The Suicide Squad – Film Review

Posted on July 31, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: James Gunn

Starring: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Sylvester Stallone, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney and Peter Capaldi

Rating: ★★½

It’s been five years since the first Suicide Squad came out and disappointed audiences worldwide, in that time the DC Extended Universe has managed to redeem itself with Wonder Woman 1&2, Aquaman, Shazam and Birds of Prey. Zack Snyder’s Justice League was also released earlier this year and is a great improvement on the theatrical version. Harley Quinn was the stand-out character from the first Suicide Squad, with a stellar performance from Margot Robbie. This was carried on to the spectacular Bird of Prey early last year. Sadly, The Suicide Squad feels like a step backwards compared to these releases.

Being marketed as ‘from the horribly beautiful mind of James Gunn’ The Suicide Squad is a barrage excess. It’s clear that the studio let Gunn do what ever he wanted. There is no feel of studio interference here, like there was in Ayer’s original and that’s definitely a good thing, but there’s nothing reining it in either.

There is a saying that writers must kill their darlings, meaning that they must edit and remove words, scenes, sub-plots, if they don’t add enough. It feels like Gunn didn’t get round to that part of the process here. There are way too many characters and most of them don’t do have enough to do. The shark, Nanaue voiced by Sylvester Stallone (Rocky, Rambo), is a great character, but serves nothing to the story. Harley Quinn is side-lined for the majority of the film with her own sub-plot and doesn’t real serve a purpose for the main plot, although again Robbie is great in the role. Idris Elba (Luther) as Bloodsport and John Cena (F9) as The Peacemaker are too similar and only one is really needed. Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who) as The Thinker is criminally underused.

The entire cast is great, but there’s too many of them. The film is bloated and most of the characters are given enough to really shine, and that’s without going into the endless cameos. On top of that there are so many jokes, with about two thirds not landing. Almost every line of dialogue is either a joke or heavy-handed exposition. It’s really telling that some of the jokes work better in the trailer since lines were cut out. When you see them in the full film they are clunky. There is also a joke where Polka-Dot Man sees his mother as everyone and it’s funny the first time. It just keeps going.

It can’t be stressed enough that the performances are all great and everyone is doing the best with the script they’ve been given. The direction is also stylish as hell, there’s a scene where Harley mows down a load of soldiers, with flowers flying out of their wounds instead of blood, a fight sequence that is shot through the reflection of a helmet. It looks great and the action is well choreographed. When the fights are taking place, it’s entertaining and thrilling. The violence is also unhinged, shockingly so for a comic book film. It’s over the top in the best way. The only thing that isn’t good about the direction is the slow-motion. It’s overused. There are so many sequences of the characters walking towards the camera in slow-motion, most of which felt like they were shot for, and ended up in, the trailer.  

Somewhere in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is a really good film, it’s just hidden in a really bloated film. It’s better than the original, but not by that much. If the script was tighter, with less bad jokes, and some of the characters were removed (which is a shame as they are all good, it’s just they don’t have enough to do) this would be an excellent film. The Suicide Squad is a disappointment and could have been a lot better. It’s really stylish and directed beautifully, but the excess of jokes and a silly amount of slow-motion makes it ultimately boring.  

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Jungle Cruise – Film Review

Posted on July 31, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Jack Whitehall and Jesse Plemons

Rating: ★★★★

It’s strange that there is a sub-genre of Disney films based on their theme park rides. Most of them have been pretty good as well. The first Pirates of the Caribbean is genuinely a good film, even if the later ones aren’t. The Haunted Mansion is a decent, funny film. Their latest offering Jungle Cruise keeps up this trend with one of the better Disney live-action films in a long time.

In a timely manner there is a Disney Plus documentary series called Behind the Attraction, which was released recently. The first episode goes deep into the history of the Jungle Cruise ride, where it came from, why it was so important to Walt Disney, and gives some context for the film. It’s not essential watching, but it’s enjoyable and interesting enough and it does add another layer onto the film. Scattered throughout the film is a lot of puns/dad jokes and some of these are lifted straight out of the script that skippers will read to you on the theme park ride. That’s a nice touch and something that the documentary helps with.

The skipper in the actual film is Captain Frank Wolff, played by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson (The Mummy Returns, Fast & Furious), and when we first meet him he’s taking a group of tourists on a ride around the Amazon river in a style that is very reminiscent of the theme park ride. He is then hired by siblings Lily (Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns) and McGregor (Jack Whitehall, Asterix: The Mansion of the Gods) to travel further into the river and jungle, to find the Tears of the Moon, tree petals that can cure anything.

Jungle Cruise is a fun, family action adventure. It’s a mix of The Mummy, Pirates of the Caribbean with a little Indiana Jones, Star Wars and even Fast & Furious mixed in for good luck. There is a moment early in the film where they are being chased by a submarine and shot at by torpedoes and in a way that only The Rock can, he manages to escape it. Not quite by pushing it away such as in F&F 8, but by equally insane antics.

The best thing about Jungle Cruise is the characters. The whole cast is on top form here and the interplay between Emily Blunt, Dwayne Johnson and Jack Whitehall is superb. The moments when they are on the boat, mocking each other and adventuring are highlights. The action is also great and all three don’t pull any punches, literally. There is also Prince Joachim, played by Jessie Plemons (Breaking Bad), the German aristocrat who is also hunting the Tears of the Moon. He’s unhinged, eating peas with the back of his fork and communicating with bees. The whole cast is brilliant and bring a lot of the humour.

The whole film looks spectacular with some great sets and effects. At this point it would be unacceptable for any Disney Film to look bad, and this one certainly doesn’t. It’s a beautiful film with clear shots for the action so you always know what’s going on. The music is also brilliant, by James Newton Howard with a very John Williams reminiscent score. There’s even a full orchestral version of Nothing Else Matters by Metallica to open the film, which is revisited later with a full blown metal instrumental version.

While the film is quite long and the boat does lose steam towards the end, Jungle Cruise is a fun a thrilling adventure that is sure to delight entire families. The performances are great, the jokes land, the action is thrilling. This is the family action-adventure film of the generation.

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Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) – Film Review

Posted on July 30, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Philip Kaufman

Starring: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy, Jeff Goldblum and Veronica Cartwright

Rating: ★★★½

Taking old b-movies from the 1950s and re-imagining them as more serious horror films is a trend that started in the late 70s and has continued to now. From John Carpenter’s The Thing to Chuck Russell’s The Blob, there are varying levels of success. Invasion of the Body Snatchers isn’t the best remake there is, but it’s interesting and has some great characters, and that makes it worth watching.

The film starts with Matthew (Donald Sutherland, Don’t Look Now), a health inspector, investigating a restaurant with great detail. He clearly loves his job and takes great pride in his standards. Matthew and a group of unlikely friends try to survive the body swapping invaders.

Screenwriter Walter Duch Richter took the b-movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers and took a more grounded and sophisticated approach to the idea, with deeper characters and dynamics that reflect the late 1970s. Through Elizabeth’s (Brooke Adams, The Dead Zone) and Geoffrey’s (Art Hindle, The Brood) relationship, we get a modern approach of the family and one of the underlying themes. As Dr. Kidner (Leonard Nimoy, Star Trek) mentions the reason why Elizabeth believes her partner has been changed, isn’t because he has, but because she wants to believe that he has, to give an excuse to run away. The paranoia that modern and fast paced lives are corroding the traditional family dynamic is one of the fears that the film plays with. In a similar way that the original film played on the fear of communism being something that looks like anyone.

The first half of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is all about characters. Each one is different and works well in the dynamic between them all. They are interesting enough without the body snatching. Elizabeth and Geoffrey are clearly not suited for each other, but stay together out of convenience. Elizabeth is clearly better suited for Matthew, who is never really seen as more than a friend. It’s refreshing, even nearly 45 years after this film was released, that their relationship isn’t built upon an affair and a longing but a true and deep friendship. That makes moments in the second half so much more horrific, you’ve already spent a long time with the characters and get to know them.

Another way this improves upon the original is the effects. There are moments in this film that are almost a predecessor to the practical gore effects from the 1980s horror films. The moment when Matthew is sleeping, and a pod nearby is trying to replicate him looks incredible. It’s realistic and adds to the horror. The famous dog moment, later in the film looks great (I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it), it’s also one of the funniest moments in the film.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers could be a generic and forgettable film, but with some great and fully realised characters, brought to life by strong performances (When doesn’t Donald Sutherland give a great performance, even his portrayal as the watcher in the Buffy film is one of the best bits), it becomes so much more than that. It does loss steam in the later half and could be trimmed down, but the first half is so engaging that it makes up for it. The final shot is also iconic for a reason and a brilliant moment.  

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My Top 50 Films Part 4

Posted on July 30, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Thank you for stopping by on the 4th entry to my top 50 films list. If you haven’t read parts 1 – 3, you can do here: PART 1  PART 2  PART 3

Just to repeat myself, these aren’t in any order, until we get to the last 2 weeks. My top 50 changes too often to list them. Let me know in the comments if you’ve seen any of the films I mention, love them, hate them? Let me know.

The Matrix

The Matrix is a film I watched as a kid and loved it, although I didn’t really understand it. It looked really cool, had some amazing effects and some great and memorable dialogue. I re-watched the first Matrix film about 2 years ago for its 20th anniversary and it holds up so well. If I hadn’t re-watched it then it probably wouldn’t be here on the list, but it’s an incredible film. The plot is all over the place in the best way, but it follows its own logic. The effects are still sublime and the themes and questions it asks are brilliant. This is one hell of a thrill ride, although I still haven’t brought myself around to watching part 2 and 3 again. I liked them as a kid, but more nervous about that now. I suppose I will have to before part 4.  

Terminator

When I was about 10/11 years old I had a boxset with Terminator 1 & 2 and then later the 3rd one. I loved all 3 and watched them a lot, especially the 2nd one. I do think that the first one is the best, I know that a lot of people say that the 2nd one is better. The 2nd is better action and effects, but the first one is truly tense and scary. The unrelenting Terminator chasing down Sarah Connor. It’s a brilliant series. I liked the 3rd one when it came out, but skipped the next 2 sequels until Dark Fate, which I thought was pretty good. The first is still the best.

The Thing

John Carpenter is one of my favourite directors. Halloween, They Live, Escape from New York/LA, Prince of Darkness. All classics. My favourite of his films is his remake, The Thing. It’s incredibly well made with a great performance from Kurt Russell. The effects are mind-blowingly good. The puppetry is stunning. The dog mutating is sickly and gross and awesome. The scene where they are testing their blood to see who is infected is one of the tensest scenes in horror history.

Silent Hill

While growing up and when I was probably way too young, I spent a lot of time playing the original Silent Hill game. It took me a long time to finally finish it, but I did it (It can be done in under 4 hours, but it took me a few years of stopping and starting). It’s a game I hold very highly. When the film was being released, I was very excited for it. I loved the Resident Evil film series and thought Silent Hill couldn’t disappoint. I wasn’t wrong. I know that a lot of people criticise this film, and it’s probably deserved, but from my point of view it’s fantastic.  

Planet of the Apes

Aside from the excellent twist at the end of Planet of the Apes (which I think is so well known that it’s impossible for someone to watch it for the first time and not expect it), the film is genuinely an excellent sci-fi film. I also think the original sequels are more than decent. They each do something different and tell their own story. The original is obviously the best of the bunch, and really stands up to the test of time. The book was originally adapted by Rod Sterling, the creator of The Twilight Zone, but most of his script was scrapped, apart from the ending. It’s a great film, that has spawned a whole franchise of great sci-fi. Hopefully the new one in the works lives up.

6 more weeks to go. I hope you are enjoying these posts so far. Leave me a comment below and let me know if you’ve seen any of these films

Thanks for reading and until next time,

Ashley

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Old – Film Review

Posted on July 29, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Starring: Gael GarcíaBernal, Vicky Krieps, Rugus Sewell, Alex Wolff, Thomasin McKenzie and Abbey Lee

Rating: ★★★★ 

A couple of years ago Midsommar was given a lot of praise for being a horror film set mostly during the day. Because of the bright lighting in most scenes, Midsommar subverted the expectations that scary things only happen at night or in the dark. It made the fear more tangible and real. M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film Old does the same thing, and to greater effect, with most of the film taking place on a bright beach. It also takes it one step further, because the root cause of the horror in Old is time and aging, and that happens everywhere. Aging and dying are universal fears that are constantly referenced in horror stories throughout history. In Old Shyamalan takes that fear and gives it a physical form in the idyllic beach that the characters are stuck on.

Something on the beach is making anyone who visits age quicker, and the film is about a group trying to escape from this. The whole ensemble is made up of interesting characters with great dynamics between them at play. If this wasn’t a horror, but a drama set on an island resort, there would still be a captivating story, and that’s how you know you’re in for a good ride from the beginning. There’s a doctor, Charlie played by Rufus Sewell (Dark City, Judy) whose ego takes control, telling nurse Jarin, played by Ken Leung (Rush Hour, Lost) what to do when looking after his epileptic wife. A couple, played by Gael García Bernal (Bad Education, Coco) and Vicky Krieps (Hanna, Two Lives), who are deciding on whether they should get a divorce. It’s a set up for an interesting drama and then it’s thrown onto the beach that ages them unnaturally fast and horror ensues. There are moments that are tense and scary only because the characters are so well written.

As fully realised as the characters are, there is still some awkward and clunky dialogue, especially from the children. This is a trend in most Shyamalan films, his dialogue is very stylised and not always natural. Thankfully the performances of the entire cast bring this to life with believability and conviction. The shining star is Rufus Sewell as Charlie, the egomaniac schizophrenic doctor. His mood swings and outbursts are sudden, shocking, and effective. The rest of the cast are also great with the script they are working with, but Sewell is beyond the most interesting and unhinged of the lot.

Charlie’s outbursts and aging aren’t the only source of horror to be found in Old. There’s one moment in the cave, towards the end, that is hauntingly chilling and terrifying. The body contorting scene is the scariest moment of the film and one of the many moments of true madness presented. This film is off the rails with memorable moments. The cave scene, a surgery sped up by the aging process, an entire pregnancy. It’s all here, one moment after another that keeps the pace moving at a quick pace and never letting the film feel slow.

Sadly, this isn’t carried on to the end. The pace doesn’t slow down, and the ending feels rushed. When the big reveal happens, it makes sense and is coherent enough, but you’ll leave the film wishing there was more time with the outcome, explaining more and delivering a better pay-off for the 2 hours you’ve invested in. Another ten or so minutes would have really driven this film home. It’s a real small problem, and the film makes complete sense as it is, it just would be nice for the ending not to feel rushed.

One of the best things about Old is the cinematography by Mike Gioulakis. He captures the beach and holiday atmosphere perfectly. There are also some good uses of blurry vision and deliberate framing to keep the suspense, especially in the early scenes where it’s not clear what is happening. The beach and holiday resort itself look gorgeous and if it wasn’t for the outcome, this would be a dream vacation.

Shyamalan is dealing with some interesting themes with Old. We all know that one day we will die, but for the characters on that beach, they have to deal with that day being today. It begs the question, if today was your last day on Earth, what would you do? With some many open-ended things in life, such as strained relationships and worries of work, what does it all matter? Everything and nothing.

Old is a great horror/mystery film. It dances with the ideas of mortality and time in an interesting and thoughtful way. This is one of Shyamalan’s best films and if the ending was given some more room to breathe then it would be his best. Oh, and so you don’t spend half the film trying to figure it out, the film with Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson is The Missouri Breaks.

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