thomasjay-2201 Reviews

Hypnotizing Power: The Making of Master of Puppets (2020)

Marvellously Crafted Project

[8/10 · 15 June 2020]

Metallica are a band who've always loomed over my music taste but recently, especially during isolation, I've dove deep into the groups story and discography when I stumbled on this.

Edited/Directed by Stewart Kirwan, it stitches countless interviews, clips and stills to chronicle the making of their third album. Unauthorised I was impressed to see this have better quality than most generic documentaries and it was a stunningly made. Smartly not adding in a third party and just letting the band speak it was so informing and visually striking I was blown away.

Honestly I'd recommend you watch this as I can't do it justice enough, whether you're a fan of many years or a new member of the 'Metallica Family' you'll love this

EA Sports UFC 3 (2018 Video Game)

A Slight Bit Mediocre

[3/10 · 23 April 2020]

Coming at this as both a seasoned gamer and a fan of the world of MMA/General Combat Sports and Sport games as a whole, I am very much conflicted in regards to this title to be quite honest.

As a game I believe it captures the depth of the sport very well, highlighted best in the MyCareer section where one can eventually, through 'training' sections, master a whole variety of moves and martial art styles that best fit your characters build and your grasp of the mechanics of the game. As such it has a serious stake for the best detailed sports video game that is console based, easily outranking EA's flagship sports offering in the FIFA franchise which is I'd argue a lot more dumbed down than others and putting this iteration amongst say, 2K's NBA games for detail and variety.

Graphically it renders many fighters and even the own custom builds rather well and the captures of the moves and strikes are nothing short of exceptional with the camera work capturing great essence of an MMA fight to a very high standard which I must complement highly. Its user interface is also rather a pleasant one with every game mode easily mapped into a single section that one can navigate with no stress. Online is a section I cant really comment on as personally I choose not to subscribe to the Xbox's gold membership and thus cant play such features but given anecdotal reviews from friends when speaking on this particular feature, UFC 3 is entertaining in both a local co-op and online multiplayer sense and provides some fun competition and challenge when playing, which is a rather respectable feat.

However, there are far more negatives to this title from my perspective which I shall now cover. Offline play has no real range, only two match fixtures outside of the normal 3-5 round bout format and no allowance for weight mixtures that would add more fun to solo or local co-op play, think multi divisional championship fights or just a mode of chaos where you could match stars of the smaller divisions against those of the heavier ones i.e Conor McGregor vs Jon Jones and have fun with the laxed rules and system opposed to feeling the real life divisional monotony in game as well with the transcendent stars being the best rated avatars offering no competition in that sense. Furthermore, ultimate team is a completely redundant feature here, I'd argue that applies to other sport games as it is a means to gain later micro-transactions but here it is particularly pointless. The game mode seems to have no structure like the divisions in FIFA, or rewarding challenges in NBA 2K20, and is so limiting which is perhaps an issue of the sport, football has an 11 a side team and smaller games offer new rules and approaches, like the newly implemented VOLTA aspect of FIFA 20, basketball has positions and rolling subs allowing for in game variety and the very rewarding nature of 2K20 makes that game mode fun rather than grinding and costly. UFC 3 however has none of these things and is a pathetically small mode in comparison to its monolithic peers which are far more refined. Leaving only MyCareer in a gameplay sense, it is again underdeveloped. FIFA is very linear and not as interactive or staggered as this, NBA has recently seen college basketball levels implemented though usually that narrative doesn't really carry on over multiple seasons which is a shame but its progress nonetheless. UFC is far more rushed, having recently only bought this I began a career mode slot based off my own carefully crafted avatar, worked my way to undefeated stardom and in a matter of less than 6 Hours total gameplay had achieved the status of GOAT, after triggering that cutscene the game may as well force you to end that save and start anew, as every fight post that stage has been extremely onesided and repetitive but also has no inbetween, its the same Megan Olivi starring UFC Minute clip and nothing more which is a boring repeat and really begins to grate after a while. The progression in the career mode is very minor compared to previous titles, having owned the first EA UFC game when that was produced for current gen consoles that was a far more varied approach to the game featuring videos with then current stars such as Georges St-Pierre and Chuck Lidell, behind the scenes workers such as Mike Volce and of course Dana White with each video diary signalling a progression of the career which seems to have fell by the way side as time has progressed. It's DLC support also feels very poor, with the only offering being a Bruce Lee pack that comes with that avatar in a version for every weight class and that's it. No other cosmetics that would invoke a time of earlier UFC eras that allowed customisation (See Jon Jones and his Nike deal for instance) and not even a feature for cosmetic items such as flags that could be used pre and post fight or a gym building section for Mycareer use etc. sure it'd be an oversight to have them excluded from the base game were it an option but still, one would appreciate that personal touch fell to the game rather than its very generic feel otherwise. That issue also stems from the roster, having fighters of old like Kimbo Slice and a novel appearance of Dana White are mind boggling, they should be DLC offerings to at least make a sense of care and interest from the developers side opposed to what feels like a cash grab and little else. That prior point is all but proved by the use of McGregor, a legend in the field of mixed martial arts, ablazed on the cover and digital cover in his personal full flare donning two weight class belts solely to sell units off his name, sure that the point of a cover star but at least the appearances of Virgil Van Dijk and co. in FIFA 20 represent the shifting, modern culture of the worlds game and do have some in game value as they have appearances in ultimate team as opposing players and feel part of the world rather than just a shill.

On the whole its proof there is a market for fighting games and the world of MMA in the video game world but the shallow depth of game modes reeks of greed and a desperate cash grab. Entertaining to a degree and with the special edition being currently available for a sub £20 fee in the UK on the Xbox store, if you're interested in that world then its worth a buy, otherwise avoid until a potential fourth game which might be a superior title after all there is a clear route to success with such a format.

Blue Story (2019)

Do Not Miss This

[9/10 · 26 November 2019]

It's had a fair share of controversy as you'd probably expect given the nature of the film but, don't miss the point by skipping this, so yourself a favour and see it. The tale of Timmy and Marco and how their friendship is ravaged by the fact they live in separate postcodes in a petty postcode war. Semi-autobiographical, Rapman shows just how easy things like this can occur whilst also carefully considering the effects after and many of the flash points which trigger such headlines. As a film/singular piece it's rather impressive, merging in the signature style of Rapman featuring himself as a character who fills in the gaps essentially, narrating the 11 years of backstory in a brief rap and speeding up the pace later on as acts close and change it was a useful tool to progress the narrative and was refreshing to see used. Feeling like a modern day Shakespeare story, not too dissimilar to Romeo and Juliet in all honesty it did perhaps suffer from being so short, having to condense in so much as well as humanise both of the joint protagonists to a level where you can't really decide who to root for. For a film made on a shoestring budget there's some impressive but also reserved action sequences scattered throughout all of which shot in an extremely visceral way it's likely to be the future of British film, revolutionising the nature of production with a total of around 80% of cast and crew hailing from a BAME background this is a voice that has to be heard, not justifying but explaining why and how such things happen, feeling firmly rooted in reality throughout its a travesty that it's being stifled and not reaching those who really need to see it, equally tragic the fact it's released in this window of death alongside more mainstream Hollywood releases such as Frozen II and Knives Out, if you want something different, closer to home and challenging then this is the one for you. Heart wrenching, genuine and gritty it's a new step for the 'British Urban' genre of sorts and should have its place in the history books, despite it being pulled from various cinema chains

Top Boy: Episode #1.4 (2011) Season 1, Episode 4

Season 1 Review

[7/10 · 16 October 2019]

A rush is the only thing I can really say this is, 4 episodes for any series really isn't enough to do it justice and Top Boy suffers the same, characters aren't really fully developed and it's hard to empathise other side with any, the kids are used as and when they're needed to drive on the supposed journey of Dushane and Sulli who themselves aren't particularly detailed characters. Dushane is the jewel in the crown so to speak and leads the way in terms of depth but others leave a lot to be desired quite frankly. As for action everything seems grounded and believable and has the beauty in depicting the theme of division between the city of London and it's lesser known boroughs and the rift between life for these individuals but as relevant as that might be it was a little bit of a slog due to it being difficult to empathise with. On the whole a solid show and I'm gladly going to watch through the entire thing but so far there's little that's impressed me

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)

The End

[8/10 · 12 October 2019]

For as much as one could argue the lack of necessity in this films existence, it was a nice way to fully "close" the series and the best way I've heard it put as being an epilogue.

So, the closing chapter, as you might expect given its infinitely shorter run time than the series there's little in the way of action and offers more of an introspective dive into the character of Jesse, who frankly possesses the most depth on the shows entire roster. Bringing back into play a few old faces as well as tying off some loose ends Jesse's struggle to regain the person he once was is extremely interesting to see unfold with his physical state changing as he slowly re-emerges from his largely shaken state following his escape from the compound. With the goal of leaving town his final target, it was nice to be along for the journey as he finishes business before getting that clean slate to start afresh, eventually driving off to the Alaskan 'sunset' if you will leaving the past behind him.

Told largely in flashbacks to give a little context for actions in the present, it was nice to see the relationships in slightly more intimate levels between Jesse and Walter as well as his captor Todd as he frees his prisoners to help him for a weekend, at the ground level it really helps you understand the films events as much like 'Joker' which has recently released you get very little in terms of exposition or typical features which feed you information, as such relying on prior knowledge of the shows events to get the best experience from this. Boasting excellent production value and really nearly jumping through time to great emotional effect I'd say it's probably one of the years best even if it does contain a slightly camp and I'll fitting action sequence (you'll know it when you see it) but in all, totally worth a watch

All or Nothing: Manchester City: Centurions (2018) Season 1, Episode 8

Season 1 Review

[8/10 · 9 October 2019]

It's certainly lofty praise but well deserved when I say, this is the benchmark of what sports documentaries (and perhaps long form documentaries) should be. Having secured the ability to film this series the crew had a sandbox of practically infinite possibility with the behind the scenes aspect of football but generally speaking sports as a whole being completely isolated to the outside world who are only really aware of results in every capacity of that sense and major breaking news relating to topics such as injury, transfers etc. The chance to see day-to-day was incredible, especially at such an outfit as Manchester City. It does highlight the disparity between levels of English football as this is a monolithic institution with such high-tech facilities but equally is just as captivating to see how the peaks and troughs of the clubs season contributed in their triple digit success, as the episodes title infers, albeit in rather unsubtle fashion. This avoids the lot of death for sporting documentaries which is usually just a glorified highlight reel and actually gives character to a few of the key players and the manager himself, Pep who all chip in with their insight to how the clubs run and how the success came about. The approach to focus on these as individuals was a stroke of genius frankly and really drives the documentary onwards with such a smoothness not having to rely on the narration of Ben Kingsley and over use such a feature of the series. Covering an exceptional season and in such an insight it's really worth a watch if you can, see the highs, lows and know how of a revolutionary manager and a remarkable squad

The Boys: You Found Me (2019) Season 1, Episode 8

Season 1 Review

[9/10 · 9 October 2019]

"Alone we're nothing, BUT! Together we're the spice girls" an analogy put forth by the character Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) roughly around episode 4 or 5 and honestly it's got some merit to apply it wider to the series as a whole. It's a brilliant season of TV but has some pretty major flaws as a whole which slightly ruin the product. As a premise it's flawless and is exactly what I enjoy seeing, lathered in irony and a sense of satire that really is something which usually meets my "needs" so to speak but as mentioned with that early analogy it's a bit misguided. Annoyingly characters are badly handled, Billy the semi lead for example is as charming as you could want from the protagonist but is pretty shallow until what's practically the final 10 minutes of the series and has no depth due to the shows structure, something I'll get to briefly. Additionally others, in particular the 'Seven' are oddly positioned, we have our in with Starlight who's struggling to adjust to life as a hero but the others who frankly have greater importance to the wider narrative fail to impact all too often. The Deep, sacrificed to push Starlight's arc onwards and is later used as comic relief, Black Noir seen one screen for no longer than 10 minutes through all 8 hours (roughly), Maeve the maternal guide to starlight once again drifts in and out to serve the needs of that arc. That leaves A-Train, a man introduced in shocking fashion but fails to be a compelling villain and is hastily dropped in this finale and the head of the group Homelander, the only I can say serves being a villain. His lack of action regarding the plane crash and disregard for others he works and is close too forms a truly detestable figure and one you really enjoy hating, the sign of a great performance and solid writing only to be undercut by the reveal he's a father to a child birthed via Billy's "missing wife". A reveal which seems odd, it opens potential for spin offs and future series as this child is a natural "Supe" and so there could be others which make an X-Men like force in years to come but it's cheap, leaving a question mark over Billy's future arc and his entire motivation and slightly undercutting the villainy of Homelander who was an even darker figure when it was implied this relationship was non-consensual and as dark as something like that is it's brave to follow up on so was slightly disappointing.

Now to structure, something I referenced earlier, it's another slightly jarring layout with a lot of the plot for this season held back until it's too late to get a satisfying conclusion, essentially baiting for future seasons for a deferred payoff. Additionally it does seem to take a little while to establish this worlds rules and structure though it is thoroughly created eventually it's made in hindsight, with a focus on answering later which is fine but does equate to there being little substance for this season as all narrative threads are practically unanswered.

Now, gripes out the way I can finally begin to wax lyrical about what might genuinely be one of the best things currently around on TV, the humour and it's rather knowing, almost sarcastic atmosphere is always rife and provides some hilarious moments of comedy gold, see for example the Dolphin liberation scene. It masterfully balances genres and has some high quality drama aspects with the whole political undercurrent and the dealings of Vought which nicely unravel also leaving a sense there's more to come still so it'll be interesting to see how that unfolds later on. Characters are two side of the same coin, for as much as there is wrong with some there are vivid and detailed figures also, Starlight's moral struggle against herself and the seven creates a magnificently deep character whilst Billy and Hugh, the sharers I'd most screen time have a fantastic chemistry, Billy's outsider perspective often gearing on others to have some sort of comedic effect and Hugh's naive approach to the world he's thrown into really help the audience in A) Settling into what the series holds and B) Enjoying everything on offer. The supporting cast are also high quality, Stillwell and her drive to be something more than a handler is a good subplot and there's even a cameo from Hayley Joel Osment as a washed up child star "Mesmer" who serves narrative purpose and entertainment perhaps at a cost of one of the regular featuring heroes who don't have much of the limelight. It's soundtrack is amazing and there's some genuinely genius sequences of action throughout the 8 episodes. Performances across the board from a cast of relatively anonymous people are exceptional and as mentioned earlier it's absolutely hilarious

Fast become one of the greatest things currently on TV, particularly in a post Game of Thrones run 'The Boys' has promise to become a cornerstone of what TV is capable of and certainly has many directions in which season 2 and beyond could go, if you can get your hands on it then give it a watch

All or Nothing: Manchester City: Great Expectations (2018) Season 1, Episode 1

Genre Defining

[9/10 · 26 September 2019]

As hyperbolic as that headline sounds I can promise it still falls short of describing the quality of this show. Having just started today I can say I'm truly dumbfounded by how high quality this material is. Spanning multiple seasons from the arrival of Pep Guardiola and documenting simultaneously the rise of Manchester City under his watch it really is groundbreaking offering insight to the football world unlike any before and having such a clear structure of presentation, allowing the personalities of staff and players alike to truly thrive and such giving the best possible quality of content for those consuming whereas typically it could be a bit of a struggle to consume given how answers are often closed and it's difficult to really connect with the athletes who are shut off from the viewer. Well paced and not just an excuse to have a highlight reel of stunning football (though it does feature some breathtaking sequences of that kind) it's a truly remarkable watch and can't wait for the following episode

Peaky Blinders: Mr. Jones (2019) Season 5, Episode 6

Season 5 Review

[9/10 · 22 September 2019]

So much to unpack on this one so let's get on with it. As a series for now it stands out like a sore thumb compared to the rest but you'd expect that given the jump from small scale gang conflicts to a web of politics and "official" business so it gets a pass, just. Strangely it still seems to be a background focus and is often rushed and such a longer episode run could've been beneficial to give more depth to that aspect, saying that for what little comes from that subplot it's utterly compelling with Mosely quite possibly being the most compelling villain of all series to date. Claflin rises to his role and is genuinely detestable as an individual so hats off for that and in terms of performances Cillian Murphy and Packy Lee are exceptional with the former carrying the show once more and the latter stealing the show in his few scenes and providing a bit of levity that is very much needed in what's a bleak show overall. The finale is my main qualm with this outing as a whole, Peaky has in my opinion took the crown from Game of Thrones (ironically) and can boast about it being the greatest thing to currently grace the small screen but this season in actuality is little more than setup, your baited in and dragged along to see the rest unfold further down the line as made very evident by 'Mr.Jones'. In hindsight things are rather predictable especially if you give Mosely a quick google and realise it's not about to step into the Tarantino world and distort history for plots sake and the subplots are a written as if it's intentionally going to hit a brick wall and just end. The Billy Boys arc has no pay off and in fact the "subversion" in the form of Aberama's death is cheap due to its sudden occurance, theres no threat of anyone really 'major' meeting their end and such the stakes are missing in action. The fall through of Tommy's plan is another thing that would've benefited from another episode of not 10 more minutes as it's bold to assume the interest will not wain between the wait for season 6 and to be honest it seemed as though a little too many misdirects were chucked around. Main issue with this? I hear you ask, well that'd have to be the return of Alfie Solomons personally, his demise at the hands of Tommy was crucial for the character of the lead and such it felt cheap when Hardy returned donning a little prosthetic makeup as the death fakeout has been pulled before, other than the shock return he offers little but comic relief and his men which could be perceived as contrived. The splintering of the Shelby's is interesting to see but is ill balanced compared to Tommy's mental decline and as interesting as it is seeing his ruthless side come forth and have that introspective element it's either clunky and stalls the runtime or ends on an apparent cliffhanger which if you put any though into will likely never become reality. For as much as I've whined on (apologies if you've read this far) there's still much to boast about, it's soundtrack is incredible and it feels as though the attitude of seasons one and two have returned becoming a little rough round the edges. Visually it's stunning and the introspection as much as it's a burden is artistic and so striking it really adds a new element. The conflicts which I predict are currently close to boiling point are excellent crafted and well detailed and I can imagine the deaths of a few of the minor characters will have a more satisfying conclusion in later series so for now I've still got hope. It feels a little disheartening this was essentially a 6 hour build up but I can still say it had heart pounding moments and is as strong a series as it's ever been. Having weighed up the pros and cons I'd still recommend a viewing and am sat in anticipation for what's next to come

Training Day (2001)

An all time great

[9/10 · 8 September 2019]

I'd been aware of Training Day since I was around 15 but finally 3 years later I've got round to watching it and it's fair to say my expectations were matched. I've seen others of Fuqua's filmography and the likes of Southpaw were extremely entertaining and it seems he's had a long career of hits. Back to Training Day this is a masterpiece, straight from the get go you can relate to/empathise with Hawke's Jake Hoyt and he feels like a well defined and crystal clear character from the very first second, not a doubt in anyone's minds he's the hero of the film. A story of corruption is naturally interesting and I must say the performance by Washington deserves all the praise it gets as he falls into the group of villains which you truly despise, testament to his performance and the quality of the writing/directing. Baring some parallels finally to Se7en the grim depiction of the criminal underworld is full of life and looks realistic and dingy. As the titular 'Training Day' ensues and develops with Hoyt dragged into the shady dealings of Alonzo the tension ramps up and the stand off occurs, feeling organic and natural the division of our protagonists is understandable and feels genuine leading to the neighbourhood shootout and chase between the two leads, at times a little far fetched it's still gritty and heart pounding, concluding with Washington's iconic monologue and his exile from the neighbourhood. Boasting a cast of notable faces such as Cliff Curtis and Eva Mendez as well as a couple of celebrity cameos from Dr.Dre and Snoop Dogg who aren't actually bad actors this is a masterclass in conflict, tension and character, a true great of cinema

Jackie Brown (1997)

Overlooked

[6/10 · 8 September 2019]

Rarely mentioned by anyone as their favourite Tarantino film I found very little wrong with this at all to be quite honest, except possibly the runtime which is arguably the most unjust of his film career but still walks the fine line of not becoming too long and unwelcoming. The character of Jackie Brown is as you'd expect the main highlight of the film with Grier delivering an excellent performance amongst a number of others. De Niro is somehow practically sidelined by his fellow stars and Jackson really thrives as he does in any role he's had under Tarantino and steals the show with some of the greatest quotes of his individual career. The plot is as complex as you'd imagine and is as thrilling as Reservoir dogs and dare I say it pulp fiction, filled with twists and turns, double crosses and solid action leading towards an explosive climax and slightly somber end. Its hard to argue its the best of his works but if you're wanting something a little different and slightly more toned down compared to the 8 other films he's made, I'd highly recommend this

Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)

A neat little gem

[7/10 · 8 September 2019]

Nicolas Cage is divisive to say the least but frankly he was on a run of form around the turn of the millennium and this is another of his underrated gems. One of the first of the car action genre sort of film this offers something the likes of Fast and Furious don't, mostly an entertaining watch but generally speaking in comparison terms it has a compelling and rounded narrative which is is main attraction. Starting at 100mph it never really lets off, everything moving at breakneck speed in line with the challenge Cage and his crew have been set. Depicting both sides of criminal and law enforcement it's nice to see the parallels and juxtaposition of the 2 groups and further adds to the tension. Good performances on the whole and as I've mentioned a few times, excellent action it's a superbly entertaining watch and has great rewatch value

How I Live Now (2013)

Not in a hurry to rewatch

[6/10 · 7 September 2019]

Released at that time where similar franchises boomed and the likes of The Hunger games and Maze Runner were wildly successful this fell in the middle of the pack. It doesn't feel as well fleshed out as the others with details of the events being sparingly shown in the very background of scenes and such you don't feel any major catalyst or trigger for the story. The characters are troubled and it interestingly explores some complex ideas regarding mental health and issues facing teens, oddly quite relevant in contemporary times compared to its release. The story is a little bland it's all about reconnecting with each other, essentially the tale of Odysseus but falls into the B list of science fiction films with little happening and such the deaths of characters don't have much impact. Carried really well by a cast of still rising stars in the shape of Saoirse Ronan, George McKay and perhaps most notable of all Tom Holland who's charming throughout. Despite a trio of solid performances the story is bland and such it's a bit stale, still an interesting premise but as the title suggests it's not really one I'd be rushing to rewatch at any time. Decent but nothing more

Aquaman (2018)

Absolutely Bland

[5/10 · 7 September 2019]

One of the worst superhero films out there and no surprise it's another from DC. A vast improvement on Justice League it's not much of a step up from rock bottom. It's at times unreasonable to expect realism from this type of film but I've never ever seen an outing that's looked so fan made or cheap as this. The non CGI costumes, characters etc. Look horrendous and there's two or three fairly big scale action sequences which are visually quite big moments but are vastly over crowded and just blur into a multi coloured mess. Overly long at nearly 2 and a half hours it's got no right to be so long and does seem to have moments where the foot is taken off the gas and becomes stagnant. Only positives to come from this are clearly Momoa and Dafoe who seem genuinely happy to be involved and perform quite well, other than that it could've been handled differently over multiple films maybe to be more impactful. Has similarities to the first Thor film but as you know by now the way these two franchises have been handled is vastly different and such Aquaman is a toothless and dull release

Misery (1990)

A bit bland

[6/10 · 6 September 2019]

I've got personal beef with about 95% of King adapted films as for some reason I can't get on with his lack of originality and at times his works feel overly complicated and pretentious but nevertheless I went into this with some knowledge of its appreciation. I wouldn't go as far as saying I enjoyed it as it felt a bit bland as you'd expect from a film which essentially depicts cabin fever in some form it's really at times very outdrawn and bland, however for every 10 minutes of boredom there is a good handful of entertaining moments and really ingenious use of film form which require 100% attention and lack satisfying pay offs. But as you might expect, you can't really save a film from the odd moment and such it's largely uninteresting and frankly does have many close running parallels to Psycho now I think about. A lesser film than its 'inspiration' the performances and the odd moment are really all you can take away from this, but in fairness it's in my bracket of 'liked' (and I use that word very lightly) King adaptations

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)

A very pleasant surprise

[7/10 · 6 September 2019]

I stopped watching the F&F franchise around 5 and honestly it's a choice that's only been vindicated by the poor quality of the following instalments, however in all honesty this was a total surprise. My jury was still firmly out until I watched this as I feared the sudden jump to sci-fi and actually embracing its ridiculousness would be a little B movie like and have no quality, however I was happy to be proven wrong. Statham and Johnson have undeniable chemistry which really carried the film with the almost buddy cop dynamic being rather entertaining to see and very charming providing some solid comedic moments. The science fiction aspects were surprisingly minor and oddly enough for such an outlandish premise and franchise as a whole were very believable which is testament to the quality of the film. It's also worth noting there's a certain brand of humour in this which I found suits my taste well, a host of deadpool approved meta humour occurs, with reference to the old man and the sea which was used to tease DP 2, Reynolds makes an appearance which was very welcoming and he's even joined by Rob Delaney hinting at another spin off in Locke and Loeb which after this, I'd be really interested in seeing. There's other surface jokes too like Statham referencing an 'Italian job' and a number of other celebrity cameos at various stages. Ending off with a prolonged 2 v 1 fight sequence it was a fitting way to wrap up Elba's involvement and felt satisfying and just. In all a pleasant surprise that was welcoming to see

Con Air (1997)

The most 90's film of all time

[9/10 · 6 September 2019]

To anyone out there, good luck trying to make a film anything like this ever again, a cult but also high quality classic of film history (in my personal opinion at least). A stellar cast all delivering performances of their lives despite their seemingly ill fitting placement, Malkovich and Buscemi as serial killers, the latter as a Hannibal Lecter figure, total stroke of genius. It's high octane from start to finish, Cage is likeable once your ears get used to his atrocious accent and the action is perfectly spliced with both moments of humour and an enjoyable concurrent subplot of John Cusack's struggle against his superiors which leads to our explosive final conflict at the air field. Crash landing in the LA strip despite being wildly far fetched is still one of the greatest endings I've ever seen, all scored by a remarkably ill fitting song which somehow gives an operatic value to that closing sequence. Reuniting Cage's family and having a fantastic arc for Buscemi I can't say I've ever been as satisfied when watching a film in my life, total masterpiece

Salt (2010)

Snoozefest

[5/10 · 4 September 2019]

One of the most dull films I've ever witnessed, and a complete let down considering the exceptional cast involved. Seems to have an ill divided conspiracy of what essentially Cold War 2.0 and now thinking back, the reveal of Salt's true role was completely non sensical and I'd anything disadvantageous to the campaign. Action scenes were a highlight, one of the only things it can be proud of. Everything in between is shambolic and the sequel bait at the end is shameless. No stakes what so ever there's genuinely not a reason to watch this

Django Unchained (2012)

Peak Tarantino

[7/10 · 4 September 2019]

Of all I've seen, this shared the lofty heights as the original 2 QT films and is quite possibly one of the greatest I've ever seen. One of the few that can get away with being fast and loose with history, existing in that plane is a stroke of genius. Having the freedom to do whatever one likes lead to a truly great story of Django Freeman's rise to success and his ultimate revenge. Littered with award worthy performances from practically every other character and moments of side hurting laughter everything works, and even that feels like I'm not doing the film enough justice. The finale despite the personally jarring Tupac soundtrack was flair personified, and a fitting end, stylish and elegant this is quite possibly one of the greatest "origin" stories. A true masterpiece

Mean Machine (2001)

A total cult classic

[7/10 · 4 September 2019]

Never expected what I got from this film, a total (and pleasant) surprise. The only film in history which can boast ACTING from both Jason Statham and Danny Dyer its a surprise what this film achieved. A fall from grace for the lead character Danny Meehan which leads him to prison triggers a one off football match against a rag tag team of inmates and the drilled met police 11. For a sports film it manages to dramatise and add humour to the sports section and opens itself for some hilarious lines via the commentary track. Also having a coinciding dark and gritty corruption subplot it blends tones fantastically and has some good performances from the supporting cast to boot! In all a niche classic

Johnny English Strikes Again (2018)

Utter dross

[4/10 · 4 September 2019]

Never has such a short film felt like such a challenge to get through. The third of the Johnny English trilogy I sincerely hope there's no further instalments after this. The verbal/dialogue based jokes never seemed to land and the physical "comedy" was very hit and miss and a massive step down from the first 2 which, aren't masterpieces let's be honest but are bearable if not quite entertaining, this couldn't be less applicable for Strikes again if they tried. Unfunny and a plot that's just completely uninteresting whilst also managing to be very vague with what, exactly is happening it results in one big camp scuffle and an array of newspaper headlines celebrating a victory. Unoriginal and uninteresting I'd swerve on this one

Wanted (2008)

"What have you done recently"- well, watched this

[7/10 · 4 September 2019]

One of the most surprising films of the comic book genre I've been aware of this film for a while but only recently got around to watching it, and I can gladly say I'm happy to have seen it. Boasting an all star cast who are all excellent in their roles the twist reveal of McAvoy's parenthood is a little predictable but on the whole there's not much at fault with this. The "side swapping" of characters does wear a little thin after a while but generally the performances do negate that issue. Action is hyper stylised and looks fantastic plus the laws of the world are also believable, adding to the experience. Similar sort of "commentary" to what Fight Club is revered for its a tad bit more far fetched but still has some meaning and value to it. On the whole, if you're wanting a different comic book film experience then this is one that well worth the time

The Favourite (2018)

Odd to say the least

[8/10 · 4 September 2019]

One of the very few pieces of media to not obsessively and leeringly display alternate sexualities The Favourite apparently in line with the films of Lanthimos does have moments of the wildly surreal and shocking but still, and impressively so manages to maintain a foot in reality at the same time. The love triangle of Stone, Weisz and Coleman is one of the most believable and interesting ever put to screen with others usually being soap opera-esque filler that fail to engage. The cast are outstanding and personally it's clear to see why Coleman enjoyed such success as her role was genuinely so moving and powerful its remarkable. The story is masterfully created remaining at all time moving and engaging and does a fine job at balancing the multiple tones of that are required to get across this complicated love story. One of the greatest of the year

First Man (2018)

One of the better biopics

[7/10 · 3 September 2019]

As far as this little "genre" of film goes, First Man has to be up there as one of the best. Perhaps overly long, but that's a fault that comes with the territory of a biography it handles the stages of Armstrongs career peak extremely well, showing both the grim struggles at home and the sky high challenges in his work life. At fault of the film I felt as though Chazelle mishandled the relationships between some of the minor character towards Gosling and such the deaths of these or as they become phased out their impacts are minor if at all. Generally speaking however the training and build up to the mission is marvellous with space flight trials and the NASA based training programme all captured on film in such a jaw dropping fashion of beauty, pushing the limits of current cinema technology. A beauty to watch and an interesting focus if you've got the time it's worth seeing

Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)

Far from home but close to Marvel's best

[2/10 · 3 September 2019]

Personally up their at the tip of the MCU the second solo spider man film in this continuity delivered on everything I'd hoped for. In terms of scale it felt so vast and action packed making for a brisk watch despite its fairly long run time. There's a case for it being perhaps the most impactful solo film in the marvel universe and certainly felt as such, sending the character through various turmoils to come out changed at the end. Gyllenhaal was a personal highlight and the villain felt well motivated if a little contrived/shoehorned into this world, throw in a mind blowing Mysterio illusion scene and various callbacks to prior films in the MCU and you're left with this really enjoyable product! For all it's positives it can't escape flaws and does have certain issues, Ned as a character is neglected for the sake of MJ and in a way the humour dips as a payment for this but aside from a few other minor niggles there's little else wrong. Packing a reveal that could be hugely impactful for the fate of future marvel films I'd argue it's not only a must see but one of the best in the whole 20+ films currently released. Emotional, moving and effective I'd highly recommend a viewing