience. But unfortunately, the film felt like a mostly standard thriller by the end of its runtime. Having nothing more than a few tense scenes and a couple of effective jump-scares to make-up for its mediocre CG effects and mostly dull characters.
Whilst certainly not on the same level as many of the other iconic films from Danny Boyle's catalogue of work, 'Yesterday' was still a pretty entertaining feel-good comedy which I felt had an enjoyable upbeat tone, and enough likeable characters to carry it through many of its cheesy moments and sometimes overly predictable story.
Definitely a futuristic thriller fans of: 'The Belko Experiment' should check-out, 'The Platform' is just as violent as it is suspenseful, as this Spanish sci-fi thriller deals with a variety of dark themes and ideas, all whilst keeping the audience engaged through its interesting plot, decent performances, and surprising turns.
This year's first entry from the usual barrage of pointless live-action Disney remakes, 'Aladdin' is exactly what I expected it to be. The classic story most know and love but incredibly dulled down, trying to capture the adventure of the original film through an enormous amount of CG visuals, nostalgia, and a new cast lead by Will Smith which are all rather bland.
Although I may not have been the target audience for: 'The Hustle,' judging by the dreadful reviews from critics and audiences alike, it seems as if I wasn't alone in finding this comedy just as bland as it was unfunny, with many of the jokes feeling extremely lazy as the film takes all the obvious hits anyone would expect at Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson without attempting much else in terms of humour.
Despite 'Velvet Buzzsaw' not quite being the hilarious, gory and extremely weird horror-comedy I was initially hoping for, in addition to coming off the back of director Dan Gilroy's other film: 'Nightcrawler' (which is one of my all-time favourites). I still found the film interesting enough throughout its story to keep me watching, despite it not being overly memorable in its entirety.
Marvel finally bring their enormous franchise of superhero flicks to an end (for now that is) with 'Avengers: Endgame,' a blockbuster spectacular which gives many viewers the conclusion they've been desiring for many years, and although it isn't one of my personal favourite Marvel films, I enjoyed 'Avengers Endgame' for what it was. As the film provides some endings for characters alongside plenty of comedic moments, fan service and thrilling action set-pieces.
Based on the real-life story of Rudy Ray Moore, Eddie Murphy makes his awaited return to film after a long break. As this brilliant comedy-drama makes all the right moves to keep its audience engaged within its story through plenty of humour, style and emotion throughout its runtime.
A sequel to 'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle' from 2017, as well as the original: 'Jumanji' from 1995. 'Jumanji: The Next Level' is very similar to the previous instalment in regards to its tone and story (with some elements mixed-up, of course), and despite some humour and story moments going a little too over-the-top for my taste. The film is still enjoyable enough for those seeking another fun family adventure from this franchise.
Unable to actually decide what I thought of the film initially, 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' is a true mixed-bag of a blockbuster, having some fantastic monster action with flawless CG effects and a surprisingly ranged colour palette be completely bogged-down by weak characters, cheesy moments, and, at points, a very messy story.
Director Quentin Tarantino returns to the silver screen once again with 'Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.' Bringing us a subversion of some of his usual film tropes, to focus more on a story of a man seeking his return to fame in Hollywood, all shown through some beautiful cinematography and an excellent 1960s soundtrack.
Of all the franchises dragging themselves out in an attempt to drawn in whatever loose profits still remain, 'Terminator' has been by far the worst, with 'Terminator: Dark Fate' only further proving this. Being extremely bland and cliché throughout, this time-travelling sci-fi series truly feels as if it's got nothing more to offer, even with a talented director at the helm and James Cameron back on-board as a producer, this franchise is now really just a shadow of its former-self.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
In another one of this year's biggest disappointments, 'John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum' is the third entry in the 'John Wick' series, and sadly, leaves a lot to be desired. As many of the trilling and well-executed action scenes are dragged down by a messy and uninteresting story, as well as a variety of extremely out-of-place comedic moments.
Star Wars – Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Arguably the most disappointing film of the year for many, 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' attempted to close the enormous legacy of the 'Star Wars' saga, which unfortunately, failed quite miserably. As overly fast-pacing and an extremely messy (and unsatisfying) narrative really dragged the film down despite its fun moments and exciting action scenes, further proving that this franchise needs a long rest before it's inevitable return.
Most likely my favourite Marvel film of this year, 'Spider-Man: Far From Home' hardly breaks new ground when it comes to superhero flicks. But the main cast's great performances mixed with plenty of exciting action and a surprisingly interesting antagonist, leave 'Spider-Man: Far From Home' an enjoyable and mostly faithful comic book adventure for the iconic web-head.
The second of this year's live-action Disney remakes, 'The Lion King' directed by Jon Favreau, is definitely one of the worst, in my opinion. As although the film's CG effects are near-flawless, the film simply lacks any of the charm, heart and personality of the original film, resulting in the remake being nothing more than a boring experience.
Although the film is help-up by some strong performances and some interesting ideas, 'Little Monsters' never manages to break the structure of your usual zombie film. Coming across as an occasionally fun yet mostly bland horror-comedy, which is just as predictable as it is dull, despite many of its decent comedic moments.
Whilst I personally didn't dislike 'Serenity' as much as many others, the film still suffers from a variety of issues, as director Steven Knight attempted to achieve something very different with this film, which at some points works quite well, and at others doesn't work at all. As many of the unusual performances and can really drag down the film's great cinematography and editing.
Overly predictable and formulaic, 'Fractured' focuses on the potentially compelling narrative of a father's family mysteriously disappearing within the walls of a hospital, yet despite its few effective scenes, 'Fractured' soon ends-up feeling like a path nearly every viewer has been down before. Resulting in the film becoming just another forgettable Netflix Original.
Despite my dislike of director Robert Egger's other film: 'The Witch' back in 2016, 'The Lighthouse' had me gripped to the screen throughout its runtime. As the film's bleak greyscale colour palette along with it's eerie original score and intriguing story, leave the 'The Lighthouse' a film that's just an interesting to discuss as it is to watch.
I went to experience Korean director Bong Joon Ho's 'Parasite' mostly due to its outstanding reviews rather than due to its trailers (which I personally found quite poor). But yet, with some absolutely gorgeous cinematography and brilliant performances, 'Parasite' is now definitely up there with some of my personal favourite foreign flicks such as: 'Oldboy,' 'Veronica' and 'The Host,' in addition to possibly being my favourite release of this year.
One of the blandest Marvel films I've seen for a while, 'Captain Marvel' focuses far too much on pushing its themes of female empowerment that it forgets to actually craft a likeable protagonist or an interesting origin story, making the film seem forgettable more than anything else.
Surprisingly, 'Zombieland: Double Tap' was more enjoyable than I was initially expecting. As while far from as memorable or as enjoyable as the original for me, there were more than a few moments of humour between the cast that had me laughing, despite the film's tone going even more over-the-top than before.
Iconic director Martin Scorsese returns to bring us another tale of crime and regret with 'The Irishman,' and while the over three hour-long runtime can definitely make the film drag at points, the brilliant performances and phenomenal filmmaking are sure to keep those paying attention engaged for the majority of the film's runtime.
The latest superhero to get his own remake is the iconic: 'Hellboy,' with the remake this time falling far, far from the mark. As a ridiculously messy story mixed with poor CG effects and dreadful comedic moments, leave the film pleasing no one, despite David Harbour's serviceable performance as the horned anti-hero.
Made to appear as if it was filmed entirely within one shot, '1917' is a brutal, gripping and engaging story involving two soldiers who set off in a race against time to save thousands of men from a doomed battle, and while not flawless, the film is definitely impressive for both it's narrative and filmmaking.
Directed by actor and comedian Stephen Merchant, 'Fighting with My Family' is a light-hearted British comedy-drama based on the true story of WWE wrestler: 'Paige' portrayed extremely well throughout the film by Florence Pugh, and despite a few cringey scenes, 'Fighting with My Family' was a huge surprise for me. As a very investing story and some brilliant moments of humour leave the film a genuinely enjoyable experience that seemingly went under most people's radars upon its initial release.
Heartfelt, emotional and brimming with comedic charm, 'Jojo Rabbit' is another one of my favourites from this year. Being a completely different take on the war genre by giving the audience a new view of the events of the Second World War through the eyes of a child, all under the excellent direction of Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Thor: Ragnarok).
From Lakia animation studio, the production company that brought to life many of my favourite stop-motion animated films, such as: 'Coraline' and 'Kubo and the Two Strings' comes another fun family adventure. Shame this one couldn't have done better at the box-office, as the film is wonderfully put together, featuring plenty of humorous moments alongside the great voice acting and beautiful animation.
One of the most surprising films of the year for me, 'Ready or Not' may have your usual cliché plot for a modern horror, but somehow the film manages to carry it through. Managing to be extremely funny, violent and fun throughout nearly the entirety of its brief runtime.
The long-awaited sequel to Stanley Kubrick's classic: 'The Shining,' 'Doctor Sleep' attempts to continue the story of the 'Overlook Hotel,' and does so with mixed results. As although the film does pay plenty of the respect to the original film, I couldn't help but feel the film doesn't stand on its own very well, having a mostly predictable story with some pretty bland characters within its nearly three hour runtime.
From the producers of the 'It' remake from 2017, this reimagining of the 1980s horror classic: 'Child's Play' does have some great elements, such as some hilarious scenes of dark comedy gory, and creative death scenes and even a pretty memorable voice performance from Mark Hamill as the iconic killer doll: 'Chucky,' and yet, the film never quite manages to escape its remake roots and goofy original idea, usually feeling more unnecessary than anything else.
Regardless of its atrocious reviews from both critics and audiences, I actually quite enjoyed 'Wounds.' As although this psychological horror may have some bland cinematography and an over-reliance on jump-scares at points, the film's weirdly unique narrative and main performance by Armie Hammer simply won me over by its end, despite the film being nothing that memorable in the long-run.
In this new interpretation of Steven King's classic novel, Jason Clarke and Amy Seimetz portray: 'Louis' and 'Rachel Creed' a couple who move to rural Maine only to soon discover a mysterious burial ground hidden within the woods near their new home, and aside from the dark and interesting plot the film provides. 'Pet Sematary' is nothing more than a bland jump-scare fest with little focus on building character or atmosphere.
This unique animated French film co-written by the writer of the beloved: 'Amélie,' is very charming and beautifully crafted throughout the entirety of its tight runtime, with a variety of stunning shots and plenty of creative ideas, 'I Lost My Body' is certainly worth a watch despite being overshadowed by many other films released this year.
After many poor attempts at comedies in recent days, Adam Sandler gives one of his best performances in years with 'Uncut Gems,' portraying a shady jeweller who's actions and consequences carry the film brilliantly from start-to-finish, despite the film's shaky camerawork and bizarre original score being a little distracting at points.
Although I quite enjoyed 'Hereditary,' director Ari Aster's first film from 2017, 'Midsommar' was most certainly not for me. Feeling far too pretentious at points with a slow-paced narrative and weak characters, the film's unique ideas and attractive visuals simply couldn't save from becoming the boring experience it eventually ended-up being for me, with the exception of another excellent performance by Florence Pugh from this year.
Unicorn Store
Led by a mediocre and sometimes irritating performance from Brie Larson, 'Unicorn Store' attempts to be a fun, colourful, and heartwarming tale of a grown woman letting go of her childhood. Yet unfortunately, the film passes the mark for most of its goals, as 'Unicorn Store' is far more dull and forgettable than the whimsical and uplifting tale its story attempts to be.
Whilst I definitely would've preferred an anthology-type structure when it comes to an adaptation of the 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark' book series, this Guillermo del Toro produced horror does still have some entertainment value, and I could see the film being very appealing to younger viewers desiring a gateway into the genre.
The Kid Who Would Be King
A decent fantasy adventure for families, 'The Kid Who Would Be King' directed by Joe Cornish (Attack the Block) definitely has some areas in need of improvement. As the film is brimming with cheesy moments and a very out-of-place original score. Despite this, however, the film still manages to utilise its fun story and exciting action scenes to the best of its advantage, resulting in an entertaining if not perfect family flick.
Rise of the Guardians (2012) – Film Review
8th Dec 2019 16th Jul 2021 / Joe Baker - Film Reviews / Leave a comment
Truly a very underrated DreamWorks flick, in my opinion, 'Rise of the Guardians' is a very comedic and action-packed animated adventure. Feeling almost like an 'Avengers' blockbuster aimed towards a younger audience at points, filled with plenty of heart, emotion and a wonderful original score by Alexandre Desplat, the film is a genuinely an animated hidden gem.
Plot Summary: When an evil spirit known as 'Pitch' lays-down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal 'Guardians,' a.k.a. 'Santa Clause,' 'The Easter Bunny,' 'The Tooth Fairy,' 'Sandman' and 'Jack Frost' must join forces for the first-time in millennia to protect the hopes, beliefs, and imagination of children all over the world…
'Rise of the Guardians' takes a lot of inspiration from the children's book series: 'The Guardians of Childhood' by William Joyce. As the film has a lot of fun with its plot, playing-into the over-the-top ideas of its story resulting in many interesting/unique locations and plenty of little jokes between the characters.
The entire cast of Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman and Isla Fisher, are all fantastic as their various characters. Each giving their character a likeable and amusing but not overly irritating personality, I particularly enjoyed Hugh Jackman and Alec Baldwin as 'The Easter Bunny' and 'Santa Clause,' as I feel these characters were definitely given many of the best jokes and moments throughout the film's runtime, with the actors behind their voices clearly having a lot of fun of portraying them.
Throughout the film, the animated cinematography is fairly decent, as while by no means anything exceptional. The film does make use of many different moving shots, usually having the camera tracking or spinning around the characters/locations to make the film feel like a true spectacle. The original score by Alexandre Desplat is easily one of my favourite elements of the film however, as while this composer has worked on many other brilliant soundtracks in his past, such as: 'The Imitation Game,' 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' (Part I and II) and 'The Shape of Water' just to name a few. I feel this has to be one of his most underrated scores similar to the film itself, as the tone captures all the elements of wonder, amazement and excitement perfectly.
The animation within the film is stunning throughout, everything from the hairs on-top of the character's heads, to the many sand effects for: 'Sandman's abilities, alongside 'Jack Frost's snow/ice effects all look phenomenal. The film is always very beautiful to look at and has a very diverse colour palette, ranging from light blues, to pale greens and dark blacks, making every shot look very appealing and always different from the last.
My main issues with the film mostly revolves around its cheesiness, as while the film isn't only aimed at children and does manage to reach an adult audience most of the time. The film never quite catches the older audience like a Pixar film would for example. There is also a small group of child characters in the film who play a role in the narrative helping the guardians, unfortunately I found these characters quite irritating, as I felt the film played into their 'childlike nature' a little too much, luckily, these characters don't receive too much screen-time.
'Rise of the Guardians' is one of those great family films that can entertain most children and a fair few adults, while by no means is it one of the best animated films. It's certainly up there with some of DreamWorks' other classics such as: 'Shrek,' 'Kung Fu Panda,' 'Megamind' or 'How to Train Your Dragon' for me. As although the film may not be winning an Oscar for best-animated film anytime soon, I still feel it's still a great watch around Christmas, Easter, or maybe just your standard family film night. Final Rating: 7/10.
ParaNorman (2012) – Film Review
28th Oct 2019 1st Nov 2021 / Joe Baker - Film Reviews / Leave a comment
From Lakia animation studios, the production company behind many beautifully-animated stop-motion flicks such as: 'Coraline,' 'The Boxtrolls' and 'Kubo and the Two Strings' to name a few, comes another mostly enjoyable creepy family adventure, thanks mostly to some fantastic stop-motion animation as well as it's great cast. Even if the film may not be as entertaining as some other films from Lakia's animated line-up.
Plot Summary: 'Norman Babcock' is a misunderstood boy who can speak to the dead, but when 'Norman's estranged uncle tells him of an important ritual he must perform in order to protect his home town: 'Blithe Hollow' from a centuries-old witch's curse. He must take on ghosts, zombies, and grown-ups in order to stop the curse from destroying everything he's ever known…
The weakest element of the film for me is unfortunately, the story, as although the idea of having a young boy who can see ghosts is a decent idea in itself, almost serving as 'The Sixth Sense' for families in a way. The rest of the narrative never reaches the eerie tone of: 'Coraline' or the fun of: 'Missing Link,' with the film even attempting to have a few emotional scenes, but most of them fall a little flat, mostly due to never truly having the impact they need. However, the humour throughout the film is mostly decent as whilst not every joke lands, the majority of them do, and the film usually has a range of comedy for all ages, despite a few jokes going on for far too long.
Kodi Smit-McPhee gives a solid performance as 'Norman Babcock,' as well as Tucker Albrizzi, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and John Goodman. However, my personal favourites of the cast have to be Anna Kendrick, and Casey Affleck as 'Courtney' and 'Mitch' without a doubt. As the two of them portray two weak-minded teenagers helping 'Norman' on his paranormal adventure, with 'Courtney' clearly having an interest in 'Mitch' which he is completely oblivious towards.
Tristan Oliver handles the cinematography throughout 'ParaNorman,' which is definitely a weaker element of the film, as the cinematography simply backs-up the animation rather than doing anything incredibly interesting with the shots, there still is the occasional pleasing shot, however, and the cinematography does display many of the miniature sets very well.
The original score by Jon Brion is very reminiscent of classic 1980's horror flicks, which is suitable considering the film's opening scene has the protagonist: 'Norman' watching a classic zombie film, and while the soundtrack isn't incredibly memorable on itself, it works well enough in the film to increase some of the comedy and atmosphere when it can, with the track: 'Zombie Attack in the Eighties' being my personal favourite for this exact reason.
Unsurprisingly, the stop-motion animation is phenomenal throughout the film. As every character and every miniature set looks incredible, having a creepy and exaggerated yet still appealing look. All with smooth motions similar to any other animated film, whether animated through CGI or not. In the few short instances where CGI is used within the film, however, it's normally used to great effect, usually to simply improve the visuals rather than taking the emphasis away from the hand-crafted animation itself. And in order to generate the film's 3D effects, the camera was cleverly mounted on a rig, which would take one shot, then slide to a slightly different viewpoint to take another, allowing for more less movement in the figures themselves.
All in all, despite 'ParaNorman' not quite managing to craft an incredibly memorable story for the majority of its runtime, I would say I enjoyed myself. As although 'ParaNorman' still isn't my favourite of Lakia's film catalogue, as I personally feel there isn't many areas the film overly succeeds in. The film is decently entertaining for the most part. Final Rating: low 7/10.