Pokemon Detective Pikachu Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, how is it going? So I’m back again to share my thoughts on the latest video game film adaptation in the form of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu via my podcast Film Focus. Now, this film went from being something I wasn’t overly interested in watching to being something I had to watch. With pretty compelling marketing and an interesting story based on the Nintendo 3DS spin-off game, does this film end up being the film to break the video game adaptation curse? Well, check out this spoiler-free review below to find out!

P.S. Some small things to note:

1. I accidentally bumped the mic while recording because I got a little too hyped talking about the film.
2. Between 18:41 to 19:06 I discuss a minor Pokemon-related spoiler for the film.

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 Detective Pikachu 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, until next time, laters! 😀

 

QUICK THOUGHTS: Detective Pikachu Trailer

Good day to you ladies and gents, I’m back to give you some thoughts on a recent trailer in the form of the Detective Pikachu film that will be out next summer. Now I have been following this film on and off for a while now just because I thought that it was a little weird to have the first major live-action film based on the Pokemon franchise be adapted from the Nintendo 3DS game that only a handful of people would have played and probably would confuse those who have a casual knowledge of who Pikachu is. However, the first trailer has come out and wow, just wow. I was a little taken back by it yesterday, though, having had to time to watch it again and process it, I think I’m warming up to it.

Check it out the trailer below:

To put it simply, I find this fascinating.

The main that stands out beyond the fact that we have a Pikachu that’s voiced by Ryan Reynolds, is the fact that we have these super realistic Pokemon and it was freaking weird! Now I think any long-term Pokemon can understand where I’m coming from when I say that I know what Pokemon look like, even in the 3D, but to see so many of these classic Pokemon put into live-action with all this extra fur, detail and facial expressions that look better/normal in cartoon form to be given a realistic makeover is a little shocking. If taken out of context and just shown to you, you’d think these were creepy nightmare versions of those of these characters used for a Creepypasta or something. Pikachu’s dark eyes look a little freaky in some of the darker scenes, but alongside Justice Smith, he actually looks not too bad. Now this isn’t the first time Pokemon have had their designs changed up for a more realistic look, just look back to Pokken Tournament, though that game kept the characters looks a little more link their original designs, Bandai Namco did change things up where I’d say it was sort of halfway between this film and the original designs.

But this film does take it to another level, but at the same time it intrigues me, plus I love looking out for all the Pokemon I know. From Charmander and Dodrio to Bulbasaur and Jigglypuff to Psyduck and my boy Greninja, and of course, my favourite Charizard who looks so intense with the new scaly design. And I can not go on without mentioning Mr. Mine, I think that guy has been a bit of a joke character for a while, but here he’s this cross between creepy and funny, his design is probably the most accurate to the original, just with stranger/more realistic facial expressions. I just want to see more Pokemon and what their redesigns will be like.

What stands out to me is the tone of this film, it feels like what Pokemon would be like if westerners implemented their style of visuals, humour and action in only a way a Hollywood film can. I also like the inclusion of Ken Watanabe and Justice Smith, though he pissed me off SO much in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom with all that yelling, I do like him as an actor so I’ll be curious to see how his character’s story pans out. And finally there’s Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu, he wasn’t my first choice, but he’s growing on me. Though, when he speaks all I can hear is Ryan Reynolds or to a more notable degree, DEADPOOL! If Reynolds wasn’t already so well-known for playing Deadpool, then his voice wouldn’t feel so distracting here, but it does and I’m sure I’ll eventually get over it when the film comes out but for the time being, I can’t unhear it.

So to conclude, while I was initially sceptical about this film, I am getting more and more intrigued and dare I say excited just to see how it’ll pan out. As long as it is fun and not too creepy-looking with those Pokemon then I’ll totally down to watch this. Just no creepy Mimikyu, please. 😦

So what did you think of the first trailer for Detective Pikachu? Did like it, hate it or were you confused by it? Also, what do you think of the super realistic-looking Pokemon? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to drop them in the comments section below and I’ll see ya on the next video, laters! 😀

 

Double Review – Deadpool 2 & Solo: A Star Wars Story

Howdy ladies and gents, how’s it going? Today I return with not one but two reviews in the form of Deadpool 2 and Solo: A Star Wars Story via my podcast, Film Focus!

Timecodes:

02:23 Deadpool 2 Review
18:37 Solo: A Star Wars Story Review

Check out the review below:

I was originally going to do a written review for Deadpool 2, but time got away from me and with Solo coming out a week later, I thought it’d be better for me to just pack both reviews together, and like I have stated beforehand, I feel like I can communicate my raw thoughts on a film much better than a written piece of work.

You can listen to the podcast on Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/film_focus or on iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/film-focus/id1114233892?mt=2

Anyway if you have any thoughts on Deadpool 2 or Solo, whether you like or dislike either, be sure to drop them in the comments section below! :D, until next time, laters! 😀

 

ONE PARAGRAPH REVIEW: The Hitman’s Bodyguard

Howdy ladies and gents, it’s time for my second review of a recent film in the form of The Hitman’s Bodyguard, a film I wasn’t too interested in watching until recently when certain reviewers convinced me to give it a go.

The plot can be summed up as the following: “The world’s top bodyguard gets a new client, a hit man who must testify at the International Court of Justice. They must put their differences aside and work together to make it to the trial on time.” The plot wasn’t bad but felt incredibly familiar to other comedy films I’ve seen. The plot tries to be a little more serious with the emotional material relating to the two main characters but also with the political material, it doesn’t quite work because the film’s largely focused on humour and the tone is fairly silly and over-the-top, some of the more heartfelt or realistic moments don’t resonate because it doesn’t gel with the rest of the film. That being said the film’s silly nature is what makes it fun to watch, and while I could predict how certain events played out, it was still a decent time. The cast was good. Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson were really good as Michael Bryce and Darius Kincaid, both of these characters have different personalities, styles and ways the take out their enemies and seeing their worlds collide was fun. Reynolds and Jackson were essentially playing themselves or at least versions of characters they’ve played in other comedy films, but luckily their chemistry and screen presence elevates their characters. Elodie Yung was good as Amelia Roussel, she had a key part to play and I enjoyed how much screen time she had and anytime Salma Hayek is involved I am there, I love that woman and she was very fun as Sonia Kincaid. Hayek is so aggressive, sassy and crazy in this role and its fun to watch her rant and rave. The only person that didn’t leave an impression was Gary Oldman as Vladislav Dukhovich, this character barely did anything and could have been played by anyone and Oldman was wasted in this role. The action in the film was pretty good, there was some really fun and creative material that went into the hand-to-hand combat, gunfights and the car chases, the latter being my favourite with the chase sequences being shot very well. In conclusion, The Hitman’s Bodyguard was a basic yet decent film, it does nothing new but the chemistry between Reynolds and Jackson, along with some ridiculous humour and good action scenes keep it from being completely forgettable.

So have you seen The Hitman’s Bodyguard and if so what did you think of it? Leave your thoughts in the comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters! 😀

 

DEADPOOL REVIEW (Spoiler-Free!)

Howdy people of the internet, so the day of reckoning has finally arrived; the day of Deadpool‘s arrival. I’ve been looking forward to this for the longest time because I’ve just wanted to see a proper adaptation of the comic book character, but I’ve also been very hesitant because of the R rating (15 rating here in the UK) and the type of humour that normally comes with those types of comedies. But now the waits over, I’ve seen the film and I’m ready to pass judgement!

“A former Special Forces operative turned mercenary is subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopting the alter ego Deadpool.”

So one thing that should be made apparent straight away is that this is an adult superhero comedy. Don’t bring your kids, this isn’t your happy-go-lucky Marvel material, this is made for the adults. This film was full of humour, violence, action, love and randomness. The film breaks the fourth wall frequently, travels forward and back in time, and follows a lot of the codes and conventions of the superhero genre, however, at the center of it all was the love story which was a surprisingly strong theme and was handled pretty well. When it came to the humour, as with most comedies for me it was a little hit and miss. I’ve always been fickle when it comes to humour in the comedy genre, and since I sort of knew what to expect from the trailers I wasn’t too disappointed when lines from the trailers or certain sex or physical jokes didn’t make me laugh. However, make no mistake, this film was funny. There were plenty of moments that really made me smile and laugh because of the foolish, strange and referential jokes. Oh and speaking of defences, the ties to the X-Men universe, nods to other comic book and modern films, and a certain cameo really elevate this experience for fans of the comics.

The cast was pretty good, so let’s start with Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson/Deadpool. Reynold kills it in this role, he had the right level charisma, timing with the jokes and you could tell that he was having fun in this role. Wilson was a character who was really silly, childish, cocky and a bit of douche, but because of his relationship, charm, humour and sense of justice you could root for him and like him a lot. Morena Baccarin was really good as Vanessa Carlysle. Baccarin, besides still looking gorgeous as hell, was very playful, feisty and likeable as Wade’s girlfriend. Reynolds and Baccarin had good chemistry and you do buy into their relationship which in turn made them one of the more successful superhero relationship pairings we’ve had in recent years. Ed Skrein as Francis Freeman/Ajax was a pretty standard villain to me, but because of his charm, abilities and good screen time with other characters, it made him more entertaining than I expected.

T. J. Miller is a person I’ve heard is very funny, but I’ve not seen him in many films where he’s made me laugh, but in this film he was great as Weasel. This guy was super chilled and full of dialogue which was blunt and hilarious, and Miller’s timing on some of his jokes were perfect. Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead was great, Hildebrand had a good screen presence, moody face and fun dialogue, and Stefan Kapičić as Colossus was awesome. For the longest time Colossus has been a fan favourite character who’s always been shortchanged in the live action films, and while Days of Future Past was cool, this film made Colossus a more substantial and badass character than before. Andre Tricoteux did good work with the motion capture, but it was Kapičić’s voice work that made the character work well because of his great dialogue so humourous and cool. Gina Carano was also good as Angel Dust, and enjoyed seeing her in action though I wished she’d been around more, and finally Leslie Uggams was pretty fun as Blind Al.

As for the presentation it was pretty good. For a film made for around $58 million it looked damn good. The action sequences were executed well with cool fight scenes which were nicely choreographed, the CGI was great for the scenes of destruction and fight sequences involving the mutants powers, and finally the violence on display was lovely, I’m a fan of gory of action and this film had a lot of it. And the soundtrack by Junkie XL was great, it had a unique and energetic sound that really worked during the action portions of the film.

In the end Deadpool won’t be for everyone, it’s blunt, violent, and doesn’t give a crap. The film’s a bit of an acquired taste, however if you’re a fan of the character of like standard adult comedies then this is the film for you. The film didn’t blow me away nor is it the best thing to happen to the superhero genre in recent memory, however, the film was a lot of fun and washed away the dirty taste in mouth that X-Men Origins: Wolverine left in 2009, I can’t wait to see where this character goes in the future.

Rating: 8/10

So are you excited for Deadpool and if you have seen it what did you think of it? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review. 😀

 

Month of Superhero Film Reviews 2: Green Lantern

Howdy ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Day #4 of my Month of Superhero Film Reviews 2! During this month I’ll be reviewing of some of the best, average and worst comic book adapted films. Today I’m going to be talking about a film I thought I would never have to see again, but because of this blog series I am once again going to talk about Green Lantern.

SIDE NOTE: At the time of writing this particular review it is February 5th, so by the time it is actually published it would have been just over a month since I experienced this film. I had to get this one out of the way early for timing purposes.

Oh Green Lantern, what can I say about this film that hasn’t been said by many people already? I even did a video review for the film many moons ago and it wasn’t exactly glowing. I never thought the film would be great, but I had hoped for much more. The first trailer was terrible, the subsequent trailers gave me hope for the film. Then I saw this film in the cinema with a friend and was just so disappointed with the end result, and since then I have not watched the film… Until this year. So how does the film fare almost 4 years later? Well read on and find out.

Story-wise the film can be summed up as the following:

“A test pilot, Hal Jordan, is granted an alien ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers that inducts him into an intergalactic police force, the Green Lantern Corps.”

The plot is functional, but hardly original or entertaining. Besides the GL mythos and villains of the film, this story feels like it belongs in 2001 rather than 2011 with all its cliché and generic plot points, overly comedic tone, cheesy character moments, the standard love interest and standard evil villain. Add on top of that an origin story of not only the hero, but two villains and the backstory behind the whole Green Lantern Corp, all it feels rushed and meshed together without enough time to process things. While keeping a swift pace in films these days is a good thing, here it comes at the cost of any character development. And it is annoying because there is potential here and had the writers given us better dialogue and an overall coherent plot then this film could have ushered in so many new fans to a DC property other than Batman and Superman, but instead they done fucked it up.

As for the cast they were fine, but only a few people actually matter in the grand scheme of things. Ryan Reynolds is really the only person who does a good job as Hal Jordan. Now before this film came out I was a growing fan of Reynolds, he was one of the only likeable aspects of X-Men Origins: Wolverine and his performance in Buried is still underrated and unappreciated. In this film he does his best with the material he is given and the film does play off of Reynolds’ comedy talents, that being said, sometimes it can be a bit much and you can’t take him seriously. Also it doesn’t help that Hal Jordan is a jerk, is not responsible and even after his journey I don’t feel like he’s become any more likeable. Also as a superhero I know he’s just starting out, but the things he imagines with his ring are so lame and lacking in flair and creativity. Blake Lively as Carol Ferris is comparable to Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four; gorgeous woman but is only there to be the love interest. Lively is so pretty but I can’t take her character seriously at all, plus Carol’s so dull and generic that you don’t buy into or care her relationship with Hal. And then there’s Peter Sarsgaard as Dr. Hector Hammond, oh god, let’s just say that his performance is one of the worst aspects of the film. Prior to his transformation Hammond is a smart yet closed-off individual, however once he gets his powers the dude becomes a little more twisted and creepy… And annoying. I didn’t know it was Sarsgaard under that make up, I’ve seen him in other films and he’s been good, however here his performance is so over-the-top and loud. This guy screams A LOT and I can’t take anyone like him seriously when he scream like such a little bitch.

Mark Strong does a decent job as Thaal Sinestro, Strong brings a good amount of charisma and his own personality into the role. Angela Bassett as Dr. Amanda Waller is fine, but she is completely wasted. I didn’t know until now that 1) Bassett was even in this film and 2) That a character as important as Waller was even in a film. The film done two injustices in one go. Tim Robbins is another hidden face I didn’t know was in the film until I saw it again today. He played Robert Hammond and was fine, but like Bassett before him he was wasted. Temuera Morrison was alright as Abin Sur. Taika Waititi as Thomas Kalmaku was kind of funny and annoying at the same time, plus he distracted me because he looked like some imitation of Moss from The IT Crowd. Geoffrey Rush and Michael Clarke Duncan did nicely as the voices of Tomar-Re and Kilowog but their characters weren’t on-screen long enough for you to get attached to them.

When it comes to the presentation its a bit messy. Some of the CGI looks nice, well, when it is static shots of Earth, space and certain planet surfaces. However everything else looks rough, blurry and unpolished, like it was made for television and while I understand that some films can’t afford to have the best special effects, this film looked like it just needed more time to be polished as it didn’t look very realistic or blend well with the live-action shots. Also what the hell did they do to the GL costume? I know elements things need to be updated for film, the new design was so ugly, illuminated and wrong. The soundtrack by James Newton Howard is weak, rarely does it sound epic or important or even leave an impact, the best track in the film is when the first set of credits roll. Howard is good composer, but here the music feels a little off.

And lastly how does it compare to the comics? Well since the only DC characters I know a substantial amount about are limited to Batman and Superman to some degree, I can’t say much about Green Lantern in comparison to the comics. I’ve seen the character appear in the Justice League animated series and The Batman, but that’s all I really know him from. From what I’ve read from certain fans of the source material, certain aspects were kept intact like the mythos behind the Green Lantern Corp, but everything else got changed and/or butchered.

In conclusion my feelings on Green Lantern haven’t changed much. This film has some decent moments and Ryan Reynolds was the best aspect of the film, but the cons definitely outweigh the pros with so much potential wasted with the source material and talent involved. I hope DC have learnt from this film and will give us a better GL experience in 2020.

Rating: 5.5/10 (A disappointment for sure)

So there’s my review people, only 26 more to go. So have you seen Green Lantern and if so what are your thoughts on it? Drop me a comment and let me know your thoughts yo! Come back tomorrow and I’ll have a new film review online, until then peace out!

 

SIMPLE REVIEW: The Voices

Howdy ladies and gents, time for another review and today I’ll be talking about The Voices. Now this is a film I saw advertised on TV last week and decided that it would be worth a watch just because I was curious to see what Ryan Reynolds is up to these days. So is it good or not? Well read on and find out!

When it comes to the story it goes a little something like this:

“Jerry (Ryan Reynolds) is that chipper guy clocking the nine-to-five at a bathtub factory, with the offbeat charm of anyone who could use a few friends. With the help of his court-appointed psychiatrist, he pursues his office crush (Gemma Arterton). However, the relationship takes a sudden, murderous turn after she stands him up for a date. Guided by his evil talking cat and benevolent talking dog, Jerry must decide whether to keep striving for normalcy, or indulge in a much more sinister path.”

I thought the story here was pretty interesting, it was dark, creepy, violent, but also quite funny and bizarre. I got a lot of vibes from films like Filth, Life After Beth and Warm Bodies where life goes on as normal but there is a something questionable and out of the ordinary happening where people can’t see. At first I was wondering how the film would proceed and whether it would catch my interest, however, once the more dark and corrupt side of things take place the film definitely gets more interesting and as things go from good to bad and worse for Jerry, you just get curious to see how things will pan out in the end. There is a lot of creepy and atmospheric aspects to the story, but at time things can be quite funny as there are scenes and sequences that make light of such dark and dangerous situations. Oh, and the ending for this film, damn! I was not expecting it at all, I won’t say what happens, but suffice to say it was awesome.

When it comes to the cast they are all pretty good, but this film belongs to Ryan Reynolds as he does a terrific job playing Jerry Hickfang and some other characters. Jerry is a lovely, friendly, if somewhat confusing and strange individual, he operates in his own little world but just about functions normally when in the presence of others. At first you wonder what the deal is with him, but as the film goes on you come to understand him and while not all of his decisions are right, you do want to see him find peace. Reynolds is an actor who I’ve liked mainly after I saw Buried which is one of the most underrated films of 2010 and still is Reynolds’ best performance to date, and here he delivers another great performance. While Reynolds has a fairly recognisable face, I seriously didn’t see it that much, the man disappeared into the role and was really convincing as this mentally disturbed man and that takes talent.

Anna Kendrick was really good as Lisa. Any time I see Kendrick in a film I get quite happy, I’ve been a fan of hers since Up in the Air and every film I’ve seen her in, she turns in a good performance and the same can be said here. Kendrick plays such a sweet, innocent and light-hearted girl who pretty much wears her heart on her sleeve and has some fun times with her co-workers and Jerry. Gemma Arterton was also great as Fiona, I haven’t seen Arterton in many films since Quantum of Solace, but I’m glad to report that she is still 1) A very beautiful and attractive woman. But more importantly 2) That she is a very good and compelling actress with a lovely and likeable presence. As for Jacki Weaver she was brilliant as Dr. Warren, she was the doctor trying to help Jerry with his condition and trying to steer him in the right direction and Weaver handled the role like a pro, being calm and authoritative but also kind and understanding. Oh and Ella Smith was quite cheeky and nice as Alison.

In conclusion The Voices is a good film, since it isn’t a big budget film I feel like it will probably get ignored by the general public and that sucks because this is definitely one interesting film with a great central performance from Ryan Reynolds. It probably won’t appeal to everyone as it is quite disturbing and violent, however the intriguing story and good performances on display should not be missed out on.

Rating: 7.5/10

So have you seen The Voices and if so what did you think of it? Please be sure to leave your comments below and let me know what your thoughts are. Until the next time, peace out peeps! 😀

 

Deadpool Set to Begin Production in March & Ryan Reynolds Returns

Howdy ladies and gents, time for more film news coming from the world of comic book films and today I’ll be talking about a new piece of news relating to the upcoming Deadpool film. The following news comes from superherohype:

As if there was any doubt, Deadline reports that Ryan Reynolds is closing a deal to return as the Merc with the Mouth in 20th Century Fox’s upcoming Deadpool feature film. The outlet also reports that a March start date is being planned for the production. Reynolds took to Twitter this afternoon to tease his return which you can read below.

Though Reynolds previously appeared as the character in 2009′s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, given how that film was received (and the ending to this year’s X-Men: Days of Future Past), it’s possible that film will not be acknowledged at all in the 2016 release.

Tim Miller is set to helm the film from a script by Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. Deadpool is currently set for a release on February 12, 2016.

So Deadpool is actually going into production in just over three months? Kick ass. I am so happy about this. Ever since 2009, talk of a solo Deadpool film has been floating around for ages, from reports that turned into rumours that then turned into legend, it seemed like this film would never get done. But finally, in 2014, miracles happened and prayers got answered, this film is happening and now we have the confirmation that Ryan Reynolds is going to be the merc with the mouth (the proper one). Really, it is the attachment of Reynolds that sells me on this film, while I know he’s not the only person who could have played this role, at the same time he’s been so passionate about this character for years and been hoping to do him justice if given another chance and now he’s finally been given that opportunity. Now I just want to know if this film will be PG-13 or R (12A or 15 for us UK people) and whether it will have any connectivity to the current X-Men timeline or if it will be a singular adventure.

Anyways what do you think of this news? Please be sure to comment below and let me know. 😀

 

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Review – Man I Hate This Movie!

Hi people, followers and general internet people, time to review another film. Well it’s my 600th post today and since The Wolverine is coming out in the near-future, last week I decided to torture myself and re-watch X-Men Origins: Wolverine and you know what? It was just as bad I remember. If X-Men 3 was the film that made the X-Men film series need a reboot, then X-Men Origins: Wolverine reinforced that notion when it almost killed Wolverine and the X-Men film series.

The story in this film is a prequel to the X-Men film trilogy where the mutant Wolverine is the star. The film focuses on the origin of his character along with his relationship with his half-brother Victor Creed (aka Sabretooth) and also covers Wolverine’s early encounters with William Stryker, his time with Team X and the eventual point when Wolverine’s skeleton is fused with the metal known as adamantium.

Oh boy, where do I start with the problems with this story? There is an abundance of issues! Firstly let’s start with the continuity, or should I say, the lack of it! Several things don’t add up and just fuck up the X-Men film timeline like:

• The flashback sequences with Logan during and after his adamantium procedure in X-Men 2 were a lot more violent and looked like a traumatic experience, however in Wolverine the scene’s over in few seconds and has no weight, pain or impact to it.
• Also what the fuck happened to Sabretooth? How the hell did he go from this smart, kind of cool-looking bad guy to that retarded, dumb-ass fool in X-Men 1?
• I have to ask why the hell is Scott Summers in this film? When you put it in continuity with the future X-Men trilogy then that makes Summers totally in his late 40’s or something, he’s not that old!

And then of course if you include this film in the continuity with X-Men: First Class, then it just completely destroys several key aspects that took place in this film like Wolverine’s cameo in First Class, the appearance of Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier or the diamond girl who has similar powers to Emma Frost.

But putting all that stuff aside, the main story is crap and everything is normally over before you get a chance to take it in. This film had a great concept on paper, but was translated to film in the most uninteresting, inconsistent and stupid way. The direction by Gavin Hood isn’t good, it’s like he wasn’t sure what to do with all of the material he was working with, also whoever wrote the screenplay needs a good talking to, things are cliché and the dialogue is so hammy. Finding out about the origin of Logan/Wolverine should have been a great story, but here it plays out like a boring-ass soap opera with easily foreseeable plot points. Also the relationship between been Logan and Victor isn’t explored well enough for you to be invested in their bond, Logan’s love life is barely in the film long enough to matter and then there’s like ten other supporting cast people who don’t even matter. Though I’m not gonna lie, some of this film is hilarious. That is mainly due to the bad dialogue, you see me and my mates watched the trailers for this film several times before it came out in cinemas, so there’s certain lines of dialogue that I find funny because me and my mates quoted it so much haha.

When it comes to the characters I’m just gonna say this now… THERE ARE TOO MANY DAMN CHARACTERS! If X-Men 3 was too much a crowed film, the formula isn’t to follow in that film’s footsteps, but unfortunately Wolverine is full of characters, several of which are useless and unknown to casual audiences.

Firstly let’s start with Hugh Jackman as James Howlett/Logan/Wolverine, unfortunately Wolverine has been made into be this generic and boring person who looks badass but doesn’t have any depth to him. We don’t care about what he does because he doesn’t have a very interesting personality and his actions don’t have any consequences that matter. Though I have to say Jackman is the best part of the cast. Liev Schreiber as Victor Creed/Sabretooth makes for a much-needed improvement over the one in X-Men 1, though that doesn’t mean his character is good. Victor makes for a pretty crappy brother, the bond between him and Wolverine seems more causal than brotherly, and Victor is clearly a bad guy from the beginning. And then the last sort of relevant person is Danny Huston as William Stryker, Hudson makes for a decent Stryker but doesn’t have the same kind of screen presence or charm that Brian Cox does.

Now we move onto other, less interesting cast members. Lynn Collins as Kayla Silverfox was just so weak as Wolverine’s love interest, there’s no depth to her character and she’s very forgettable. And then there’s Taylor Kitsch as Gambit. I bloody forgot I’d even seen Kitsch in this film! In truth Kitsch isn’t that bad, but he’s not that memorable either. But hey at least Kitsch isn’t as bad as he was in Battleship. Also for some reason will.i.am is in the film as John Wraith, a teleporting mutant. He’s got no reason to be in the film, he’s pretty much there for exposition purposes and then gets killed off later on. Kevin Durand makes a mockery of The Blob, there was no merits about his interpretation of the character. Dominic Monaghan as Chris Bradley is wasted in this film, he’s barely there and the character could have been played by anyone. Daniel Henney as Agent Zero is one of the mutants gets a bit more screen time, but you don’t have any respect for the guy because he’s just a douche and a lackey.

And now we come to the final fuck up in the characters… Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson! Now don’t get me wrong, Ryan Reynolds isn’t bad as Wade Wilson, but that isn’t enough to save him from what he becomes… Weapon XI aka Deadpool (played by Scott Adkins). I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, “I will never call Weapon XI Deadpool!” I don’t know who’s smart idea it was to change Wade Wilson into that thing, but it was one of the stupidest ideas since Galactus was turned into a fucking cloud in Fantastic Four 2! Also if this is meant to be Deadpool, why the fuck does he look like frigging Baraka from Mortal Kombat??? Such foolishness!

Presentation-wise it is a pretty bad effort on both the visual and audio side of things. Visually the film isn’t all that fancy. The fights feel more like scuffles than actual full-on fights, the choreography is uninteresting and there is still FAR too much wire work! And then there’s the CGI, man it is disappointing (the weird alien CGI Patrick Stewart for example. Fail). The visual effects aren’t nearly as detailed as they should be… But the worst offender was Wolverine’s CG claws. What the hell man? Those claws looked so fake it wasn’t even funny, I dunno how but they got in right in 3 films beforehand and now they look shit like this? Such a fail! As for the soundtrack by Harry Gregson-Williams its pretty weak, there’s nothing overly memorable about it, there’s no key themes that stick out and I wasn’t attached or enjoying the score he’d done for the film. Williams is a decent composer, this is just not his best material.

In conclusion X-Men Origins: Wolverine is just an insult to me as a comic book fan, the filmmakers took perfectly good source material and dumbed it down, shit on it and changed things that needed no changing in the first place. Now I know I’ve seen and reviewed worse films than this, but this film gets hate from me because it hurt me as a fan of the source material! There is too much going on in this film, a lot of which isn’t all that interesting. Even Hugh Jackman couldn’t save this film from being the abomination we now know not to talk about.

Rating: 0/10! (Doesn’t deserve a number, all it deserves is death!)

So what did you lot think of X-Men Origins: Wolverine? Did it insult you as much as it did me? Or do you believe I was being to harsh on the film and you may be one of the small minority of people that enjoyed that “film”? Whatever your thoughts, drop them below and I’ll see ya on the next film review. P.S. Here’s praying that The Wolverine is good! PLEASE GOD PLEASE! 😛

 

Month of Superhero Film Reviews: Blade: Trinity

Howdy ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Day #6 of my Month of Superhero Film Reviews! During this month I’ll be reviewing of some of the best and worst comic book adapted films. Today we’re gonna finish this trilogy with weakest film in the series, Blade: Trinity.

Alrighty then now we’re talking about Blade: Trinity, ah man. I have basically avoided this film for a good few years just because I heard it sucked so bad. But now for the sake of my superhero film reviews I have to watch it, so yeah I had a look earlier on today and the end result was a film that just doesn’t have the same quality of its predecessors.

So the story in Blade: Trinity involves Blade who is now a wanted man by the FBI after unknowingly killing a human, now he must join forces with the Nightstalkers to face his most challenging enemy yet: the legendary vampire Dracula.

Honestly I can see a bit of potential in a plot like this, unfortunately its execution is pretty bad. Things play out in dull and predictable fashion at times and this plot doesn’t have the intrigue and mystery that made the previous two films so interesting.

Now let’s talk about the cast and here they’re all okay, but none of them are overly amazing or interesting besides Blade and Whistler, everyone else I couldn’t really care about really.

Firstly Wesley Snipes as Blade still had the same cool persona with moments of coolness and humour, but it felt like the character was lacking some level of skill, charisma and style that he had in the last two movies. Then there’s Kris Kristofferson as Abraham Whistler, Kristofferson is still good in the role and he has his moments to shine even though his screen time in this film is a lot less than before.

Okay time to talk about the new cast members all of which take screen time away from Blade with their boring and needless appearances. Jessica Biel as Abigail Whistler is decent and is relevant because of the plot and her connection to Whistler but honestly wasn’t too keen on her. But someone who is worse is Ryan Reynolds as Hannibal King, honestly I used to like Ryan Reynolds but in films like this I don’t really see that much variation in his acting. I just saw Reynolds playing himself cracking jokes and trying to be all funny when in fact he wasn’t all that funny at all.

Then we have Dominic Purcell as Dracula/Drake, he could have been a decent villain if he wasn’t so muscle-bound and generic. His dialogue and body language was barely even intimidating or cool in the slightest. He was a villain that lacked any charm, charisma or unique qualities, he armour made him look like he stole part of it from the Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Not impressed. And there are his vampire underlings who were all equally uninteresting. Parker Posey and Callum Keith Rennie as Danica and Asher Talos were just your standard villains who were annoying to watch. And lastly Triple H as Jarko Grimwood was just a large load of muscle with half a brain, he’s one of those muscle-bound character whose main uses is strength but is a bit of fool and I just wasn’t keen on his character in general.

When it comes to the presentation surprisingly its just alright. Straight from the time the film started I felt like the look, tone and atmosphere of this film didn’t match its predecessors. The stylish editing, action sequences and specific fight scenes that were wonderfully done in the previous films are gone. In its place is a pale imitation that does have the same level of flare and awesomeness that the previous films had. The action is serviceable and never does anything unique or cool. Even the CGI which was improved over the last film wasn’t all that impressive.

So why did this film fail the way it did? Well most people point the finger at David S. Goyer who stepped into the director’s chair for this film. Before he had only penned the scripts for the Blade films but this time he both wrote the script and directed, and in the end I think his vision for the film materialized in Blade Trinity, a lacklustre film that doesn’t have the smart style and atmosphere of the previous films. Also I think one of the key issues is the lack of focus on Blade himself, in this film his screen time is taken away to make room for the Nightstalkers, a group that I doubt the film audience really want to see that much.

And lastly how does it compare to the comics? Well this film actually introduces the most amount of comic book references the series has seen so far with the introduction of the Hannibal King, Nightstalkers and Dracula. Obviously there’s some updates and changes made to these comic book elements, though some of these changes are a little silly especially Hannibal who got changed from an older and more serious character that changed into the character Reynolds ended up playing.

So to conclude Blade: Trinity is alright but is a far cry from the two films that preceded it. I always found it funny that the film that introduced more elements from the source material in this film series happens to be the worst one. The lack of focus on Blade the character, reduced level of violence and simplicity of the main villain all contribute to the failure of this film. It wasn’t as bad as I’d thought it’d be but again it should have been much better.

Rating: 6/10 (It’s not so much bad as it is disappointing)

So there’s my review people, only 24 more to go. So have you seen Blade: Trinity and if so what are your thoughts on it? Drop me a comment and let me know your thoughts yo! Come back tomorrow and I’ll have a new film review online, until then peace out!