Film Reviews

There’s always a clamour for the ‘next’ something.

So the fact that it’s taken this long for the ‘next’ Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, i.e. the ultimate cartoon/live-action hybrid, is surprising.

The fact that Coyote vs. ACME has gone through plenty of hurdles to even be released, and then has largely been stuck with daytime ‘kids’ screenings, mean it might have to earn its way to cult status like its predecessor.

Fortunately, considering just how good that eighties Bob Hoskins classic is, Coyote vs. ACME just about meets the bar.

Sure, that means it’s jostling for second place in the cartoon/live-action stakes with Space Jam and Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers but that’s not a bad place to be considering how this could have gone.

It’s a genius set up, a law firm for cartoons sues the ACME corporation on behalf of Wile E. Coyote for their malfunctioning products in his fruitless pursuit of the Road Runner.

There’s some classic corporate mystery, a subtle swipe at the American corporate culture, a heartfelt analogy using Sisyphus about hard work and plenty of laugh-out-loud visual humour.

There really are some brilliant jokes here from classic Looney Tunes slapstick to Easter Eggs and tiny background details lovingly placed.

The plot works itself out nicely and there’s a great human cast alongside almost all of the classic Looney Tunes you know and love but worth noting, in the vein of the other films of this type, that this may do more for the adults than the little ones.

Another marvellous and classic feeling cartoon/live-action hybrid finally putting the Looney Tunes back on the big screen. More cases please.

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**** 4/5 Stars 

Finding freshness in the horror genre is always exciting and Obsession perfectly blends the old and new.

Using the ‘monkey’s paw’ fable as its base but finding ways to escalate the tension and horror through a low budget, this is filmmaking par excellence from first time director Curry Barker.

As lovestruck Bear wishes his friend Nikki loved him ‘more than anyone in the world’ increasingly twisted and frightening versions of that reality start to unfold.

Each set piece ratchets up the ever-building intensity of this film to leave you sweaty-palmed and watching through your fingers.

The startling sound design and cinematography wraps you in terror and Inde Navarrette’s performance as Nikki is nothing short of virtuoso as she treads the line just so and you can never trust what she might do next.

The wider sci-fi is kept deliberately vague and there’s lots of interesting fan theories, metaphors on relationship dynamics and further reading you can dive into once the credits role and you’ve stopped sweating in fear.

A remarkable film and sure to be one of a few which is making the larger studios start to question how to engage audiences and whether existing IP and franchises is really what the cinema-going public want.

**** 4/5 Stars

Should Disney stop this live action remake train? Critical consensus would certainly suggest so with nearly ubiquitous bad reviews, accusations of money grabbing and now, possibly, diminishing audiences.

However, is the latest addition to the roster: Moana a tad unlucky for arriving at the moment that this endeavour is really taking a bashing? I’d say the answer to that is a resounding yes.

It’s undeniable that, from a critical and filmmaking perspective, these remakes have by and large ranged from ‘pointless’ to ‘questionable’ to ‘actively bad’.

There are very few actually good films in the bunch, they are too all over the place stylistically, some are too faithful whilst others too different and they largely fail as a collective for not having an overarching consensus of style and tone.

However, this Moana remake gets a fair few things right and perhaps stands as one example of the direction that they could have gone down from the start.

Let’s not overegg the pudding, the original animation is by far and away the better film and much of the charm of it is lost in live action, as many before it.

Likewise, it’s too long and the CGI (itself a bugbear of the live action remakes) is pretty ropey.

But, by sticking so faithfully to the original this kind of works as its real life shadow.

The story is great, as you know from the animation and, likewise, the songs here are excellent too.

The setting is strong and two of the most charismatic and funny elements of the original, Dwayne Johnson and Jermaine Clement, are back in their respective parts.

Is it mostly a pointless exercise in dulling the style and character of a great animated film? Sure.

Is hewing so close to the original generally pointless for most of the audience who could just watch that film instead? Sure.

But in the larger context of these remakes does this stand as one of the most watchable and generally ‘inoffensive’ because of these points? I think so.

It may not be all that memorable and certainly still ranks below any animated effort but this doesn't fall into pantomime and, whilst it’s still hard to argue that Disney ‘know the way’ and who knows ‘how far they’ll go’, this is at least a passable watch.

*** 3/5 Stars

Original doesn’t always mean good and, to further go against most every review I’ve ever written, not all ‘Black Mirror-esque’ ideas necessarily make for great films.

One Night Only is, however, an interesting one and might be fairly divisive.

So, against what you may see from the trailers and posters, this is a romantic comedy film but set very much in some sort of quasi-future, dystopian version of America where The Purge is real except, instead of crime being legal for one night, pre-marital sex is legal for one night and banned otherwise.

This much is revealed in an opening title card and, initially, it’s an absolutely bizarre, faintly ridiculous idea that spoils most of the beginning of the film as you in the audience go through all of the scenarios and potential plot holes that situation would inevitable throw up in your head.

Then, somehow, it kind of explains how this all works in some exposition delivered through news reels and smartly introduces some background elements clearly suggesting most people are against the idea.

However, the rest of the film largely just plays like a standard, fluffy rom-com where everyone has just accepted that this is the norm.

There’s two schools of thought here.

Being extremely negative, this almost scans as some sort of autocratic, government-mandated film preparing people for the eventual reality of this premise.

There’s a vague haze of ‘this film has been approved’ to the whole thing, almost sent from the future. There’s no religious mention that I caught but it almost feels as if there’s that sort of messaging in here too.

On the other hand, this is a super breezy, largely fun and traditional rom-com that zigzags appropriately, contains a nutty premise that you eventually accept and is helpfully anchored by two excellent lead performances from Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner.

There’s some great and unexpected cameos, solid direction and the (literal) climax is earned.

There is, however, far too much singing (yes, really) and the film grinds to a halt every time this happens.

So, it’s two films in one. If this perhaps made more of a ‘political statement’ (which, of course, it doesn’t need to do) or at least felt a little more dystopian, it could soar.

If the premise wasn’t there at all, or at least toned down, it’d probably work as a mindless watch.

If it really is sent from a future, fascist state then we should all be worried.

For a romantic comedy, it is both unnecessarily bizarre, potentially harmful propaganda and also harmless fluff. I guess you decide whether you want to swipe left or right on that.
 

*** 3/5 Stars

The Odyssey is every bit as epic as its source material, its ever-bubbling reputation, its box office, its aspect ratio, its ear-pummelling sound and its now legendary Director.

You already know that and, likely, already experienced it.

Showing off vast technical achievement in terms of sound design, practical effects, location work, costuming, visuals and skill with new IMAX equipment it is mandated that you do see this in the biggest screen you can find.

Like a few films before it (Gravity comes to mind) this could potentially dull its impact a little when it comes to repeat viewings on home format but, fortunately, this is still a wonderfully entertaining, visually sumptuous and well-acted take on the classic story.

There’s real depth and humanity here as well. Indulging again in a little fantasy, Nolan gives heart to this ancient text and maybe just a little hint of modern time parallel and, like Oppenheimer before it, a plea to modern audiences.

This compassion for humanity is an underappreciated aspect to Nolan’s work and it is perhaps most clearly displayed here.

A sensory overload, an all timer cinematic experience (got to mention the sound design once again) and, of course, a classic tale.

It’s an epic alright.

***** 5/5 Stars