EPIC REVIEW: Justice League

Howdy ladies and gents, its time for another review and today I get to talk about one of the biggest films of the year, Justice League. Now to say that the lead up to this film has been rough would be an understatement, with the mostly negative feedback to Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad and the success of Wonder Woman, the odds were stacked against this film. Add on top of that the fact that Zack Snyder left the film because of family tragedy, Joss Whedon had to step in to finish the films and since then there were numerous conflicting reports about what had changed, and how much of the film was changed because of Whedon’s involvement. Anyway, the film’s out, the reception’s been mixed and now its time for me to throw my thoughts into the mix! 🙂

So the plot can be described as the following:

“A new evil force comes to Earth threatening to bring about the end of the world, and so Bruce Wayne and Wonder Woman work together to find and recruit a team of special individuals including Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash to stand against this newly awakened threat.”

So the plot of the film was good, not great, but solid. Firstly I liked the backstory involving the main villain, different races and the Mother Boxes, that along with certain dialogue about locations, history and characters helped flesh out the world and create mythology that was interesting and intriguing, it not only built on what we got in Man of Steel, Batman V Superman and Wonder Woman, but helped make this film more engaging and left the door open for future films to build on. I also appreciated how the story was simple, yet layered with themes relating to teamwork, death, leadership, moving on from the past and finding courage in the face of uncertainty. There was also some wonderful references to the comics with certain scenes and dialogue which made me smile a lot too. That being said there were some issues, certain scenes dragged or felt boring, there were some tonal inconsistencies, and some of the humour was good and some of it fell a bit flat and ill-timed. And some of the plot decisions were a little basic and certain dramatic or important elements were resolved quickly without enough time to simmer.

As for the cast, I liked them, some more than others. Let’s start with Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne, now some people like him as Batman, some hate him, I fall into the former category. Affleck’s portrayal of Batman was one of my favourite parts of BvS and he’s put to better use in this film. I liked how Bruce was strong-willed, focused, yet reckless and uncertain. Gal Gadot was quite good as Wonder Woman, it was interesting her in the modern world, dealing with issues not only with her past but also with some of the actions of her teammates too, Gadot has certainly found her groove with this role and besides being super beautiful, she’s confident, strong and smart. Ezra Miller as The Flash was a worry for me before watching this film because of my love for Grant Gustin’s version, but I did like this cooky, strange and lighthearted guy, he was mainly there for comic relief, but he some serious and smart moments too, and Miller’s charisma was magnetic. Jason Momoa as Aquaman was cool, he’s this serious, yet chilled out and funny kind of guy who does the right thing when the tie is right. The real surprise was Ray Fisher as Cyborg, I thought he looked like the most boring character from the trailers and he ended up being one of my highlights of the team with his attitude towards the way he was created, his interactions with the team and his importance to the plot, Fisher’s portrayal was quite engaging. The team as a whole had a wonderful dynamic filled with humorous and aggressive tendencies which made their eventual formation and scenes on and off of the battlefield nice.

Ciarán Hinds had a nice intimidating presence as the voice as Steppenwolf, unfortunately, the villain was a little on the generic side. I also liked Henry Cavill is definitely in the film and he was quite good (not a spoiler, it’s in the trailers), Jeremy Irons as Alfred was just as fun, as he was in BvS offering insightful information while providing some good jokes here and there, seeing the return of Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta, was welcomed, Amy Adams and Diane Lane was fine as Lois Lane and Martha Kent, Joe Morton as Silas Stone was fine, but I thought it was more interesting that he was the guy from Terminator 2 in this film haha, and Amber Heard’s introduction to this world as Mera was cool. And finally, J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon was good and liked his version of the character, I just wish there was more of him, there wasn’t enough! 😛

When it comes to the presentation it was good for the most part. Visually the film was nice, the was some lovely attention to detail with the way certain shots were framed and the cinematography the action sequences were a mixture of creative and fun scenes that ranged from the heroes fighting the bad guy, to the heroes fighting each other and many others, and it looked great. But there were a few moments where following the action was a little tricky, the GCI was also a little dodgy with certain faces, body movements and locations lacking in detail. The music from Danny Elfman was something I was paying attention to from the beginning and I quite enjoyed it. Elfman’s score is one that has a presence, it is full of impact, drama, triumph, playfulness and while it isn’t as memorable as some of his previous work, the way he worked in the classic Batman and Superman themes, from Batman 89′ and Superman 78′ was delightful.

In conclusion, what can I say? I liked Justice League, it was much better than I expected considering my low expectations, and while this film doesn’t reinvent the genre or does anything in an amazing fashion, it was pretty fun with some good action, good characters and solid music. Besides issues with the story, tone and villain, the film was certainly a step in the right direction for this cinematic universe,

So have you seen Justice League and if so what did you think of it? Was it better or worse than you expected? Also, how does it compare to the previous DCEU films? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below and I’ll see ya in the next review, laters! 😀

 

QUICK REVIEW: Assassin’s Creed (It Sucks!)

Howdy ladies and gents, time for a film review, the first of 2017 and how does one kick off the new year of film watching in the cinema? By watching a terrible film like Assassin’s Creed that’s how! Now I knew the film would be bad, I heard the reviews coming out of the US, but I didn’t think it’d be THAT bad, but good gravy what I endured yesterday was on another level of bad. I feel like I need to rant about this film a bit so sit back and check out my small assessment of this film.

The plot for the film can be described as the following:

“When Callum Lynch explores the memories of his ancestor Aguilar and gains the skills of a Master Assassin, he discovers he is a descendant of the secret Assassins society.”

So Assassin’s Creed, where do I begin? The film is tedious, long, nonsensical and boring. And let me reiterate, BORING! The worst offence a film can commit is to be boring and good god man this film put me to sleep. The film has come minor interesting elements when focused in the past during the Spanish Inquisition, but we only spend a limited amount of time there and most of the film takes lace in the present and all of that material is dull and tiring. Half of the time I had no idea what was going on and when I was following the plot I was questioning the logic and decisions of all of the characters. The plot’s already pretty ridiculous with some of the history and mythology, and the people behind this film did a poor job of engaging you in the world but also buying into the concept of what was happening. After a while I just stopped caring, and I thought the film would end at least 3 times before it finally stopped and if the film didn’t feel long before you definitely felt it in the last quarter of the film where the film felt like it was dragging its feet. It was insufferable.

The cast try their best with the material but even they can’t look good in this film because unless you are Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard or Jeremy Irons, you were irrelevant or used to further the plot. Most of the secondary characters have no depth or development which makes you wonder why they were in the film in the first place. Fassbender probably was the best as Callum Lynch and Aguilar de Nerha, but that’s probably because he has the most screen time, this might be the worst I’ve seen from him but this was probably more so the script than his acting.

Oh and the presentation, so lacking. Visually this film had some decent action scenes, but they should have been better, they lacked creativity, style and the sound effects for the punching, slicing/cutting of weapons and explodes felt lacking. The use of CGI was bad, far too many characters or locations were done using special effects and while some of it was unavoidable, at the same time it felt overused and since it wasn’t very polished, when it was bad it was really noticeable. Also whoever edited this film needs to be sorted out, not only was there too much editing within the fight scenes, but sometimes the quick edits during conversations or certain scenes was off-putting. The film score from Jed Kurzel was just bad, and had no impact, besides one track that I could remember towards the end, everything else was bad.

In conclusion Assassin’s Creed was just bad, not the worst film I’ve seen, but just incredibly underwhelming and unremarkable. The film had glimmers of goodness and utilized the game’s basic elements, but at the same time it failed to bring the best aspects to forefront while creating all new issues for the film adaptation. Don’t waste your time with this film even if you’re curious, it’s a waste of time.

 

ONE PARAGRAPH REVIEW: Race

Howdy ladies and gents people, time for another single paragraph review and today I’ll be doing a brief review on the film Race. Now I’d heard about this film when it was released in the US back in February, but I didn’t think it’d get a release over here because it the marketing for it wasn’t all that high, but when I saw it appear in my cinema I knew I’d have to check it out before it left within the space of a week.

So Race is a biopic that chronicles the story of Jesse Owens’ rise to fame as the greatest track and field athlete in history of the world, where he faces off against Adolf Hitler’s vision of Aryan supremacy during the 1936 Olympics. Now I’ve seen plenty of biopics in my life since watching Ray back in 2008 and you normally tell from the beginning whether the film will be unique/good or just by-the-numbers, and from some of the reviews I’d heard about, I was lead to believe that Race would fall into the latter category. However was surprisingly deep, emotional and engaging, and while there were definitely moments in the story where things felt like the followed the standard biopic formula, when the film committed to its story and characters, it ended up being a very entertaining film. What I really liked about it was the story and how it not only documented Jesse Owen’s life, but also dedicated time to the characters surrounding Jesse, showed he highs and lows of being an athlete and showed not only the racism of that time period, but also the complexities that came with the Olympics being held in Germany while Hitler was still in power. There were a lot of topics I didn’t expect the film to cover but it was done in a way that serviced the film, rather than take away from it. And the performances all around were pretty solid. Stephan James did such a great job as Jesse Owens having a great sense of charisma, urgency and likeability as a man who had talent, but also had a lot of responsibilities and the weight of the world of his shoulders. Jason Sudeikis was also very impressive as Larry Snyder, I’ve never seen Sudeikis in anything serious, and this is the first film that’s really made me like him as an actor. Jeremy Irons was also very good as Avery Brundage and really enjoyed Carice van Houten as Leni Riefenstahl, William Hurt’s appearance as Jeremiah Mahoney was good and I also liked Shanice Banton as Ruth Solomon-Owens. In conclusion Race was better than expected and while not perfect, the strong performances, and dramatic elements of the story really made it worth watching.

So that was my review, have you seen Race and if so what did you think of it? Please leave your comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters! 😀

 

EPIC REVIEW: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Howdy people of the internet, today I’m finally getting around to reviewing Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Now I saw this film during the midnight screening yesterday and I’ve been meaning to talk about it since then, but I’ve had work. But I’m free now and after having some time to think about it I think I’m ready to pass judgement.Oh and before we begin I’m just gonna state right now that I’m throwing the rating system out of the window for this review because it would be irrelevant and troublesome.

The story can be described as the following:

“Fearing the actions of Superman are left unchecked, Batman takes on the man of steel, while the world wrestles with what kind of hero it really needs. With Batman and Superman fighting each other, a new threat, Doomsday, is created by Lex Luthor. It’s up to Superman and Batman to set aside their differences along with Wonder Woman to stop Lex Luthor and Doomsday from destroying Metropolis.”

Annoyingly the film’s story starts out well connecting to the events of Man of Steel, but after that things get a little messy. This film had a lot to do especially when it came to introducing us to what’s taken place since MoS, showing us the public’s view on Superman and his actions, why Bruce Wayne has come into play and showing other key elements that place in the main and sub plots. But not too long after the film began the problems arose, what became immediately noticeable to me was the fact that there was a multiple things happening with at once with the story, but not all of it was relevant or engaging, plus some of the editing was strange as we cut to a from several things that messed with the film’s pacing and coherency. We also have plot points that go nowhere or are failed to be properly explained and a lack of proper character motivations lead to some questionable choices as the film progresses. The film jumps all over the place with flashbacks, visions, dreams and current day stuff and it ranged from being interesting to downright annoying as they would show up when up least expected them to. As for being a “Batman vs Superman” film it did some of those elements well with could drama and set up, but some of the motivations and story elements that lead up to their major confrontation felt convoluted and out of character for each of these characters (especially when you compare them to the comics). And the “Dawn of Justice” aspects of the film with the connections to the future DC films was certainly interesting and some of it got me hyped to see some of these solo films, it’s too bad that their place felt random and shoehorned into the film. Oh and I don’t think I can talk about this film without mentioned the length, dear god  I felt the length of this film, so much happens, but believe me if certain plot points had been streamlined or taken out altogether this film would have been so much better for it.

As for the cast they were pretty good, though some people were really wasted or did not well at all. Let’s start with Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Easily the best part of the film was Affleck as Batman, this man was able to capture the duality of the character well and just the delivery of his dialogue to his facial expression just made me love him. And can I just say that this is the most badass Batman we’ve ever had? This dude in a monster! Batman rolls around like the boogeyman brutally taking people out, he’s scary as hell and you don’t want to mess with him, and while I don’t entirely agree with his characterization (because he’s more like Wolverine or the Punisher), I can’t deny that this version of the Dark Knight was kick ass. Henry Cavill was fine as Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman, but I had hoped for more. Superman is interesting here because he’s got a lot of stuff to deal with him saving people, having the world both love and hate him and trying to sustain a relationship with Lois too. I feel bad for Cavill as he is a good Superman, but he’s given such uninteresting material to work with and he’s a bit plain and dull. Amy Adams as Lois Lane was a character I didn’t really like in the last film and in this film I think she may have gotten worse. Lois has her own little sub plot which wasn’t all that interesting, she made a lot of stupid decisions, was the damsel in distress again and I still don’t buy the relationship between her and Superman.

Oh and then there’s Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor… Just gonna say it now, he is as bad as you feared. Okay to his credit there were moments, small moments where the guy was actually pretty smart and dangerous, but those glimmers of hope were squashed by Eisenberg’s silly and cooky mannerisms, the guy is just strange and hardly a threat. Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman was surprisingly good, I mean the acting was amazing, however, the characters was a lot more interesting than I expected and this film has made me want to see the new solo film in 2017. Diane Lane as Martha Kent was fine, but was more a backseat character until the story required her to show up and Laurence Fishburne as Perry White was decent as well but his appearance in this film has no significance on the main story. Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth was awesome, every time he was around he was insightful, funny and delightful, I just wish there had been more scenes with him in the film. And finally Holly Hunter as fine as Senator June Finch but her character didn’t add up to much in the grand scheme of things.

When it comes to the presentation it was pretty cool. As with most Zack Snyder films the action is pretty hardcore with very crazy and intricate cinematography and visual effects which were put to good use in a lot of action sequences for sure. Though some of the action wasn’t as well-choreographed as I’d hoped considering that this was moment to be major confrontation between Batman and Superman. But I will say the best material was the Batman material, his fights were so insanely hardcore, well-made and man this is the best material we’ve ever gotten in live-action. The film score provided by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL was a mixed bag, whenever the soundtrack was playing in the background I could tell the difference between Zimmer and XL’s style with Zimmer being a little more classical and XL’s style being a little more aggressive and electronic in sound which felt a little out of place at times. But I will say that the Wonder Woman theme that played during her scenes was pretty cool.

In conclusion Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was a mixed back. Not since Man of Steel have I been this divided about whether I liked a film or not. On the one hand the film gave me what I wanted and it certainly had moments of badassery and drama, but at the same time the film never became more than it could have been and a lot of the problems I knew I’d have with the film were realised. I could talk about this film for days but I don’t think you’ll stick around for that haha, I recommend BvS to everyone just so you can form your own opinion on it as everyone’s views will be different as it has been shown to be online so far, this film wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great either.

So what do you think of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? Did you love it, hate it or fall somewhere in between like me? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review. Laters! 😀

 

Jesse Eisenberg and Jeremy Irons Cast in the Batman Vs. Superman!

Well damn, the world of film news just gets more and more controversial by the day, in another crazy news story from the upcoming Batman vs. Superman film we get some new casting news and it already has the internet in a frenzy. Trust me when I say there is no way I’d miss out on talking about this myself. Anways the following info comes from superherohype:

“Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Jesse Eisenberg has been set to star as Lex Luthor and Jeremy Irons will play Alfred in the upcoming Zack Snyder untitled Superman/Batman film. The dual announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Snyder stated, “Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s rivals, his unsavory reputation preceding him since 1940. What’s great about Lex is that he exists beyond the confines of the stereotypical nefarious villain. He’s a complicated and sophisticated character whose intellect, wealth and prominence position him as one of the few mortals able to challenge the incredible might of Superman. Having Jesse in the role allows us to explore that interesting dynamic, and also take the character in some new and unexpected directions.”

The director added, “As everyone knows, Alfred is Bruce Wayne’s most trusted friend, ally and mentor, a noble guardian and father figure. He is an absolutely critical element in the intricate infrastructure that allows Bruce Wayne to transform himself into Batman. It is an honor to have such an amazingly seasoned and gifted actor as Jeremy taking on the important role of the man who mentors and guides the guarded and nearly impervious façade that encapsulates Bruce Wayne.”

Eisenberg received Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and BAFTA Award nominations for his starring role as Mark Zuckerberg in David Fincher’s The Social Network. He also starred in Woody Allen’s To Rome with Love and Louis Letterier’s Now You See Me. He next appears in The Double and NightMoves.

Irons won the Academy Award for his portrayal of Claus von Bülow in Reversal of Fortune. His work in the film also garnered him a Golden Globe Award. He won an Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for his performance in the TV miniseries “Elizabeth I,” opposite Helen Mirren, and recently starred on the small screen as Rodrigo Borgia in Neil Jordan’s highly acclaimed Showtime series “The Borgias,” for which Irons earned a Golden Globe nomination. He was recently nominated for a SAG Award for the PBS Great Performances television miniseries “The Hollow Crown,” for his performance as Henry IV.”

Ah shit, looks like crazy stories be happening again and it honestly makes for some great blogging material. I swear the people working on Superman Vs. Batman are doing this on purpose, just hiring actors to send the internet into a frenzy. First they did it with Ben Affleck, then Gal Gadot and now Jesse Eisenberg, its bloody mental. So let’s start with Irons first and then move onto the bigger casting news surrounding Eisenberg.

So now we have Jeremy Irons as good ol’ Alfred Pennyworth. At first I was not overly jolly about his choice just be cause I wasn’t sure if he had the right look I personally imagined, plus I didn’t think of him as that old. But the more I’ve thought about it, the more I’m okay with it. He is a great and established actor, also at the age of 65 he fits into the role age-wise just fine and while I haven’t seen too many of the films he’s in what I have seen makes me feel like he’s up to the task.

Now let’s move onto the casting news that’s gotten loads of fanboys panties in a twist…

BAM! JESSE EISENBERG AS LEX LUTHOR! CRAZY RIGHT? WHO SAW THAT COMING? ANYONE WHO CLAIMS THAT THEY DID IS LYING! XD

So yeah I read this and I thought I was reading the article wrong, but nope, it’s confirmed and is as real as I am a Sonic-obsessed nerd. Firstly I don’t understand. Of all the people in the world, Eisenberg gets chosen. And don’t misunderstand me, I really like Eisenberg. He was good in Zombieland, brilliant in The social Network and pretty good in Now You See Me. But when I see him I don’t immediately think “Ah yeah Lex Luthor!” I dunno if Eisenberg has the emotional range to carry such an iconic villainous role, plus I can’t see it in his face. Plus Eisenberg as much as I like him he kind of acts the same way in most of his films so that doesn’t give me much hope for a great Lex Luthor interpretation. I’m gonna give the guy a chance because I like him, but damn he’s gonna have a battle on his hands trying to fight off all the haters that wished that it was Heisenberg (Bryan Cranston) and not Eisenberg as Lex Luthor.

So now I pass it onto you lot, what do you think of the casting news? Are you in support of it or do you loathe it with passion! Drop your comments below.