Film Review: Men in Black – International

Here come the Men in Black for a film they won’t let you remember. 

Film Review: Cold Pursuit

What's that cheeky Liam Neeson been up to? Well, when he's not setting Film Twitter ablaze, he's been kicking ass and taking names (sans cosh) in Cold Pursuit.

Film Review: Widows

Director Steve McQueen serves up a sharp Chicago crime drama with a sprawling ensemble cast and an unexpected helping of social commentary in Widows.

Film Review: The Commuter

Is The Commuter on the right track or merely stuck in the station?

60 Second Film Reviews #22

Quick movie reviews, without the waffle. 60 Second Film Reviews is a regular feature where I compile together brief reviews of recent films I've watched at home or at the movies - and generally couldn't be arsed didn't find time to write a proper review for.

On the slate this month, we have a some recent DVD releases; Get Hard, Project Almanac and Run All Night. 

Film Review: Star Wars Ep I - The Phantom Menace

Director: George Lucas
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L Jackson, Kenny Baker, Anthony Daniels, Frank Oz
Runtime: 136 minutes

Question - if The Phantom Menace were the first film in the Star Wars saga, would its reputation be as toxic as it is today? It's status as the weakest, and most underwhelming, entry into the series is well-known in 2015, but judged on its own merits, is The Phantom Menace really that bad?

In this first of my extended Star Wars reviews, I revisit the first prequel in George Lucas' space opera series - The Phantom Menace. So, how does it stand up today?

Film Review: Taken 3

Back in 2008, the original Taken was something of a revelation - set against the grimy backdrop of the Paris criminal underworld was Liam Neeson, an Oscar nominated actor best known for playing Oskar Schindler and Qui-Gon Jinn, getting his knuckles bruised in a MA15+ Eurothriller that didn't pull any punches. 

Fast forward to 2012 and the follow-up, Taken 2, failed to live up to the original by rehashing the same plot and removing blood and bone-crunching action from the equation.

Now, in 2015, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is back for a third time in Taken 3, the final instalment in unlikeliest of action franchises. This time, Bryan is framed for a crime he didn't commit and must work outside the law to protect those closest to him. So, how does this third spin of the wheel measure up? Is it as good as the first?

Film Review: A Million Ways To Die In The West

A Million Ways To Die In The West is a Western comedy directed, produced, co-written and starring Seth MacFarlane, a.k.a the guy behind Family Guy and Ted. It's patchy, and certainly not for everyone, but a decent attempt at parodying a long-dead genre. Can I get a yeehaw?

Film Review: The Lego Movie

Lego. An innocent array of colourful cubes and infinite opportunity. Who hasn't been charmed by their addictive and inventive nature over the years?

It is apt therefore that this full-length motion picture all about the Danish-born blocks captures so perfectly this giddy sense of fun, imagination and playfulness we all know and love. When it comes to The Lego Movie, everything is awesome. 

Film Review: Non-Stop

A claustrophobic and entertaining action/thriller, Non-Stop is now boarding; starring born-again action star Liam Neeson (Star Wars Episode I: Phantom Menace, Taken) and Julianne Moore (The Big Lebowski, Crazy Stupid Love), this film is a goofy, entertaining ride that is a surprising amount of fun.

Top 5: Star Wars Spin-off Movies

The Internet has been abuzz in recent weeks with rumour that Star Wars fan favourite monosyllabic bounty hunter, Boba Fett, is currently being tooled for a solo spin-off movie. 

And whilst nothing as been confirmed, the mere concept alone is simply mouth-watering. Boba is arguably the most bad-ass character in the franchise and a character-driven spin-off focusing on either his story prior to Empire Strikes Back or post-Sarlaac pit swallowing would be a real treat for die-hard fans of the Star Wars Universe.

However, Boba isn't the only character or story with depths to be plumbed and back story to be explored. In this edition of Top 5, I take a look at other characters or Star Wars stories that should get their own spin-off movie. And no, Jar Jar is not one of them. As if that even needed saying...

60 Second Film Reviews #5

Quick movie reviews, without the waffle. 60 Second Film Reviews is a regular feature where I compile together brief reviews of recent films I've watched at home or at the movies - and generally couldn't be arsed didn't find time to write a proper review for. 

This month, we have Snitch, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Wrath of the Titans and Drive.

Rank the Films: Star Wars

As any regular reader of feeling fuzzier will know, lists are pretty darn nifty. We have a profound appreciation for straight-up lists. This is the thinking behind Rank the Films, a regular feature that pulls apart the pros and cons of a series of films, ranking them in order of good to bad. 

In this second part we look at the Star Wars franchise. We've gone through all six Star Wars films (Clone Wars doesn't count) and ranked them from worst to best. Give it a read and leave me a comment letting me know what you think!

Film Review: Taken 2

Liam Neeson adds to his repertoire of bad-ass action films by serving up another slice of gruff Irish grit in Taken 2. 

2008's Taken was something of a surprise hit for all involved; Neeson and co. expected the cheap Euro-thriller to head straight to DVD. Instead, the film raked in over $200 million worldwide, by which point a sequel would of been nigh on certainty.

Fast-forward to 2012 then and here we have it: Taken 2. Slightly confusing title and initial scepticism aside ("what?! how can she be taken AGAIN?"), Taken 2 follows on in the same vein as it's predecessor, mixing together a variety of action set pieces and more tender family scenes. It's simple, brutal and honest, something of a guilty pleasure.

After the events of the first film, screenwriters Luc Beeson and Robert Kamen have worked with the premise of dealing with consequences for ex-CIA operative Brian Mills' (Neeson) second-outing. Making Mills witness first-hand why killing a group of Albanian sex-traffickers doesn't go without repercussions is a clever enough plot-device to navigate the often difficulty of getting a sequel right.

What Taken 2 gets right is it's simplicity; it doesn't try to get overly clever. There is enough difference plot-wise to the first film to set it apart whilst enough similarity to remain familiar. Yes, someone is 'taken' in a dangerous, foreign country and yes, it is up to Brian to save the day, but it isn't simply treading water. Taken 2 strives to mix it up and show Mills when he is on the back foot and playing catch-up.

Moving the setting from the dodgy underbelly of Paris to the even dodgier underbelly of Istanbul, Taken 2 does slip up a little. Director Olivier Megaton seems hell bent on cramming in as many soundbites of prayer, and as many shots of mosques and crescent moons as possible, ramming home the point that anywhere other than good ol' apple-pie loving America is dangerous, seedy and rife with gun-toting Arabs. This might sound overly harsh, but when the main antagonist isn't even Arabic, it does seem as little out of place.

Add to this some questionable science involving hand-grenades and wind-direction, and it begins to feel like there were some clutching at straws going on during script-writing. The films' antagonists are also relatively forgettable, the same fate that befell their counterparts from the first film. Also, Taken 2's action sequences are ramped up on scale, detracting the gritty edge and plausibility the first film had in places.

Overall then Taken 2 isn't a bad film. It's simple, straightforward and sometimes silly. It's acted well by Neeson, Janssen and Grace and it also delivers enough action set pieces to keep the blood pumping. It might feel a little strained in places but on the whole, it's an enjoyable action-flick that gives Brian Mills' story a worthy second, and hopefully concluding, chapter. I mean, someone he knows can't possibly be taken a third time. Or could they?

I give Taken 2: 4/10

Verdict: Life's Too Short

Life's Too Short features stars like Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp. 

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant; the comedic geniuses behind landmark television shows like The Office and Extras, An Idiot Abroad, The Ricky Gervais Show, a plethora of podcasts and stand-up tours. Now, they're back with a third slap of comedy in Life's Too Short; but how does it stack up alongside it's predecessors?

Initially it might seem that Life's Too Short is treading over old ideas. Similar in concept and approach to both The Office and Extras through it's 'documentary' style and twisted versions of familiar faces, Life's Too Short doesn't appear to be doing anything that Gervais and Merchant haven't tackled before. It's themes of discovering the harsh realities of fame and fortune can be seem reflected in the chronicles of previous character's David Brent and Andy Millman.
Protagonist Warwick Davis, famous for appearing in the Star Wars and Harry Potter films, exhibits all of the same traits one would associate the Messrs' Brent and Millman; ignorance, obnoxiousness and being generally offensive. He is however, on the whole, a more likeable and endearing character than his predecessors'.

There is no doubting that the special guest appearances are works of genius. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter's short skit's were genuinely funny. Depp's dedication to his new film (it's directed by Tim Burton y'know), leads him to studying Warwick, and the more excited and intense Depp becomes the funnier it is. Likewise, Bonham Carter's inability to work alongside Warwick because he's a dwarf is the equal amounts cringe-worthy and funny.

Also, the scenes where Ricky and Steve play dead-pan and "holier than thou" versions of themselves are gold; fans of Extras will delight at the addition of Shaun "Barry from Eastenders" Williamson as the duos errand boy.

The show however, like both of Gervais' and Merchant's previous works tries to do a lot more than just flex it's muscles and show off its star power. There is heart and soul in Warwick's mistakes that show that Life's Too Short has a story and a message to tell. Yes, the jokes are skin-crawlingly awkward and make you want to throttle the star, but this all adds to the charm and appeal of the show. You do feel that come the end of the story arc, Warwick will have learnt from these mistakes and changed his ways in the same way Andy in Extras did.

This being said, the similarities to Extras and The Office are in my mind a little too obvious; the format, the character roles, the settings, the general feel. All of these factors add up to give a overbearing sense of deja vu. For example, Rosamund Hanson's role as Cheryl is really just a re-imagining Ashley Jensen's Maggie in Extras. She may be genuinely funny but it is easy to see where the idea for the "ditzy girl" character came from. Also, once the novelty of going "ooh look it's Johnny Depp/Liam Neeson/Steve Carrell" has worn off, the show reduces itself to laughing at midget ten-pin bowling and Warwick climbing a bookcase three times his size to reach a trophy.

So even though its more of the same witty and clever stuff from Gervais and Merchant, Life's Too Short seems to fall a little, well, short to be honest. It might have genuine character development and a moral at it's heart, but it is also not as revolutionary as The Office and not as outrageous as Extras were, and is seriously lacking in Karl Pilkington.

Film Review: Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D

Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson in Phantom Menace
(Image from imdb.com)

Star Wars is back on the big-screen in three-dimensions, with George Lucas taking us back to where it all began (chronologically) with 1999's Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Set 32 years before the events of the original 1977 Star Wars, Phantom Menace charts the discovery of a young slave boy named Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) by two Jedi Knights Qui-Gon (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) on a remote desert planet.

Widely accepted as the least popular Star Wars film since it's release 13 years ago, how does it stack up today? Whilst the films downfalls and hiccups are still present and are possibly more prevalent today than they were initially (Lucas can't exactly take the digital eraser to Jar Jar now can he?), there is still much to enjoy about the Phantom Menace. 

Whilst the addition of 3D visuals seemed fairly trivial before walking into the movie, I can gladly say that they worked very well, immersing the viewer in the Star Wars universe better than ever before. Benefiting most from the added dimension are of course the action set-pieces. Impressive enough by themselves, the addition of the 3D visuals allows them to really leap out of the screen and get the audiences heart racing. It seems if there was ever a film series made for showcasing the benefits of adding 3D visuals, it's Star Wars. 

The high-speed pod-race around which the fate of Anakin, the Jedi and Queen Amidala's fate revolves is edge-of-your-seat stuff. The same can be said for the finale which sees star-fighter dogfights above the planet of Naboo. The icing on the cake however, is the epic duel between the Sith Lord of Darth Maul and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan at the film's climax. Arguably the best light-sabre sequence of the entire saga, the 3D visuals makes it simply spellbinding. 

The rapid shot changes aren't marred by 3D blur to such a degree that it makes them feel wasted, unlike other poor 3D cinema experiences I've had in the past (for example, see my recent review of Underworld: Awakening here) Whilst not perfect, the 3D visuals in Phantom Menace are an impressive addition to the film. It makes for a enjoyable and entertaining experience that will please audiences of all ages. 

As I mentioned before however, the film itself suffers from the same hitches that plagued it back in 1999. Time has not been kind to annoyingly kid-friendly and cartoonish frog/alien hybrid Jar Jar, who still fails to raise a smile and grates throughout. Young tyke Jake Lloyd as Anakin Skywalker also sets about delivering dialogue akin to being a school nativity play, hardly a Dark Lord in the making. Lastly, the overly wordy and "diplomatic" scenes set within the Galactic Senate are hardly enthralling stuff for anyone unfamiliar with the series and may not win over new fans. Phantom Menace simply doesn't reach the admittedly atmospheric heights of those in the original trilogy (where's Han when you need him, eh?)

Despite not being the fan-boy favourite or the promised timeless classic, Phantom Menace should still do well enough at the box-office for George Lucas to continue with his planned 3D re-releases of the rest of the saga over the course of the next 5 years. With 2002's Attack of the Clones up for the 3D treatment next year, that's where the fun really begins. Huge fans of the films like myself will regard seeing Phantom Menace back on the big screen and in 3D as a must and will undoubtedly be the ones to get the most out of the experience.