The Babadook - Film Review

The Babadook is an independent horror directed by Jennifer Kent and stars Essie Davis as Amelia, a lonely single mother who is trying to juggle various difficulties in her life which is mentally taking a grip of her. She has a full time job as a carer, has a young son Samuel (Noah Wieseman) who has behavioural problems which as a consequence is affecting his schooling as well as trying to grieve for her husband who died in a car accident before Samuel was born. Samuel behavioural problems revolve around him having visions of monster trying to harm the household. Amelia predictably dismisses this as nonsense at first however she soon discovers a mysterious presence taking control of her surroundings, potentially trying to harm her and her son.

I first came across a trailer for The Babadook at the cinema in the previews before Eric Bana's horror/thriller drama Deliver Us From Evil. Though I thought the trailer looked pretty solid for a horror, the buzz from film critics was unanimous in high praise. The film has been around the film festival circuit scene all year in an attempt to drum up support for a bigger wide release. After winning numerous awards including Film4's Frightfest Best Horror, it finally got a release date in the UK this past Friday. I was perplexed at first. A horror getting massive praise from critics nowadays is unheard of. Most critics to put it kindly crap all over horror films and I completely understand why. Minus As Above So Below which I thought wasn't too unwatchable, the majority of horrors this year have been the same set up since the likes of Paranormal Activity and Saw were released a few years ago. Predictable jump scares with ear deafening booms and bangs which after awhile make you wanna go ape, awful completely stupid characters which you couldn't care less about and mindless gore which would be fine if it wasn't so over the top. I honestly don't think I've been to the cinema and seen a horror which I thought was great. They're are some good ones since 2009 (the year I turned 15) such as Sinster, Let Me In and the Evil Dead remake, but they aren't great films. But after 5 years of endlessly waiting, it has finally come to an end.

The Babadook is a superb, clever physiological horror film. It has an engaging story about a mother and son's difficult relationship and Amelia's battle with her son's out of control behaviour which slowly withers her down into a depressive state of mind and how that struggle ultimately becomes the target for The Babadook creature. The annoying jump scares have vanished and been replaced by skincrawling sound effects which make you squirm and disturbing creepy imagery which build layer upon layer of tension filled fear. Very old school, old fashion horror techniques which in an era of recycled predictable scare sequences was refreshing on the eye. The film had a very bleak, very grey visual pallet that reflected the feelings of the mother perfectly. It also set in a well built foundation for all the scares which when called upon pumped up the fear inside you. They may not be the most gruesome shocking scares you'll ever see but more of the type of scare like a horrendous nightmare when you were a child. Very personal and I think that's why it shook me up so much. The classic monster under the bed scenario still works in the right hands. The Babadook monster when unveiled was an old fashion classic creepy monster that sent shivers down my spine. He was the best designed monster I've seen for many years, just darn right creepy by not only its appearance but the way it controlled the two protagonists was like a couple of puppets on strings being pull around like a toy. It preyed on both character's fears and it was awesome to watch. The acting was the biggest surprise for me. For a horror production it was terrific. Essie Davis played her character in such a grounded manner that you felt so much sympathy for her character. All her struggles and her way of life felt realistic and as an audience you can easily relate to her as a normal hardworking single parent. The child actor Noah Wieseman was also terrific as Samuel. He had the annoying kid personality but again managed to portray sympathy because he clearly felt the effects of not having a father figure in his life. Such clever directing from Jennifer Kent, who managed to piece everything together perfectly. A brilliant directorial debut and I can't wait to see what she produces next.

The only slight issue had with the film was that it built that much emotion and fear that sometimes it unintentionally create some humour that was came across as quite silly and some audience members laughed at shocking moments that shouldn't have happened. Weird. But that's it, everything else is perfection.

The Babadook is a masterpiece of modern horror. It should be a standard that every horror should be aiming for. This is what real horror is about, not stupid loud noises with cats jumping out a cupboard. That's utter crap which is getting so predictable now. Sick of it. This film makes you feel like there are pins in back of your seat. An uncomorftable thrill ride that has a powerful story, compelling characters and scary scenes which pack a big punch. This is the horror of the year so far and the best for a number of years. If you wanna see a horror that's a little bit different, check this gem out. Fantastic film!

9/10

Fury - Film Review

Fury is directed by David Ayer and stars Brad Pitt as the commander of a Sherman tank named "Fury" and its five man crew consisting of Logan Lerman, Shia LaBeouf, Michael Pena and Jon Bernthal. Set in the last year of World War II, the team are at the spearhead of the allies advance into Nazi Germany with the task of eliminating the enemies artillery. The team minus Lerman's character Norman are war veterans who have been together through many campaigns and have lived a life of war and brutality. Norman joins the team with no experience and as a result with the assistance off Pitt's character "Wardaddy", has to learn quickly, painfully and truthfully what it takes to be a man of war.

David Ayer has directed quality low budget action films in the past, such as Training Day and End Of Watch. He also directed Arnie Schwarzenegger's comeback film Sabotage which came out earlier this year. I must admit I've not seen it but apparently Arnie cracks off some new amazing one liners which are hilarious as usual. I've always found with war films that then tend to be too hollywoodised. What I mean by that is that many directors of war films try to set out a realistic blood and guts visual setting but to impressive studio execs they have to incorporate a fantasy happy ending or a manic plot twist that is too complex for it's own good. I've always found that the best war films have quite simple but gripping stories, memorable characters and insane action sequences. Fury without doubt has those qualities. What I loved about this film is the honest brutality that it portrays. There are so many disturbing shots and sequences that goosebumps will be a reoccurring event during the run time, I've not felt that moved by a film since 12 Years a Slave. The film doesn't sugar coat any aspects of war life and gives you a hard look at what it does to men. The disturbing imagery not only makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, the action sequences get the heart racing. Fury boasts amazing tank battles which I've personally never seen of that magnitude before. They don't feel fake and with clever sound editing gives you a first person taster of being in that terrifying position. The geek in me did start to emerge from the shadows and I swifty had to restrain myself at that point from looking like a fruitcake. Aside from the astounding dark and gritty visuals, the performances were a shining beacon and in particular from Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf. The veterans of war weren't exactly lovable dreamy rouges but instead were resilient, courageous and had a brother like friendship with one another, an area which is one of David Ayer's big strengths as a director. Pitt isn't quite as over the top as he is as Lieutenant Aldo Raine from Inglorious Basterds but he certainly brings his gruff, commanding charisma to the screen. Labeouf might be a massive a-hole off screen but when he gets focused on a character he can bring plenty of emotion. He has a lot of potential but as with some people, they can't seem to synchronise their brains with their mouths at the best of times. Speaking of potential, Logan Lerman gives his best performance of his young career. You had clear sympathy for his character and understand why he has different views from the other soldiers.

As much as the film tries to retain that realistic vibe, it does have a couple of niggles which made me scratch my invisible bald patch in the third act of the film. Firstly Lerman's character goes from one extreme to another in a very short space of time. It's not completely random, there is substance behind the change in character but it's so fast and rapid that it doesn't make sense. The film has the timescale of a couple of days and I don't think his personality would change that quickly. The third act was shot masterfully but the end set up is very predictable and quite cliched. A slight anticlimax to what was a superb last thirty minutes.

Fury is a great war film that has perfectly shot action sequences, interesting dialogue and engrossing performances. Thought provoking and chilling, David Ayer manages to stick with core war film principles without over stepping the mark, Although a couple of flaws are apparent, this shouldn't put you off on what is a brilliant production. If you're up for this cinema this weekend, this is one you should keep an eye out for.

8/10

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Film Review

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is directed by Jonathan Liebesman and stars four of my childhood heroes; Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo in a reboot of the original 90's film franchise. Instead of 4 men in rubber turtle suits, they are now gigantic 9 feet tall CGI creations from a talented tech team. The film also stars Megan Fox as April O'Neill and Will Arnett as her creepy colleague sidekick/love interest Vern. The turtles live with their master Splinter who raises them as his sons in the sewers and with the help of April must defeat the evil Shredder who plans to take over New York with his footclan army. And that's the plot. Simple and easy. No brain work required.

Now before I get down and dirty with my review, I'm gonna explain the film's age rating certificate. It's rated 12a. I'd like to know how it received that rating because TMNT is the most child friendly 12a I've ever seen. It's a straight up kids film. The trailers beforehand had 3 adverts selling the various types of turtle merchandise ready for the Christmas period. I must admit some of the toys did look fun. I fancied the look of the turtle van which reminded me of a big Action Man badass off road truck I had as a little lad. And that's what the film did for me, reminisce about my childhood memories. The turtles in this reboot just like in the previous films and TV series are great to watch. The entertainment value all came courtesy of the turtles and in particular Michelangelo, who's a typical creepy yet idiotically funny teenager. The best one liners directly came from him. All the turtles had clear distinctive personalities, making you care about them as characters. If I lived off pepperoni pizza all day like they do, I'd be one seriously obese but blissfully happy man!

When I am sucked into watching a kid orientated film, I try to cut it as much slack as I can because it's not aimed at an audience like myself. It's for the enjoyment of children and fingers crossed the parents can endure some pain and suffering for 90 mintues. Throughout the film I was wondering why the film was shot in a similar action style to Transformers. And then in a flash I remembered Mr Michael Bay was the film's executive producer. And he brings all the awfulness along with him. There are a number of comparisons to the Transformer films. Firstly the human characters. They're painfully horrendous in Transformers and in TMNT it's a mirror image. People were complaining beforehand that Megan Fox was completely miscast as April O'Neil. I can see why. Her acting is something I'd expect better from the person being the rear end of the donkey in the primary school nativity play. I'd rather have seen someone at an amateur dramatics play mess up there lines completely and the audience have a wild laugh about it. Appalling. Her character was the ultimate damsel in distress that needed to be thrown off the cliff to stop her getting in the way of everything. Speaking off useless, Will Arnett. His character was eyebrow raising creepy and was like an awkward relative who talks random crap and you don't know if they're trying to being funny or not. I haven't got a clue why he was in the film. Brought absolutely nothing. Another couple of Michael Bay traits in which he brings to the table are having an abysmal script and horrible camera work. The dialogue made me cringe back so hard that my face developed 3 separate chins. And annoying shaky cam to cover up any lazy CGI work wound me up after a while. Not to forget Shredder, who was the most wooden, boring villain they could have created. He kicked the turtle's backsides on numerous occasions but never once did he feel like a genuine threat. His armour looked impressive, but the man behind that was just a one dimensional bland bad guy. Nice one Michael Bay, you've done it again.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is not only just a film intentionally created for a kids audience but feels like it was produced by them too. Nasty horrible work on and off screen overshadows any laughs and fun that the turtles bring. I'm sure kids will adore this film but sadly I'm not that age anymore, as much as I want to be. This film is 10 years too late for me.

3/10

The Maze Runner - Film Review

The Maze Runner is yet another teen novel rolling off the Hollywood production line and is directed by Wes Ball. The plot consists of a group of teenage boys who are trapped in an area they call The Glade which is surrounded by huge maze walls. Their memories are wiped clean with the only information that the boys can remember is their first name. Whilst trying to figure out how to escape the ever changing labyrinth, the boys create their own society with set jobs for each member who arrives, establishing a sense of normality. When a boy named Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) arrives, their way of life starts to change due to Thomas' curiosity and intrigue for what lurks inside the maze and sets on trying to escape, ignoring warnings from the rest of the group. This causes a rift with the group's enforcer Gally (Will Poulter) as the two battle out on what is the best way for the group to ultimately survive.

I went to see this with my mate at an advanced screening on the Tuesday before the film's release date. The screen was packed out with over excited teenage girls. I must admit I wasn't quite as hyped as they were, even with two bottles of Pepsi at my side. It again highlights why teen novels are a huge market for the film industry. They're the new cash cows. They without doubt always make a shed load of money. The quality of the film doesn't even come into the minds of the studio executives. Instead they're blinded with the cash signs, lighting up their boardrooms like a Christmas tree. That's my reason as to why I'm always sceptical with these films. They can quite easily rob you of your money with no satisfaction in return. Armed with my Sour Patch Kids and Pepsi, I was ready for the onslaught of The Maze Runner. An easy way out or a horrible dead end? (I'll try to resist the urge for a terrible pun-infested review).

What was apparent from the start was the surprisingly intense dark tonal feel to the film. Wes Ball skillfully sets up impressive sequences particularly inside the maze, in which he used his experience as a visual effects artist to his advantage. The film felt sleek and fresh, It created good amounts of tension and suspense at the precise moments which kept me invested in the story for a large proportion of the run time. Dylan O'Brien and Will Poulter were both excellent and carried the rest of the cast in a very mature fashion. The quality that they managed to pull off from a very standard, unimaginative script was impressive. The sign of two future stars in the making, Poulter's character could have easily come across as a typical "I'm the big man" teenager with no substance but you understood his reasons of anxiety and why he was hostile towards Thomas throughout the film. Their chemistry was the highlight for me.

And for all the great things about the film, it was stupidly hindered by little things that really took a big hammer blow on the story and the overall quality of the film. Firstly there are two 10-15 second flashbacks within the first act which Thomas experiences that completely destroyed any mystery the film had in the first place. They meant you could quite easily predict as to who was behind the maze set up, even if you're not a film buff.  If you haven't read the book, these daft flashbacks would ultimately ruin any mystery you may have as to who the antagonists were. For all the great CGI work carried out, some of it looked like it'd been done by a ten year old messing around on Mircosoft Paint. But worst of all, the final scene really annoyed me nearly to the point of hatred. It's the most blatant "we're having a sequel" scene I think I've ever witnessed. Now some may say that the ending is being loyal to the book. Fair enough, however this isn't a book, it's a film adaptation which needs to be handled differently. I understand that you need a some sort of set up for the next installation for a series, but don't throw it in my face that it feels like I'm being held at gunpoint by the studio to watch the next film. If you're gonna to do that at least give some respect to the audience who've just paid a good chunk of money to watch your first production. Some people were laughing sarcastically behind us and I don't blame them.

The Maze Runner is one of the better teen novel films that have been released and if you're a fan of the books I'm sure you'll enjoy it, especially the performances. But sloppy editing and a cringe-worthy ending sucks any potential the film had.

5/10

Gone Girl - Film Review

Gone Girl is directed by David Fincher and stars Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. It's adapted from the book Gone Girl written by Gillian Flynn, who also did the screenplay for the film. The film begins with Affleck's character Nick Dunne returning home to find that his wife Amy (Pike) has gone missing. Nick's awkward behaviour is immediately latched upon by the press and media, who assume that he was involved in his wife's disappearance. So it comes down a very simple cliche mystery murder question, did he or didn't he? That's as much as I want to tell you about the plot of this film, otherwise I'd feel like I'm spoiling the film's mystery and intrigue. Why? Because this film to put it simply, is incredible.

David Fincher is one of my favourite directors of all time. He hasn't made one sore thumb film and that's down to his perfectionist personality. He demands quality performances from his cast and that's exactly what he receives. If he was a football manager he'd be Alex Ferguson. A man who has great people at his disposal and purposefully milks every bit of energy from them until he get what he needs. Fincher always seems to get that extra 20% from the actors. When I first saw Ben Affleck on screen, I admit I was thinking of the upcoming Batman vs Superman. He's looking in superb shape, he is the next Bruce Wayne etc etc. That ended after about 5 minutes. I was engrossed in his character. He felt completely natural and it proved again why the bloke is such a talent not just behind the camera but as a top quality actor. Brilliant. David Fincher as ever immerses the audience into this story and puts us as the films jury, We collect the evidence and we're left guessing with all the sharp, clever twists and turns that certainly kept me on my toes throughout the two and a half hour run-time. The intention to detail is immaculate as ever from a Fincher film. Everything you visualise is there for a purpose. Sets haven't been thrown together by a couple of production managers with a "that'll do" attitude. The tone that has been created by the film is very realistic. It's not all serious melodramatic dreariness which many mystery films tend to fall into the trap off. There are times when there's some good humour thrown in at the appropriate times. Tyler Perry who plays Affleck's defence lawyer certainly adds to that humour without going over the top, which is a first for him. His best performance by far. I loved how this film had so much to say on the current media. How much they influence our opinions and how we assume that we should believe everything we hear from a person in front of a camera who we don't personally know. Very thought provoking.  But who impressed me the most was Rosamund Pike. If anybody just thought she was a Roger Moore "I can only act with my eyebrows" actress, this performance blows any doubts away. She is terrific in this film. The woman can act. I couldn't believe how good she was at times, My jaw dropped thinking to myself "Is that the really naff Bond girl I'm watching here?" Superb. Potential Oscar awaits.

My only niggle with this film is the ending. It's like a train that slams on the emergency brakes. The conclusion is very sudden and it cuts off very quickly. The last ten minutes could have easily been trimmed off and it wouldn't have made any difference to the plot of the film. And to be honest, that's nick picking at best.

Gone Girl is a magnificent mystery thriller that at the heart has David Fincher superb direction, which keeps this amazing mystery ride speeding along to the point of where you don't want it to end. Two and a half hours wasn't enough David!! Amazing performances in particular from Rosamund Pike cements the film as one of the best of the year so far.

9/10