Review: Tetris

For people going in expecting a film based off the game, that's not what this is. For this I am very grateful for, as that version would be similar to the pretty unremarkable Emoji Movie.

However, what we get is more of a biographical drama that happens to have the iconic video game in the middle of it.

I knew a bit about the origins of Tetris going global and how influential it was in effecting major changes to parts of the world in the late 20th century. But I didn't know how tense and crazy it was going to be until I saw the film.

It starts at quite a pace that certainly caught me off guard and it took me a while to catch up to it. But once that set-up is done, we get a new environment to deal it. Eventually, a number of other genres are introduced. It becomes a business drama and even a spy thriller whilst still being a biopic at its heart.

The tone is surprisingly light despite the colour palette being dreary. The clever uses of Tetris itself within its visuals gave it those finer touches to what was a surprisingly pleasant and enjoyable watch.

By the end, they managed to create some genuinely tense and exhilarating moments that makes you have to remind yourself that this is a film about the breakthrough of a video game involving building blocks.

Taron Edgerton is the lead and he continues to showcase his talent and gives a great amount of energy in his role and he quickly makes you want his character to succeed.

Toby Jones is as solid and reliable as ever, Anthony Boyle was wonderfully annoying and Roger Allam continues to chew the scenery with every role that is given to him and just like what he did in V For Vendetta and Speed Racer, it is so entertaining in the most pantomime way.

I loved the style choices involved. With the game of Tetris being involved in the story, there are some cool cuts between scenes and other moments that have an 8-bit look about them which pleased me a great deal. I'm sure I won't be the only one feeling that. The score by Lorne Balfe is techno-influenced with riffs of the memorable Tetris theme being sewn in, which was also pleasing to hear.

I don't really have any drawbacks to mention as the surprise factor this has currently have been feeling quite strong about. But it is possible on future viewings some negatives might come out now that I know what to expect.

On paper, this does not sound it work well as a film. But this was a lot more fun then it had any right to be. When it focuses on the actual story, it works very well. But it does amp it up to help with the drama to make it more cinematic. Sometimes it works, the other occasions it has some unnecessary action sequences that felt out of place. Nevertheless, they were still fun to watch.

But when it tell us what really happened, that's when it becomes its most engrossing and engaging and it balances the light and the serious parts of the story perfectly. 

If you feel you won't enjoy it because you never played or cared for Tetris, that won't matter. The fascinating story surrounding the game is what is being sold and it's a shame it never was released on the big screen.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

With the amount of times the release date for this new project has been pushed back, it feels like the world has already seen this latest mainstream release.

But after 20 months of delay from its initial date, we finally get the latest adaptation of a beloved game being put onto the big screen.

I honestly wasn't expecting much from this given the track record of its previous film adaptations and the delays made my anticipation levels naturally sink.

However, the initial buzz from major critics did give me hope we could have something worth watching here. Especially when it is being directed by the same duo that made 'Game Night', quite possibly my favourite comedy of the past 10 years.

It was gradual process before I realised that the hype and buzz for it is real. It introduces and builds-up the world at a nice pace and never makes it overwhelming for outsiders like myself.

You can tell there are references that the fans will go nuts for and a gentle nod of knowing that that was for them. But there is a story that anyone general cinema-goer can be interested in and care for.

Also when you've got Chris Pine as your lead, you feel reassured that he will make this work. His has such effortless likability, that he can make anything functional. Amazingly, it wasn't just him that I was getting invested with. Pretty much everyone had enough depth and development to care and be invested with. Also the chemistry they all have with each other gives it a funny and pleasant vibe to experience.

All of that aspect gave me 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' vibes as they had a 'band of misfits' feel about them. The general tone is similar also. There is plenty of fun, but it can be emotional when it wants to be. You can tell that that was the intention of the film-makers and while I felt it was a bit stretched by the end, it was worth my time.

The cast all do a pretty good job. As mentioned, Pine continues to ooze his natural charisma in whatever he does. It's just a shame that I don't think he's in enough big projects as he ought to be. He's always had a very likable presence and this is no different. His partnership with Michelle Rodriguez has solid depth and her signature physical style of acting made her a top choice in casting.

Justice Smith comedic execution balances the action well and makes for a memorable support. Same goes for Sophia Lillis as well as Rege-Jean Page, who makes great use of his small amount of screen-time.

Hugh Grant virtually channels his character from Paddington 2 in this and that is never a bad thing. You can tell he is having fun and will resonate well with the audience.

I would have liked Daisy Head's character to have more threat that could have made this a great film rather than pretty good. Instead, Head is fairly generic. But at least she had one solid action sequence to work with.

This type of film naturally requires a lot of CGI and they blend well with the practical parts of the production design. Lorna Balfe's score ramps up the film even more. All of that along with a fluid fast pace gives us a surprisingly enjoyable fantasy adventure that is worthy of its early praise.

It's not a common find in film these days that are genuinely fun to watch and this does it rather well. It was like going back to the 80's or 90's with the vibe it was giving off.

It never takes itself seriously, the characters are solidly developed and it makes you care for all of them, the action is pretty solid, the comedy is consistently effective and while there is a lot of CGI being used there is a sense of weight to its environment.

All that being said, the antagonist side of the story felt a bit weak and lacked any genuine threat. But thankfully, there's plenty of positives to forgive this drawbacks. The 2hrs+ duration flew by and I would happily be up for a sequel and it is clear there is more to explore.

I must mention that there is a mid-credits scene. It's not like the ones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that hints at what is to come. But rather a nice light-hearted end note to further cement the fun vibe the cast and crew wanted to give this story.

While I have never come anywhere near the board game, I am getting a sense that their fans have given it their seal of approval. So I am hopeful that this resurgence in popularity for the game as well as the solid amount of positive reviews for the film will give us another worthy fantasy franchise.

Rating: 7/10

Review: The Whale

You always have to prepare yourself for a new Darren Aronofsky feature.

With many of his projects designed to purposefully unsettle the viewer, this talented director still makes them in such a way that we can't help ourselves but get more from it as they are very well made and usually produce award-winning performances.

Pretty much the whole buzz was about the resurgence in the career of Brendan Fraser. After making a name for themselves back in the late 90's and most of the 2000's, the internet has been pushing for Fraser to be put back into major projects. Their nostalgia for him being part of some fun mainstream films has had the people believing he has more to give back to this industry.

So when word was spreading about awards possibly coming his way through this film, I was naturally excited to see not only a new Aronofsky feature, but quite possibly the return of Fraser.

Already from the start, we're going through all the motions. The uncomfortable on-screen content, the range of emotions coming from the characters and the odd sprinkle of charm to avoid making it completely dark and depressing.

You could tell it was originally a play, as the whole design of it is very stagey. That might not be to everyone's tastes. I'm usually fine with it and on the occasion, I largely am.

The cruelty, craziness and dark humour from some of these characters made me forget how Aronofsky does not hold back on anything. It just made the whole experience more and more devastating.

The cast is small, but it is packed with some strong performances that makes it an incredibly engaging watch. Brendan Fraser does indeed meet the hype that we've all been hearing. The way he controls the screen and embodies his transformation gives us something highly memorable that hopefully begins a second career for this talented individual.

Youngster Sadie Sink really shines as a supporting role. The brutally honest personality this character makes you both hate her and be highly engaging with. Sink's aggression and confidence in this performance showed and almost stole the show for me.

The same can also be said for Hong Chau and Samantha Morton. Both of them give strong emotional moments that got a good reaction from me. With Morton in particular, it reminds me how amazing of an actor she is and yet we don't see in her in big starring roles. We definitely need more Samantha Morton in big character study projects.

Almost all of the film is in one location and I'm always up for as concept like that as that usually makes the surroundings a character in itself as this did exactly that.

The score and sound design is noticeably effective to enhances the films strongest moments.

As mentioned earlier like with most Aronofsky films, it's not for everyone. There are some uncomfortable and disgusting moments, it's on the nose in numerous ways and the very final scene is a bit too much for me.

But I think while it is a hard watch, there was enough strength in a lot of its aspects that made it work for me. It deals with tough themes that are designed to push the viewer such as abuse, forgiveness, faith, relationships as well as Aronofsky's links with old testament religion which has become a regular trope in his recent projects.

Plus, I think there will be a lot of relatable themes that will resonate with a number of demographics. The rawness and devastation in its tone will naturally bring strong reactions whether you end up liking it or not. That for me is the beauty of Aronofsky's work. He's never afraid to tip-toe around the sensitive parts, he just goes for it and see if it will work.

While I can't see myself watching this again, it still feels like a strong piece of work. The performances are great and it makes the content accessible instead of just being grotesque and avoids making the portrayal of the central character be closer to a performer at a freak show.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Puss In Boots: The Last Wish

I haven't been going nuts for Dreamworks Animation for several years now. However, last year showed a lot of promise with 'The Bad Guys'. It showed that the studio are looking into different animation styles that felt similar to 'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse'.

However, I was very cautious going into a Puss In Boots sequel which means the return of the Shrek franchise that we haven't seen since 2011.

It made me wonder why the studio is still going back to drink from this watering hole and why it has taken over a decade for a follow-up to the first Puss In Boots. The hopeful side of me had me thinking they have allowed this to be made as they have got a strong story to work with. But strong writing would be rare with this studio as I feel it is getting closer to the style and tone of the feature release's from Illumination i.e. nothing but bright colours and loud noises.

Boy was I and I'm sure many others were proved wrong. Firstly, I really liked the style of the animation. It was dynamic in both its colour palette and movement and it had a comic book edge to it. Also the pacing romps a long, but never to the levels of struggling to keep up. Those aspects combined gives us quite a satisfying visual experience.

In terms of the story, I couldn't believe that this film was dealing with death, grief and friendship in such a meaningful and profound way that both kids and adults can get a lot from.

Some of the usual strengths of the Shrek franchise are still there, such as referencing famous fairy tales and gives those particular characters an edge or new dimension to them for today's culture.

Quite possibly its biggest surprise was the character development and the quantity of it. There are numerous characters to get invested with. Some stole the stole show and some you can easily see get their own film in the future.

Also, one of the antagonists has a genuinely scary vibe to it that will haunt kids nightmares for sure. For me that is a good thing as that for me is a sign of an effective villain for a family audience.

The voice cast was not only good, but had a surprising amount of star power. As usual, Antonio Banderas can melt anyone's heart with his sexy voice. Choosing Banderas all the way back in Shrek 2 was a masterful stroke and you can tell he is still enjoying playing this character.

Also having regular collaborator Salma Hayek returning helps. With the solid chemistry, these two made for a memorable duo that felt easy to engage with.

Harvey Guillen gave us a scene-stealing side character with his combination of genuine innocence and a script with profound moments. John Mulaney and Wagner Moura contributed nicely to their antagonistic roles and the foursome of Florence Pugh, Olivia, Colman, Ray Winstone and Samson Kayo gave us a team that could easily be given their own film in the future.

I was really surprised by not only how much I liked it, but how much depth it has in its themes and characters.

There are some great characters that are well written, designed and voiced. You've got your hero, cool sidekicks that sometimes steal the show and your villains that feel genuinely threatening.

While it comes just short of getting an exceptional rating, it is still a really fun film that has a lot to say in an effective way that for me will make it extremely re-watchable.

I love films like this that could prove me completely wrong and can total jump to a level that no-one in their right mind was expecting.

This deserves to be a huge hit and that makes me wonder what will happen to the franchise now. Does this mean another Puss In Boots adventure, is this an excuse for Shrek to make a return or could this branch out films of side characters that shone in this feature?

Rating: 7/10