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Reviews
Daddy Day Care (2003)
Nothing Breathtaking, but Average Family Fun,
Daddy Day Care is a reasonably good movie with a nicely developed plot and a solid cast. The highlight of the film is without a doubt Eddie Murphy and Jeff Garlin in the lead roles, they are both clearly having a load of fun on screen together and their chemistry is infectious, making for an enjoyable riot as we watch the duo try to manage a host of manic children.
It certainly does not do anything overtly interesting or fresh with its concept, being quite a by the numbers family film, there are moments where you feel like it's about to have a voice, till it immediately shys away from it. Nothing groundbreaking, but enjoyable. While there's nothing to write home about, Daddy Day Care is a solid fun, innocent family adventure that is heightened by Murphy and Garlin's chemistry.
Two best friends start a child caring business, but higher ups will stop at all costs to shut them down.
Best Performance: Eddie Murphy
Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
As Series that Impressively Manages to Keep Exceeding Itself,
Mission: Impossible- Fallout is a brilliant movie with a well written script and a phenomenal cast. It is amazing to see this series still managing to top itself, even on its sixth run there is absolutely no sign of it getting stale, I am continuing to want more of Ethan Hunt and not being let down.
I will say that Jeremy Renner's abscence is unfortunate and felt in this movie, that gang just did not feel quite as perfected, his character adds so much to the story that you could not help but miss him.
That being said, the cast this film does boast is fantastic, Tom Cruise is as great as ever as Hunt, and as long as he seems to be enjoying doing it, we will continue to want to watch. Returning members Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson and Alec Baldwin are all spectacular and round out the story immensely well, and newcomer Henry Cavill is a very welcome addition, who's character is interesting, unique and always keeps you wondering.
Action packed, funny and entertaining, everything you would want in a Mission: Impossible movie. Though I would not call it the best in the series, Fallout stands on its own, and fans of these movies will not be disappointed.
Ethan and his gang will stop at nothing to halt a group of terrorists from getting their hands on plutonium, even if it means getting involved with a trained assassin.
Best Performance: Tom Cruise
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019)
Tarantino is as Brave and Risky as Ever,
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a phenomenal film with a very well developed script and a sensational cast. It is both very Tarantino, while also being incredibly unique and standing on its own as an original piece of work, the film's focus on downtime and how often that happens in the entertainment industry sets up a series of very interesting events. Very little happens in terms of a plot for a large portion of this movie, but I was invested enough in the characters not to care, just enjoying seeing them develop.
The movie can drag at certain points, as we can start to wonder as we're watching when something impactful is going to happen. Tarantino does get very indulgent here, and while it does serve him, at times as a modern audience we can get a bit frustrated.
The cast is all around brilliant, the film gives a great showcase for Leonardo DiCaprio's versatility, playing the very layered and troubled Rick Dalton. Brad Pitt steals the show as Cliff Booth, an instantly likeable character who we route for throughout even when what he does is questionable, and Margot Robbie manages to own her role as Sharon Tate, playing the real life actress as an almost ghost like figure throughout, the film constantly builds to the real life event, and handles it in a way that is both controversial and, quite honestly, very entertaining.
High octane laughs and suspense. Funny, thrilling, inspired and unique, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is everything you would want from a Tarantino movie, with a twist, I would recommend to all his fans, as well as anyone looking for a good comedy.
A Hollywood actor starts to lose his appeal with the film industry of the 60s, finding himself having to change the course of his career, which has a knock on effect on his stuntman.
Best Performance: Brad Pitt
Halloween II (1981)
An Enjoyable Scare, but Pales in Comparison to its Predecessor,
Halloween II is a good movie with a well developed plot and a talented cast. It is an enjoyable scare and fans of horror will certainly get a good kick out of it. I find Michael Myers, personally, to be very enjoyable as a Horror figure, he is chilling in a very intriguing way, moving slowly, he scares quite subtly, but it makes him more interesting than a typical straight up terrifying horror character.
While it does fine on its own, you will be deflated watching it considering that you will not be able to not make comparisons to the original Halloween, and it is quite a mediocre sequel. It is not half as original, nor is it anywhere near as thrilling as Halloween, and tries so hard to do what the previous film did so well that it becomes a pale imitation.
Jamie Lee Curtis and Donal Pleasence save this movie, and are also too good to be in it really. They are both bursting with life, energy and are both clearly still happy to be playing the characters of Laurie and Dr. Sam Loomis, they make it watchable with their dynamic chemistry make it worthwhile.
Run of the mill horror, but enjoyable. Scary and quick, Halloween II does nothing groundbreaking, but it is a fun watch for horror junkies.
Michael Myers is still on the run, Laurie and Dr. Loomis must stop at nothing to find him before he gets his next victim.
Best Performance: Donald Pleasence
Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later (2017)
Still great Fun, but a Tad Underwhelming,
Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later is a very enjoyable mini-series with loads of great moments and a phenomenal comedic cast. It is fun to see the majority of the cast from the original movie and the previous mini-series, First Day of Camp, come back playing appropriately aged versions of the characters that suit their acting range this time. Paul Rudd is particularly hilarious as an older version of Andy.
The series did not delight in every area, I will be honest, I certainly thought First Day of Camp was a more successful reunion series for the cult film, and it did feel here that they were pushing it a bit, at times. There were jokes and bits that went on for far longer than was necessar, and it definitely had some palpable scripting issues throughout.
However, we can put the flaws of the eight episodes aside and appreciate it for what it is, purely ridiculous, stupid comedy that consistently remains delightful. Not perfect but always entertaining, Wet Hot American Horror: Ten Years Later is solid and worth the watch for fans of the franchise.
The campmates of Camp Firewood return 10 years later, as they promised they would in the original movie, for chaos and shenanigans.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
A Fun, Empowering Biopic,
Bohemian Rhapsody is a fantastic movie with a well developed plot and a tremendous cast. I know an argument a lot of people are making is that it is not an "honest portrayal" of who Queen are, and sure, that's a very fair reaction to this movie, but it's fun, campy, bursting with energy and I honestly could not have asked for any more from a film about a group of people who were nothing but.
Rami Malek is spellbinding as Mercury, chewing the scenery in this role, every move he made was unique and caught my attention. It had to be a challenge turning in to such a larger than life persona, and I walked in feeling particularly difficult to be won over because of how much I wanted it to be Sacha Baron Cohen, but Malek totally blew me away, and he deserves every award that comes his way.
The Live Aid performance at the end is magnificent and is worth watching for that scene alone, but the whole film itself is a romp. Bursting with fun and inspiration, Bohemian Rhapsody is a must for all music and Biopic fans alike.
Follows the life and career of Freddie Mercury and the band Queen.
Best Performance: Rami Malek
Halloween (2018)
One of the best Horrors in Decades,
Halloween is easily one of the best scary movies I have seen in years, no doubt on my top five best Horrors ever. The movie knew what today's spooky film goers were looking for, it genuinely shocks, and it genuinely surprises, it had me jumping off my seat more than a film has in a long time.
It is an excellent turn to form for a franchise that always had potential but seldom delivered on it. Jamie Lee Curtis packs in a career highlight as Laurie Strode, a role she originated forty years ago, and their is a grounded comfort in her performance, as well as a willingness to be bold and daring.
Michael Myers is by far one of the most heart pounding horror villains, and he is so utterly unpredictable in this film that it kept me constantly at the edge of my seat. The very first on screen death let's us know that this film is taking no shortcuts, and all the risks.
Phenomenal horror/thriller. Intense and not for the faint of heart, I would highly recommend Halloween to all Horror film fanatics.
Forty years after the events of the first Halloween, Michael Myers escapes the asylum once more, but Laurie has been awaiting his return.
Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
Thrilling and Fun,
Bad Times at the El Royale is a smashing, riveting thriller that is both unique as well as delivering on its potential to a reasonable extent, it certainly had me invested from beginning to end, and its long runtime was no concern to me as I was frequently invested in these characters, wanting to learn more about each of them.
There are great performances all around, including some impressive turns of typecast from the likes of Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson and Chris Hemsworth, as well as some very impressive acting from lesser known stars such as Lewis Pullman and Cynthia Erivo, whose relationship with Bridges was certainly the film's highlight for me.
The movie suffers mostly from its ending, if I am being honest, and that's where the final rating stumbles for me, as it never truly delivers the anarchy or mania that it seems to be promising from its bonkers execution. I was very underwhelmed when the credits came up and, despite its length, still felt like I was only getting half a movie.
An intriguing story and brilliant characters. Great fun from beginning to end, I would recommend Bad Times at the El Royale to anyone looking for a good thriller.
A group of suspicious individuals all check in to a prestigious motel.
Best Performance: Jeff Bridges
Weekend at Bernie's (1989)
Stupid, Simple Fun,
Weekend at Bernie's is a good movie with a reasonably well written plot, and a talented comedic cast. It is certainly nothing spectacular, but it is a consistently fun, enjoyable movie that plays with its ridiculous concept in a manner that leads to hilarious, absurd slapstick comedy.
The film does suffer due to only really having one major joke for the whole thing, that Bernie is dead but no one apart from the two leads know. While still funny, it gets very stale as the joke is that people are talking to him and making no realization that he is not responding, it can get tiring when it's a whole hour and a half long.
Jonathan Silverman and Andrew McCarthy save the film with their chemistry that is palpable throughout, even when the plot starts to wear off, their energy and clear sense that they are having fun makes us.
Nothing perfect, but consistently enjoyable. While Weekend at Bernie's is forgettable and not very stimulating, it is a good laugh.
Two co-workers must work together to hide the fact they may have killed their boss.
Best Performance: Jonathan Silverman
A Star Is Born (2018)
Sweet, Powerful, Impactful,
Immensely sweet, warm and investing, A Star is Born is our first time seeing Bradley Cooper in a leading role in several years, and what a comeback. We can see exactly why he has not been in any film beyond playing Rocket Racoon in the MCU for a long time, cause he was pouring his heart and soul in to this film. Writing, Directing, learning how to sing, play guitar, and also playing a genuinely enriched, layered character. I was engaged and routing for this flawed character from start to finish.
Lady Gaga is also spellbinding as Ally, doing something that no one really expected from her, playing a soft spoken, shy character with so much believability. I was convinced it was similar to who she is in real life, and was very surprised to hear her say in a recent interview that she is nothing like that, she was just sincerely playing a character..
The only issue I had with the film that brought it down for me was the ending, which I found underwhelming, so to speak. It just felt like a cheap shot, an easy route to take in order to bring the audience to tears. I understand that this is how the other three "A Star is Born" films ended, but a modern day audience expect a bit more. It just fell flat for me.
The music is beautiful. Featuring many original songs that are both inspiring and heartwarming. "Maybe It's Time", "Shallow", and "I Don't Know what Love Is", are particularly beautiful tracks.
An entertaining ride, featuring two terrific characters that you will definitely find yourself forgetting are played by the dude from the Hangover and the woman who sung Poker Face, A Star is Born is bursting with heart and soul.
An old time musician helps a young woman get her big break.
Best Performance: Lady Gaga
Venom (2018)
Massively Flawed, but Very Fun,
Venom is a good movie with a reasonably well developed plot and a talented cast. I love enjoying movies in any shape or form, and I think a lot of today's critics are very rigid about what makes a good movie, and every beat that you need to take in order to make a movie good. I liked Venom, it's not particularly good, certainly not in the same way my most recent review, BlackKlansman, is good. That being said, I had a fun time, I went in with low expectations due to the annihilation this was getting from critics, and came out not feeling like I wasted my time.
Just to make it clear, it is incredibly flawed. Every character bar Eddie Brick/Venom are stale are stale as cardboard such as the villain, who Riz Ahmed is still putting as much life as possible in to, and the love interest, who Michelle Williams feels so wasted in, I was convinced it was not her due to the brutal material she was given.
The first thirty minutes or so are pretty awful, the execution in to the main plot felt extremely flat. However, once the symbiote got in to Eddie Brock, played fittingly larger than life by Tom Hardy, I was able to switch my brain off and have a good time. The concept of this protagonist, who is practically inactive because of this being controlling him became so intriguing to watch, seeing this guy who had ultimately no control over the situation he was in. I began forgiving the movie for failing to pull me in earlier, cause now I was completely immersed in this large scaled adventure. While immensely flawed, I still enjoyed Venom, and would watch it again. The film carries out the traditional Marvel fare quite well, such as Stan Lee's cameo and an excellent after credits scene. Do not go in expecting perfection and you will enjoy yourself.
A down on his luck man gets more than he bargained for when taking on a huge project for his journalism career.
Best Performance: Tom Hardy
/ Worst Performance: Michelle Williams
BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Honest, Raw and Has a Sense of Humour,
BlacKkKlansman is a tremendous movie with a masterfully written script and a tremendous cast. Like any of Spike Lee's work, I have to admire how bold the whole movie was in telling this story, it was a very honest portrayal of the actions of the Ku Klux Klan back in the 1970s, as well as including a very clever, intricate way of showing how these past events mirror recent occurrings, suggesting America may have taken a step backwards.
A fascinating true story that I never knew about, we follow Ron Stallworth, played brilliantly by John David Washington, as he joins the police force and poses as a white man over the telephone in order to make connections with the KKK, with the intentions of investigating their actions. The scenes that ensue between Adam Driver's character, who poses as Ron's white persona in order to meet face to face with the members, are massively intense as we fear they could be caught at any moment.
The film is daring, bold, features phenomenal performances all around, including a very unexpected turn by Topher Grace as founder David Duke, and is also, strangely enough, quite fun, it was never afraid to play with its premise and I found myself laughing quite a bit.
Intense and consistently entertaining. Not for the faint of heart due to its heavy subject matter, that being said, BlacKkKlansman is a film I would recommend to all movie buffs.
A true story that follows an African American police officer who poses as a white man in order to infiltrate the KKK.
Best Performance: John David Washington
Synecdoche, New York (2008)
Visually Splendid and Bold, Albeit not Hitting Home as Much as Kaufman's previous Work,
Synecdoche, New York is a great movie with a well developed plot and a tremendous cast that help combine the naturalism, as well as absurdity, of the film brilliantly. It is immensely weird from beginning to end, not something anyone who is a fan of Charlie Kaufman will be surprised to hear. There are moments that are very tense, laugh out loud hilarious, and parts where you will not have an utmost clue of what is going on, this is exactly what makes the film immensely interesting, and always kept me engaged.
It is, unfortunately, not as strong as some of Kaufman's other work, it is certainly no Being John Malkovich or Adaptation in my eyes. While these films are equally weird, they are always telling a story at their core and developing rich, unique characters. However, Synecdoche does go for something to react to over something that serves the plot to the degree that it is just being risky for the sake of being risky at points.
The cast is all around terrific, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson and Tom Noonan all deliver particularly stand out performances and make their bonkers roles look effortless. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is absolutely tremendous as Caden Cotard, an immensely conflicted, three dimensional and mind boggling creation, going back and forth from being likeable to unredeemable again and again, he handled this rollercoaster with brilliant ease.
Sometimes weird just for the sake of being weird, but consistently had me invested. Synecdoche New York may not be Kaufman's greatest work, but it is a thoroughly entertaining film that I would recommend to fans.
A theatre director starts to lose focus with reality while working on his riskiest project yet.
Best Performance: Phillip Seymour Hoffman
The Simpsons: Homer is Where the Art Isn't (2018)
Hilarious and Fun Parody of Detective Shows,
Homer is Where the Art Isn't is a terrific Simpsons episode with a very well written plot and tons of very funny scenes. It is a very fun parody of old detective shows from the 70s and 80s, mimicking them in such a clever way you can tell the writers did their research while writing this episode.
There is gag after gag, which is perfectly fine and obviously what we have come to expect from the Simpsons, but it does get carried away with itself sometimes to an extent that the plot can sometimes get lost, which was a shame because the story had so much potential that, had it been a tad more focused in telling that, this could have been a ten for me.
The highlight of the episode, for me, is without a doubt Bill Hader as Detective Manacek, perfectly protraying the kind of character they were parodying in a very satisfying way, and he had some stellar quotes throughout that had me in absolute stitches, he is a character I would not mind seeing again.
Hilarious and well constructed episode. Fun from beginning to end, Homer is Where the Art Isn't is a silly Simpsons at its finest.
Homer gets caught in a fix when he is accused of stealing a million dollar painting.
The Simpsons: Frink Gets Testy (2018)
Enjoyable Episode, Albeit Never Completely delivering on its Potential,
Frink Gets Testy is a great Simpsons episode with a very well written plot and plenty of very funny scenes. There is gag after gag in this episode, plenty of laugh out loud moments for me, particularly from Professor Frink, it was refreshing to see a character who is rarely given the spotlight getting a lead role.
I love the concept of the episode, however, it actually felt too ambitious for twenty minutes, I could have seen it being a two parter, but instead it tries to cram this big idea, which ends up being their biggest downfall.
What it lacks in story in makes up for in humour. Funny and immensely enjoyable, Frink Gets Testy could have been better, but it is very fun.
Fearing Doomsday is coming, Mr. Burns gets Professor Frink to test everyone to see who's worth saving. The results are a major shock to the Simpsons family.
Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)
Takes out Everything that Worked with the Original and Keeps Everything that Didn't,
Hotel Transylvania 2 is a horrendous movie with a very poorly developed script and a talented voice cast that unfortunately do not do very much to save this mess. I quite enjoyed the first movie, it was no Shrek or Toy Story, but it does manage to find a nice balance between childish and adult humour, this film however makes literally no effort to appeal to an older age demographic. It I s filled with fart jokes and silly animation for a toddler to glare at in amazement, but offers nothing to stimulate the parents.
It makes the obvious sequel decisions of introducing new characters and sending them to new locations, but it never does anything interesting or new with these concepts.
A snooze fest for anyone over the age of 10. While the first movie was fun and witty, Hotel Transylvania 2 is just here for the money.
Dracula grows concerned when his new grandson is not showing his vampire side.
Christopher Robin (2018)
A Sweet, Grounded Film that is Also not Afraid to Explore Darker Themes,
Christopher Robin is a fantastic film with a very well developed plot and a tremendous cast of both live action and voice actors. It is an immensely sweet movie that had me tearing up within the first ten minutes as we follow Christopher Robin as a young boy parting from his friends in the Hundred Acre Woods. Ewan McGregor, who brilliantly portrays an older Christopher, has such a tremendous chemistry with Winnie the Pooh that it was hard to believe he was not actually on set with him, it was pure and simple, just a joy to watch.
I did find it quite odd to make the choice for several of the characters to be English, Pooh, Tigger and Eeyore were not, thankfully being voiced by their original voice actors, but it was strange to see the rest having English accents, it felt like they were in two different movies. Peter Capaldi as Rabbit was a particularly questionable choice, he resembled the one we know from the cartoons in no way at all, he had no OCD, basically just being Capaldi voicing a rabbit, playing Capaldi, it did not even resemble the Disney style, simply being a CGI Bunny.
The film features many of Pooh's wonderful quotes from the A.A. Milne books, some of my favorites being "We didn't realise we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun" and "Doing nothing often leads to the very best of something" which ends up being the overall message of the film. Pooh becomes such a wholesome, profound and endearing character from the use of this classical text.
Tearjerking and wonderful. Sweet, simple and fun, Christopher Robin has big ideas that it always keeps grounded, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good family film.
Now in his forties, married with a child and struggling to come up with a solution to avoid potential work cuts, Christopher Robin is reunited with his friend Pooh, who needs his help.
Best Performance: Ewan McGregor
Game Night (2018)
Immensely Solid, Fun and Very Original Comedy,
Game Night is a fantastic movie with a very well developed plot and a spectacular comedic cast. The film is consistently fun and constantly goes beyond boundaries that most comedies are afraid to go past. There are some very dark moments and the film itself is also partly a thriller, making several bold moves throughout.
I did find that it got a bit too frantic at points, it needed to ground itself a tad more, but instead gets carried away with jumping from one side story to another, but this is really only a small criticism.
The cast is all around terrific and they take on their unique, flawed characters brilliantly. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams are particularly stellar in their roles, with a dynamic chemistry that is consistently entertaining to watch.
Fun from start to finish. Hilarious, thrilling and exciting, Game Night is a very unique comedy that I would certainly recommend.
A group of friends that run a weekly game night get more than they bargained for when the hosts' brother is in town.
Best Performance: Jason Bateman
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013)
A Solid Sequel that Delivers,
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is a great movie with a well developed script and a top notch voice cast. As far as sequels go, it is a genuinely solid one that delivers on its potential and has fun with its new concept, rather than falling down a rabbit whole that most sequels do of trying to rehash everything that worked in the predecessor.
I will say that it does favour satisfying images and sequences over an actual plot on a bit too many occasions, it falls victim to forgetting the story it is trying to tell, instead it gets more invested in showcasing nice animation, which is cool but can get frustrating when we are longing for more story.
The cast is all around terrific, Bill Hader in particular is a delightful return, and the new comers are also fantastic, such as Terry Crews and Will Forte, the latter of which I really loved as the film's antagonist, he had a great animated villain voice that made him consistently enjoyable to watch.
A fun viewing. Nothing groundbreaking, but Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is a great sequel that is fun for the whole family.
Several years after the events of the first movie, the gang learn an island has become infected with mutated food.
The Happytime Murders (2018)
Could have Broken Boundaries, but It's Just Okay,
The Happytime Murders is a decent movie with a flawed script that does have its moments and a solid cast that make the best of it. Personally, I do not think this movie deserves the annhilation it has received from critics, I think it has a lot of good about it, I personally thought Melissa McCarthy taking on a role very different from her usual typecast, playing a straighter, more stern police officer, was very interesting to see and she did a great job. I also thought Bill Barretta was terrific as Phil Phillips, taking on a challenging role in that he is, of course, a puppet, but not particularly flamboyant or eccentric. I feel he deserves more credit for what he did with the part, he made him human, there were parts where I genuinely forgot I was watching a puppet. The puppeteering all around was terrific, Brian Henson and the rest of the Jim Henson Company did a great job of creating a universe co-inhabited by puppets and humans.
It does fodder in several areas, the actual mystery aspect of the film is immensely weak, it never managed to surprise me or do anything interesting with this fun concept of puppets trying to solve a crime. It also never gave me a reason to care about the Happytime Gang, who should have been established from the get go, but instead are immediately tossed to the side and then later on I am expected to care about them as characters.
It also has far too many unnecessarily sexual and explicit moments, the worse one of which features in the trailer, that just felt like they were doing it for a reaction and not for any other reason. there was never an authentic or potent point for them being there.
Stumbles, but is consistently entertaining. Immensely flawed, it is very unfortunate how mediocre The Happytime Murders is, cause it could have changed the game for puppet films, but it is consistently fun, and an older generation of fans of The Jim Henson Company's Work will appreciate it.
Two detectives investigate the murders of several members of a hit kids television show.
Best Performance: Bill Barretta
What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966)
Stumbles Along, Never doing Anything Exceptional or Outright Clever with its Concept,
What's Up, Tiger Lily? is a brutal movie with a poorly written script and voice actors that I am sure had fun, but not to the audience's advantage. I was very enthralled to watch Woody Allen's directorial debut, but I sadly must say it delivers nothing that even hints towards the great work that he would later bring us, no dialogue or witty moment that suggests anything even slightly close to the likes of Annie Hall and Midnight in Paris.
The film's concept of dubbing over an old action movie to change the story seemed interesting, something that could be worthy of a few chuckles, but it wore thin for me very early on and became immensely draining after ninety minutes, it was just too much for such an unremarkable idea.
Poorly written and, at times, quite boring. Forgettable and unfunny, What's Up Tiger Lily is worth giving a miss, do yourself a favour and skip ahead to Allen's later work.
Dialogue is dubbed over an old Japanese film to create a completely different story.
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
A Super Fun Pallette Cleanser after Infinity War,
Ant-Man and the Wasp is a fantastic movie with a very well written plot and a terrific cast that shine in comedic and dramatic moments. It is great to see Scott Lang back as the lead character again and his rapid fire, witty dialogue is as good as ever. There are plenty of hilarious moments throughout, but never manages to take away from what is going on or make us care less about these characters.
My only real complaint is that the film is trying to do a bit too much at once that it can feel a tad overstuffed at times. It was very ambitious and had a ton of interesting ideas that I was very invested in, but could not help but feel they could have preserved some for later movies.
The cast is all as great as ever, Paul Rudd absolutely shines, Evangeline Lilly has an amazing presence and it is great to see her in an even bigger role this time around, Michael Douglas is very effective as always, Michael Peña is a scene stealer in the best way possible, and the overall cast is just a delight all around.
The fun and adventure we need after the soul crushing Infinty War. A breath of fresh air from start to finish, Ant-Man and the Wasp is a great watch that I would recommend to all Marvel fans.
Scott Lang is sent on an urgent mission that soon leads to the unveilment of huge secrets.
Best Performance: Paul Rudd
Episodes (2011)
A Thoroughly Entertaining Comedy that Didn't Overstay its Welcome,
Episodes is a fantastic television series with very well written episodes and a phenomenal comedic cast. It is a brilliant satire on the entertainment industry in general and tells it from the very fun perspectives of Sean and Beverly, two comedy writers from London getting their series remade by Americans. There is also a good arc and terrific character development throughout the series, it does not just have one episode after another with no connections, instead having a continuing story with characters building and changing throughout.
It does get to a point, I will admit, where it does not necessarily get worse, but does get safer. The first two seasons are consistently bold and always willing to try new things, but the other three do start to delve in to the realm of cliches and security blankets. It does not get significantly weaker, just a little less exciting.
The cast is all around spectacular and there are many brilliant comedic actors that come for a few episodes and leave, but out of the cast that stay throughout, Stephen Mangan and Tasmin Greig have a dynamic chemistry that constantly keeps the show grounded, John Pankow is an absolute scene stealer as Merc, and Kathleen Rose Perkins plays a delightfully complex role as Carol that is consistently entertaining. However, the highlight is without a doubt Matt LeBlanc as, well, Matt LeBlanc, he plays a horribly exaggerated version of himself that is selfish, pompous, narcissistic, and you can see he is constantly having a blast doing it, which makes it so much fun to watch, and see him do something so different from what we all came to know and love him from in Friends, proving he is not a one trick pony.
A riot from beginning to end. Consistently stays afloat, big laughs and came to a close at a perfect time, Episodes is a comedy series that I would highly recommend.
A British couple/writing duo travel to Hollywood to remake their successful British comedy series, but their lives change forever when Matt LeBlanc is casted as the lead.
Best Performance: Matt LeBlanc
Special Correspondents (2016)
Stale and Uninspired,
Special Correspondents is a mediocre movie with a shoddily written plot and a cast that are enjoyable but have been much better. Ricky Gervais and Eric Bana certainly have an excellent back and forth that makes for a very enjoyable viewing, It is just unfortunate their natural chemistry was put together with unnatural dialogue.
I am a huge fan of Ricky Gervais, and it upsets me to see him deliver such average work, but the film really does feel unfinished, like there was so much more that could have been done to make this far better, for instance, strengthening the plot, but the passion just was not there. He definitely did not have half as much intrigue for this as he had for the likes of The Office or Extras, he was just asked by Netflix to make a movie and did.
The characters are also immensely two dimensional, none of them have a quality that adds a real human element to them, every thing they say feels written.
A stumbling mess. Not without its moments, Special Correspondents, unfortunately, does not have enough for me to recommend this.
Two down on their luck men fake a kidnapping while they hide out in New York.
Best Performance: Eric Bana
Incredibles 2 (2018)
An Immensely Solid Sequel that Shines on its Own, As well as being a Fateful continuation of its Predecessor,
Incredibles 2 is a fantastic movie with a very well developed plot and a stellar voice cast. As far as sequels go, it really does shine and is probably one of the best continuation to an animated film I have seen in a very long time. Though he may have been shying away from them for several years, it is clear Brad Bird did not stop thinking about these characters, the love, passion and intrigue in developing them further was felt in this screenplay throughout.
My only issue with the film really is that the villain does not shine half as much as Syndrome, who was one of the highlights of the first Incredibles. While there are brilliant moments, particularly a very tense scene where Elastigirl tries to track their location, the motivations and scheming of the character is quite cliche in terms of superhero movies, and was not nearly as personal or hard hitting as it felt in the original.
The voice cast is all around fantastic and as great as ever, and the new sides we see from the characters in this movie are fascinating, without feeling out of place or forced in any way. The star of the film, for me, is Violet, who is given a spectacular arc that I was always the most invested in, while Jack Jack was also a joy in every scene and a character with so much fun capabilities for writers.
An immensely solid sequel. Despite the difficult challenge this film takes of being a sequel people waited 14 years for, it takes this challenge heads on and manages not to disappoint, The Incredibles 2 is a joy from beginning to end.
Following directly after the events of the first movie, Elastigirl takes up work with an organisation striving to save the protection of superheroes, while Bob stays home with the kids and discovers Jack Jack's superpowers.