All posts by Luke

Movie and TV lover with opinions about everything.
Movie Reviews

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) Review – Mamma Mia!

Leave a comment
Advertisements

One of the most popular game series of all time has had it… let’s say tough on the big screen. For the longest time, we’ve only had Super Mario Bros. (1993, my review here), and if you had the pleasure of seeing this masterpiece, you know why Nintendo was more cautious than ever about anything movie related. That is until now, and it seemed that history would repeat itself. I can’t think of anyone who was happy with casting Chris Pratt as Mario besides him. And the fact this was from the same studio as The Minions movies also didn’t inspire confidence. But then the first reviews came out, and to my surprise, most people were praising it! Sure, nothing spectacular, but it was intriguing enough for me to catch it in the cinemas.

Before we go any further, I just let you know one thing – I have not played any Mario game ever since… maybe the original? Or its sequel and that was probably 20 years ago. Yep, you read it right; I have never played any Mario Kart games or Mario Maker games… Basically, if you can name it and it has Mario in it, I haven’t played it. The reason is simple, I am not a big gamer anymore, and when I play something, those are not games I would want to spend my time on; they are just not appealing. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like Mario or this franchise quite the opposite; I think it’s a great, colourful world that is simply not something I want to spend my limited hours on. Why am I writing this? It is simple – you should know that my opinion of this movie is about the film, as I have no attachments to any games. Sure, even I know Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Toad etc., but I can’t judge the movie based on how close it was to the games or whether I caught some Easter eggs.

The first thing that hit me about The Super Mario Bros. Movie was its animation. It was pleasant, vivid, and, most importantly, it resembled the characters even I (not a gamer) was familiar with. The second thing that I thought was odd was how we started on our Earth, and we see both brothers as plumbers. I don’t know whether it was needed, but I understand it was to shut up people who’ve always complained about Mario being a plumber and not doing any plumbing. The “Earth” part was the weakest part of the film; the moment both our brothers finally enter the Mushroom Kingdom is when this movie finally starts.

And once it started, it was… pretty good? Again, don’t expect anything Pixar-like; this movie knows what it is and goes for it; however, most jokes work, the story makes sense, and it’s only 92 minutes! One of the best decisions the directors made was making this film tight. There is always something happening, I was rarely bored, and nothing ever felt “disposable”. There were stakes to this film and its story, everything felt consequential, and Bowser felt like a threat. And that’s all I could ask for from a movie about Italian plumbers.

Let’s talk about that casting. Chris Pratt would not be my first choice, but I feel like he became one of those “we hate him because we’ve already decided who he is” people. He’s not my favourite actor, but I think the hate he is getting is a bit too much. And he was perfectly fine as Mario. Sure; could you name five to ten people who would have been better? Probably. But he did a good job. Anya Taylor-Joy is always a joy (some pun intended) to listen to, and we have many others, mostly comedians (Keegan-Michael Key, Charlie Day or Seth Rogen), who have also had their moments. But, there was someone who stole the film, the same as his character. Jack Black. Before he started to sing (as he does in most of his movies), I wouldn’t have recognised him at all. Yes, I knew he was voicing him, but had I not known, I would have been shocked to learn that it was him, as it felt like he gave his soul to this role. While others were fine and sounded pretty much the same, Jack put on a performance. And his song Peaches is a bop; I secretly hope it might get an Oscar nomination.

What I was pleasantly shocked by was this blue character called Lumalee. I didn’t recognise this character at all, so I don’t know whether they are part of some game or they made it up for this film. Nevertheless, it had a delightful sense of dark, existential humour, but all lines were voiced with this baby voice. At some point, I even wondered how did the directors get this material past “would someone think of the children” people. One example that may showcase why I enjoyed this character this much: “The only hope is the sweet release of death.” Whoever came up with this character, bravo.

The only negative is the first 20 minutes are not as fun as the rest of this film. Also, you can precisely tell what will happen at any given point. But I can’t hold it against this movie too much, given its history and everything that went against this film too, for it to be a quick, enjoyable enough ride is sometimes enough. I wonder how much I would like it or not if I played any of the newer games.

Overall, The Super Mario Bros. Movie might be one of the biggest surprises of 2023. The movie I didn’t expect anything from; I wouldn’t have dreamed of going to see it in the cinemas, and yet, I did and had a great time. Sure, it’s mindless, vividly colourful fun with a dash of dark humour, but sometimes, that’s all you need. If you have kids, you can do much worse than this movie, that’s for sure. I would be open to a sequel, is a sentence I thought I would never say in the same breath as “The Super Mario Bros. Movie“.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Movie Reviews

The Black Phone (2022) Review – Ghosts, Children and Escape Room

Leave a comment
Advertisements

Let’s clear something up first – I know IMDb has this movie as a 2021 release, but it’s not. The way they operate is if the film had any premiere, no matter how small, that’s the year they are going with. And The Black Phone did premiere at two festivals in late 2021; however, the movie did not have its “full” US and international release until June 2022, so I will stick to that. I hate these technicalities where a movie played in one or two festivals, but it’s not released wide until several months later… it’s just confusing for everybody.

I was pretty hyped for this movie because Scott Derrickson has made some great films (many love the first Doctor Strange (2016) movie) and one excellent horror film. I am, of course, talking about Sinister (2012). I made the grave error of seeing it in the cinemas, and that still remains to this day the movie that affected me so much I couldn’t sleep well that night (what didn’t help was the screening finished around 10 PM). So yeah, Scott coming back to the horror genre and making a movie based on a short story by Joe Hill (Stephen King‘s son)? It doesn’t get any better than that, does it? And yet, what should have been another excellent horror, ended up being… still great but slightly underwhelming.

The first thing you can feel is the, for the lack of a better word, “Kinginess” of it all. Although Stephen didn’t write it, his son seems to like many of his dad’s elements (the 70s, high school bullies, kidnapped children), but if it ain’t broke, you know how that saying goes. And also, that wasn’t my issue with this film. The only serious gripe I had was that you could tell this was based on a short story by Hill. Yes, although this movie has a reasonable runtime of 103 minutes, at times, you can almost feel like this should have been even shorter. Maybe that story didn’t justify feature-length treatment at all. I don’t know, I didn’t read it, but there were a few scenes where it seemed like they were padding the runtime by any means necessary, especially towards the end. Not to mention, the movie feels like a fucked-up version of an escape room, where the ghosts tell him where the next useful thing might be hidden.

Luckily for most of this movie, you can focus on great actors. Mason Thames was a perfect choice, his character has the most growth out of all characters in the film, and he sells it without a hitch. Ethan Hawke is scary and mysterious, and although we never know much about his character, I didn’t mind that level of “mystique”. Every time he was on the screen, I was captured by his performance, despite the fact he wore a mask covering his mouth for most of the film. But I would argue the main star is Madeleine McGraw, aka Gwen. Her tenacity, pluckiness and general attitude (“Jesus. What the fuck?“) are so addictive, and she provides everything. From some moments of much-needed levity to an emotional scene at the end. I hope to see her in more movies.

I also liked the subversion of the “bad/alcoholic dad” trope. Jeremy Davies shines in this role, and when we are first introduced to him, we think we know exactly where this is going because we have seen this (alcoholic dad character) done to death. However, I am in the camp of “there is more than meets the eye”, as, throughout the movie, you can actually understand him and see him clearly, not as a monster, but as a broken man who only does what he thought was the best, mainly for his daughter. As with The Grabber (Ethan’s character), it is left very much up to you whether the dad has changed at the end or not.

Many times on this blog, you could see me write something like: “This should have been a TV show”, but I honestly feel like The Black Phone has the opposite problem. For everything I have just listed (and it is a great movie I would still recommend), I can’t shake the feeling that if you are adapting a short story, you should make sure it justifies a feature-length movie. Because for as many excellent things as I can name about this movie, I can’t still get over that weird thing where the film has you hooked from the start, only for it to let you go over time. And sure, the ending is brilliant, but everything in between is… fine. And I know Scott is capable of more than just “fine”.

Overall, The Black Phone is a great movie that could have been excellent if only we had something more to chew on. It’s an interesting tale of a superb beginning, an okay middle portion and an excellent ending that would, in most cases, make for slightly above the average rating. However, thanks to Scott behind the camera and are four main protagonists, I must go somewhat higher, as it has an undisputed quality. I would recommend The Black Phone, especially if you crave something “Stephen King-like”.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Movie Reviews

Nope (2022) Review – A Future Classic

Leave a comment
Advertisements

The third film by Jordan Peele, and yet again, it’s something totally different to anything he had done in the past. And although Nope barely missed out on the full 5/5 rating, just based on the scale of this film, I can already say with confidence that Jordan is one of my new favourite directors, at least regarding the modern-day era. He must be up there with Nolan, Fincher and the rest of the directors who have helped reshape the cinema from the 1990s until today. And with only three films under his directorial belt… Not too shabby, Jordan.

I missed this movie in the cinemas, and now, I genuinely regret it because the scope is something I appreciated on my nice TV, but I can’t help imagining what it must have been like watching it in the cinemas. It’s hard to say this without sounding cheesy, but Nope is one of those big films that should showcase why the cinema experience is needed and should not go away. After the COVID-19 pandemic and people streaming more than ever, the cinema still has a place for some films, and this film is, without a doubt, one of them.

Everything in this movie simply fits together. But unlike with other films, you don’t have to “catch on” all the themes instantly to have a good time. This is why I am not shy to compare Peele to someone like Nolan, as both filmmakers make movies where they only explain the bare minimum. They still trust the audience to “fill in the gaps” because they both provide you with the necessary tools to understand what is happening. Sure, at times, it takes one or two rewatches, but everything is here. Nope comments on trauma, history and, in a bizarre way, the idea of organised chaos and how it’s acceptable, no matter how horrific it seems. Without giving anything away, there was a scene towards the end that reminded me of the quote from The Dark Knight (2008):

You know what I’ve noticed? Nobody panics when things go “according to plan.” Even if the plan is horrifying! If, tomorrow, I tell the press that, like, a gang banger will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it’s all “part of the plan”.

The Joker, The Dark Knight (2008)

Before continuing, I swear I had no idea I would reference Nolan and his movies that much that wasn’t part of my plan. 😉

And to a certain extent, Peele plays with that idea too. But I am sure I am only scratching the surface here, and just like with his other movies, the more you revisit them, the more things you will catch, knowing where the story goes. And that is one of the most obvious “tells” how to spot a director that plays on a different level. There were many times I watched and even loved a film, but when I rewatch it after a couple of years, it plays fine, but it’s not as exciting because it is precisely as I remember it. But I bet you when I rewatch Nope, I will notice more things, catch on to different ideas and read some scenes differently. And as Martin Scorsese famously said:

Another thing I loved was the cast. All actors were perfect, but we must address the two performers Nope relied on the most, Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer. The fact Daniel “Oscar Winner” Kaluuya is a phenomenal actor isn’t really surprising unless you have never seen him act before; in that case, you are in for a treat. His performance might be his subtlest yet, as his character is going through a lot in this movie, both physically and mentally, and Daniel played it perfectly. Regarding Keke, I love the “resurgence” she’s been having lately, and it seems the world is entering its Keke era, and we are better for it. On top of that, they both had that instant brother/sister chemistry; I want them to star in more movies together.

Now, I also understand people who said that Nope was one of the biggest snubs of the 2023 Oscars. If for nothing else, the cinematography, the soundtrack and the directing, it felt like Nope should have been there. Regarding acting categories… as much as it pains me to say that, they were pretty stacked, so I am not necessarily arguing that, despite my enjoyment of our leading actors. The thing is, there is always one or two “obvious” movies that get snubbed each year, and in ten or twenty years’ time, film people will look back and presume Nope must have been nominated for this and that, only to discover that nope, nothing there.

I can also easily see Nope being much more celebrated in ten to twenty years, the same as what happened with most of the “bonified classics”. People often forget that many movies we now view as undisputed classics have flopped in the cinemas (for example, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Blade Runner (1982) and many more), and I will make a bold prediction and say Nope will become a classic. And even though it’s hard to say how much has Nope flopped (but it seems it lost money), it does not matter, as only time will tell. Maybe I am totally wrong, and nobody will remember, let alone talk about this movie in twenty years, but something tells me that history is repeating itself again. Yet again, we have a high-concept film which, for a variety of reasons, has been ignored by the Oscars and didn’t do great at cinemas, but movie people love it. The only question is whether the “general public” will join them in the near future.

The only reason I can’t give this movie “the full 5/5 rating” is that something was holding me back, even if it was a tiny bit. But I am not worried I can easily see myself, upon a future rewatch, falling in love with the movie completely, discovering all the things/ideas I have missed on my first watch. I am already looking forward to it.

Overall, Nope is a straightforward movie told in a very deliberate way. Sometimes, the word “deliberate” has negative connotations, but I can assure you that’s not the case here. Jordan Peele knows exactly what he wants to say, and he does it, and while he does it, he remembers us, the audience members and gives us a good old fashion spectacle that needs to be on the biggest screen possible. This might be one of my biggest regrets of last year, the fact I didn’t watch Nope in the cinemas. Well, lesson learned, the next movie by Jordan Peele, I am there, no matter what the plot will be. I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

That’s all for today! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Movie Reviews

Where the Crawdads Sing (2022) Review – How to Exceed Expectations

Leave a comment
Advertisements

This movie was one of those where everything seemed to line up against it, at least for me. The trailers did nothing to convince me to see it, the “meh” response also didn’t spark confidence, and then I got the ending spoiled. But one evening, I felt like finally giving in and seeing whether I was correct and confirming my bias. And as you can deduct from the title of this review, imagine my shock when this turned out much better than expected.

Let’s address the ending first. I was sure this would ruin the movie experience, given I knew everything that would happen, including the end. But no, surprisingly, the movie worked (dare I say) better because of my knowledge. I believe I enjoyed it slightly better because I could focus more on Daisy Edgar-Jones, who carried this movie. Her performance was the biggest reason Where the Crawdads Sing worked on any level. Effectively, this movie is a biopic of hers; we follow her from when she was a little child until her death and beyond. And her story was sad, intriguing and (mainly due to the marsh setting) fascinating.

The setting was another reason this movie kept my attention because it looked and felt like nothing I had seen, at least in ages. I loved how the marshes felt like a character in this movie, whilst Daisy sold me on her character Kya and her being “one” with them. Throughout the film, she does subtle things, uses her surroundings to her advantage, and at times, this movie feels like a survival film. It is mostly drama and a bit of mystery as there is a murder case, and Kya is the prime suspect. Yet surprisingly, this movie balanced the drama portion with the crime/mystery portion well enough to keep me interested. And again, the film managed to do that despite me knowing whether or not she committed the crime.

The things I struggled with were the convenient solutions to all her problems. You about to lose your home? Oh, that’s fine; you own the land! What’s that you don’t have money to pay the taxes on that land? Thank fuck you can paint well, and also, the handsome boy taught you how to read/write so you can write and illustrate a book all about creatures of the marsh. Also, did I mention she is a phenomenal painter? For somebody, who was neglected for her entire life, she sure does have the skill of someone who has dedicated her life to mastering it. I understand that almost every movie has these convenient solutions, but Where the Crawdads Sing does a great job making you feel her pain, neglect and rough childhood, only for her to pretty much trip over several solutions almost at once.

Also, if we dig a bit deeper regarding that ending, I liked it. I will try my hardest not to spoil it, but there will be some hints, so thread carefully reading further. The movie knows what it wants to say, and it is only up to you whether you agree with its logic. It made sense within the story; it was consistent with Daisy’s character and with the way her character grew up. Sure, the method by which we learned whether she did or not was a bit weird, but generally; I liked it. And again, knowing it helped me enjoy Daisy’s performance much more.

Overall, Where the Crawdads Sing is one of those movies proving one thing – no matter what you hear about a movie, you must watch and judge it for yourself. When I pressed the play button, I thought this would be a snooze fest, given everything I knew about it, but it turned out to be a much better film than I expected. Additionally, this might be reductive, but Daisy Edgar-Jones seems like someone to watch out for. She carries this film on her petite frame, and that’s not an easy task; I will have to watch more movies/shows with her.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Movie Reviews

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) Review – A Weird Film on So Many Levels

1 Comment
Advertisements

I can’t remember an MCU film that would have had so much going against it from the moment the first trailer dropped. People made fun of the CGI and questioned whether this film would be any good… little did we know that was not the end of the discourse about this film, given the antagonist (on and off the screen) Jonathan Majors has had the sharpest downfall since… Honestly, I can’t even think of a different name, as he was popular, he was the next big thing (not just within the MCU), and because of him (by all accounts) not being as “nice” (read more about it for yourself here), he has pretty much ruled himself out of Hollywood for the next couple of years. And honestly, what a shame, given he is a talented actor and the best part of this film.

When you want to talk about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, you can’t avoid talking about Jonathan, so we might as well address that first. No wonder he was supposed to be the next “big bad” in the MCU; given his presence and acting chops, he is the one reason I am rating this movie above average, as I had fun with his portrayal of Kang. I wonder who will take over (read: who will they recast instead of him), as it’s pretty much certain he is out of the MCU. Now, we need to be adults here, meaning just because I liked him in this film, that doesn’t mean I somehow support him or “stand with him”. Nah, fuck that. We have always had the separation between the artist and the art they produce, and when you watch this movie, it’s not hard to see he is the best part about it.

Why is he the best part? Well, you can tell Peyton Reed wanted this film to feel more epic, as he stated in many interviews (for example, here) about his efforts to make the third Ant-Man movie feel different, much bigger than its predecessors. That all sounds swell, except for the part where he didn’t stop to think why some fans like the Ant-Man movies. I always thought they were just alright, but I know the first two films have their fans because they are fairly low-stakes movies. Therefore, changing what you are in a third film does not seem as clever because then you turn this jokey and fun(ish) character into something he isn’t.

The movie felt like a CGI fest. I will admit that in many scenes, the CGI looked pretty awesome (definitely improved from the first trailers), but even the CGI is not stunning all the time. I have noticed the moment we zoom in a bit, that is when the CGI starts to look a bit “funny”, to say it politely. When the movie shows us these wide shots, I realise those scenes are still all CGI, but they look pretty great. It was when we got closer to our characters and action that is when the CGI failed.

Speaking of characters… where is everyone? I understand since the premise was “the family gets stuck in the Quantum Realm”, there wasn’t space for Michael Peña, but there should have been. As much as I like and admire Paul Rudd, he isn’t your stereotypical “leading man”. To explain, he is a gem, a great actor, but I think he is one of those who works best with somebody who is as funny as him, maybe even funnier. And Paul desperately needed someone of Peña’s comedic chops to bounce off of. Sure, we were more focused on the family bit and Kang being the next big bad, but honestly, the film didn’t have any, for lack of a better word, soul.

I like Michael Douglas, but he didn’t have much to do here; Evangeline Lilly also felt underused and re-casting Cassie with Kathryn Newton… I didn’t mind that, but it felt like it went against “the family” theme. I thought the main issue with this film is it should have never tried to be something bigger, more exciting, this CGI fest. Having said all that, is it as bad as everyone on the Internet claims? No, I didn’t think so. The problem is this film is the most average film, where there isn’t much to talk about except for Jonathan Majors. But given what happened with him now, it felt wrong to enjoy his performance. I wouldn’t say Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a bad movie; I thought it felt almost like there was a curse against it. From the questionable trailers that made the CGI look much worse than it is, to the film just being average, to Jonathan Majors being a dick (to put it mildly), everything has gone against this film.

Overall, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the most aggressively “mid” film you will see in ages. It has some pacing issues, the CGI (especially in the close-up shots) looks funky, and the only bright thing about it no longer matters, given he will be re-casted. If you have enjoyed the previous Ant-Man movies, brace yourself for something completely different, as this movie’s director decided it will be the most epic film yet. Unfortunately, the hits don’t land, the CGI is not “reliably awesome”, and Ant-Man’s character works better as a part of a group rather than him being “the” superhero. But, I will also say, after everything I have heard about this movie, it is not AS BAD as some fans claimed. It is, unfortunately, mediocre, and the best thing about this movie is someone; who we no longer speak of.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

TV Show Reviews

24 Review (Live Another Day) Review – The End?

Leave a comment
Advertisements

This is… it? After eight seasons (each reviewed individually here), we have arrived at the end of the Jack Bauer saga. Except, is it the end? I am not trying to be cryptic on purpose; this half-season just goes against most things Jack Bauer is known for. It feels strange to end your show with something that doesn’t resemble the show whatsoever. Did I still have fun? Yes. Does it make that any less weird? No.

First, we need to address the elephant in the room, and it is something I have mentioned already. 24: Live Another Day is only a half-season with 12 episodes instead of the traditional, you know, 24 episodes. I did some digging and found that this season came about as a “limited-run, special event”. I can understand in that vein why it would be only 12 episodes, but then is it the ninth season? Half of the ninth season? Because it must be, given the show itself counts this, and Fox billed the eighth episode as the 200th episode of this show (more about everything here). Sure, this might seem like a tiny gripe, but it matters because that ties into my next point.

The UK setting. As someone who lives in the UK (albeit in Scotland, not England), I have nothing against the UK. But, for the last season of 24, about this almost super-spy Jack Bauer, a good old-fashioned American boy, who always fights against the “evil forces” no matter where they are attacking from, it feels off for his send-off to be in the UK. Now, I know lately, there have been some talks about bringing him Jack Bauer back, even Kiefer Sutherland would be open to returning as Jack Bauer (read it for yourself here), but until that happens, we need to work with what we got, and as it stands now, this is the last season. And not only it’s half as long as any of the previous seasons (while keeping the same “real-time” gimmick alive), it takes place outside of the US. We don’t get CTU, we get some of our old favourites back, but the times were rough for them.

What this season had in store for Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) is rough, and despite there being a hint of hope towards the end, we don’t want to see Chloe that low. I get why we had to see her like that; the season justified it well enough. It just added to the shock of this season and the message: “Well, we are no longer in Kansas, Dorothy.” And I get making your limited season (that’s kinda season nine) into something different, but one could argue if this has any chance of being the very last season; is that idea that great? I don’t know about you, but I would prefer to end this show in a more familiar setting.

What Live Another Day did well was, yet again, casting. From Michelle Fairley, Stephen Fry to pre-Star Wars John Boyega, I enjoyed seeing great people in new roles that had an impact on the story. Especially Michelle being one of the villains, was the cherry on top of that cake. From this point of view, at least I could find something enjoyable from the UK setting being so vastly different; casting some of the finest British actors is always a good move.

The entire season was still fine; it had the usual 24isms you must be used to by now. There is always a spy who infiltrated the “good guys”; there is yet again somebody else working against Jack… We know. But more than ever, this season felt rushed; it wanted to tell one story, but it felt all over the place. And the ending… Did they think this won’t be the last season? I guess; somebody must have believed this would do so well that people would demand more; otherwise, I can’t explain that ending. And that brings me to my last point about this entire show.

It is fitting that the last season doesn’t know how to end because that’s been a bit of a trademark of this show. I have touched on this before, but 24 is one of the unfortunate best examples of the saying: “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become a villain”. I believe that had it finished after the fourth season, we would have a near-perfect show. Especially considering that the fourth season was the only season that has had a really satisfying and closed ending, or at least that was the close we ever got close to it. But you know how they do it in Hollywood if something works, run it to the ground until it doesn’t. 24 could have been that unicorn of a show that managed to pull the impossible and made such a gimmicky show work (each episode being in “real-time”), but instead, it ran for way too long. It is ironic that the show’s finale mirrors the show so well, never truly understanding how to finish with dignity. No cliffhangers, no hints at other things; just close the book.

Overall, 24: Live Another Day is a fine last season. It feels weird at times because of its length and setting, but (paradoxically) thanks to the UK setting, we get some decent actors in supporting roles. We still have some great action sequences, Jack being invincible and an ending that seems like people behind the show really thought audiences needed even more 24 in their life. I am not sure about that, but I am certain about knowing when a show should end. And unfortunately, this show missed that chance more than 100 episodes ago.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Movie Reviews

Yesterday (2019) Review – A Missed Chance

Leave a comment
Advertisements

I still remember when I first heard about this film, what it was about and who was behind it. The reason I remember it is simple, I thought we were in for a perfect movie by Danny Boyle, as he continues the trend of having one of the most varying filmographies out of any filmmakers. But when the first reviews came out, and everyone agreed that Yesterday was just “ok”, that made me less interested in the film. Well, finally I managed to catch it, and yeah; I can see why this film didn’t do as well as it should have.

Unfortunately, it has everything to do with that great premise. Imagine being the only one who remembers The Beatles? Whether you are their fan or not, you can’t deny the insane influence they had on pop culture, how many things and other groups exist because of them directly, and this movie feels like it never captures it adequately. There were some jokes in the film which worked, but the moment the story went onto Himesh Patel making it big due to their songs, the film started to lose me because we got into the nitty gritty of show business, and that’s not as interesting as the original premise.

The casting is excellent, Himesh had this sincerity to him that we rooted for him from the start, and then we cheered for him to do the right thing when the moment came. All his friends (including Sophia Di Martino, who is now known for Loki (2021 – ?, my review here), were great, and I wish we could have spent more time with them. But we need to discuss the mistreatment of Lily James.

I get that Yesterday wasn’t “her film”, so I am not arguing to make her character into a protagonist. But she was totally wasted in this film; her character was a blend of manic pixie dream girl mixed with “waiting awkwardly in British before the protagonist realises he loves me and I love him, and we should be together”. For someone with her talent, I almost felt bad for her, as she wasn’t given much to do here. And it bares to repeat; I understand she isn’t the main character. But even the supporting roles should have some agency and not exist purely to advance our main character, only to retreat and wait for the big finale.

Because this film was directed by Danny Boyle, it had a unique visual “flair” that made it not boring. There is always something happening; there are some surprises along the way. For example, the group of people, who follow Himesh around with the yellow submarine, that pay-off was different to what I expected. If only the entire film were like that, where it would surprise me more often whilst exploring the world without The Beatles. Don’t get me wrong, they do explore it for a moment, but then we spend more time on the morality of “is it stealing or not?” and “this is how showbusiness takes your soul” portion of the film and those sections didn’t fit as neatly as they should have.

This movie felt like Danny Boyle tried to make a Richard Curtis movie. It was a clash between this fantastically quirky rom-com and the brutality of what it takes to make it in modern-day show business. And I feel like that was Yesterday‘s biggest issue, as on the surface, these two films sound great on their own. I would love to see a quirky rom-com about this timeline where only one person remembers The Beatles. And I would like to see a darker, grounded drama about the unforgiving nature of show business, but this wasn’t it. They might seem like they would complement each other nicely, but in reality, you either want to spend time on one or the other.

Overall, Yesterday is a perfectly fine film that should have been anything but “perfectly fine”. It features one of the most classical and beloved Beatles songs, it has a great casting (albeit some characters were wasted), and the film makes one or two unexpected twists that work. But the film doesn’t know what it wants to focus on, and it ultimately feels disjointed. I would cautiously recommend this movie if you are a hardcore fan of The Beatles. For the rest, it’s honestly a flip coin kinda film, which I had a reasonably good time with, but it should have been much, much better.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Movie Reviews

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) Review – So Close, Yet so Far

Leave a comment
Advertisements

I will be the first one to admit that the Guardians films never hit me as much as others around me. Since the first Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) came out, I have seen and met many people who adored that film. And I never hated it, but I “just” liked it. And the same happened with the sequel from 2017, which I also like but do not love. Sure, I haven’t watched either of them since then, so I might feel different now, but I doubt it. And the reason for that is Vol.3 is the best Guardians film, and I loved… some scenes/pieces of it. But this film is one of those “the pieces are better than the overall picture”.

I will have to do something I usually avoid, especially with movies as new as this one, but I will have to go into full spoiler talk soon, as I can’t otherwise explain my issues with this film. As I alluded to, there were moments I thought this film was brilliant. Some scenes and characters worked for me, and I liked what the movie was doing. But the longer the film went on, the more I found myself frustrated with the writers wanting to make you feel some stakes and never committing to anything meaningful. Despite the fact “meaningful” no longer matters in the MCU, when your characters can simply come back from the dead, and all we get is a jokey explanation for it.

Before diving into the spoilers, I must say I have enjoyed the focus on Rocket, I liked what they did with his character, the things that were hinted at in the past paid off, and we finally saw his (very dark) past. I must command that decision, as this film might just be MCU’s darkest film to date. It’s not necessarily scary (even though I can imagine some scenes giving 10-year-olds nightmares), but most of Rocket’s past and the main storyline are darker than usual because it touches on real-life things (the most obvious example is the cruelty of animal testing). I liked that aspect and how this movie felt like one of the most “adult” MCU films to date. Hence I regret that I can’t just find the strength to reward this film with a higher rating for a few reasons.

Beware, SPOILERS are coming!

This might be an issue on my receiver; for example, I might have missed something in some other MCU film since Avengers: Endgame (2019), but how the fuck is Gamora alive? Yes, they say it quite clear she isn’t the same Gamora and something about her being from some alternate reality or something, but… The film really skips over that. It made me question whether I have missed some Marvel special explaining this or whether they loved Zoe Saldaña so much they had to bring her back. Look, you don’t have to convince me hard for Zoe’s comeback; I am a big fan of hers. But her death meant something in the Endgame and for Star Lord’s character (Chris Pratt) too; as seen in the beginning of this film. And yeah, I have read the official justification on IMDb, but… it doesn’t work for me. As much as I love Zoe and her portrayal of Gamora, I feel like not having her in this film would have had a more meaningful impact on this film, like there are actual stakes. That brings me to my biggest problem with this film.

“Stakes? What is this strange word; is it French? Don’t know it!” – says Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. As the film constantly hints at everybody being killed at some point (and I mean every major actor), and just when you think they are actually going through with it, they are back alive. The most egregious examples are Drax (Dave Bautista) and Star-Lord. Drax gets shot straight to his chest and back, collapses to the ground, and epically sad music starts playing; you think that’s it; there is no way he is recovering… Nah, get fucked! He’s fine on his feet (well being carried by Mantis, portrayed by Pom Klementieff), and it’s not addressed at all afterwards; he is just peachy for the rest of the film. The same with Star-Lord; he (yet again) freezes up in space, and it seems like there is no saving him until the almost literal deus-ex-machine (in the form of Will Poulter) saves him.

I understand that, to some degree, the same can be said about most MCU films, but here, especially with the story being centred on endings and new beginnings, it felt like the movie wanted to have it both ways. They want you to feel like this story is so different and anything can happen, but the moment they can be different than the rest of the MCU, they always chicken out, just so we could have the actors available for other movies or possibly one last Guardians film… Who knows. I don’t mind suspending my disbelief, especially if watching a comic book movie. However, if you brand yourself as the “edgy one”, like this crazy, quirky comic-book film where anything can happen, and you make it so close to having a few meaningful deaths and then always pull back at the very last second, it feels contradictory.

Which was a shame as I have enjoyed most of the film; as mentioned before, Rocket’s incredibly sad backstory was heart-breaking, and with his almost death and coming back alive, I was ok with it. Because we spent so much time with him, I didn’t feel cheated by that, and I am glad he is now the new leader of this brand new team of Guardians. I also enjoyed the villain (portrayed by Chukwudi Iwuji) despite him getting almost cartoony towards the end, but overall he definitely belongs to the conversation of most intriguing MCU villains. I also need to shout out Bautista and Pom Klementieff, as both of their characters serve mainly as comedic reliefs, but they still managed to find some scenes to shine and have an impact. I don’t think they get enough credit for their work, especially the comedy elements that could have turned annoying fast, and yet they never failed to at least make me smile, if not a full-on laugh.

It will be interesting to see whether we will ever get the “original” Guardians, as a few have left the team, but given all of them are still alive, I would not rule it out. And I am looking forward to seeing what this new team can do, but it will be weird without James Gunn. Hopefully, Marvel will take some notes and hire some other, not mainstream director(s), and give them more of a “free range” over the film. Even though they might not be 100% my cup of hot cocoa, I can’t deny the success this trilogy (well, trilogy and the Holiday Special (2022)) has had. And this one is definitely the wildest, most out-there film yet, and this is precisely what Marvel needs – something a bit more out there to break through the mould of averageness.

Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the best Guardians film by far. It still has some issues, mainly not being as “daring” as the movie seems to think it is, but it is a good time with a bunch of unique characters that gel together well. That and the soundtrack is always spot-on. I would say, if you loved the previous two Guardians movies, this is an easy choice. If you are like me and still haven’t gotten the love for these unique weirdos, I would still recommend it, as the film has enough themes and well-shot action sequences to keep you entertained.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke