josepho-20322 Reviews

Justified: City Primeval (2023)

City Primeval: The (Un)Justified Return, and Idleness, of Raylan Givens

[1/10 · 3 January 2024]

On paper, and indeed in promotional materials, 'Justfied: City Primeval' sounded like it would be right up my street. The aging hero of "Justified" - one of my all time favourite TV shows and Westerns - was touted to return in series which, it was said, was going to be like James Mangold's "Logan" on bath salts. As the teasers and promos were released, nothing gave the impression that that wasn't going to be the case. Even the first episode set up a series where an aging Givens, who's glory days were a fading memory, was faced with the threat of of a pyschotic lawbreaker who was every bit as angry and volatile as the younger Givens was twelve (fifteen, lore wise) years before.

My reading of the first episode(s), in particular Givens' explosively violent encounter with Clement Mansell in the hotel bar, led me to believe that Raylan would have to choose between pursuing / killing Mansell and building a relationship with his errant daughter Willa. I was ready for it. I was ready to see Raylan struggle to protect her from both Mansell and the apocalyptic anger he would have to re-awaken in order to bring the Oklahoma Wild Man down. I was ready to see Raylan rediscover himself and redeem himself through violence and self sacrifice, as Logan did in his eponymous final film (to date). But that didn't happen.

Instead, that promised storyline disappeared when Raylan handed off Willa after the third episode. After which point, it must be said, Raylan is little more than a supporting character to far less interesting characters who take over a grim, uninspired narrative. In fact, in most scenes where he speaks or does anything, his role is simply to serve as a visual cue that viewers are still watching "Justified" in case they forget because of all the blue hued banality.

Eight episodes later, the first recognisably "Justified" thing that happens is a frankly insulting epilogue that sets up a proper sequel to the original series. One which has alientaed me, even as a dyed in the wool fan of the original run.

This show could have been better. Skip it, if you haven't already watched it. If you want something actually great to watch about an aging hero, watch "The Old Man" with Jeff Bridges which was easily my favourite TV show of 2022. If you want to recapture the feeling of watching the original "Justified", just watch Olyphant playing Cobb Vanth - especially the cold open for the sixth episode of "The Book of Boba Fett". Those 3 minutes are more stone cold "Justifed" than eight episodes of this misguided garbage, and Olyphant's portrayal as "Space Raylan" is more on point to boot.

Ahsoka (2023– )

A Breath of Fresh Air

[9/10 · 6 October 2023]

Incredible.

Star Wars has, finally, come out to play on the small screen. We have a series through which motifs from several other movies, series, novels, comics, and games are threaded, and yet it maintains its own fierce, distinct identity.

At once familiar and fresh Ahsoka, even in its first two episodes, is the dark sequel to Star Wars: Rebels. If Rebels is A New Hope, filled with adventure and optimism, Ahsoka is The Empire Strikes Back.

It moves with deliberate pace and, despite initially being tapped as part of the fabric of the "Mando-verse," it's very obvious that the narrative thread being drawn here comes straight from Rebels. Even aesthetically, the set and costume designs of "Ahsoka" have little in common with either "The Mandalorian" or "The Book of Boba Fett" further setting it apart from Favreau's show. Personally speaking, as someone who's a more than a little fatigued with Mando and Grogu and the repetitive narratives concerning them, I'm very happy about this and I'm hoping the season will run from start to finish without a mention of either of them.

"Star Wars: Rebels" has finally gotten its due, in the form of a live action sequel that delivers without losing itself to nostalgia or key moments that have more to do with setting up legacy character appearances than driving the story forward.

Ahsoka is triumphant, though perhaps the best review of it comes from my girlfriend. She's not a Star Wars fan, but she's watched manys the series and movie with me and her words were this:

"Wow, this is so different. Its so modern. It's Star Wars, but it feels so fresh and new."

Just like always, she's absolutely right. This show is the right kind of different, it's a long overdue refresh while honoring the lore we love, and I'm hoping it keeps this level of quality for the next six episodes.

The Blackening (2022)

Jordan Peele is marked "safe" from The Blackening (2022)

[1/10 · 8 September 2023]

This film was less about defying horror film conventions than ticking off tired tropes with a cast who'd be bad at acting in a Scary Movie. It felt like corporate's answer to a Jordan Peele movie, but with none of the subtlety or social commentary. The plot was predictable and the twists, if they could be called that, could be seen coming a mile away. I was you, I'd avoid this at all costs or - at the very least - go when the tickets are cheapest. Avoid this film at all costs. There are far better horror movies, far better comedies and far better comedy horrors that could take up your an hour or two.

Justice League: Warworld (2023)

Pretty Animation, Poor Story Choices:

[2/10 · 14 August 2023]

The animation is slick and sharp from start to finish, however the story leaves a lot to be desired. On the surface its yet another "Tomorrowverse" movie centred on Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman. However, on a deeper level it is a movie that recklessly repurposes lesser known DC characters (such as Jonah Hex and King Faraday) for the purpose of making the more mainstream heroes look more heroic, and demonstrates nothing on the part of the writers bar a chronic lack of understanding of the characters publication histories and motivations. One wonders if Warner Bro.'s animation will ever release a movie about characters other than the main Justice League heroes, but if the results are as misguided as this perhaps the animated movies would be better repeating these narratives over and over until audiences grow tired of them.

Cry Macho (2021)

A Simple, Under-appreciated Movie

[8/10 · 21 September 2021]

What the film lacks in action or complexity, it makes up for in heart. It is a simple buddy movie mixed with a coming of age tale. It's a tale about friendship, and nothing more. The kind of movie this world needs.

Eastwood's direction is sparse, as is his style, and the acting naturalistic. Every performer delivers, even the rooster(s). The scenery is beautiful, the photography framed beautifully to capture the spartan yet captivating landscape and the people that dwell in it.

Do yourself a favour: watch it. The world needs more stories like this.

Rambo: Last Blood (2019)

John Rambo: Tortured Survivor, Tireless Warrior

[7/10 · 20 September 2019]

It's taken almost 40 years but we finally have a sequel that is worthy of the survivalist cat-and-mouse drama that was 1982's "First Blood". We also have, for the very first time, a terrifying vision of a mentally disturbed and physically intimidating ex-Green Beret so accurate to the book that he may well have walked off the pages of David Morrell's "First Blood".

To say that this performance as Rambo is unlike anything Stallone has done before is an understatement. He has truly tapped into a dark place for this film, expressing a bottomless seething rage in Rambo that burns bright despite his age.

The relationship between Rambo and his niece is one of the most affecting and deliberately underplayed of the entire series, my only criticism being that we should have had more of it. The niece (Yvette Monreal) could have done with more screen time, indeed the "racism" card that a lot of critics are playing is based on that very issue. Both she and Rambo's house keeper seem at times little more than plot devices and triggers for the eventual rampage. Some have said that they are one dimensional characters, and that they play into racial stereotypes, but I disagree.

"Last Blood" is a very simple, direct narrative. It is quite frankly anti-high brow, it's characters have purpose and power and there is a lot left unsaid when it comes to context and back story. Even it's main character is drawn in this way. However I do not consider this a weakness.

Phantom 2040 (1994–1996)

Phantom 2040: A Dystopian Take on Superheroism

[9/10 · 28 July 2019]

Like me you've probably never heard of Phantom 2040 and, up until this point, are only familiar with the Ghost Who Walks through the campy 1990s live action movie which, as your first exposure to the superhero movie genre, you now look back on with rose tinted specs.

Like me you've been raised on Batman, Spiderman and all that other syrupy Marvel / DC material that now suffocates pop culture consciousness and obscures knowledge of anything before or after.

Like me you didn't know that The Phantom was the first masked vigilante / superhero. Like me you thought Batman Beyond, as a dark futuristic superhero narrative - featuring a younger successor to a mysterious and near legendary vigilante - was a pretty rad original idea.

Enter "Phantom 2040".

John Wick (2014)

"You, uh, workin' again?" "No, I was just sortin' some stuff out."

[8/10 · 31 May 2018]

Had this been a vehicle for a more established actor, an older actor as had been initially intended, I imagine it would have been assigned to someone like Willis or Stallone and become yet another forgettable effort lost in the twilight of their careers. Its not that there's anything wrong with either Bruce or Sly, its just that they've made an unfortunate number of mediocre films in recent years in an effort to keep themselves relevant. Willis' recent "Death Wish" folly is an example of a film that shouldn't have been made, and yet he seems all too eager to make this rip-off of an altogether superior Bronson film. Indeed Hollywood in general has developed an industry of unintelligent, one dimensional action films, most of which are lack lustre remakes, and - through the miracle of marketing - have made them disproportionately successful. The golden era which produced Dirty Harry, Rambo: First Blood andTerminator(s) 1 and 2 appeared a distant memory in the wake of the Cranks, average Expendables sequels and the never ending stream of The Fast and the Furious films. All hope seemed lost for a decent action film which had both entertaining action sequences and some measure of intelligence applied in its creation.

Enter John Wick.

The film weighs an apparently simplistic revenge plot against a counter balance of ironic black humour, stylish cinematography, exceptional fight choreography and a star who approaches the eopnymous charcater as though he were performing in a serious dramatic role. Keanu Reeves' class adds credibilty an sympathy to a character that wuld have appeared predictable and dull had some action has-been been cast. He invokes the quiet, underplayed menace of Bronson in his best roles while also injecting a wry sense of locaonic wit.

Overall, I diodn't expect to enjoy this move as much as I did. Previously, I've found Reeves' earlier catalogue to be a litle trying, but since the Matrix he appears to have evolved into an altogether different class of actor. He brings the method intensity of a younger De Niro to roles which other actors would consider throwaway action stereotypes, and would only play them as such. Reeve's Wick is both terrifying in his capability for violent retribution and also tragic in his isolation and grief, something which surely cannot be said for Bruce Willis' Paul Kersey rip off.

So if anyone is on the fence, sit down and hit play on Netflix (UK, I can't vouch for other regions). I was expecting, as I've said numerous times, a dull and over-hyped revenge flick. What I watched might just be a modern masterpiece in this genre, both in its narrative simplicity and artistic approach, and I find it hard to fault.

Watch it!

The War Wagon (1967)

A wrongly convicted rancher, a gunslinger and one Hell of a vengeance ride...

[10/10 · 21 February 2018]

Taw Jackson (Wayne) and Lomax (Douglas) are the ultimate western bromance and set the foundations for decades of 'buddy (insert profession here)' movies that would follow. Pitted against the machinations of a greedy business man, Jackson and his gang of misfit wage war against the might of Pierce and his hired guns - not to mention a horse drawn tank that infuses the action packed adventure with a slight the steampunk element. While this film is not ground-breaking, it is without doubt one of my favourite Westerns and - I firm believe - is one of the Duke's most fun and entertaining films.

Wind River (2017)

Wind River: The Old-World Cowboy and the New-World FBI Agent

[10/10 · 14 September 2017]

I've often wondered, in the bleak and a-moral world that we live in, what would the morally 'good' John Wayne or James Arness-type of cowboy do in the face of rapists, child killers and bad men and women who escape justice through pleas of insanity of mental disorder? In Jeremy Renner's Cory Lambert we get the hint of an answer. A tough cowboy and 'hunter of predators', Renner encapsulates both the straight-down-the-middle 'good guy' western hero and the complex pathos-driven study in masculinity that emerged in post-John Wayne cinema. Not that Renner's could be described as soft, indeed the pathos and tragedy that motivates him is potent and the means through which he channels this pain creates a 'new' cowboy who is the perfect combination of traditional and contemporary sensibilities.

Elizabeth Olsen's Jane Banner provides the chink of light shining from the modern outside world into this Western microcosm which straddles both the 'Wild West' frontier and a Trump-ruled America in its savagery and desperation. Her hero is our doorway into the frozen landscapes of Wyoming and it is through her eyes and her compassion that the viewer can begin to process the tragedy and sadness that permeates Wind River. The FBI agent perfectly balances against the old world cowboy, both characters are reflections of each other in their strength, compassion and tenacity.