Review: The New Mutants

To say this film has had quite the journey to its release date would be an understatement.

Originally aiming to be released in the spring of 2018, re-shoots that never happened and Disney acquiring 20th Century Fox (who own the rights to the X-Men films) meant it took over two years before we actually saw it.

Some including myself thought this would never get released, considering it was planned to be a trilogy and obviously expanding the X-Men universe. But with the Disney acquisition all completed, this would end up being the last film within the X-Men franchise that we have seen develop since 2000.

So after this long wait, I think it only felt right to check it out on the big screen, and thankfully it was not as bad as you might expect for a film with so many delays.

The film for the most part is pretty formulaic. The story structure with its accompanying themes are perfectly fine in its execution, there are some nice action set-pieces and characters are pretty engaging. The ending did feel rushed, weak and it was a shame to see it kind of go out with a whimper.

What was making this film stand-out from other superhero films, was the horror vibe it was giving off in the trailers and posters. The horror is fairly effective and more suited to a young adult demographic. But there were some nicely done nightmarish moments that elevated the film well. The strong visual effects contributed well to those scenes and gave it some strong imagery that made it worthy of being shown on the big screen.

The largely young cast all did a good job with their roles I felt. I continue to enjoy anything Anya Taylor-Joy does and her as well as Maisie Williams star-power carried this film well. Lead Blu Hunt as well as Henry Zaga and Charlie Heaton all made the most of this opportunity and showed that they have a bright future ahead of them.

It was nice seeing Alice Braga involved as I can only recall seeing her in 'I Am Legend' many years ago.

It's amazing that after all these delays and numerous articles talking of its struggles, you would have naturally expected something that was absolute trash and the worst in the franchise. Yes it wasn't anything spectacular and the concept could have easily been better utilised. But what we have is still passable and perfectly functional entertainment where I was never bored.

It's sad to see Fox's X-Men franchise end this way. But it was a great 20 years of big screen superhero mutant action, and I look forward to see how it's portrayed in the MCU.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Tenet

A new Christopher Nolan feature is seen by many as more of a event then just a new film release. His mind-bending ideas-driven projects for the last 20 years has seen him as one of the most ambitious and popular directors of all-time.

That perfect mix of arthouse structure with the budget of a summer blockbuster has given us many memorable cinematic experiences. So any new release of his always that almost unfair amounts of hype and expectation.

However, this particular feature is also seen as a beacon to restart the film industry since lockdown. So there is also that financial pressure as well as critical.

In a nutshell, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. The prologue certainly gives us an idea of the pace and tensity of its action. After that, this is when I feel we lose many demographics. I always appreciate Nolan with his stories. The way he respects the intelligence of the audience and feels we can keep with the information being given to us.

This time, something felt amiss. The script sounded complex and intriguing. But the execution in its coherence never made me understand or feel emotion for the stakes involved. Plus, there was an unnecessary amount of times when everyone was mumbling through the script or the bass heavy music somewhat drowned out what was being said. I try and avoid calling this downfall out. But it was a real struggle for tuning the ears.

If you've seen the trailers, you will have seen some unique action sequences with a time-bending environment. It was hard to not appreciate that. But like the dialogue, it felt empty. There is one action sequence towards the end of the first act though that was pretty impressive to watch. With Nolan being known for trying to make everything as practical and authentic as possible, seeing what they did in that particular scene has to be commended.

With more characters being introduced, I was still struggling to understand or feel anything, and yet the frenetic pacing still had my heart racing and my eyes glued to the screen. So by the time the second act was coming to an end, I felt my patience could reward me.

It managed to do that up to a point. There are some brilliant action sequences that are totally unique in its look, exciting to watch and it really makes you wonder how on earth did they make that work when filming it. Also, I did feel I was beginning to get a grasp on the story. This was the only time when I felt that vintage Nolan magic.

The performance aspect of Nolan's films are rarely award worthy. But they usually do the job well. This time, it either just about felt satisfactory or miscast. John David Washington was fine but never felt strong enough to carry the film as the lead. I never felt that presence I saw from him BlackKklansman.

Robert Pattison had that suave and cocky appearance which was great to see. But like Washington, something was missing to make him feel at all memorable. I continue to enjoy Elizabeth Debicki's development in major Hollywood films. There is a great amount of confidence in her acting and was the closest thing to a stand-out out of the entire cast.

As for Kenneth Branagh, he did not seem to fit the bill of what was required. None of his actions ever felt threatening to warrant the title of main antagonist. So in the end, his character felt a bit weak and the choice of casting Branagh was wrongly judged.

Some aspects I can however give all the plaudits to, is the production design, cinematography and the score. With Nolan's regular collaborators of cameraman Wally Pfister and composer Hans Zimmer now absent. It came down to Hoyte Van Hoytema and Ludwig Goransson to take the helm and they respectively gave us some spectacular imagery along with a thumping score that is worth experiencing in IMAX.

I must begin my conclusion by saying that this film won't feel satisfying for many types of audiences. It certainly scrambled my brain. But I felt sticking with it felt rewarding enough and gave me enough hope that there is enjoyment to be had.

Sadly on a first viewing, this felt too ambitious, even by Nolan's standards. This is by far my least favourite of his back catalogue. There are ideas and action sequences reminding me of the famous 'Backwards' episode from Red Dwarf. But on a cinematic scale with a bigger budget. However, it contained a narrative that was as coherent as Quantum Of Solace. You can feel there is a compatible story in here. But it never hit the mark for me.

I was glad the third act did somewhat save the experience, and have enough memorable moments to take home with me.

It will be interesting for me and many others if multiple viewings will effect anything. Is there something I missed, will seeing the film with subtitles clear things up? It's rare for a film to change my opinion of it entirely. But nevertheless, I will keep a close eye on how this film ages whilst remaining excited for Nolan's next venture.

Rating: 7/10