thomsedavi Reviews

The Rehearsal (2016)

New Zealand made a good film again

[8/10 · 30 July 2016]

New Zealanders often experience cultural cringe, and a film like this is likely to go under their radar. Which is a shame because this really is actually a good film, even if it is set in Auckland. And I don't even mean 'it's a good film for a New Zealand film', which is what I usually mean. I mean that this is a good film. It's actually worth seeing at the cinema and not just on television. So good it could have been made overseas. It's that good.

I only gave it eight stars though because we really don't like to take pride in stuff, especially if it's not sport related. Having said that this film does feature a lot of sport, so. Maybe that's an angle that could be used to lure kiwis in to see the film.

The World's End (2013)

Just add TARDIS.

[15 July 2013]

Imagine if you took an episode of Doctor Who. You took the Doctor out, you pumped up the budget, added more action and filled it to the brim with humor. That is exactly what this film is like.

I'm not even exaggerating. Every part of the plot of this film, from the nature of the threat, to the intelligence behind the threat, to the way the threat is defeated, reminded me of something that would happen in a very, very boozy episode of Doctor Who.

I'm not ending the comparison there. The vehicle of Simon Pegg's character, Gary King, is essentially a time machine, in a very abstract way of looking at things - it comes from the past and can take you back there. Gary King is also a charming, whimsical sociopath, much like the Doctor. But beneath it all he is empty, and his companions bring with them the meaning that his life is lacking.

What I'm trying to say is, if you love Doctor Who, you'll love this. And if the Doctor regenerates into anything, let it be something like Gary King.

Mater's Tall Tales (2008–2012)

The best of Pixar's short films

[8/10 · 5 July 2011]

These short films are essentially a bridge between the first 'Cars' film and the second. In fact you could say that each short film is a concise analogy of the relationship between the two Cars films - they start out in slow-paced Radiator Springs and then branch out into far-fetched adventures. I would highly recommend watching these before watching Cars 2, they make the shift in tone much less jarring. Also the idea that Mater is always telling 'tall tales' becomes relevant in the second film.

I would not say that these are better than the two feature-length films, but they do suit their function more appropriately. The first film had good characterization, but for a children's cartoon there was not much action. The second film had a lot of action, but with less interest in the characters.

These are only intended as fun little sketches, and as such they work superbly. I had more laughs per minute than the feature films, with the highlight being a hilarious reference to 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?'

Cars 2 (2011)

Flawed but still enjoyable

[6/10 · 24 June 2011]

The best of Pixar's films have protagonists who are a small part of a very large world and are almost helpless against incredible odds - Toy Story, Wall-E, Finding Nemo etc. The protagonists of Cars are very big in a very small world, so do not play to the strengths of Pixar.

However, being Pixar, they still make these films better than anyone else would have with the same material. Cars and Cars 2 are intelligently written and filled with more detail than you could comfortably fit into a single screening.

This movie is not so much a sequel to the first as an affectionate James Bond parody that happens to be set in the Cars universe. Whereas the original Cars was thematically slow and patient, this one deliberately takes things in the exact opposite direction. Whether anyone will prefer the first film or the second is entirely their preference, and it is wrong to say that one is better than the other. Each film has its own appeals and drawbacks.

The main weakness of this film is a failure to create any kind of sympathy for the characters. They are not alone, they are not lost, they have friends and allies and the resources to get out of any situation. It never feels like there is any real danger, as there is with the Toy Story films. Whereas the first film had enough focus on character development to compensate for this, the subplot about the tested friendship between McQueen and Mater seems especially insubstantial here.

Nevertheless, I feel like this is an enjoyable installment in the franchise, never letting your attention wander and always ready with a clever idea. They have demonstrated that they are willing to go in entirely new directions with this world - maybe if they make a third film, they can make something truly worthy of the Pixar name?

If I were rating this in comparison to other Pixar films, my score would be lower... but scoring this as a film on its own, I think it is deserving of between five and seven stars.