Category: Film reviews (2021) (Page 1 of 2)

The King’s Man review “The long awaited prequel to a unique franchise”

21 January 2022 / Matthew Wilson / 0 Comments

The latest instalment in The Kingsman franchise, aptly named The King’s Man, transports audiences to the founding days of the organisation, conveying the events preceding its inception. The film offers a slightly altered take on history than the one viewers will be familiar with, and in doing so cements the spies as playing an essential role in the conclusion of the first world war.

Actors Ralph Fiennes (Red Dragon, No Time To Die, Spectre) and Harris Dickinson (Beach Rats, The Darkest Minds, Maleficent 2) team up with Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace, Clash of the Titans, Runner Runner) and Djimon Hounsou (Guardians of the Galaxy, Blood Diamond, Gladiator) to save the world from a prevelant threat.

The Last Duel and House of Gucci review: Ridley Scott double act

12 January 2022 / Finley Kettle / 0 Comments

At the grand-old age of 84, Sir Ridley Scott continues to grace us with meaningful adult-oriented stories for the big screen. That is no mean feat for someone who is considered an OAP. Scott has managed to make some of cinema’s most iconic films, whether it’s the sci-fi classics Alien and Blade Runner or historical epics like Gladiator, it’s safe to assume he is one of Britain’s most distinguished and acclaimed filmmakers.

This year Scott not only has one film with his name attached but two, medieval period drama The Last Duel and sprawling fashion epic House of Gucci.

Spider-Man: No Way Home review “Delivers on all fronts”

2 January 2022 / Adam Brannon / 0 Comments

The Marvel Cinematic Universe shows no signs of slowing down. Even with the pandemic changing the way we consume our films, the MCU has remained as solid as a rock (despite the rather negative response to Chloé Zhao’s Eternals which now has the dishonour of being the lowest rated film in the universe, after beating out Thor: The Dark World’s Rotten Tomatoes score.

Nevertheless, after months of rumours and hiding away from spoilers, Spider-Man: No Way Home has finally hit cinemas. Can Tom Holland’s third solo outing as the web-slinger live up to its incredible hype?

Ghostbusters: Afterlife review “Back again, so soon?”

7 December 2021 / Adam Brannon / 0 Comments

Well I didn’t think I’d be sat here writing this. After the furious backlash to Paul Feig’s 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, I thought the franchise was as dead as a dodo. For what it’s worth, I quite liked the all-female film – it lacked any sense of nostalgia though, and Chris Hemsworth’s role was peculiar, but it was a decent spectacle and fun to watch.

Fast forward to 2021, and director of Juno, Jason Reitman (son of Ivan Reitman who directed the first two films in the series) resurrects the franchise from its slumber with this: Ghostbusters: Afterlife – but how good is it really?

Last Night in Soho review “Edgar Wright is back”

28 November 2021 / Matthew Wilson / 0 Comments

The latest film from the amazing mind of Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Baby Driver), Last Night in Soho, sets out to test the boundaries of what’s possible within a genre. With the appearance of an ordinary murder mystery on the cover, the story quickly turns to a horrific blood bath of time travelling chaos and confusion. With an impressive cast including Matt Smith (Doctor Who, The Crown), Anya Taylor-Joy (Split, The Queen’s Gambit), and most importantly, Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit, The King), the narrative throws you in the deep end and holds you there until the credits roll.

Dune review “A spectacle to behold on the biggest screen possible”

12 November 2021 / Finley Kettle / 0 Comments

The long awaited adaptation of the seminal sci-fi novel Dune has finally arrived on the big screen after many delays and setbacks. This highly anticipated release is not the first time the space epic has been adapted for the screen. Acclaimed filmmaker David Lynch did his take on the book in 1984 which, the less said about the better. There have also been series, comics and other material based on author Frank Herbert’s work but they have all struggled to fully grasp the scope and scale of the book.

My experience with the source material and the other works based on it is well, nothing. I had never seen any of the films/series and never read the book, but I was sold on this adaptation after its director was announced. Denis Villeneuve has made some of the most stunning, thought–provoking cinema of the past decade, from modern classics like Sicario and Prisoners to sci-fi spectacle in Arrival and Blade Runner 2049. It’s safe to say he’s got a good track record although, his films have never been smash hits at the box-office.

Halloween Kills review “A thrilling if uneven middle chapter”

17 October 2021 / Adam Brannon / 0 Comments

Second films have never been kind to the Halloween franchise. You see, after John Carpenter’s 1978 masterpiece, no-one, including Carpenter himself was really interested in making a sequel – no-one that is apart from producer Irwin Yablans.

The original story, in which Myers tracks down Jamie Lee Curtis in her new high-rise apartment building was switched out for the 1981 film set on the same evening at Haddonfield Hospital. Halloween II was fine, if a little rushed into production and it shows in the finished film.

Batman: The Long Halloween Parts 1 and 2 review

23 September 2021 / Matthew Wilson / 0 Comments

I got to watch this film in late June when my steelbook finally arrived. I was really looking forward to watching this film, as some of my favourite Batman content derives from the animated medium, such as Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010).

I think it was the right decision to split the film adaptation into two parts as it allows for more accuracy to the source material as well as great depth of characters and better pacing of events. I didn’t feel as though this film rushed anything particularly, which was an issue I had mildly experienced while rewatching Batman: Year One (2011).

The Suicide Squad Review “James Gunn is a perfect fit”

24 August 2021 / Finley Kettle / 0 Comments

What do you get when you put together a team made up of DC’s bottom of the barrel characters, such as Polka dot man, an anthropomorphic shark/weasel and a girl that controls rats?

Apparently a wildly entertaining, sometimes funny, sometimes insane but far superior to its predecessor depiction of, The Suicide Squad.

Old review “Original but poorly executed”

3 August 2021 / Finley Kettle / 0 Comments

To cheaply reference one of M Night Shyamalan’s previous films, the director’s work often leaves audiences Split. His new film Old is no different, a return to classic Shyamalan tropes, high-concept premise, horror oriented and a big twist reveal towards the end. While nothing he’s made has ever really come close to passing the shocks of The Sixth Sense, it’s safe to say his films always offer up interesting ideas and rarely follow the traditional Hollywood formula, as is the case with Old.

The film follows a family on vacation at a swanky hotel where they are encouraged to go to check out a tranquil, isolated beach along with a few other couples and families. Once there, they slowly start to realise that time moves differently here as they all begin to age at accelerated rates, with no way of escape.