Posts Tagged ‘Movie’
29
May
Posted by vagrantesque in Lists, Movies. Tagged: Film, Movie, quick, Review, summary, summer, superhero. 1 comment
There are a few things I don’t like when it comes to properly discussing movies – or any piece of entertainment media, really – but two of my biggest pet peeves are
- Overly simplistic analysis;
- Relying heavily on comparison to other pieces of media.
Yet here we are in the middle of the year and I have written virtually nothing on this site about movies, mostly due to heavy time investment elsewhere in life. What’s more, I have somehow already seen ten films in cinemas this year (Throughout the entirety of 2016 I saw just thirteen). These two facts have combined with my itchy keyboard fingers and a couple of spare hours to create what you see now: Ten movie releases from 2017 so far, each conveniently (and poorly) summarised in ten words. That means lots of those two things I hate to fall back on. Desperate times, people.
Fun times though. I suppose mild spoilers may follow.
.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
.
.
The Great Wall
“Fire Emblem with even more colour–coding, exposition and death.”
.
.
Logan
“The Last of Us: Mutant Edition. Avoid if feeling down.”
Continue reading →
28
Dec
Posted by vagrantesque in Best of 2016, Lists, Movies. Tagged: 10, 2016, 5, Best, five, lines, Movie, part, scene, sequence, top, Year. Leave a comment
Movie scenes! Much like gaming moments, they bring delicious morsels of potential discussion to us and our friends – but they are much more static, and thus even easier to appreciate on a wide scale. Though this might have been a bad sign for originality or standout movie moments of any kind in eras gone by, 2016 brought plenty of animated hits and big-budget action blockbusters, and in recent years that has actually meant a pretty consistent well of memorable scenes worth talking about. This year continued the trend. Spoilers coming, obviously. Lots of them.
.
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
VR BEST OF 2016 DISCLAIMER
This list represents my opinion only. I am not asserting any kind of superiority or self-importance by presenting it as I have. My opinion is not fact. If you actually agree with me 100%, that’s strange. Fun, but strange. Respectful disagreement is very welcome.
Big movie spoilers follow!
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
.
10. Sweet Dreams – X-Men Apocalypse
My feelings on this scene are pretty mixed, because it’s very appeal is based on an all-too-similar scene that topped my list two years ago, starring the exact same character. Quicksilver, the breakout mutant of X-Men: Days of Future Past, has a lot more screen time in Apocalypse, and he kicks it off this time around with another slow-motion action scene set to a period-appropriate tune. The scene is, of course, amazing anyway, as the silver-haired troublemaker arrives at the X-Mansion just in time to save a bunch of its inhabitants from an explosion that happens to be unfolding far slower than the guy can move. The ways he saves them are as amusing as you’d expect, and the Eurythmics backing track fits everything so well.
Continue reading →
14
Aug
Posted by vagrantesque in Movies. Tagged: affleck, ayer, batman, ben, comics, david, dc, deadshot, Film, harley, jared, joker, leto, Movie, quinn, Review, smith, squad, suicide, will. Leave a comment
Look at me, writing about things.
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Starring: Margot Robbie, Will Smith, Jared Leto
Director: David Ayer (Street Kings, Fury)
Rating: M
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Well OK then.
As the first DC Comics movie of a post Batman v Superman world, Suicide Squad had a bit of heavy lifting to do. It had to prove that this dark and morbid (well, compared to Marvel’s) Warner Bros shared universe is capable of having some fun. It had to introduce a handful of characters that will no doubt be important later. And in a superhero-drenched blockbuster movie climate, it had to justify its existence by doing something different. Its success in these efforts is… limited. Which side of the “character vs plot” scale you tend to lean towards will probably be hugely influential in how much you enjoy the chaotic movie.
Continue reading →
31
May
Posted by vagrantesque in Movies. Tagged: 2016, apocalypse, Film, fox, isaac, magneto, marvel, Movie, mystique, Oscar, professor, Review, superhero, x, xavier, xmen. Leave a comment
Had to sit on this review for a while to give it some thought, and that ended up making it a long one.
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Starring: James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac
Director: Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men)
Rating: M
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
.
Well, it turns out that couldn’t last.
The X-Men movies continue to exist, for better or worse, as the only discernible remnant of the superhero movie scene pre-Marvel Cinematic Universe. The way they have always done things sits somewhere between DC Comics’ macabre big screen blockbusters and the MCU’s lighter escapades, boasting an embarrassment of riches in the character department to mine for both humour and drama. When the movies are good, they feel like giant middle fingers to the critics who think there are too many superhero movies kicking around these days. When they’re bad, they tend to become the easiest targets for said critics, as at their core they tend to feel extraneous and disposable.
X-Men Apocalypse isn’t a bad movie, but it is the worst X-Men film since X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and as an X-Men fan first and foremost within the superhero movie realm, that stings a little.
Continue reading →
26
Mar
Posted by vagrantesque in Movies. Tagged: affleck, batman, ben, cavill, comics, dawn, dc, Film, gadot, gal, henry, justice, Man, Movie, Review, snyder, steel, superman, woman, wonder, zack. Leave a comment
Wow. There are an awful lot of different opinions circling around this movie at the moment.
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Starring: Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Jessie Eisenberg
Director: Zack Snyder (Man of Steel, Watchmen)
Rating: M
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a whole lot of things, but to me, what’s most surprising about the Warner Bros/DC Comics take on “shared universe” filmmaking is that it isn’t primarily a prequel to the upcoming Justice League movies, or primarily a sequel to Man of Steel, or even primarily a new take on Batman. What it is, more than anything else, is a Zach Snyder movie. If that makes a chill run up your spine then I understand your trepidation. If that makes you intrigued, read on. Continue reading →
19
Mar
Posted by vagrantesque in Movies. Tagged: animated, bateman, bunny, cg, Disney, elba, Film, fox, ginnifer, goodwin, hopps, idris, jason, judy, Movie, nick, rabbit, Review, wide, zootopia. Leave a comment
Can’t believe this is my first movie review of the year. What a crazy three months it’s been.
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba
Director:s Byron Howard (Tangled), Rich Moore, Jared Bush (Wreck-It Ralph)
Rating: PG
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Well Disney, that’s five in a row.
The so-called “third golden age” of films from Disney’s main animated studio is still going – at least for another year or so – because Zootopia is pretty fantastic. A cocktail of painstakingly realised world-building packed with culturally relevant sight gags, Zootopia sells a vision of an idealised world with an all-too-familiar undercurrent of ugliness bubbling underneath. It’s one of the sharpest allegories for real-world social issues I’ve seen in an animated movie, and while occasionally a little overzealous in its desire to ensure its message gets across, Zootopia never halts its refreshingly-paced plot or sacrifices the believability of its colourful characters to do so, making it a quality movie for all kinds of audiences. Thanks to co-directors Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Jared Bush alongside a suite of animators at the top of their game, the House of Mouse has extended its hot streak.
Continue reading →
26
Dec
Posted by vagrantesque in Best of 2015, Lists, Movies. Tagged: 10, 2015, 5, Best, Film, five, moments, Movie, scenes, sequence, ten, thing, top, Year. Leave a comment
Even in a year when my free time was spent on more games than movies, this still remains my favourite list to write. 2015 delivered some genuinely amazing movie scenes that stayed long in my memory, and I know I’m not alone in feeling that way. From short-and-sweet bursts of stunning cinematography to long, drawn-out stretches of nerve-shredding cinema, this past year brought us plenty of moments worth talking about.
.
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
VR BEST OF 2015 DISCLAIMER
This list represents my opinion only. I am not asserting any kind of superiority or self-importance by presenting it as I have. My opinion is not fact. If you actually agree with me 100%, that’s weird. Cool, but definitely weird. Respectful disagreement is most welcome.
SPOILERS DEFINITELY FOLLOW.
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
.
10. Day of the Dead – Spectre
An entertaining opening action sequence in a James Bond movie is hardly unusual, even in the less popular movies from the franchise. The one that kicks off Spectre sticks with the trend, presenting the illusion of a single tracking shot that follows Bond and his local companion through the streets of Mexico City. Only diegetic sounds and a simple, steady percussion track score the build-up as Bond moves into a hotel room and out of his disguise, triggering a gloriously over-the-top sequence of explosions, falling buildings, an intense hand-to-hand battle inside an airborne helicopter, and a ludicrous moment involving a well-placed couch that sets the stage for the kind of 007 movie in store.
Continue reading →
23
Dec
Posted by vagrantesque in Best of 2015, Lists, Movies. Tagged: 10, 2015, 5, actors, Best, Characters, Film, five, heroes, Movie, protagonist, roles, ten, thing, top, villains, Year. Leave a comment
I entered this year’s run of countdowns resigned to the somewhat depressing knowledge that my schedule would prevent me from watching any Boxing Day films, but at the very least that allows for one positive: I no longer have anything stopping me from spreading out my movie-themed countdowns throughout the ten day period, rather than bunching them up towards the post-December 26th half. So I’m going to cling to that positive, and show you my favourite movie characters from 2015.
This isn’t a lengthy or particularly competitive list – Out of what I watched this year I could only come up with one honorable mention – but I do think it’s a strong list nonetheless. Hollywood put some pretty magnetic characters onto the big screen in 2015, and it’s good to see that for once, it wasn’t just the villains that got all the good moments and lines. There are more “good guys” and morally ambiguous folk on my character list this year than any previous edition, so take that how you will.
Also, give that I’m talking about what makes characters memorable, mild spoilers will come up.
.
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
VR BEST OF 2015 DISCLAIMER
This list represents my opinion only. I am not asserting any kind of superiority or self-importance by presenting it as I have. My opinion is not fact. If you actually agree with me 100%, that’s weird. Cool, but definitely weird. Respectful disagreement is most welcome.
SPOILERS FOLLOW.
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
.
10. M – Spectre
Ralph Fiennes is one of those actors who tends to improve the quality of most movies he’s in, which made him a fine choice to replace Dame Judi Dench in a role that she had well and truly made her own for almost two decades. Fiennes’ M is just as visibly affected by outside pressures in Spectre as Dench’s ever was, but his penchant for keeping up appearances is more prominent, making his seething rage at both his political situation and the cocky young upstart at its head tremendous fun to watch. He bares his troubles through gritted teeth and then, when he finally gets to take action, the catharsis is palpable.
Continue reading →
20
Dec
Posted by vagrantesque in Movies. Tagged: 7, abrams, awakens, bb8, episode, Film, finn, force, han, jedi, jj, kylo, leia, lightsaber, luke, Movie, part, peeta, ren, Review, rey, seven, sith, star, wars. Leave a comment
It’s a bit difficult to review a movie with this much weight riding on it, so soon after seeing it. The gap between the midnight screenings and the ideal start time for my year-end countdown posts is mere days, so I had to get cracking. But believe me, I’ve been mulling this movie over in my mind almost every second of that short time.
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Starring: Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac
Director: JJ Abrams (Star Trek, Super 8)
Rating: M
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Say whatever you want about 2015 in movies – If Star Wars was good, the year was always going to be remembered fondly. In fact you might even argue that it didn’t have to be good, only better than those endlessly panned prequel films. The carefully timed, Disney engineered hype cycle for Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been lengthy, intense and omnipresent, and the, ahem, force of that hype has been looming over the movie, waiting to crush it like it did The Phantom Menace way back in 1999.
Within that unenviable context, what director/superfan JJ Abrams has done with this mega-franchise is astounding.
Continue reading →
1
Dec
Posted by vagrantesque in Movies. Tagged: 2, Film, francis, gale, Games, hunger, ii, jennifer, lawrence, mockingjay, Movie, one, part, peeta, Review, two. 1 comment
Nothing like a few gigantic rapid-fire movie releases to get you blogging again. I couldn’t let this series go without a lengthy review, of course.
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore, Natalie Dormer
Director: Francis Lawrence (Constantine, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1)
Rating: M
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
I feel a little conflicted when it comes to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II. Every movie adaptation mega-saga has to end, and now The Hunger Games has joined that club. The second half of Suzanne Collins‘ bestselling finale novel Mockingjay has completed its transition to the big screen, and I have a funny feeling the lasting impact of this film will divide opinions just as much, if not more, than that sucker punch of a book did back in 2010.
Filmgoers who haven’t delved into Collins‘ vehemently anti-war pages will likely find themselves a little shocked at how depressing this final chapter can get, even despite the film’s much higher action emphasis than that of its predecessor, Mockingjay Part I. Meanwhile those who have read the trilogy may find that, despite some crucial scenes that don’t quite land in the same way they did on paper, Francis Lawrence‘s closing vision for this wildly popular series successfully achieves what it needs to.
Continue reading →
Vagrant Rant 