Starring: Archie Yates, Ellie Kemper, Rob Delaney, Aisling Bea, Kenan Thompson, Ally Maki, Pete Holmes, and Chris Parnell
Rating: ★★★
It’s been thirty-one years since the first Home Alone came out, somehow there’s now six films in the series, although the first two are the only films worth watching. Home Sweet Home Alone has premiered on Disney+, acting as both a reboot and a sequel to the originals. The first one is such a classic, that it’s impossible for the new one to live up to it, despite its best efforts. Surprisingly, there’s still fun to be had in one of the least anticipated reboots of all time.
Pam (Ellie Kemper) and Jeff (Rob Delaney) are holding an open house. They don’t want to sell, but due to some bad luck they don’t really have a choice. Max (Archie Yates) and his mother go to the open house, purely so Max can go to the bathroom, while he’s there he takes an interest in a doll that was once Jeff’s mother’s. Jeff later finds out that the doll is worth upwards of $200,000 and could solve all their problems, except it’s missing. Suspecting that Max took the doll he goes to visit Max’s house, to find the family has left for Christmas. He and Pam decide to break in and take the doll back, not realising that Max was left home alone.
It would be so easy to dismiss this film as a pointless remake with no redeeming qualities before you’ve already seen it. No one was really asking for a new Home Alone film, most of the sequels have been poor, and it doesn’t feature Macaulay Culkin in it at all, even as a cameo. If you do it down to watch it, then there’s still some fun to be had. Ellie Kemper and Rob Delaney are really funny together, with their strange characters. Pam is weird and intense, and some of her facial expressions are laugh out loud funny. When they are both on screen together, the film really shines.
The slapstick comedy is also in full force, especially with the traps towards the end. It’s insane, over the top and exactly what you would want from a Home Alone film. The difference between this one and the original is the motive of the robbers feels a lot more relatable and you get behind them and want them to succeed. They’re the most likable characters in the story and while they obviously take things to far, they feel more like the heroes than the original robbers did.
Beyond Pam and Jeff, the rest of the characters are insufferable. The opening scene shows Max, the supposed hero, as the most annoying child imaginable. You would completely imagine that his family would want to leave him behind. The rest of Max’s family are also really irritating, almost every time they are on screen. It’s supposed to be funny, but they are just grating to watch. Max is a snarky, rude, and selfish child, who wishes to spend Christmas and that wish is granted.
Home Sweet Home Alone has a joke in it that remakes are never as good as the originals, and it’s not. There’s still some funny moments, and it is fun for the whole family. It’s silly, extreme and has some great jokes. Ellie Kemper is the best thing about it, and it’s worth watching just for her. There’s also a nice nod to the original with Devin Ratray reprising his role as Buzz McCallister from the original films.
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Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot, Ritu Arya, and Chris Diamantopoulos
Rating: ★★★½
Ryan Reynolds is becoming the Adam Sandler of big budget action comedies. You know what you’re getting going in and you either love him or hate him for it. Add on Fast & Furious alumni Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot, and you have three of the biggest stars in the world in an action comedy that travels the world with some insane and stupid moments and a lot of laughs along the way.
Nolan Booth (Ryan Reynolds) is an international thief with a mission; to steal all three of Cleopatra’s eggs and sell them to a high bidder. After stealing the first egg, he is caught by John Harley (Dwayne Johnson) and is sent to prison. While transporting the egg it is stolen by Nolan’s nemesis The Bishop (Gal Gadot). The Bishop also frames John as part of her plot, getting him sent to the same prison that Nolan is currently in. They are forced to work together to escape the prison and stop The Bishop, so they can clear John’s name and Nolan can steal the last two eggs.
This film is ridiculous and over the top, with so many stupid moments that don’t really make sense the more you think about it, but that really doesn’t matter. With something like this it’s best to switch off and just enjoy it. It’s loud, dumb and entertaining. To be honest, it’s exactly what you want from an action comedy. Ryan Reynolds has completely redeemed himself after The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.
There are so many jokes in this film, and while a few of them don’t land, more than enough of them do. It has a good amount of laugh out loud moments and is a really good time. It’s not something that’s going to stay with you a long time after watching it, but it’s great while it lasts. It’s essentially an Indiana Jones film with criminals and Interpol at the centre. The plot even moves into Nazi treasure towards the end.
Ryan Reynolds is doing what he does best, with snarky humour, and plays off brilliantly with Dwayne Johnson. Gal Gadot is also great as the mastermind thief who’s always one step ahead of the duo. The film is at its best when the three of them are on screen together, with jokes just bouncing off each other. Even though the film is close to two hours, it never feels slow or boring, there’s always something to laugh about, whether it’s the over-the-top humour, silly violence or the many twists and turns along the way.
Red Notice thankfully isn’t another star-studded action-comedy failure. There’s a lot of laughs, the characters are great and it’s just a good time from start to finish. It sets up a sequel, and hopefully it happens.
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I know there are countless lists, videos, and posts on the internet about the Star Wars films, why they’re great, why they aren’t and everything in between. It may be pointless to add to this with my own thoughts, but I love Star Wars. Return of the Jedi is the first film I remember watching. Force Awakens was the first film I saw as a midnight release and then saw it twice in cinemas. I’ve watched the first 6 in a single sitting on two occasions. I’m so nerdy about the lore of Star Wars, that I’m known for it at work and a friend I work with called me quite late after he watched the second season finale of The Mandalorian to ask me questions about the wider lore and I spoke to him for ages about it. I know each Star Wars film has flaws, some bigger than others, but this is the only series of films I can completely overlook the bad stuff and just focus on the good. I will probably never write a formal review for any Star Wars release, because it would most likely be gushing. So let’s begin.
Episode One – The Phantom Menace
I think the start of this film is a mess. The editing is atrocious for the first half hour. It’s jumping all over the place, the scenes feel rushed and then it settles down and it’s a great film that really develops the world. I know the trade dispute is boring in a lot of people’s eyes, but I really like how it builds the world. The pod racing scene is great, the effects were incredible at the time and still stand up, then you get to the final duel with Darth Maul and it’s just pure entertainment. The music, the choreography, the final moments. Perfection. While the prequels get a lot of slack for the overuse of CGI, there is a ton of practical effects and miniatures used here and it’s not given enough credit for it.
Episode Two – Attack of the Clones
This is my least favourite Star Wars film. The dialogue is so cringy it’s funny. It’s way too long, but it has the Geonosis section which is fantastic. I really like the way that Anakin starts to take his path towards the dark side when trying to save his mother, it’s a perfect building block for the next film. Count Dooku is one of the more interesting villains in the series. It has a lot of great moments, even if it’s the weakest one. One of them had to be.
Episode Three – Revenge of the Sith
This is an almost perfect film. Every time I watch it, I notice more things. The tragedy of Anakin falling to the dark side and how that is built up is just excellent writing. It’s Shakespearian in the sense that there are so many opportunities for it not to happen, but it has to. The final fight on Mustafar is one of the best fight sequences in the series. The ‘higher ground’ thing makes no sense, but it’s still an epic moment from Obi-Wan.
Episode Four – A New Hope
Talking about perfect films, the original is almost unbeatable. It’s just fantastic from the first moment to the end. The music, the characters, the designs. There isn’t really a bad thing about it. It does look a little dated when compared to the rest of the series, but for a film that is reaching 45 years old, it still looks incredible. It’s where it all started and nothing more needs to be said.
Episode Five – Empire Strikes Back
One of the darkest entries to the series. The rebels are on the losing side most of the way through. It has so many great moments from Hoth, to Yoda’s training and the whole Cloud City sequence. Everyone knows this is an almost perfect film and there’s nothing new that can be said about it. The big reveal at the end is one of most iconic moments in cinema history.
Episode Six – Return of the Jedi
Is there a better trilogy in the history of cinema than the original Star Wars trilogy? The final part is excellent. I love how Luke is in full control of his powers, his costume looks cool. His light saber is my favourite from the entire series, and there’s a deleted scene where he creates it. You can find it on YouTube, or even on the extras on Disney Plus. I like the Ewoks, the final fight is great. It looks really cool. At one point David Lynch was asked to make this one, that would have been very interesting to see.
Episode Seven – The Force Awakens
I think, apart from Endgame, this may have been the most hyped up film of all time when it first came out. Yes it is essentially a remake of A New Hope, but it’s still brilliant from start to finish. Adam Driver is such a good actor, he’s too good for Star Wars, and Kylo Ren is a great villain. I do wish we got one final scene of Luke, Han and Leia together, but I’ve gotten over that since then. The ending is iconic.
Episode Eight – The Last Jedi
Whatever hesitation I had to write this post, is caused by my love of The Last Jedi. I’ve had people tell me online that I’m wrong about this film, and someone I used to work said to my face that I don’t understand Star Wars because I like this film. People hate it so much, and I kind of understand why, but I do think most people’s complaints can be explained. Yes, it’s a tonal shift from episode seven, but so is Empire from the original. Snoke doesn’t get much build up, but neither does the Emperor in the original trilogy. Finn’s subplot doesn’t amount to much, but it’s still entertaining and builds the wider universe in a way that the mainline films hadn’t before. I don’t think they do any injustice to Luke’s character. If you follow his character arc from the end of Jedi, through the second season of Mandalorian, it’s easy to get to The Last Jedi. When he does face down Kylo Ren at the end, it’s simply fantastic. This is the most beautiful film in the series and Rian Johnson deserves his trilogy to be made.
Episode Nine – Rise of Skywalker
When I first saw this, I was expecting a mess. From afar, it is a mess. Still when I saw it in the cinema it’s the most excited, I’ve been during a film in a very long time. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, almost moving about with the ships at the beginning. When you think that Chewbacca might be dead, I felt that like a gut punch. I don’t mind the Emperor coming back. Going back to the Death Star is great and that fight sequence is incredible. Han Solo coming back is a great moment. The final fight is pure adrenaline, Kylo and Rey working together had a smile on my face the entire time. I do think it’s easy to criticise this one, but it’s still a lot of fun when you’re watching it.
Bonus Round – Rogue One
I know a lot of people love this one, but I think it’s the weakest of the Disney films. For one simple reason. The characters are really weak. I walked out of Force Awakens, where I’d avoided all marketing, knowing every character name and who they were. With Rogue One, I’ve seen it 4 times now and beyond Jyn Erso, I don’t know their names. I just didn’t care about them in anyway. It does fix a plot hole from the original, which is the best thing about it. I like that it has really dark moments that feel like a war, the ending is great with how it blends into the original, but I don’t have much else to say about it.
Bonus Round – Solo
I think Solo is a lot better than some people make out. I really like the new characters that are introduced. I love the idea of Crimson Dawn and Darth Maul and I think it’s a real shame that the sequel never happened. It has some great moments and while it’s not the most essential film in the series, it’s still full of great moments. Han and Chewbacca meeting for the first time is excellent.
Final Thoughts and Ranking
So if you’ve made it this far, thank you. I think Star Wars is more alive than ever with all the new shows coming out and films in the works. It’s a good time to be a fan. I do wish that certain aspects of the fanbase weren’t so toxic, but what can you do? It’s just a series about space wizards with laser swords. So my ranking from worst to best:
Starring: Bruce Willis, Neal McDonough, Corey William Large, Lochlyn Munro, Trevor Gretzky, Nels Lennarson, Megan Peta Hill Adam Huel Potter, Joe Munroe, and Alexia Fast
Rating: ★★½
In the last couple of years Bruce Willis and writer/director Edward Drake have made a quite a few films together, some released such as the critically panned Cosmic Sin, and some still to come. The latest offering is Apex Predator, another adaptation of the classic short story ‘The Most Dangerous Game’ by Richard Cornell. It’s a classic story of rich people hunting humans for sport. The new spin on it is bizarre and over the top in the best way possible.
Thomas Malone (Bruce Willis) has been imprisoned for years after a series of crimes and incidents. He hasn’t spoken to anyone for seven years, being in solitary the entire time. It makes him the perfect candidate for Apex Island, a place where rich people can hunt criminals for sport. Malone won’t go down easy, and with the rich hunters turning against each other, he might have a chance to win and live a free life with his grandchildren.
Even though the short story Apex Predator is based on has been adapted many times, and inspired even more films, there’s still a lot of life in the story. The recent adaptation The Hunt really works, for example. Apex Predator isn’t close to being on the same level as that. The characters aren’t that interesting. The hunters are all bland, turning against each other due to their egos and that’s as developed as they get. The performances are poor, with a lot of cringe-inducing, unnatural dialogue. There are a few sci-fi elements in the film, with teleportation being used a few times, but it’s just feels random, when it happens later in the film, you’ve forgotten it was there at all.
What makes this film worth watching is Bruce Willis. At first, before the game starts, it seems like Willis is just here for a pay-check. His dialogue is stilted and awkward, it feels like his scenes are sliced together from many different takes, because none of the dialogue flows. Once the game starts, he takes a backseat plot-wise to the hunters turning on each other. He pops up every few minutes for a few seconds of sitting around, wandering around the jungle, and just doing whatever he wants.
Bruce Willis is hilarious. His random ramblings to himself about hating the jungle, smoking a random cigar he finds on the floor. Once the film gets going it’s clear he’s having a lot of fun. The absolute highlight of the entire thing is him mis-quoting Shakespeare while holding up a random skull he finds on his travels with playful and child-like music playing in the background. It’s one of the funniest scenes this year. If it wasn’t for these moments, it would be a bland and forgettable film.
Neal McDonough plays the leader of the hunters, who sees himself as the only person who can take down Malone. His performance is a step above everyone else, he’s taking it really seriously, at least until he faces down Willis. Beyond him, everything else is bland and dull. The other hunters are wooden. There’s not a lot of action, and when there is, it’s really not entertaining. If you’re looking for a good adaptation, then The Hunt is the way to go. This falls safely in the ‘so bad it’s good’ category.
Apex Predator isn’t a good film. If it wasn’t for the randomness of Bruce Willis, it wouldn’t be worth watching at all. Thankfully his strange performance and the over-the-top humour makes this funnier than some of the straight up comedies recently released. It’s not essential viewing, but it’s more than entertaining enough to pass the time.
Signature Entertainment presents Apex Predator on Digital Platforms 12th November and DVD 15th November
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Starring: Dagmara Brodziak, Michal Krzywicki Marek Kalita, and Philippe Tlokinski
Rating: ★★★½
The Day I Found a Girl in the Trash is co-written and co-starring Dagmara Brodziak and Michal Krzywicki, with Krzywicki also directing. It’s an exploration of human rights, free choice, and what makes us human.
Szymon (Michal Krzywicki) has made an announcement that he is going to kill himself on New Year’s Eve, in protest to the way criminals are being treated in Poland. Instead of being sent to prison, they have their memories wiped and become automatons, incapable of independent thought and instead are used to complete menial tasks or even rented by wealthy families. Szymon’s announcement has created a stir in the media, but he starts to second guess himself when he finds a freed automaton in the trash, who names herself Blue (Dagmara Brodziak).
The film starts with a dark scene that shows how Blue is freed from being an automaton, when the collar around her neck is removed. The film doesn’t shy away from showing the brutality in the world right from the word go. With no spoilers here, it’s a shocking scene that grabs your attention and immediately puts you into the world the film creates.
Dagmara Brodziak gives a perfect performance as Blue, who wakes up without memories, and is almost a new-born child. Her wonder at the world is excellently shown, from the TV, finding new foods, to a chicken that she adopts as a pet. Her character is full of wonder at the world, and it’s through her that Szymon finds a new lease on life. He’s depressed with the state of the world, choosing to end his life in rebellion, while knowing it’s a pointless effort and nothing will change. His character contrasts nicely with Blue.
There are moments where Michal Krzywicki gets really frantic with the directing, with flashy and startling moments, with quick camera movements and startling shots. There’s a scene where Szymon is in his flat, before he finds Blue, and he’s contemplating the end of his life. It’s a frantic and energetic moment. There are a few other moments that do something similar, but it’s this one that really sticks in your mind.
While the title and premise of finding a girl in the trash make it seem like a light-hearted comedy, the tone of the film is much darker. There is a hopeless feeling that runs throughout right up to the end. It’s not just the way criminals are treated, Szymon has a strained relationship with his family, while he’s taking Blue to freedom everything that could go wrong, does go wrong. The colours are muted and dulled. There’s a dark world in the film, and that makes the brief moments of joy that much more impactful.
It’s the performances that really make this film great. The plot may meander a little and feel recycled from things you’ve seen before, but the characters are fresh and captivating. It’s really worth watching if you get the chance. Â
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Ashley Manning 