Review: Morbius

It is time for another of those pandemic effected major releases to finally be shown on the big screen.

I was intrigued about this one as films centring on a villain has been rather mixed. It can become a cult phenomenon like 'Joker', or it could be absolute trash like 'Catwoman'.

The build-up for me has been a bit unremarkable as the trailers haven't got me that excited. But I knew I was going to see it anyway as it is a film within the superhero genre and that could be expanding a particular universe.

It does start with some promise. The set-up and character introductions were interesting. But I think the more attempts at development there were, the less interesting it got. With the addition of over darkness in its CGI heavy scenes and camerawork that it certain sequences hard to see, it was running out of steam by the end.

The vibe I got from it would fit right into those early 2000's superheroes that were a bit substandard and before the days of franchise expanding like Daredevil, Elektra or The Punisher: War Zone.

I could say the same for the script. It wasn't bad, just uninspiring. As the writer is the same person who wrote The Last Witch Hunter and Gods Of Egypt, that alone should give you an idea of what to expect from the dialogue.

While the cast weren't impressive, there was some decent showings to not make it a total loss in this department. Jared Leto was fine in the role. But I was kind of expecting more from him given his unique style and track record. When you see Leto in the main cast for a project, you expect something larger than life for an actor that prefers the method style. There was nothing really wrong with it. But it had me questioning why Leto was cast.

Matt Smith did a good job. I felt his performance fitted the tone of the film and had some nice back-and-forth moments with Leto. This along with his showing in 'Last Night In Soho' has given me great confidence that Smith has made a great transition from TV to film.

I have to mention Tyrese Gibson, as for me he was a bit of a waste and completely miscast. The profession his character has never made me believe Gibson could portray on screen. I could go as far as it was borderline laughable seeing him attempt to be serious.

It's not often I criticise the score of a film. But composer Jon Ekstrand has moments in this that virtually sounds like the music from the Dark Knight trilogy. With this film ironically containing bats, there are scenes that made me directly go to Batman Begins when certain notes were being hit from Hans Zimmer's pieces.

Even the editing was weird in some places. It's a violent film and there were cuts that confused me if certain people have been killed or not.

If you have seen the trailers, I think you will be highly frustrated as there are bits in the trailer that are not in the film at all. What makes it worse, is that a few of them were the most interesting parts of the trailer. Trailer's that mislead you and not in a good way is not a wise decision.

There is potential for this to be a solid and entertaining watch. But in the end, it was slightly below average, flat at times and never capitalised on its own ideas. The set-up has me engaged as it moved along well with some decent sequences that gave me hope of an interesting story. But it kind of gave up on itself and just gave us content that we've seen over 100 times.

I must mention there are two mid credits scene and both of which felt rather rushed in its execution. Whilst the decisions made by the people involved sets something interesting up, the way it was done was pretty poor and felt like it was done just to have some connection to the bigger picture.

With this being part of Sony's Spider-Man universe, it further confirms that they just can't do a successful franchise within this world. Just leave it for Marvel to construct.

Rating: 6/10

Review: The Bad Guys

A new release from Dreamworks Animation doesn't often get me instantly excited. Unlike, Disney or Pixar, this studio's critical success rate is nowhere near as strong.

But when they have something, it can most definitely compete with the best.

Outside of Captain Underpants, it's been a while since the studio released both a financial and critical successful film that was not a sequel.

The trailer showed a bit of promise and the concept intrigued me enough to check this out.

I was already sucked in by the style of animation used. It seems to combine comic book style effects in its action sequences and character movements. Also, the use of soft focus gave us a production design that makes it standout over most animations.

With that and the introduction of the engaging characters and slick pacing, this is a film that keeps you on your toes.

While I will agree some of the development and twists is nothing new, the execution of familiar tropes still made it refreshing and entertaining. But what held my attention the most was the style and likable characters. There's plenty of people to root for and each have a specific personality that makes for many memorable back-and-forth sequences.

The comedy is fairly broad and mainly aimed for kids. But the homage's to Ocean's 11 and Reservoir Dogs should give something for the adults to engage with.

The voice work is pretty strong across the board. Sam Rockwell gave us a likable anti-hero, Marc Maron's attitude was effective, Richard Ayoade continues to show the range of his talents and there was solid contribution by a nice mix of youth and experience in the form of Craig Robinson, Awkwafina, Zazie Beetz and Anthony Ramos.

So while it may be light in depth, it remains a fun watch about a character driven story with some stylish imagery. My low expectations and slightly misguided marketing may have helped. But I felt this was a fun ride that had a nice flow to it and plenty of content for people to get invested with.

It definitely doesn't play out like your typical Dreamswork animation and I'm all for another installment.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Ambulance

If feels so long since I have experience a new Michael Bay film. Even longer for seeing one on the big screen.

His style of film-making has frustrated me at times. But he has made some fun action films in the past also. Even in some of his more disappointing features, there are sequences that make them not a total loss. Best example is the bombing sequence in Pearl Harbor.

I will however always be annoyed at Armageddon, a film that me annoyed almost throughout its entire duration. It's a shame that I'm in the minority on that opinion.

So with all that history, I was certainly intrigued to see what Bay has conjured this time.

I would first recommend bringing your Michael Bay bingo cards, because this film is stacked with his tropes. From the over-use of editing to the point that it causes you to get a headache, to characters praising Bay's previous films, every scene constantly being at sunrise or sunset, the rotating tracking shots around characters talking and of course those vintage over use of crashes and explosions.

Now, it seems Bay has found a new toy in the form of a drone. With the help of a drone racing world champion at the helm, there are multiple uses of drone camerawork.

While I have seen this type of camerawork be well utilised, this like many of Bay's aspects was over-used and badly executed for the most part. There were some great tracking moments. But the clear majority of it was random exaggerated movements around buildings that we saw for a brief second before being abruptly cut to something else.

Adding to all of this is the ridiculous duration. It is 2hrs 16mins and for a film with this B-movie style premise, it should have been 90mins at the very most. It it ended up being that long, I probably would have tolerated the problems a bit more.

But despite all of these issues, there was fun to be had. The film is saved by its premise, the action sequences and the energy this film gives off. It does have its thrills. It's just a shame the duration does make it an exhausting watch as we get towards the final act.

The performances I feel are as good as they could be. It was hard to appreciate the acting as the amount of cuts doesn't let the performances shine enough. But from what I could tell, there were some solid performances in there. Jake Gyllenhaal was a surprising casting choice for a Michael Bay film I felt. But I liked the intensity he gave to his character. It really helped certain sequences work. Eiza Gonzalez was a nice support and had entertaining chemistry with Gyllenhaal's character.

I still haven't got into Yahya Abdul-Mateen II yet. I haven't seen a performance that has made be a fan of his yet. There are some moments in this that show why he has become part of big projects lately. But for now, I'm still waiting for that breakthrough.

Garret Dillahunt had that typical over-the-top performance that you get in almost every Bay film. It was used in enough portions to not quite be annoying. I almost thought it was Bay regular Josh Duhamel who had slightly let himself go.

I may be frustrated by it. But there was enough good in it to outweigh the bad. It's pretty relentless and vibe it has gives you rush of adrenaline to be engrossed with it. But it's so far from perfect.

It may be another messy entry by Bay, but I had a good time watching it and I would happily watch it again. There needs to be campaign however it make a 90mins cut of it.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie

Before I do the review, I have to mention that I have not seen any of the tv show. As I noticed that this was a prequal to the series, I felt seeing this with no prior knowledge would be fine.

Turns out, it was.

While it is clear that there are moments that you can feel has importance to people with knowledge of the series, it also managed to work well as introduction feature to this world of sorcerer's and spirits.

The concept is really interesting, as is the story of the main character which is very well developed and it gets the deserved emotional weight. There is plenty of that usual dynamic energy in its action sequences that makes anime stand out within the animation genre.

But even with all the heavy action and horror imagery, there is that vintage anime style of comedy involved at the right times and in perfect portions.

I like how the final act keeps its on focus the emotional side of the story rather than the action like most films do in its final act.

This was action-packed, thrilling and contained well drawn out characters that I got a lot from. I like it how it felt incredibly self-contained. Unlike some franchises that would normally try and tie it in with its other installments, this manages to perfectly balance pleasing the hardcore fans and outsiders like myself. It may have the action and adventure, but it also heart and depth that makes it standout.

It's nice to see anime's like this getting bigger distribution rather than being on specialised streaming services. They're becoming more and more accessible now and as an ever-growing fan of anime, I am all for it.

Rating: 8/10

My Top 10: Films Of 2021

After what was a strange year for the industry in 2020, normality is slowly coming back and I managed to get a solid amount of visits to the cinema in 2021.

We saw the return of regular blockbusters to the big screen, the indies be as different and creative as ever and also streaming services gradually becoming part of the furniture when it comes to new releases.

Like every year, there have been many great release making it tough for me to find the right 10 films that I believe were the best of the year. But I feel I have found a high-quality selection that certainly gives you an idea of the year we have had.

Below is my ranking of all 2021 films that I have seen along with a short review of each of my top 10:

190) Zeros And Ones

189) Cinderella

188) Memoria

187) Azor

186) The Woman In The Window

185) The Little Things

184) Space Jam: A New Legacy

183) Don't Breathe 2

182) Halloween Kills

181) The Matrix Resurrections

180) Reminiscence

179) The United States vs. Billie Holiday

178) Stowaway

177) Spiral: From The Book Of Saw

176) Lingui

175) Without Remorse

174) Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway

173) Coming 2 America

172) Ghostbusters: Afterlife

171) The Card Counter

170) Faya Dayi

169) The Velvet Underground

168) The Most Reluctant Convert

167) Luchadoras

166) Taming The Garden

165) Everything Went Fine

164) Old

163) Voyagers

162) Godzilla vs. Kong

161) Black Widow

160) Fabian: Going To The Dogs

159) A Boy Called Christmas

158) The Gravedigger's Wife

157) Benediction

156) The Deer King

155) The Black Phone

154) Ali & Ava

153) You Resemble Me

152) Titane

151) The Story Of Film: A New Generation

150) Clara Sola

149) Intregalde

148) Zahori

147) Lamb

146) Antlers

145) Venom: Let There Be Carnage

144) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings

143) Mortal Kombat

142) The Tomorrow War

141) The Many Saints Of Newark

140) Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In

139) On The Divide

138) Those Who Wish Me Dead

137) Army Of The Dead

136) Chaos Walking

135) Candyman

134) Encanto

133) The Phantom Of The Open

132) After Yang

131) F@ck This Job

130) Silent Night

129) Luca

128) Nobody

127) Billie Eilish: The World's A Little Blurry

126) Jungle Cruise

125) Operation Mincemeat

124) Raya And The Last Dragon

123) Dear Future Children

122) House Of Gucci

121) American Underdog

120) Swan Song

119) Don't Look Up

118) Sweetheart

117) Passing

116) Cherry

115) Oxygen

114) Pele

113) The Suicide Squad

112) Respect

111) Hive

110) Cyrano

109) No Time To Die

108) Runrig: There Must Be A Place

107) Benedetta

106) Olga

105) Try Harder!

104) Best Sellers

103) Annette

102) Eternals

101) Mothering Sunday

100) Sing 2

99) The Novice

98) Finch

97) Compartment Number 6

96) The Justice Of Bunny King

95) Being The Ricardos

94) Pig

93) Everybody's Talking About Jamie

92) The Tragedy Of Macbeth

91) A Hero

90) Parallel Mothers

89) The Eyes Of Tammy Faye

88) Malignant

87) Wrath Of Man

86) The Sparks Brothers

85) Great Freedom

84) The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It

83) The Power Of The Dog

82) What Do We Do When We Look At The Sky?

81) Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give Up

80) The Electrical Life Of Louis Wain

79) The King's Man

78) Schumacher

77) The Harder They Fall

76) Writing With Fire

75) Inu-Oh

74) President

73) Torn

72) The Conductor

71) The Humans

70) Palmer

69) The White Tiger

68) Cruella

67) The Mauritanian

66) The Dig

65) Full Time

64) King Richard

63) Wheel Of Fortune And Fantasy

62) Happening

61) Goodbye Don Glees!

60) Drive My Car

59) Vortex

58) Marcel The Shell With Shoes On

57) The Green Knight

56) Nitram

55) Hit The Road

54) Cow

53) Flee

52) Ennio

51) Blue Bayou

50) Ninjababy

49) The Worst Person In The World

48) Revolution Of Our Times

47) C'mon C'mon

46) The Lost Leonardo

45) Nightmare Alley

44) The Souvenir: Part II

43) Ascension

42) The Innocents

41) Paris, 13th District

40) Spencer

39) Licorice Pizza

38) The Real Charlie Chaplin

37) Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie

36) Belle: The Dragon And The Freckled Princess

35) The Lost Daughter

34) Tina

33) Sword Art Online: Progressive - Aria Of A Starless Night

32) Dear Mr. Brody

31) Mr. Bachmann And His Class

30) Spider-Man: No Way Home

29) Mass

28) Getting Away With Murder(s)

27) The Hand Of God

26) Misha And The Wolves

25) King Of Cool

24) Surviving 9/11

23) Sing A Bit Of Harmony

22) tick, tick...Boom!

21) The French Dispatch

20) The Last Duel

19) Ron's Gone Wrong

18) Judas And The Black Messiah 

17) In The Heights

16) Dune

15) Help

14) Petite Maman

13) Red Rocket

12) West Side Story

11) Belfast

10) The Alpinist - The first of four film documentaries that made my top 10 follows the adventures of climber Marc-Andre Leclerc and his bid to redefine the possibilities of climbing.

Stories of climbers have cropped more and more recently and this another highly impactful one that gives you a great insight in the behaviour of these unique breed of humans.

9) Boiling Point - A relentless thriller during one night at a busy restaurant kitchen.

The performances by Stephen Graham and Vinette Robinson are great and that just raises the level of anxiety that you will experience throughout this.

It will leave you exhausted and will give you a new meaning to the phrase 'edge of your seat'.

This will certainly make you think twice when criticising kitchen staff.

8) The Rescue - While there are other portrayals of this incredible story, I can confirm that this will be the definitive version.

This documentary contains incredible first hand accounts as well as well edited footage of the event itself still manages to makes us disbelieve what actually happened.

It's gripping, thrilling and shows that the human spirit is alive and well.

7) Last Night In Soho - Director Edgar Wright is back with another romping feature. This time, we are off to investigate a mystery in 60's Britain and there is something sinister happening.

It has that vintage Wright touch and it does not let up. The talents of Thomasin McKenzie and Anya-Taylor Joy shine and gives a highly enjoyable romp.

6) Free Guy - A super-fun action blockbuster that surprised everyone. With its high amounts of creativity, great performances and constant crowd-pleasing sequences this is one that you will be watching countless times.

It is pure popcorn entertainment with a very likable cast and eye-popping visuals.

5) Summer Of Soul - The coverage of a once forgotten music festival from Harlem in 1969 has been discovered and it is cut in a way that paints a perfect picture of that time period.

It has the perfect combination of amazing live music and shows the power of a community.

It is a wonderful watch and perfectly raises the awareness of an important event that very few knew about.

4) Val - My favourite documentary of the year shows the daily life of actor Val Kilmer through unseen footage made by the man himself.

While it may show the successes that we are all aware of, it is more of a poignant watch.

We see Val show his soul to the world and it will bring out all of the emotions in this captivating watch.

3) The Mitchells vs the Machines - Lord & Miller continue to surprise me in this animated comedy adventure.

As producers, you can see their style is all over this. With the well developed characters, inventive story and comedy style, this was an absolute breath of fresh air to the genre.

It inspires creativity and making you feel ok about not being normal.

2) Zack Snyder's Justice League - After issues during the initial release, director Zack Snyder finally got to release his entire vision of this superhero epic.

While the duration may be questionable, the spirit is there for all to see and it was totally worth the fan support to get this out into the mainstream.

This is the film the DCEU has been waiting for.

1) CODA - While it may be formulaic and predictable, there is something about this story that draws you in so much.

This comedy drama is incredibly heart-warming and crowd-pleasing in the most pleasurable way possible.

It embraces its formula and gives us the most rewarding viewing experience.

The 2022 DG Movies Awards

While we might not fully be back with our regular slot of cinematic releases, it's certainly an improvement to 2020.

It was a return to a lot of our blockbusters that was rescheduled from 2020 and so certain categories were massively improved from last year.

Despite some normality resuming, the diversity in the films involved in this years list of nominees is still as varied as ever. But they all have that high-quality that makes me deserved of their nominations.

Like last year, there are no new awards this year. So it is still the regular 17 awards that are up for grabs this year.

Sadly I don't haven't found time to make a video version of these awards. So this is all you're going to get this year.

Below is the full list of the nominees for each award and the winners in bold.

BEST EDITING:

Last Night In Soho

The Rescue

The Tragedy Of Macbeth

tick, tick...BOOM!

West Side Story

BEST COSTUME DESIGN & MAKEUP:

Coming 2 America

Cruella

Spencer

The Eyes Of Tammy Faye

The Last Duel

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:

Dune

Nightmare Alley

Spencer

The French Dispatch

The Tragedy Of Macbeth

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:

Belle: The Dragon And The Freckled Princess

Dune

Encanto

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Zack Snyder's Justice League

BEST SCORE & SOUNDTRACK:

Dune

In The Heights

The Green Knight

tick, tick...BOOM!

West Side Story

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

Belfast

Boiling Point

Last Night In Soho

Spencer

West Side Story

BEST SCREENPLAY:

C'mon C'mon

Drive My Car

Judas And The Black Messiah

Mothering Sunday

The Mitchells vs the Machines

BEST POSTER:

Antlers

Cruella

Great Freedom

Malignant

The Mauritanian

BEST TRAILER:

Annette

Mortal Kombat

Summer Of Soul

The Green Knight

The Mitchells vs the Machines

BEST SCENE/MOMENT:

Night Shift - Help

Gabriel At The Police Station - Malignant

Flawless Victory - Mortal Kombat

Turn It Down Davey - Nobody

The Duel - The Last Duel

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE:
Belfast

Help

In The Heights

Last Night In Soho

West Side Story

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE:
Vinette Robinson - Boiling Point

Emma Thompson - Cruella

Anya Taylor-Joy - Last Night In Soho

Ann Dowd - Mass

Ariana DeBose - West Side Story

BEST SUPPORTING MALE:

Troy Kotsur - CODA

Daniel Kaluuya - Judas And The Black Messiah

Ryder Allen - Palmer

Timothy Spall - Spencer

Adam Driver - The Last Duel

BEST LEADING FEMALE:

Emma Stone - Cruella

Kristen Stewart - Spencer

Jessica Chastain - The Eyes Of Tammy Faye

Olivia Colman - The Lost Daughter

Rachel Zegler - West Side Story

BEST LEADING MALE:

Jude Hill - Belfast

Will Smith - King Richard

Nicolas Cage - Pig

Simon Rex - Red Rocket

Andrew Garfield - tick, tick...BOOM!

BEST DIRECTOR:

Edgar Wright - Last Night In Soho

Wes Anderson - The French Dispatch

David Lowery - The Green Knight

Joel Coen - The Tragedy Of Macbeth

Steven Spielberg - West Side Story

BEST FILM:

Boiling Point

CODA

Free Guy

Last Night In Soho

Summer Of Soul

The Alpinist

The Mitchells vs the Machines

The Rescue

Val

Zack Snyder's Justice League

Total list of winners

2 - Dune

     Mortal Kombat

     West Side Story

1 - CODA

     Cruella

     Great Freedom

     Judas And The Black Messiah

     King Richard

     Last Night In Soho

     Mothering Sunday

     Spencer

     The Eyes Of Tammy Faye

     The Green Knight

     tick, tick...BOOM!

Total list of nominations

7 - West Side Story

6 - Last Night In Soho

5 - Spencer

4 - Cruella

3 - Belfast

     Boiling Point

     Dune

     The Green Knight

     The Last Duel

     The Mitchells vs The Machines

     The Tragedy Of Macbeth

     tick, tick...BOOM!

2 - CODA

     Help

     In The Heights

     Judas And The Black Messiah

     Malignant

     Mortal Kombat

     Summer Of Soul

     The Eyes Of Tammy Faye

     The French Dispatch

     The Rescue

     Zack Snyder's Justice League

1 - Annette

     Antlers

     Belle: The Dragon And The Freckled Princess

     C'mon C'mon

     Coming 2 America

     Drive My Car

     Encanto

     Free Guy

     Great Freedom

     Mass

     Mothering Sunday

     Nightmare Alley

     Nobody

     Palmer

     Pig

     Red Rocket

     Spider-Man: No Way Home

     The Alpinist

     The Lost Daughter

     The Mauritanian

     Val

Review: The Phantom Of The Open

When I first heard about this film, saw the people involved as well as the trailer, it just screamed classic British comedy that will be comfortable viewing.

Watching these types of films is usually quite relaxing and almost makes you proud to be British. The stories usually portray why we love a plucky underdog, why we triumph over adversity and why stories like this inspire the working class.

I'm happy to say that you get exactly what you expect.

For someone like myself who is surrounded by Golf both at home and in my local area, I was surprised that I did not know this story at all. Particularly when my hometown gets a nice little mention during the film.

In terms of structure, it's fairly formulaic with a few dream sequences that was a nice change of pace. But there were moments where I felt it was always on the verge of turning into a musical, which I think would have been a welcome shift in genre.

Despite the film making you root for the protagonist, there are decisions made that unintentionally makes you question whether he is actually a hoaxer or just an innocent dreamer. That being said, I feel it won't be a big enough distraction from the overall viewing experience.

That is helped a lot by the cast that features a lot of pairs of safe hands. Mark Rylance's humble screen presence continues to work and was the right man for this type of role. He is very easy to root for and his comedic timing makes it a solid comedy whilst managing to tug the heart strings towards the end.

That is also thanks to his on-screen chemistry with the always great Sally Hawkins.

Outside of them, there is solid support by Christian and Jonah Lees, Rhys Ifans and Mark Lewis Jones.

While it might not bring anything new to the table, it's execution makes for a charming watch. There is always something about these types of stories that attracts an audience and it will never change.

It's the film equivalent of 'light reading' that will lift your spirits with pleasing visuals, engaging performances and a feel-good vibe that gives it solid re-watchability.

Rating: 7/10

Review: X

While horror is a genre that I find not as much success in, I am always up for one.

Horror's usually have interesting concepts and end up never being fully committed and end up resorting to cheap scares. But when fully utilised, I would happily champion one.

When seeing the trailer for this one, I got a similar feeling. With it's old school look mixing with modern camerawork, I was not afraid to giving this a chance. Plus, it had Mia Goth as the lead and ever since I saw her in 'Emma', I could see a star in the making.

This was certainly rewarding viewing. I was already seeing a nice mix of the dirty horror's of the 1970's with a modern edge in terms of its style. It covers topics and industries that I was nervous that wouldn't quite work. But the longer it went on, the more surprised I was at how invested I was with the story and especially its characters.

It's an 18 rating, and it certainly confirms that in the second half with some brutal moments. The themes of obsession and youth all transfer well to screen by the end and almost play out like a fairytale.

Director Ti West and his team could have gone down the satire route. But I'm glad it played out more like a love letter to the dirty 70's horror's and was never self-referential. It particularly felt close to 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'

The cast do a really good job. Mia Goth is a great lead and shows she can carry any film. There is something about her screen presence that feels really satisfying and Goth has an underestimated power in her acting to really draw you in. I am pretty confident she will be an Oscar contender soon and also be part of major studio releases.

Marti Henderson was surprisingly good. He was given a lot to do and showed real confidence in his performance and was a treat whenever he was on screen. I can say the same for Brittany Snow. Jenna Ortega is becoming a regular in modern horror's and is showing real progress in her acting. I'm not sure if she is on a lead level. But for an ensemble, Ortega is ideal.

What I liked about it the most is that it has a lot of nice surprises. It kept me guessing and never felt cliched. You think it's going down a simple path. But it takes quite the twisted turn that works well and never felt out of place. There are also some great style choices that makes it look like it was filmed in the 70's whilst also having some modern camera styles that made for some effective sequences.

I cannot quite give it a great rating purely on personal preference. But I will certainly be recommending this one.

On paper, it's your typical slasher thriller. But there is much more to this than that. There's plenty of style to enjoy and well developed characters that I was surprised how invested I was with them. The level of blood and guts shows great commitment to its premise and plenty of disturbing imagery that makes it a memorable and refreshing watch.

This looked like a tough film to sell to a mass audience. Especially when it has been distributed by A24, which is a studio that specify in strange but effective indie's. But if you like your horror, I think this will be a lot of fun watch for you. It reminds you of horrors gone by and why they still work with audiences today.

There is also a cool post-credits scene that I cannot tell is a hint of a potential sequel or just a nice extension to the main story. Either way, it's worth waiting for.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Turning Red

A new Pixar feature. But one that is going to streaming.

While any new Pixar film should be seen as an event. Knowing that it was being released via streaming had me worried as that usually means that the studio don't believe that the box office will be enough for it to be a financial success.

This is quite surprising considering the studio that this is coming from. We all know what to expect with Pixar. They have given some of the most amazing animation films of all-time and if there was a Mount Rushmore of animation studios, Pixar would be right there.

I may not have seen the trailers. But I had seen enough of the marketing that suggested that this could be aimed more at younger kids. Much like the Cars franchise.

This new release is a change of pace and tone for Pixar. For a start I was surprised at the amount of fourth-wall breaking in this. But as I got used to it, it felt like a somewhat welcome change. I liked how it flirts towards being an anime in relation to certain animation styles and techniques used in certain sequences as well as character behaviours.

There is a strong metaphor for adolescence and trying to accept change in this story. These are themes that have become more regular in Disney and Pixar's releases. It actually felt similar to Encanto. When comparing the two, I felt this felt more grounded and compelling despite it taking more risks.

The characters are likable and very realistic and less cliched. The story has a nice flow and energy and the progress of Pixar's animation continues to amaze me.

The final act does get a bit crazy, chaotic and borderline silly despite it still helping the central theme. But it held together in the end.

The voice work was tip-top as usual. It has a nice mix of youth and experience. Rosalie Chiang in the lead did a great job and shows great potential for future projects. In fact, all the young voice actors showcased their talents really well and deserve all the plaudits. Plus, having to bounce off Sandra Oh in many scenes I think helped as you could feel her experience being key to a lot of other performances.

I will say though that it does get caught up in its themes a bit too much and forgets about the story. It's not subtle in its what its saying and puts them front and centre into its story. While I feel their execution was perfectly fine to make it work for a main-stream audience, I felt it prioritised that rather the development of its story and characters.

I must mention that it is set in the early 2000's, which was very interesting. It's an odd choice as I don't think it made a big difference except for some uses of technology. The only reason I can think is that it is to mirror the childhood era of the director.

I rather enjoyed this in the end. It sends a great message with a solid story with lots of very likable characters and amazing animation with multiple styles coming into play.

While I may not tug at the heart strings and be an instant classic like say a Toy Story or a Wall.e, this is still an enjoyable watch that has solid re-watchability.

I think this will do well with audiences, both young and old. It has universal themes that is instantly relatable for everyone no matter what age you are.

It's an odd choice from the studio for a film like this to go to streaming rather than the cinema. I think it was a bit of a short-sighted choice made by them. I hope this doesn't become the norm. This felt cinematic and it is a shame that we won't see this on the big screen. Particularly as we won't get to see one of Pixar's latest short animations.

I must mention that there is a post-credit scene. It's not long. But it will get a chuckle out of you.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Red Rocket

One of the big positives of regularly reviewing films is that you can discover some film-makers that you would only see in arthouse or independent cinemas and they will be hidden gems for all-time.

One director in particular that I have grown fond of, is Sean Baker. I first saw one of his features back in 2017. It was 'The Florida Project' at my first visit at the Leeds International Film Festival. I then caught up with his breakthrough feature 'Tangerine' and his style really suits me. Baker seems to focus on the dirtier side of America with less fortunate communities in the hotter states of America. Most of the characters are not likable. But they managed to be highly engaging and make for some highly entertaining viewing experiences. Also, his films are usually beautifully shot with bright colour palettes.

Also, if any film that begins with a cheesy early 2000's pop song, that can win me over. That's what this film does.

Once again, we got more despicable characters and yet Baker and his team manages to make them incredibly engaging with their charm and charisma. Our lead does show some hope during the film. So there will be a part of you that does want them to succeed.

It portrays how showbiz America can manipulate small town America by making them believe in their dreams. But it is never done in a preachy way as this film is more of a character study and the manipulation aspect is more in the background.

I was surprised as to how funny it was considering some of the topics and industries it was covering. By the end, I was amazed at how it still managed to make me thoroughly satisfied with what I saw.

The star of show is Simon Rex. He gives an absolute tour-de-force performance. Even though you know his character is up to no good, you cannot stop watching him. The energy he brings and the determination you see in him makes you 100% invested to see how his story arch will conclude.

Suzanna Son also gives a breakthrough performance. Her level of charisma almost matches Rex's in their scenes together.

It's not just Rex's performance that is worth mentioning. The entire cast do a great job and the way they hint at certain characters backstories, you feel that you can easily make a film on each of them and it will be as entertaining.

The cinematography by Drew Daniels fits Baker's style perfectly. Long tracking shots, sunset backgrounds with silhouettes in the foreground and making the most rundown and industrial places look magical.

While I was immersed in it, it did feel a bit too long. It's just over 2hrs and this type of story didn't need to be that lengthy. But they made up for it by still grabbing my attention.

Also, the only issue I have with Baker's films is here in this one, and that's the editing. The abruptness in its cuts is just not for me and I doubt this will disappear in any of his future projects.

This is another Baker feature that I really enjoyed. I don't know how Baker does this, as the topics he is covering and the industries he is focusing in this film are not mainstream friendly and could be borderline dodgy. However, he manages to constantly flirt with it and never makes you feel ashamed of enjoying it. Yes this is not for everyone. But it is the type of story you rarely see these days and that is why I get more and more excited when a new Sean Baker film is being released.

He also makes you appreciate this part of America. The characters are never there to be made fun of because they are not as well off as others. They are shown to have kindness and consideration despite also behaving like their surroundings suggest.

What makes Baker's films so watchable for me is that I feel it is showing the real modern America. While it is still trying to distract you with the sugary coatness that shows signs of the classic American dream, beneath it is sweat, dirt and unlawful people.

You can tell Baker has done his research in every department and it came with high reward.

Rating: 8/10

My Top 10: Stanley Kubrick Films

Despite being sadly no longer with us for over 20 years, the films of Stanley Kubrick continue to amaze us and keep his dedicated followers analysing every frame due to his signature symbolism style of story-telling.

His back catalogue also continues to be discovered by new generations of films lovers. Kubrick is the type of director that has a tone that truly expands your imagination of how stories can be told through this medium. While I don't go nuts for most of his works, I always appreciate his craft that is truly gold standard worthy.

What makes the man even more impressive, you can be amazed at his dedication to his work without even seeing any of his films. There is enough books or articles out there that show the amount of detail he put into not just all of his films, but in every frame.

Kubrick has never made a sequel and explored several genres. His has covered sci-fi, horror, crime, period drama, historical epic, satirical comedy and war. Almost of his works are high up in a lot of people's all-time lists of greatest films.

Even with a success, Kubrick only ever directed 13 films in his 46 years of film-making. I have seen all but 1 of Kubrick's 13 films. I have yet to see Killer's Kiss. So with that in mind, below is my ranking of every Kubrick I have seen along with a short review for each of my top 10:

12) Fear And Desire

11) Lolita

10) Eyes Wide Shut - Kubrick's last feature sees Tom Cruise  and Nicole Kidman involved in a strange yet engrossing psychological drama that explores sexual relations with not just married couples, but also strangers.

Like with most Kubrick films, the more times you re-watch it, the more content you start to find to help you understand how compelling it is.

9) A Clockwork Orange - A disturbing yet highly engaging experience that follows a youth gang causing terror in a dystopian future.

Lead by Malcolm McDowell, it explores the importance of evil within human nature and society.

The production design is visually arresting and the themes it covers makes for a great discussion.

Sadly, I will never see 'Singin In The Rain' the same way after seeing this.

8) Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb - A satirical comedy that explores the absurdity of war, particularly the Cold War that was still going on when this film was made.

These types of comedies rarely do it for me. But I did understand what this film was saying, and it is a very effective piece of work that can still be relatable viewing today.

There are some great performances and plenty of iconic lines of dialogue.

7) Barry Lyndon - An effective slow-burning period drama with amazing ground-breaking visuals.

It sees an Irish rogue take the opportunity of the position of an aristocrat to a rich widow. Set in 18th century England, this explores the change in someone's social status, how trust is used and twisted for gain the theories of luck.

The pacing and duration will put people off and general consensus will have people label this as over-rated. But I feel if you give this a chance, you will be absorbed by it. 

6) Full Metal Jacket - A haunting and impactful look at the dehumanisation of war.

Set during the Vietnam war, the film focuses on a group of Marine recruits go through a brutal boot camp that transforms into killers.

With the casting of an actual drill sergeant being the highlight of the film, it gives this drama great authenticity and effective imagery to put its message across.

5) Paths Of Glory - Kubrick's first dab into the war genre. This one is set during World War I, where an officer is forced to defend himself and his soldiers of why he refused to attack.

A tragic look at war, the performance of Kirk Douglas and effective long-tracking shots has up there with the best anti-war films ever made.

This is also one of the most accessible films Kubrick has made.

4) The Killing - Kubrick's breakthrough feature sees a veteran criminal assemble a small team to plan a heist at a racetrack during one of its biggest race days of the year.

One of the early heist films that built the foundations for how modern versions are made, this is a slick and tense watch that hasn't dated.

3) The Shining - An 80's horror classic that is one of Kubrick's most analysed features.

When the father moves his family to an isolated hotel for the winter to help with his next novel, a sinister presence influences violence and presents horrific visions.

Jack Nicholson gives one of his most memorable performances. With the added spectacular camerawork, this is a great watch.

2) Spartacus - A historical epic with a star-studded cast that tells the story of a slave that lead an uprising against the Roman Republic.

From the sweeping shots, to the strong performances and to the large scope and scale of the production, everything about it speaks classic epic.

1) 2001: A Space Odyssey - It got mixed reviews when it make out, and it is now seen as one of the most important and greatest movies of all-time. It also got Kubrick's only Oscar win for its visual effects.

It's ground-breaking imagery, moving soundtrack and complex themes makes this a cinematic wonder.

I can definitely understand this movie could be seen as hugely disappointing (a bit like Citizen Kane).  But I think this is definitely a film you can appreciate on multiple viewings.

Review: The Batman

Just when you thought we had enough Batman films, we are getting a new vision of the caped crusader.

My history with Batman in film has been pretty enjoyable overall. Outside of the Adam West TV series, my first encounter with Batman was when I saw 1992's Batman Returns. Loved it then, still do today and have always seen it as a modern Greek tragedy.

After that, there has been little to criticise from my side. The only exceptions were the god awful 'Batman & Robin' and the messy execution of the DCEU. However, Ben Affleck's Batman has been a big highlight of that franchise.

The pinnacle is obviously Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy. So I was intrigued to see that director Matt Reeves' portrayal looks to be going a somewhat similar route. I have liked Reeves as a director for the past several years. I loved Cloverfield, felt Let Me In was a solid horror re-make and really enjoyed the second and third chapters of the Planet Of The Apes trilogy.

As for his latest project, the only aspect I felt cautious with was the casting of Robert Pattinson. Despite his recent success post Twilight, playing Batman was something I did not think would be right for him. However, similar reaction for Affleck and even Heath Ledger as a Joker proved us all wrong in the best possible way. So with that strong track record in mind, I was pretty excited to see the latest incarnation.

Right from the opening moment, it transports you to quite an arresting style that reminded me of Watchmen, but without the typical Zack Snyder tropes. There is also signs of David Fincher's 'Se7en' with the grittiness, film-noir tone and brooding atmosphere that is closer to a crime mystery drama. All of that really entices you. This is definitely more towards the detective side of Batman, which I am all for.

With it being more of a mystery drama, the plot does concentrate on the character development rather than the action. So it may be a bit slow for certain demographics. But if you love story driven dramas, then this will be ideal for you.

The final act is probably the most comic book the story ever gets. The threat and stakes of what the antagonist may not be as strong as the ones from The Dark Knight trilogy. But I felt it was still perfectly functional to help with the climax of every character's story archs.

The cast really impressed me both individually as well as particular partnerships. My fears of Robert Pattinson were quickly extinguished. He gives quite a menacing presence throughout that gives you believable fear from anyone that is in the same room as him. You also get a fearless, yet troubled and damaged Bruce Wayne that is looking for his place in this corrupt city. For every minute he was on screen, I was definitely seeing Batman and not Robert Pattinson.

Zoe Kravitz combines sexy and deadly in her portrayal of Catwoman that could genuinely give Michelle Pfeiffer's performance a run for her money.

When together on screen, Pattinson and Kravitz feel like a proper team with that vintage hint of a romance. Their perfect blend of emotional and physical acting gives us a very memorable on-screen partnership.

Paul Dano gives us a pretty disturbing antagonist where he seems to be channelling a mixture of Heath Ledger's Joker with hints of Jim Carrey's Riddler. Jeffrey Wright was a nice surprise as Jim Gordon that could easily compete with Gary Oldman's version. Wright showed the honesty and determination we now expect from Gordon's character and he worked really well with Pattinson.

I also have to give props to the performances of the unrecognisable Colin Farrell, John Tuturro, the always great Andy Serkis and Peter Sarsgaard.

The combination of the cinematography by Greig Fraser, production design James Chinlund and score by Michael Giacchino gives us a complete package that is a delight to look at and listen to.

If I was forced to find negatives, I will say that some scenes that are a bit too dark for its own good. Also while I was never bored, there were a few scenes that did halt the flow and could be cut down.

However, I can safely say this is without a doubt a pretty strong piece of work. Reeves and his talented team have given us a great blend of classic and modern Batman that is worth the almost 3 hours duration. It has that vision and scope that is perfect for the cinematic experience. You get those familiar parts you expect in every Batman film. But we are also introduced to others that we have only seen in comics and video games.

With the amount of versions we have had of Batman, I was one of those people that said "do we really need another reboot?". It turns out, we do. Reeves gives a very effective vision of Gotham's Dark Knight that shows you don't need to rely on the action to have a successful Batman film.

This is a really strong addition to the several other versions and one that I do instantly want to see again. Is it the best? Probably not. However, it is one of the better ones that you can make a believable case of it being the best. It ignores the origins and heads straight into the juice with a layered story, plenty of interesting characters and enough action in both handheld combat as well as car chases.

I would be up for more installments, if Reeves is willing to still be at the helm.

Rating: 8/10