The Suicide Squad Review (Spoiler-Free)

Good day ladies and gents, I have reappeared online to share my thoughts on The Suicide Squad, the latest DC film from director James Gunn. Now being in the UK I could’ve had my review online last Friday because that’s when it released over here, but I decided to hold off until this week. So having seen it twice I’m ready to share my thoughts via my podcast Film Focus.

In episode 127 of Film Focus, I review the latest film from Warner Bros. and DC; The Suicide Squad. So this is the second attempt to make a Suicide Squad film after the 2016 version failed to resonate with audiences in the way that the studios wanted. So with James Gunn at the helm, he has assembled an impressive cast and crafted a story that from the trailers looks like it’s more quirky, violent, funnier and crazier than the previous instalment. So is the film a good time or not? Well, listen to this spoiler-free episode to find out! 😀

Anyway here’s the review:

If you haven’t checked out my podcast before you can find it here: https://soundcloud.com/film_focus

So have you seen The Suicide Squad and if so what did you think of it? Drop your thoughts in the comments section below and I’ll see ya in the next review, laters! 😀

 

Birds of Prey Review

Howdy ladies and gentlemen of the internet, today I am here to share my review for Birds of Prey via my podcast Film Focus.

On episode 99 of Film Focus, I review the latest film from DC in the form of Birds of Prey or as its been recently dubbed, “Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey”. So this film has a had an interesting journey from its concept as Gotham City Sirens to where it is right now. In addition to that this film had an uphill battle with those who weren’t keen on Suicide Squad and the marketing not doing too much to hype up potential audiences. That being said there were certainly fans of Margot Robbie’s Harley who were down to see her in another film as well. So is Birds of Prey good or not? Well, check out this spoiler-free review to find out.

Anyway here’s the review:

If you haven’t checked out my podcast before you can find it here: https://soundcloud.com/film_focus

So have you seen Birds of Prey and if so what did you think of it? Drop your thoughts in the comments section below and I’ll see ya in the next review, laters! 😀

 

EPIC REVIEW: Suicide Squad

Hey there ladies and gents, time for another new review and today I’ll be talking about one of my most anticipated films of 2016 which I saw around an ago; Suicide Squad. Now for those not aware I’ve been hyped for this film since the first Comic-Con trailer, the choice of director, cast and overall marketing just made me believe that this was gonna be the DC film for me, and more so than Batman V Superman, this was the film that I had most hope for in terms of expanding the DC cinematic universe. Now unless you’ve been away from the internet then you must be aware of all the negative reviews this film has gained over the last few days, and even though I caught glimpses of it, I decided to steer clear of those reviews and see it for myself. So I watched the earliest screening in my cinema, now I’m here, and well, here’s the thing, Suicide Squad, it’s not bad, but was not the amazing film I wanted it to be.

The story can be described as the following:

“A secret government agency led by Amanda Waller recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions and save the world from a powerful threat in exchange for clemency.“

This story had some interesting elements with the formation of the villain squad and some of their individual stories, but the plot felt a little muddled and could have been a lot simpler and more streamlined. The problems begin with the story as I felt like there was a few too many moving pieces, not that it was hard to follow, more so there were a few side/sub plots that could have been shortened or gotten rid of altogether. Also the flow of the story felt off with some pacing issues and oddly edited scenes. And the overall plot was fine, but it had several elements that I’d seen in other comic books films, but not in a good way, plus I was kind of hoping for a film that was on a smaller scale and while this story was smaller than the last two DC films, at the same time it felt like it was reaching further to a global scale and that was unnecessary.

Now let’s talk about the cast, they may be the best part about the whole film, though this ensemble cast are not properly balanced, and some get way more screen time and character development than others. Let’s start with the top-tier characters with Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg and Jared Leto as The Joker. Smith was on-point, he was funny, charismatic, mean and commanding, pretty much all the reasons you like the actor and I liked what he did as Deadshot, but I felt like his character got the most screen time and character development, and some of his scenes could have been cut to give more fleshing out time to other characters. Robbie was solid as Harley Quinn, there was that right balance of playfulness, craziness and sexiness, and while I wasn’t keen on some of the backstory, the overly sexual costume and personality traits, Harley was still a lot of fun. Davis was my favourite as Amanda Waller, she was a no-nonsense, ruthless and intimidating individual and Davis brought her A-game. And Kinnaman, while I didn’t care too much about his character, this was one of the better roles I’ve liked him in. Then there’s the slightly lower tier of the cast. Jai Courtney and Jay Hernandez brought some interesting flavour to the film as Boomerang and El Diablo, Courtney was fun, hilarious and crazy, while Hernandez brought a cool seriousness to his character and ended up being one of my favourite people. And Cara Delevingne as Enchantress, I kind of liked her but at the same time her performance and character fluctuated between me liking and disliking her. As for everyone else they either alright or just there, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc was alright but we barely got to know him and he didn’t say or do too much, and finally Karen Fukuhara as Katana severely underutilized and had some cool minor character detailed, but she was wasted and it pissed me off because it felt almost as bad as what X-Men: Apocalypse did with Jubilee.

When it comes to the presentation I wasn’t very impressed with this film. Visually the film had some decent moments with the action sequences, use of colour and CGI, but I wasn’t keen on how some of the scenes were framed, the action sequences were alright but lacked the right kind of choreography and cinematography to make them stand out, some of the lighting and editing was off and the CGI was iffy from time to time. Maybe I’m being a little harsh, but the visual material is one of the key elements I look forward to in any comic book adapted film and this film just didn’t have the wow factor. Also on the audio side of things the film score by Steven Price was a little bland and did nothing to amplify what was happening on-screen, plus there felt like there was an overabundance of music put in this film, and while I’m not against the use of popular music in films, at the same time it felt distracting and placed all over the film for the sake of it. Oh and finally, I dunno if it was just me but the sound effects really lacked impact especially when it came to the gunfire and characters getting smacked on the ground or into walls.

In the end Suicide Squad is not a terrible film, it’s certainly not Fan4stic or X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but I wanted to love this film so badly and it pains me that another one of these non-Batman films from DC has ended up not being a complete success considering the talent involved. I feel like this will be another polarizing film, but for the sake of your curiosity/sanity, give this film a watch and decide for yourselves.

So are you going to watch Suicide Squad and if you’ve seen it, pass on your thoughts in the comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters! 😀

 

QUICK REVIEW: The Legend of Tarzan

Here’s the thing about The Legend of Tarzan, there’s a lot of interesting ideas with good story and character elements. however, I don’t feel like this film reached the potential it could have. Now I LOVE Disney’s Tarzan, it’s one of my favourite animated films ever, and while it took a lot of liberties with the source material, it was a wonderful visual experience with a simple yet effect story with characters you cared about and cool soundtrack to boot (yes I loved the Phil Collins sound, suck it haters)! So I’m a little biased. However, after doing some reading about Tarzan online I’ve come to realise that he’s a pretty interesting character with cool stories and a lot of potential for more modern live-action adaptations because, Tarzan, while he’s been depicted in many live-action versions prior to this 2016 version, I feel like there’s always been room for improvement with technology, cinematography and the depiction of Tarzan’s abilities. So even though I didn’t feel the need to see another big-screen version of Tarzan, at the same time I was curious to see what Tarzan would look like with today’s technology and under the direction of David Yates.

The story can be described as the following:

“Tarzan, having acclimated to life in London, is called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment.”

The story was certainly interesting with the film focusing on life of Tarzan post jungle and then having a situation that would force him out of his civilised life and back into the wild. It was nice to see the origins of Tarzan’s life in flashbacks similar to Man of Steel, I also liked how there was history between not only just Tarzan’s life in the jungle but also an African tribe and other animals that helped flesh out the world and make Tarzan and Jane’s life seem well-lived and detailed. However the plot felt very familiar and standard fare to anyone to who’s seen any kind of film in the action adventure genre, it also doesn’t help that the script lacked a lot of unique or compelling elements, and the dramatic or subtle moments that the film tried to portray didn’t have the right kind of emotional depth. It also didn’t help that most of the interesting aspects of the film was about Tarzan’s past and the latter half of the film, everything else just felt like a chore to get through. However if you’re just looking for a simple action adventure film and you’re not too fussed about the story details then you’ll forgive those issues I previously highlighted.

The cast do a decent job, though some people were clearly better than others. Firstly there’s Alexander Skarsgård as Tarzan/John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke. Can I just say that Skarsgård as nice as he is, looks too pretty to be Tarzan. For a dude raised in the jungle and having dealt with the harsh nature of that lifestyle for years, the guy looked too perfect in body structure and the face, I would have preferred the guy be a little more rough around the edges with more battle scars and longer hair. Plus Tarzan felt a little plain and unless Jane was involved, the man felt lacking in the motivation department and considering the book material the character could have been a lot more fun and intriguing to watch. Outside of that I will say that did start to come around to Skarsgård towards the end of the film. Margot Robbie as Jane did alright as Tarzan’s wife, Robbie brought a lovely charm to the character, however, she was also a little plain and her romance with Tarzan felt so engaging and tedious. Samuel L. Jackson was the best as George Washington Williams, Jackson was clearly having fun in the role and his character while having some serious moments, also provided most of the film’s best moments of humour nad he was the best part of the cast. Christoph Waltz was severely underwhelming as Captain Léon Rom, Waltz just played the same average/lazy villain role that he’s become attached to in recent years and while he was fine, it felt like he wasn’t really trying. Djimon Hounsou was actually pretty good as Chief Mbonga, while Casper Crump (who some keen-eyed viewers will recognise him from DC’s Legends of Tomorrow as Vandal Savage) was fun as Captain Kerchover.

When it comes to the presentation visually the film was decent with some nice camera work, action scenes and CGI. Though I feel like the quality of the visual effects fluctuated between being decent to pretty lazy and blurry, also for a film with tribal warriors, and a man who fights apes and summons the animals to fight for him, I feel like the action lacked creativity, flair and choreography, Tarzan’s action scenes were just alright and the fact that the tribe people didn’t get to do much felt like a wasted opportunity. Also the film score by Rupert Gregson-Williams was alright, but wasn’t nearly as memorable as it should have been and at times it tried to be super dramatic with some of the vocals but it didn’t connect with me.

In the The Legend of Tarzan wasn’t as bad as I had initially feared, it had moments of intrigue and fun and I was having fun with it especially when Sam Jackson was involved. But I just felt like the film was a little formulaic, didn’t expand the mythology of the title character or do much to sway people who weren’t fans of the material beforehand.

Rating: 5.5/10 (It was just alright)

So have you seen The Legend of Tarzan and if so what did you think of it? Be sure to comment below, share your thoughts and I’ll see you on the next review, laters! 😀

 

QUICK REVIEW: Suicide Squad Trailer #2

Howdy ladies and gents, time for another one of those trailer reviews and today I’m here to talk about the newest trailer for Suicide Squad. Now I’m pretty sure I did a review for the first trailer last year, but according to my archives I didn’t. I really enjoyed the first trailer and since then my interest in the film has only increased, the new posters were cool, but I was just waiting for the new trailer and later on it was dropped.

So here’s the trailer below:

Now I only got to see this trailer just before I got to go to work around 10am today and I was impressed. This trailer has a nice sense of personality and charm, and while we don’t get too many new details when it comes to the story, we do learn a few more details like:

1. The fact that we see the villains taken from jail to another undisclosed location and drafted into a team.
2. We see more individual moments from the members of the squad.
3. And we start to see some hints as to what the squad will be up against.

This trailer is all about Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, I just love this girl’s enthusiasm, personality and timing for humour through her strange personality. Robbie just steals the spotlight and it’s not just because of how gorgeous she is in her costume, but more so because she has some of the best dialogue and scenes. Just behind her was Jared Leto as the Joker, while this trailer doesn’t show much more than before, it did allow us hear him speak and laugh and illustrate this new interpretation of madness. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be a super memorable Joker when compared to what’s come before, but I’m sure he’ll be great. I really enjoyed seeing more of the characters Deadshot, Enchantress and her creepy smoke aura, and more moments of Rick Flag and Captain Boomerang (who looks pretty funny as played by Jai Courtney). And it also helps that the trailer included “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, besides “Don’t Stop Me Now“, this is one of the most popular of Queen songs and it was well interrogated into the trailer with specific scenes and moments. And while I don’t need famous songs in trailers, this was one of the better ones with the action cut to the music which amplified the visuals.

To conclude Suicide Squad looks like a lot of fun, and this new trailer only increases my excitement. Now It’s probably not in the high-end of my most anticipated films of 2016, but it’s very charismatic, colourful, action-packed and humourous. The film could be okay, but I’m hoping it’ll be much more than that and help launch the DC cinematic universe beyond Batman V Superman and the upcoming Justice League and Wonder Woman films.

So have you seen the second trailer for Suicide Squad and if so what do you think of it? Are you more or less excited than before? Be sure to drop me a comment and I’ll see ya on the next review! 🙂

 

SIMPLE REVIEW: Focus

Howdy people of the internet, after a bit of a gap away from the cinema I’m back to do my review for Focus. This review will be another one of my simple reviews where I try to sum up my thoughts on the film a concise manner. Now I have eagerly been anticipating this film for a while now mainly because it is Will Smith’s first film for a while and I hoped it would be good. So is it? Well read on and find out.

So the story goes like this:

“Nicky Spurgeon is an extremely accomplished con man who takes an amateur con artist, Jess, under his wing. Nicky and Jess become romantically involved, and with Nicky’s profession of being a liar and a cheater for a living, he realizes that deception and love are things that don’t go together. They split, only to see each other three years later… And things get messy.”

I thought the story in this film was smart and well-executed. This film is part drama, part romance, part comedy and it does a balancing act between all of these genres. What I liked most about this film is the sense of style, the logic that comes with stealing and being a con people in general and its themes of trust and deception, mixing business with pleasure and never losing sight of your main goal. My only nitpicks are: 1) The film doesn’t really give you a specific indication of time that Nicky and Jess spent together so it is hard to buy the ‘love factor’ of their relationship. 2) One thing that the film does well is that it keeps you guessing and has a few twists and turns, it is great, but one does wonder if some of the bluffs were necessary.

As for the cast they were all pretty good. So let’s start with Will Smith as Nicky Spurgeon. Smith is a very charismatic man and he’s always been a leading actor in most of his films, but here he is a little more subtle, he’s still a wonderful actor with charm and emotion, but he doesn’t overpower his other colleagues. I liked Smith in this film, his character while engaging and fun, was problematic, dubious and the least heroic person he’s played. Margot Robbie as Jess Barrett was also very good. Robbie came across as an actress who has been on the big screen for a while as she handled her role with style, charm and dramatic flair. Together Smith and Robbie has really good chemistry and you could really buy their attraction and relationship. Rodrigo Santoro did a goof job as Garriga and Gerald McRaney was pretty stern and funny as Owens. I really enjoyed BD Wong as Liyuan, this guy’s part was one of the best parts of the films. And it was great to see again Brennan Brown as he did a good job as Horst while Adrian Martinez provides many moments of humour as Farhad.

In conclusion Focus is a good film, it has solid story with some surprises, humour and great lead performances from Smith and Robbie. While the film is not perfect and has a few issues, they are nitpicky at best and as a Will Smith comeback film it is a good return to form. I would recommend this film as it smart, heartfelt and kind funny.

Rating: 7.5/10

So have you seen Focus and if so what did you think of it? Please be sure to leave your comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters! 😀

 

It’s Official: Meet the Cast of DC Comics’ Suicide Squad Movie!

Good day to you people of the internet, and today is a glorious day as I FINALLY have some film news to talk about. After the epicness that was the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer last Friday, I’ve been totally bored and longing for another big news story to blog about and it seems like some mystical force has answered my prayers as we have some pretty cool DC film news to talk about relating to Suicide Squad. The following news comes from superherohype:

An all-star roster of actors has joined Warner Bros. Pictures’ new action adventure Suicide Squad, bringing DC Comics’ super villain team to the big screen under the direction of David Ayer (Fury). The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, Warner Bros. Pictures.

The film will star two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness, Focus) as Deadshot; Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises, upcoming Mad Max: Fury Road) as Rick Flagg; Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street, Focus) as Harley Quinn; Oscar winner Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club, Alexander) as the Joker; Jai Courtney (Divergent, The Water Diviner) as Boomerang; and Cara Delevingne (Anna Karenina, upcoming Pan) as Enchantress.

In making the announcement, Silverman said, “The Warner Bros. roots are deep on this one. David Ayer returns to the studio where he wrote ‘Training Day’ and brings his incredible ability to craft multidimensional villains to this iconic DC property with a cast of longtime Warner collaborators Will Smith and Tom Hardy, and other new and returning favorites: Margot, Jared, Jai and Cara. We look forward to seeing this terrific ensemble, under Ayer’s amazing guidance, give new meaning to what it means to be a villain and what it means to be a hero.”

Ayer is also writing the script for the Suicide Squad movie, which is being produced by Charles Roven (The Dark Knight trilogy, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) and Richard Suckle (American Hustle). Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Colin Wilson and Geoff Johns are serving as executive producers.

Suicide Squad, which was originally created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru back in 1959, will set up shop in Toronto, Canada at their Pinewood extension starting in February. Following two months of pre-production, the film will shoot from April until September.

It was also previously rumored that Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor will play a role in the story, although his name is not included in this official cast list.

OH yes, fuck yes! I mean sure this is just a casting announcement, but I don’t care I’m hyped. I remember a little while ago when this group of actors were rumoured to be in this film, but obviously it was all rumour at that point and I think because names like Will Smith, Jared Leto and Tom Hardy were floating around, that maybe it was a little beyond the realm of possibility. But it seems like some unlikely things are possible. I’ve said it before, I’m not too familiar with the Suicide Squad’s origins and the only adaptation I’ve seen of them are in Arrow. So its like a Guardians of the Galaxy situation from 2012, when that film was announced I had no knowledge of the source material, that being said, I loved that film, so maybe DC and Warner Bros. can do the same for this comic book property.

So now let’s talk about this cast. What a fine bunch they are. All of these people chosen are interesting and dynamic and to put them together in comic book film makes me grin and think of so many possibilities. Let just start with Will Smith as Deadshot. For me this is the best and most interesting announcement. Will Smith is one of my all-time favourite actors, however the guy hasn’t been very active in recent times and the only films the man has to his name in the last two years is the decent Men In Black 3 and forgettable After Earth. The guy’s really needed a big new film to be part of and this I think could be the best decision for his career. While I’m not sure about the Deadshot’s origins and whether Smith is a good fight for the characters or not, it doesn’t matter. If this film and his performance ends up being good then it’ll be good publicity for him. And then there’s Tom Hardy. I love Hardy, he’s been one of my favourite actors since 2010 and these days I will try and see any film he appears in. I don’t know who Rick Flagg is and in a way I don’t care, if Hardy kills it in the role then that will be all I care about.

And then there’s the super interesting casting surrounding Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Jared Leto as the Joker! Margot Robbie, now this lady was lovely in The Wolf of Wall Street, however I have yet to see her in any other films to she how versatile she is as an actress. That being said she is playing Harley Quinn, HARLEY FRIGGING QUINN! In the 20 years since she came into existence she has yet to make a live-action appearance, but now she’ll finally be coming to the big screen and that in itself is an exciting prospect. I love Harley Quinn, she’s a very crazy, energetic and layered character, and if Robbie does a good job then I’ll be a happy man. And then there’s Jared Leto as the Joker; this is the super important role. Leto was awesome in Dallas Buyers Club and believe that he can probably do anything if given the right role, but now he’s stepping into a very important role, the role of the prince clown of crime. This is a critical role that if not handled correctly, will have fanboy go into a frenzy and freak out. Jack Nicholson was good and Heath Ledger was awesome, those are two damn good acts to follow, Leto will have his work cut out for him.

And finally we have Jai Courtney as Boomerang and Cara Delevingne as Enchantress. Both characters I know nothing about and when it comes the actors they are not nearly as interesting as the others. Courtney I’ve only seen Jack Reacher and A Good Day to Die Hard, which I liked in the former and hated in latter, this guy has yet to pull me in as a fan or as a good actor, maybe he’ll surprise me in the future. And finally Delevingne, I’ve not really heard of her or seen any of her films. I guess her appearance in this film will be my first experience of her.

Overall I’m down with this cast especially when it comes to Will Smith and Tom Hardy’s involvement. I now have a renewed interest in this film and I can only hope that it ends up being good. So what do you think of this news? Are you down with the cast or do you believe there are some wrong choices? Please leave your thoughts below and I’ll see you on the next blog post yo.

 

Warner Bros.’ Tarzan to Swing Into Theaters on July 1, 2016

Good evening to all that may be reading this blog, tonight I’m gonna be delivering some film news that I think is of some degree of interest. The following information comes from superherohype:

“Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that the studio has entered into pre-production on a new live-action 3D Tarzan action adventure, bringing Edgar Rice Burroughs’ legendary character back to the big screen. The 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.

Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures, also announced that the film has been slated to open domestically on July 1, 2016.

Alexander Skarsgård (HBO’s “True Blood”) has been set to star as the man who was orphaned as a baby and raised in the jungle, later to return to the urban jungle of London. The film also stars Oscar nominee Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction); Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street), as Jane Porter, who becomes the love of Tarzan’s life; and two-time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained).

David Yates, who helmed the last four “Harry Potter” blockbusters, will direct the new feature from a screenplay based on the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. A Jerry Weintraub production, the film is being produced by Weintraub (Behind the Candelabra, the “Ocean’s” trilogy), together with David Barron and Alan Riche.

In making the announcement, Silverman said, “We have assembled a phenomenal international cast to tell this extraordinary story. Warner Bros. has also enjoyed long and successful collaborations with both David Yates and Jerry Weintraub, and we look forward to seeing what they and the entire team have in store for this timeless tale.”

Kroll added, “Tarzan has been an enduring and enigmatic figure in literature and cinema for more than a century. The adventures of a man who was torn between two worlds has entertained and intrigued people young and old, and we are excited to bring him to the screen for a new generation.”

Fellman stated, “This is a perfect entry for the summer movie season corridor, with a terrific combination of action, adventure, romance and suspense that is sure to appeal to a broad audience.”

Jerry Weintraub added, “I am so pleased to be reuniting with the team at Warner Bros. on this thrilling project. David Yates and I are going to be using the best of today’s technology in creating this new adventure, and we can’t wait to get started.””

So the next adaptation of Tarzan is in pre-production eh? Initially I was totally against the idea of having another Tarzan film because of my nostalgic attachment to the 1999 Disney film, however seeing the talent onboard for this new film makes think that it may be something worth watching. Now I know there are many books on Tarzan and many films and TV versions in the past. But I was never interested enough to have a look at any version until the Disney animated film which to my research is one of the best depiction of the character’s personality, strength and attributes and location too.

Now from what I’ve read about the books Tarzan is a lot darker and mature than the Disney films and deals with a lot of issues and themes that would make for a great live action story, if done properly. One of the reasons I’d be down with this now is because technology and filming techniques have advanced to a point where some of the more fictional aspects of the Tarzan book mythology good make it to the big screen in a realistic manner, plus with someone like David Yates at the helm who did the best of the Harry Potter films, I can’t help but feel like we’re in safe hands. On top of that there is the acting talent of people like Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson definitely peaks my interest. I’m curious to see how this film turns out.

 

The Wolf of Wall Street Review

Okay now it is time for me to review a film I’ve been waiting to watch for AGES now due to the bloody UK release date being almost a month later than the US’ one. I am of course talking about The Wolf of Wall Street. The hype that this film’s been getting is huge and I wanted to see how it held up. So far the award-based films have been a bit half and half with 12 Years A Slave being incredible and American Hustle being not nearly as good as I expected. So where does this film fall? Read on and find out.

So the story in the film is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.

The reason why I really liked the film was due to the fact that beyond all the nudity, sex, drugs and alcohol there is a good story to be told with genuine actions and consequences. Everything that unfolds goes down in a spectacular way full of drama, humour and madness that become more and more ridiculous as the film continues. Some of the scenes in the film are pretty shocking in ways I didn’t expect whether it be in a really small or really big way and rather than it taking away from the film it increases the quality of the story and characters. And unlike American Hustle which I felt was all style and no substance, this film has the substance to back up its style.

When it comes to the cast they’re all really good but the stand out performance is from Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort. DiCaprio’s performance was incredible, absolutely incredible. I swear he just gets better with age. In this film he is a maniac, full of swagger, charm, style and sophistication, however he has bad habits which start to consume him and make him disillusioned to the people and the world around him. DiCaprio just commands the screen whenever he’s there, he is spectacular and commits the role so insanely especially on the physical side of things which are both mad and hilarious. I think I’ve got a new man-crush haha. Jonah Hill should also be commended as Donnie Azoff. Hill‘s come a long since he was that kid in Superbad. In this film his character is not only funny, but a little off the wall, creative and creepy. I loved his accent and how he handled his drama and ridiculous habits without it coming across too hammy. Together DiCaprio and Hill make an incredible duo and just have the best chemistry.

Margot Robbie as Naomi Lapaglia is also very good as Jordan’s wife, in the film she is not only absurdly gorgeous, flirtatious and sassy, but she is also innocent, cares very much for the well-being of her family and children and she is a strong woman and goes through a hell of a lot because of Jordan. Lapaglia is very impressive and handles her emotion scenes very well and I hope to see her in more films. Matthew McConaughey continues to be awesome as Mark Hanna, he’s this confident stoke broker who has some strange habits but also carries himself very well too. Kyle Chandler was also pretty good as Patrick Denham who is the FBI guy hunting after Jordan, even though he’s a hard-ass, tough and very straight-arrowed, he does have some funny moments too. Rob Reiner was also lovely as Max Belfort, Jordan’s dad. Max is the voice of reason for Jordan and he goes to great lengths to help his son out even when things start to get very hairy.

Jon Bernthal as Brad Bodnick was another person worth mentioning as he was totally cool as hell, crazy and hilarious in his role and it is quite a transformation from being Shane in The Walking Dead. Also having Joanna Lumley as Aunt Emma was great, I wondered how she would factor into the film but she was nice, effective and quite funny too. Jon Favreau as Manny Riskin was decent too as this role was a bit more serious for him and the part he played was pretty cool. And I also wanted to mention Cristin Milioti as Teresa Petrillo, P. J. Byrne as Nicky “Rugrat” Koskoff, Kenneth Choi as Chester Ming (really funny), Henry Zebrowski as Alden “Sea Otter” Kupferberg and Ethan Suplee as Toby Welch who were also really good in the film. Oh and the small appearance from Shea Whigham as Captain Ted Beecham was lovely.

In conclusion The Wolf of Wall Street is a really good film full of charisma, hilarious scenarios and loads of bad influences everywhere. But behind all this dodgy material is a story worth telling with amazing performances especially from Leonardo DiCaprio and even though the film is 3 hours long, I didn’t notice the runtime at all. I had a good time with this film and I highly recommend it.

Rating: 8.5/10 (An incredible adrenaline rush full of humour, drama and chaos)

So what did you think of The Wolf of Wall Street? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review yo! 🙂