Tomorrowland: A World Beyond

The film industry is currently going through a spout of regurgitating franchises based on books or plots that are part of a trilogy; usually drawn out to an unbearable degree. 

Interestingly, Disney's latest feature, which unashamedly flags environmental issues, comes in the form of an original narrative. An inspiring tale emerges bringing together both fresh and inventive ideas from the twisted mind of writer Damon Lindelof and the trademark heartfelt magic that the studio does so well.

Tomorrowland teleports us directly into an alternative universe based on the theme park attraction of the same name. Driven to invent a better habitat for humanity, the world's most ingenious inventors and top creative minds joined forces and created a place beyond your wildest dreams. A place free from war, religion and destruction, a place that actually has a future. A sci-fi, fantasy reality, concealed neatly in a badge pin that triggers the door to this Utopian realm. 

We are introduced to inquisitive boy genius Frank Miller who gets recruited by robot agent Athena and allowed access to the wonders of this other world. Latest recruit, rebellious tom-boy Casey is constantly challenging the way the world works. Worried sick that her NASA space engineer of a father will be put out of a job,  this girl will do anything including breaking into a government base in order to stop the inevitable from happening. Once she finds herself in a world where all her problems would cease to exist, it is her strong sense of determination that drives the latter part of the film forward. 

A cranky Clooney lends sarcasm and rationalism against the energetic and at times infantile newcomers Brit Robertson (Casey) and Raffey Cassidy (Athena).  Explosive CGI, vibrant wardrobes and spectacular landscapes come together creating an on screen sensory extravaganza. What really makes this film tick is it's strong inner message. Ultimately, this was made with children in mind, but one simply can't ignore the blatant dig at humanity for destroying our precious planet in a similar fashion to that of previous 2008 animation WALL-E. The inescapable dystopian destiny the human race has planned for itself is highlighted, albeit Casey has one thing that can save it all - hope. In fact, hope is the glue of Tomorrowland, except not much else is explained. After all this is the writer who brought us Lost, yet overloading us with various sub-plots and information, to then force out a resolution in a lightening speed rant by Casey seemed a rather easy way out. 

Above all, Tomorrowland is a visually stunning, crowd pleaser that is sure to be a success with it's target audience. Minus the lack of explanation and a few niggles when it came to the script, Bird and Lindelof, just like the creators of this universe make an unstoppable team when it comes to capturing your imagination. An inspiring and generally bewildering experience, not to mention the fun that is to be had watching a royal punch up in a collectors store and a perfectly timed one-liner from Brit baddie Nix played by no other than the plum Hugh Laurie. 

Now, who want's a jetpack?!

Tomorrowland is released in cinemas today, Friday 22nd May. 

Directed by Brad Bird 
130mins, 12A (2015)

Mad Max: Fury Road

It has been nearly 30 years since writer, director George Miller has blessed our screens with the cult, post-apocalyptic tale of Mad Max. In all it's awesomeness, Mad Max: Fury Road is an eccentric, kinetically charged car chase that will have you gasping for breath as you witness this sensory explosion of blood, revenge and exhilaration.

Miller has undoubtedly maintained his passion and zest when it comes to this quite frankly 'mad' character residing in this demented universe. Clearly stating that this is neither a prequel or a sequel in a very Scott Prometheus fashion, we still follow the famous Max Rockatansky, albeit this is a very different Max compared to the one we have already met. Mel Gibson's Max was in charge, calculating and clever. Tom Hardy's new age Max may be clever but admittedly erratic, full of spontaneity and rather irrational. Yet, this type of Max needs to be all of the above plus more to survive this dystopian wasteland of a landscape that takes them on one high voltage, non-stop race that is Fury Road.

Minimal dialogue lends it self to this barren desert, vibrantly coloured with dazzling blues and oranges. Stylistically this film is so superior that invariably words simply wouldn't enhance what we see. The sheer grandeur of this production (make-up, costume, vehicles - where to begin?) distracts you from thinking you are virtually witnessing a fetishistic, primal take on silent cinema, that replaces light piano playing with glam-rock electric guitar and booming percussion. Leading man Hardy brings so much complexity and depth to his barely speaking, awkward Max with only facial expressions and periodic grunts to signal his emotions. Naturally, there are aspects that we are only given snippets of and delving into them would have pleased the story-lover inside of us all, yet this obviously wasn't Miller's main objective here. Through flashbacks and supernaturally charged visions we gain an insight into Max's fragile and broken mind supplying him with ample ammunition to aid female warrior Imperator Furiosa in getting the 5 brides away from the grotesque Immortan Joe. 

Charlize Theron is a ball of utter kinetic energy as Furiosa. With one and a half arms she makes 95% of men on screen look as weak as kittens. As it becomes apparent there is more to her story than just saving the women; it is hope that drives the latter part of this narrative. The ironic juxtaposition of placing highly sexualised, scantly clad women - one in the purest form of femininity, pregnant fighting beside their 'protector' Furiosa worked seamlessly on screen. Undoubtedly, there are elements of girl-power; how vigilant and skillful women can be (even in their last trimester), but ultimately Max and their new found blood sucking enemy come friend Nux (insanely performed by Nicolas Hoult) contributed greatly. This sun scored sand has stripped everyone normal life resources and simple pleasures that if you aren't prepared to get your hands dirty in this hell - you will die.      
This bizarre and brilliantly beautiful film will satisfy hardcore fans and indefinitely gain more from younger generations. Accelerating with such pace, Mad Max: Fury Road is a wild, over the top fun-fest, cranking up road rage to a whole new level. A wickedly entertaining film that doesn't take itself too seriously and neither should you.

Directed by George Miller
120mins, 15 (2015)

Monthly Review Round Up (March & April 2015)

Welcome to the March & April's round up!

Check out my scathing slang and glowing gems of the last month: 

I'm With Geek 

Gotham: Season 1

Everyone has a Cobblepot
Under the knife


House of Cards: Season 3 

Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36

Web series: Portal

Antonio Banderas Sponge Bob Q&A 
Insurgent 

HeyUGuys

White Bird in a Blizzard
The Tale of Princess Kaguya
The Falling - TV stars who made it to the Movies

So many films and so little time - Keep your eyes peeled for more updates! 

The Gunman

Fronting action thriller, The Gunman, Penn’s toned although veiny biceps are possibly the most interesting aspect of Taken director Pierre Morle’s latest feature. Initially, this gets off to a promisingly start only to progress into a laborious fight for freedom between what seems like the world and Sean Penn. The boxes were ticked; decent director, strong leading man, the charming Javier Bardem all to fail miserably when married on screen. 

Based on Jean-Patrick Manchette’s novel, The Gunman follows an ex Special Forces soldier Jim Terrier who is dealing with the side effects of PTSD disorder. With the recent X + Y and Oscar winning Still Alice, it goes to show if expertly illustrated certain disorders and diseases can be used to create deeply moving pieces of cinema. The Gunman briefly touches on the subject of how Jim’s brain is at risk, albeit incorporating a handful of blurry, out of focus camera shots  and having Penn fall to the floor occasionally seemed an amateur way of approaching it. Conveniently, his condition takes a vacation and never gets in the way of the shoot ‘em up gun play regurgitated on screen. It’s hard to believe that after being told that loud noises and emotional stress will cause his condition to rapidly manifest, that being shot at by 20 agents whilst protecting an ex-lover Annie (Jasmine Trinca) wouldn’t have triggered an episode.

Unfortunately, we never truly empathise with the lead character simply because we weren’t given enough of an insight into his past. A quick flashback to 2006 in Congo explores it slightly but doesn’t suffice. Then there’s the love story. It turns out that not only did he have to leave behind Congo due to what happened; he also left idealistic doctor of a girlfriend Annie too. However, she shouldn’t be too upset being left with the oh-so-charming Felix played by no other than the more than capable Javier Bardem, should she? Trying to reconnect with the people from his past seems to send things spiralling and oddly an overweight f-ing Ray Winstone wouldn’t be many people’s weapon of choice. When it comes to Luther’s Idris Elba, if you have seen the trailer, you have seen the man’s longest line in the entire film. In fact, the entire cast is severely underused bar Penn and the minimal percentage that got more than 5 minutes on screen were given dull, drab lines that they tried their very best to deliver with talent.       

Not only did this 54 year old actor lead this so called action flick, he also has his hand in producing and co-writing in a somewhat Stallone-esque Expendables fashion resulting in a Penn fest in every way possible for the 2 hour duration. Offering nothing new when it comes to the genre, The Gunman is an overly formulaic action thriller, with a nauseating Hollywood ending that served no real purpose. Nonetheless, The Gunman had potential but disappointingly failed to deliver us something that wasn’t noticeably run of the mill gunfire for the masses.

Directed by Pierre Morel
115mins, 15 (2015) 

Monthly Review Round Up (Feb 2015)

Welcome to the February round up!

Check out my scathing slang and glowing gems of the last month: 

I'm With Geek

Gotham: Red Hood 
Hyena
Hinterland




HeyUGuys 

Backstreet Boys: Show Em What You're Made of



Cinema Chords 

The Boy Next Door


So many films and so little time - Keep your eyes peeled for more updates! 

Monthly Review Round Up (Jan 2015)

Welcome to the January round up!

Check out my scathing slang and glowing gems of the last month: 

I'm With Geek

Kingsmen: The Secret Service
Chastity Bites
The Musketeers: Apple Store Regents St
Gotham: What the Little Bird Told Him
Gotham: The Fearsome Dr Crane


HeyUGuys

Dying of the Light
Documentary: Tales of the Grim Sleeper



EasternKicks

The Discarnates
Handsome Suit


So many films and so little time - Keep your eyes peeled for more updates! 

The Light Shines Only There (そこのみにて光輝く)

When a film gets short-listed for the Academy Awards one can’t help but be intrigued. When a film has Best Director and Best International feature attached to it, it certainly makes it all more desirable. For female director Mipo O (Here comes the Bride, My Mom!) it seems she has struck gold with audiences and critics alike. Albeit, The Light Shines Only There, lacks a certain substance in an otherwise carefully paced drama.

When it comes to romance and drama it’s hard to think that we haven’t seen it all before. We see the same format countless amounts of times, the same plot elements and audiences will still go to see them time after time. The Light Shines Only There, is no exception to this equation of boy meets girl, yet what writer Ryo Takada does with Yasushi Sato’s original work is rather interesting. Set in Hokkaido, the narrative follows the reclusive Tatsuo (Gou Ayano: Mother, The Long Goodbye) who whilst wasting his money gambling meets the eccentric Takuji (Masaki Suda: Don Quixote, Princess Jellyfish) who seems to be in a worse place than Tatsuo himself. When invited back to Takuji’s shabby little family home, Tatsuo, along with the audience see how dysfunctional and quite frankly sad Takuji’s set up really is. Between his callous mother and bedridden, sex addicted father, the only light in this little shack is the pretty Chinatsu (Chizuru Ikewaki: Princess Jellyfish, The Devil’s Path), Takuji’s older sister.

Ordinarily, this immediately sets the scene for romance; yet it seems the emotionally stunted Tatsuo and the part-time prostitute Chinatsu have a lot of self-healing to do beforehand. What we are presented with is an in depth study of their emotional journeys not just towards their relationship with one another, but within themselves. What is so enticing about this elegant film is that it shows us just how visually stunning such a bleak narrative can be. The tone, the composition and indeed sullen soundtrack all marry together to give us a well rounded drama. They even achieved in making the lovers first intimate encounter with each other look like a teenagers first time, despite both of their grim  and not so innocent histories.   

Overall, this is a well acted, well directed piece that has certainly managed to get itself noticed. Albeit, it seems the film-makers chose style, over content. This two hour drama, doesn't fail entirely at keeping you enthralled; yet delving into the sporadic flashbacks would have solved this flaw.  This is a troubled, yet interesting look at humanities relationships, in and outside the family circle. 

Directed by Mipo O

120 mins, (2014)