Rebel Movies

Whatever happened to rebel movies? Those films about railing against authority, championing any cause so long as it inconveniences "The Man"? I'm talking about movies like Rebel Without a Cause; did they just become unpopular somewhere down the line? Whatever the case, I had a spark of an idea last night; Jim Stark of Rebel Without a Cause and John Bender of The Breakfast Club are kinda similar characters, aren't they?

And then I watched the movies again today and I realised just how wrong I was.

I Decided to Rank Every Song Called "Somebody to Love" For No Reason

It's true, there really was no reason for it. But it's the end of June, so let's say... Brian May's birthday in 3 weeks? Yeah, that's the reason. Sure.

Mad Max? Try Sad Max...

Okay, I'm gonna come out and say it straight away: The Secret Life of Pets (TSLoP) was better than I expected. For those of you who rabidly hate minions, you'll probably not like this as it cashes in on the same cute-factor with characters it tries to make into crowd-pleasers with one-liners and chubby cheeks. What it gives in cuteness, it lacks in depth; the plot is paper-thin and predictable, the characters act to serve the story, regardless of any motivation for how they ought to act, and I left feeling like I'd been watching the wrong dog's story for most of it. So let me re-tell it as it should have been told. Spoilers below for TSLoP, if you're interested...

In Defence of X-Men

So the X-Men movies have had a pretty rough go of it, haven't they? It's got to the point that people are in agreement, the best one is the one about time travel! When was the last time you heard about a good time travel movie??? That's right, Men In Black 3 (And hark at all who thought I was going to say Back to the Future!). But we can agree that for the most part, when introduced into a franchise in which it has previously been unacknowledged, time travel is weird and feels like a bit of a cop-out and it takes someone or something very special to introduce it and use it without it feeling gimmicky or like a quick get-out-of-jail-free card. And X-Men: Days of Future Past did that well, thanks to Bryan Singer and co. Their story was well-rounded, full of character and charm, witty but emotional and conveyed a real sense of desperation and hopelessness while still giving our characters a way out.

Not so for Apocalypse.

Politics, Civil War, and How Marvel's Villains are Ruining their Own Movies

I always find it so interesting how much movies reflect the feelings of their time: the Original Star Wars are widely considered far better than the prequels because the prequels were marred in the politics and corruption which gripped America at the time they were made, whereas the original trilogy were influenced by the seventies style of rooting for the little guy, the post-Vietnam era of peace and understanding rather than violence and war and the idea of promoting peace where possible and rising up against tyrannical orders who threaten peaceful ways.

In a way, I find it funny that the prequel trilogy didn't feature so much of that. Created around the rise of terrorism, we see much more of the Bush ideals of forcing democracy on a country in the Clone troopers and the Jedi as generals, something which somehow aptly fitted in with the original trilogy and gave way for that story to be told. Movies are windows into the time they are made, they show us the cultural and political landscape through which they were created and give us a way into the mindset of the people of the time.

With all that said, I suppose I should explain that this isn't just some random article about Star Wars and politics (although you might get something along those lines come Rogue One), but a review on Captain America: Civil War.

So much to catch up

So I've not been writing much on here recently, but at least this time it's because I've been hella busy: between getting a new job, trying to write several thousand words of fiction a day and vlogging nearly every day last month, it's been pretty hectic since the end of February.

With that said, shall we get on with this? We've got a lot to catch up on...

Perhaps There's Hope in Franchising

Um, wow. I really got this wrong, didn't I? So it turns out Minions isn't a DreamWorks movie at all, but made by a studio called Illumination Entertainment. So let's rewrite this. I'm gonna try to keep this as close to the original review as possible, only taking out references to DW and maybe cleaning it up a little in the process. So, without further ado, the actual, proper, corrected review for Minions:

Road Warrior Remix is a Cinematic Storm

Like I said, I've saved the best for last. Mad Max: Fury Road was out today, and it was amazing. Seriously, I cannot recommend it enough. Before you read this review, go and see it - I promise no spoilers, but it just cannot wait, you've gotta go see this movie. See, here's the thing: it doesn't really do anything new, but it does Mad Max really, really well.

Playing the Same Old Tune

Well it hasn't been too long since Age of Ultron blasted across cinema screens, and was amazing in the process, although it's one of those retrospective movies which gets worse the more you think about it. But that's a post for another time. Remember a while ago when I said Pitch Perfect 2 and Mad Max: Fury Road came out on the same day? Well, that day was today! So I've got two reviews I'm writing today and, sad to say, I'm saving the best til last.

Age of Ultron: the Spoileriffic Review

This review is gonna be totally spoilery, just a heads-up. Spoilers waaaaaay under the cut:

Ladies and Gentlemen, We have Hit Peak Marvel!

I believe Marvel's time is coming. The end of the road is fast approaching for them; they've had a run of great movies, really great movies: Thor: The Dark World was fun and light-hearted, Iron Man 3 was surprisingly peppy in between the serious moments dealing with Stark as a human being, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier was one of the most solid spy thrillers I've seen in a long while.

But we're now entering the decline of the Marvel movie. We have peaked. And I can tell you that with complete confidence. No other Marvel movie will ever again be good. Because Avengers: Age of Ultron just set the God damn gold standard.

It Would've Been Better as a Rom-Com

I remember the last time I had a movie night. It was just me and a few friends, and we were all still up at midnight talking shit about Pacific Rim. It was fun.

It was fun because Pacific Rim is one of those movies you can just make fun of. On top of being a good action movie (it's about robots fighting aliens, what's not to like) it's just so ridiculous as a premise that you can't help but laugh at it.

And that brings me onto the movie I watched tonight: John Wick.

Cuddly CGI Adorableness Mixed with Amazing Beauty

Well, where to begin with this one? I suppose I should say, I spoke a while ago about how the location I watch a movie in might well have something to do with how much I enjoy it - after all, how can a mass-market-appeal cinema compare with the rickety glory and creature comforts of a small-time cinema such as the Electric? In a similar vein, I suppose I may have enjoyed the ending of Home a little more had it not been interrupted by a fire at the restaurant next door, but that's really selling the movie short.

Looking Ahead

So in the interest of actually getting something written, I'm gonna talk about some of the movies coming out this year. I probably won't go to see many of these (being as I am, for the most part, a skint student and until I actually have money I can't really do much) but then many of them I'm already marking as "not good".

A Magical Journey with a Realist Twist

I'm not much of a "musicals" person, I feel I should say that now. Not for any particular reason - I found the opening of Mamma Mia pretty boring, I didn't stick around for the rest of the film, and I have yet to see Les Mis because... well, for no reason in particular, that actually looks pretty good. But the only musicals I've seen are Disney movies and Pitch Perfect. And now Into the Woods has joined that list.

Star Wars and Serenity had a foul-mouthed baby and it is good!

As I write this I'm listening to Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix, Vol. 1, so you can already tell what this is going to be about. And on top of the kick-ass soundtrack there's a good movie with some great effects and a surprising depth to the colourful character roster.

One Big Colossal-Monster Punch-Up

When Godzilla came out in 1998 I was amazed. I'm ashamed to say it was one of my favourite films (probably - I was six when I first saw it and it stuck in my mind, they obviously did something right) but I have never watched it since I was old enough to go and see 12-rated movies in the cinema. Now, with the rise of a new Western take on Japan's biggest export (from head to feet) it's time to see how Gareth Edwards' more traditional interpretation of a classic kaiju holds up.

Bigger, Better, Bloodier!

If Gareth Evans is a name with which you are unfamiliar, why do you read this blog? It's about movies. And Gareth Evans is a name which, in the movie, world, is quickly becoming huge. When The Raid hit screens three years ago, it was a low-budget, gritty martial arts action film and its visceral action sequences and close camera work made it a cult hit and raked in fifteen times its one million-dollar budget.

Now, The Raid 2: Berandal is out in cinemas and it's bigger, badder and bloodier than ever before. Featuring a more expansive world, more involving story and an impressive array of detailed characters, it's still the bone-crunching, face-breaking fist-thrower the prequel was; only this time, Evans has the budget to spread it about a bit.

A Night-time Screening of a Slick Superhero Spy Thriller

There's something interesting about a midnight screening. Perhaps it's the exclusivity - being the first one to see a movie, being able to call it before anyone else, and when they ask the next day you, bleary-eyed and proud, can stand up and say "Yes! I have seen that movie!". Perhaps it's the silence as you step out of the cinema and realise it's nearly three in the morning - the one time of day you can see a movie and the sky looks pretty much the same when you leave as when you went in. Perhaps it's just the fact that it's midnight - it's always been a pretty special time.

Whatever the reason, I expected something special out of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. And I can't say I was disappointed.

The new Robocop: It's good, but it's no Verhoeven...

So, as you might have guessed from the title, I went to see the new, action-packed reboot of Robocop today. It tells a pretty similar story to the 1987 original: rendered comatose thanks to a bunch of criminals, Alex Murphy is rebuilt as the titular Robocop, a robotic police officer who, in between snippets of satirical news shows, single-handedly cleans up the streets of Detroit. But when his human side begins to override his robotic body, he goes on a quest for revenge against those who made him what he is. In fact, the most notable difference is that it is not a ridiculous jab at big-money corporations, but is in fact a serious movie where they try to play the whole "robotic police officer" thing straight.