Film Review- Mike and Dave need Wedding Dates

Mike and Dave need Wedding Dates stars Zac Efron, Anna Kendrick, Adam DeVine and Aubrey Plaza follows the story of two brothers (the titular Mike and Dave) who are forced by their parents to bring dates to their sister's wedding in the hopes that it will help the two reel-in their juvenile tendencies that have ruined many family events in the past. Little do they know that the girls they have picked to attend the wedding with them (Alice and Tatiana) are actually worse than they are in many ways, leading to a bunch of crazy events that threaten to ruin the big day.

I actually quite liked this movie, it had a bunch of really funny moments that had me laughing consistently all the way through and even when the jokes didn't land the film's break-neck pacing meant that these moments of weakness were sort of glanced over. The main cast also gelled very well and had a great chemistry on-screen, particularly Kendrick and Plaza who I would genuinely believe were best friends in real life. In saying this I would say the stand-out performance would have to go to Zac Efron who once again impressed me just as much in this effort as he did in Bad Neighbours 2 earlier in the year. His transition from teen-idol to legitimate comedy star is now very much in top-gear, and what he proved here is that he is more than capable of giving a great leading performance and not just a supporting one. I also liked the way the writers tried to give each of these characters more depth in the third act, as it made them more likeable protagonists whom I could really get behind.

However like I say these efforts to give these characters some emotional depth don't come until quite late into the story, so for the most part it is actually quite hard not to be put off by their juvenile and self-destructive antics. On top of this, there are times the filmmakers choose to swap in vulgarity in the place of humour, which quite frankly won't really hit the mark for audiences above the age of 14. Yet what really hurts this film the most for me is its lack of a standout line or moment. I went to see this movie with a friend last week and I've honestly had to rack my brain for a joke or a particularly funny sequence that stuck with me after the first viewing. A top-level comedy will have at least one stand-out moment that you will associate with that film after watching it (eg Bridesmaid's dress shopping sequence or the stoning scene in Life of Brian) and unfortunately Mike and Dave need Wedding Dates did not have one iconic image that will stick with me, thus affecting its rating. 

Overall I enjoyed my experience watching Mike and Dave need Wedding Dates. It was a fun comedy which gave me a few laughs and Zac Efron once again impressed me with yet another above-average comedic outing. It's a movie I wouldn't rush out to see in the theatres, but I'd definitely give it a chance if it's on one night on Channel 4.

Score: 7.0/10

Film Review- Finding Dory

At the start of the summer, I would have bet my mortgage (if I had one) that Marvel's Captain America: Civil War would wind up being the highest grossing movie of this blockbuster season. Well, thank heavens that no such bet was made, as I would have underestimated the drawing power of a certain regal blue tang and her clown fish friends who have given the Avengers a major run for their money in terms of box-office revenue.

The sequel to 2003's Finding Nemo, Finding Dory is set one year after the events of the original and follows the gang's quest to reunite Dory with her family. Featuring the voice talents of Albert Brooks, Ed O'Neil, Diane Keaton, Ty Burrell and of course Ellen DeGeneres, the project was helmed by director and screenwriter Andrew Stanton, the creative mind behind the original film and other Pixar projects such as A Bug's Life and WALL-E. My initial thought when this film was announced was that it was extremely unnecessary. Finding Nemo was a very complete story, a clear journey with a clear purpose, and I personally just felt that there really wasn't a further story to tell with these characters. Did I doubt that this would be an entertaining romp? No, but I didn't think it would be able to recreate or reimagine the emotional path of the original and make it feel just as organic and compelling. After watching the film, I have to admit that I underestimated the storytelling abilities of Stanton who delivers one of the most satisfying animated sequels in recent years.

What most impressed me from a writing perspective was how they did manage to make this feel like a natural continuation of the story. Stanton didn't make a carbon copy of what he had done before, but rather took what I like to call the "Toy Story Route" in that he looked at the blueprint of the first film and filled in the gaps with a new setting, a mass of memorable and entertaining fresh characters, as well as the exploration of new themes. Adding in an air of mystery and unpredictability to the previous outings "road movie in the sea" vibe was a great idea and allows this movie really to breathe. The emotional stakes are also most certainly there in bucket loads, and the film's opening five minutes (which connects Dory's childhood to the point where we first meet the character in Finding Nemo) are honestly heartbreaking. Dory's short-term memory loss, while given some emotional depth towards the movie's climax, was mostly just treated as a funny character quirk in the first film. Here we explore the tragedy of it more, what this means for Dory in her everyday life and the issues it has plagued her with since her youth. More than just a trait, Dory's memory loss drives the plot forward and helps to distinguish this sequel as its own entity in a sense as Dory tries to piece together the past that she has lost. 

Furthermore, massive props have to be given to Ellen DeGeneres. The comedienne and talk-show host has been campaigning to reprise her role as Dory for many years and her passion and love for this character is what helps this film flourish. Ellen is once again hilarious as Dory, with the pitch-perfect delivery of her lines being her most valuable asset. Yet, it is the intense vulnerability and deep-lying sadness that she portrays during Finding Dory's more tender moments that elevate this character far beyond simply a comedic role, and I would even go as far to compare what Ellen has done with this character to what Robin Williams did with The Genie in Aladdin. Ellen is among the rare group of voice artists that can pull of the dramatic as well as she can the comedic and her performance here once again proves why she deserves to be one of the most high-profile names in the entertainment industry today. Also plaudits have to be given to Modern Family stars Ed O'Neil and Ty Burrell who lend their voices to Hank the Octopus and Bailey the Whale respectively. Both men don't stray too far out their comfort zones, but they both shine due to the high levels of personality each is able to convey in their voice work. All in all the voice work was stellar and there wasn't much I could pick at on this front.

My biggest gripe with the film is this: Marlin and Nemo had no business being in this movie. Both had absolutely nothing to do and only served to take screen-time away from the far more important and compelling aspects of the story. Neither shines and their journey is extremely boring and does nothing but lower the quality of the product for me. On top of this, I actually found Nemo extremely irritable so this didn't help matters. Another issue I would point out is the plot does move very quickly in the opening twenty minutes which does feel quite jarring and out of place with the rest of the movie. Moreover, the film's finale does "jump the shark" a bit and tries to shoe-horn in some high-octane thrills that didn't really have a place being there, and didn't do much for me except from take me out of the action and back to reality.  

However my overall experience with Finding Dory was a positive one. The aesthetic was once again exemplary (as one would expect from Pixar) and the plot was filled with enough mystery and raw emotion that it managed to make the slightly familiar formula feel fresh and new. The voice talent are once again impeccable and it's just overall a really sweet and funny film. It does what you want a Pixar movie to do: explore deeper themes and ideas through the medium of family entertainment. While perhaps not as finely polished as its predecessor, Finding Dory is largely deserving of its critical and commercial success.

Score: 8.3/10 

Film Review- The Shallows

There is an easy way to judge a film in the horror genre and that is by how much it scares you.

The Shallows barely made me flinch.

Starring Blake Lively, the film is centred around medical student Nancy Adams as she tries to survive an attack by a shark while she is surfing more than 200 yards away from the shore. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, the man behind Orphan and Non-Stop, the film survived a change in director and filming location before initial photography began in October of 2015. The film was said to be a challenge to everyone involved, with Lively saying she was inspired to take the job after hearing her husband Ryan Reynolds' describe his experience from the set of the similarly close-quarters movie "Buried". 

In truth, Lively is probably this film's brightest spot. Admittedly her line delivery isn't world-class, but as I will get into later, this isn't really her fault. What the Gossip Girl alumni does do well however lies in her physical acting and her reaction to situations. Her cries of pain are spine-tinglingly realistic and her looks of panic are very much grounded in reality. It is very clear to me that this is an actress trying to break-out from the perception that many have of her, even after a decent outing in The Age of Adaline. The film overall did not impress me, but Blake Lively certainly did. The other positive thing that I can say about this movie is that technically it didn't do much wrong, and it did make some very interesting choices on a visual level, such as the frequently shifting of the camera above and below the water to create tension.

Yet, to paraphrase President Obama, putting lipstick on a pig doesn't change the fact that it is a pig. The writing here is absolutely awful, particularly the dialogue, which I genuinely don't think the love-child of Meryl Streep and James Woods could make sound even half-decent. The story also tries to cram in sub-plots surrounding Nancy's medical career and her mother's death at the hands of cancer. To be quite frank, these bits of background knowledge did nothing but clutter what was at heart a very simple survival story. From an aesthetic standpoint, the filmmakers decided to include a very weird graphic whenever our lead was on her phone, giving The Shallows a very tacky, B-movie feel right from the off. If this wasn't enough, the size of the Great White seemed to change at the drop of a hat whilst being composed entirely of CGI, resulting in it looking about as real as Chloe Khan's face (this also goes for the dolphin and jelly-fish that show up throughout the film also). The score too was very on the nose and did nothing to help the final product in any way, shape or form. But let me just go back to the point I made right at the start of this review: The Shallows is not scary. I have a massive fear of sharks and the ocean, I should have been soiling my seat watching this film. Instead, I was bored, more interested in the drama developing on the twenty-something man sitting in front of myself's group chat than what was actually on the screen. As both a horror and even as a survival film, The Shallows fails miserably. 

Overall, The Shallows was 86 minutes of my life which felt more like 86 days in solitary confinement. Seriously, I'd probably rather watch all the Lord of the Rings extended cuts all the way through with no pee-break than watch this again. Visually it is decent and Blake Lively gives it her all, but there is so much inherently wrong with this production from the ground up that I failed to get much enjoyment out of this film. 

If you hadn't already guessed, I would not recommend The Shallows.

Score: 4.4/10

Film Review- Suicide Squad

Suicide Squad is directed by David Ayer and stars Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto and Viola Davis amongst others. The film follows on from the events of "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" as the government has recruited a group of villains to combat a much more powerful enemy that threatens humanity. The trailers had got me so hyped to see this movie, and I thought that if there were going to be a sure-fire hit this summer then Suicide Squad would be it. After the mixed response that befell BvS, Warner Brother's seemed to be throwing all there eggs into this one basket and were determined to provide fans of the DC comics characters with a indisputable barn-burner to be proud of.

As it turns out, this was not a blessing for Suicide Squad. It actually hurt the final product.

There were two movies here melded into one: David Ayer's version and the studio's version. This led to the tone being inconsistent throughout, and what I mean by that it every second or third scene felt like it could have been part of a different movie. This was a similar problem to what was experienced by BvS, and it will continue to be a problem as we move forward in the "DC Expanded Universe" if Warner do not learn to put trust in their directors. Marvel wouldn't have reached the level of success that it has if they hadn't allowed filmmakers like Jon Favreau, Sir Kenneth Brannagh and Joss Weadon to shape their franchise. The same could be said about Bryan Singer with the first two X-Men films and Sam Raimi with the original Spider-Man trilogy. David Ayer is a very competent director (as evidenced by the exceptional Brad Pitt-led "Fury") and Warner Brothers should have been brave enough to let him form his own vision of what the Suicide Squad could have been with as little involvement from them as possible. As soon as the reported extensive re-shoots on this project were ordered I feared that it would result in a very confused story, and my apprehension was proven correct. If you want to the point a finger at anyone for Suicide Squad not being an A+ film, point it at Warner Brothers.

In saying this, the plot line didn't do much to service this movie's characters either. The main villain is Enchantress, a centuries-old mythical being who now inhabits the body of Cara Delevingne. That's the first problem: what makes a top hit-man and a psychopath with a baseball bat any further qualified to take on this threat than, let's say, the Batman. The Squad should have been put up against some sort of terrorist organisation or something similar, that would have been a better way to show off their skills. Instead what we get is the villains doing their best to kill mindless henchmen (who seem to be no threat at all) before being absolutely battered around by the Enchantress who, if she was smart, would have just killed them all with her magic there and then. To be honest, the best part of Suicide Squad was the flashbacks that showed us exactly what made these character's the way they now are, but these are not used anywhere near often enough. Add that onto the ridiculous overuse of chart-based music in this film and you'd be forgiven for thinking that Suicide Squad was beyond saving from an abysmal rating.

However, the acting and most of the characterisation of the Suicide Squad is fantastic. Margot Robbie IS Harley Quinn. For those of you who don't know, Harley Quinn was first introduced in Batman: The Animated Series as a one-time sidekick of Mark Hamill's Joker. Yet fan popularity saw her presence grow, and at this point she is featured predominantly in the DC comic-books as well as appearing multiple times in other Batman media. She is one of the most complex and endearing characters to ever have entered Batman's universe, so it is so satisfying to finally see the character brought to life so well on screen. Robbie oozes sex-appeal, fun and a sense of deep dark danger. She bring levity and is strangely likeable, but the filmmakers are always careful to not let us forget that she is, effectively, a serial-killer (see the revelation at the film's opening that she was at least partially responsible for the death of Robin as an example of her evil nature). For most of this movie she looks after her own self-interests (getting back to her beloved Joker) but she forms a bond with the rest of the Squad which sees her finally get to see what it's like to be a part of a team and get a taste of heroism. Simply, Robbie is an absolute joy to watch whenever she is on-screen and I expect her to be a focal point of this universe going forward. Will Smith is also great as the well-known Batman villain, Deadshot. Deadshot is a sociopath who places the same value on human-life as he does on the size of his purse strings. Smith perfectly radiates Deadshot's arrogant demeanour but it is the tender moments he shares on-screen with his daughter that really put this performance above the rest. Smith proves in Suicide Squad that he is still a bankable leading man if given the right part and the opportunity to have fun with the role. The final cast member who I'm going to mention is Jared Leto. Leto's Joker doesn't get too much screen-time here, but every time he is he captivates you with his presence. His performance is sexually charged in the usual ways you would expect from the Oscar winner at this point, but it is his rage and seriousness that sets him apart from any incarnation of the character we have seen before. While Nicholson and Ledger's Jokers felt like a threat on a larger scale, Leto's is the type of villain who would enjoy making you watch him kill your entire family. It's an evil that seems to hit closer to home, and that makes him all the more terrifying. While not in the movie very often, Leto's chemistry with Margot Robbie and his own impressive reinvention of the role have made a believer out of me. All-in-all, Leto is most definitely the right pick for this iconic role.

Yet this brings me to the element of this film that left me most undecided, and that is how The Joker and Harley Quinn's relationship has been portrayed in this movie. Traditionally, fans of the Batman comics have already butchered the true nature of this pairing enough by captioning pictures of the two with "#relationshipgoals" or something similar. In Suicide Squad, we see that this incarnation of The Clown Prince loves Harley and they have been described as the "King and Queen of Gotham". This simply should not be the case if the source material is to be followed. Traditionally, Harley has been portrayed as The Joker's greatest victim, someone who's promising future was stripped from her due to the torture experienced at the hands of her "puddin". While this version would perhaps allow the filmmakers more room to possibly explore a redemption story for Harley, the slightly more mutual affection demonstrated in Suicide Squad gives us more of a wrinkle on The Joker's character and has the potential to create a very emotional arc going forward. It will be interesting to see how the two characters develop and I would love to see the two face-off at one point down the line. Where the Joker/Harley relationship is concerned, I will reserve judgement for now.

Before I finish up, let me say this; I did enjoy Suicide Squad, but there's no denying that it is a bit of a mess for the reasons I've listed above. In saying this, it does have a charm to it that I think comes from the love that the director and the cast have clearly put into this film. At times, it is so much fun. The behind-the-scenes bond that these actors have reportedly formed has clearly translated to the screen, but it is corrupted by the changes made by the studio. In conclusion, Suicide Squad did not live up to its hype, but there is certainly a better film in there somewhere. If a director's cut is released, I will be the first in line to buy it.

Score: 7.4/10

Film Review- Jason Bourne

Jason Bourne is the most refreshing change of pace I've seen this year.

Going into this movie I was starting to lose faith in the potential quality of big-budget releases in the modern era, with most blockbusters this summer ranging somewhere between uninspiring and mediocre, but this Jason Bourne fits in neither of these two categories. This is going to be one of the more positive reviews I've done in a while so I just want to get the negatives of this movie out of the way right off the bat. The story, while incorporating a lot of good elements that serve to reinvigorate the series, was kind of a retread of what we've seen before. In saying this, the same statement could be made about any of the previous Bourne sequels and both of them (the ones starring Matt Damon I mean) were well received and excellent in their own merit. The only other thing I had a problem with was the inclusion of Julia Stiles' character, Nicky Parsons. Stiles didn't look interested at all and her inclusion, while a nice bit of continuity, didn't have the effect on the narrative that it should have.

Now that's all out of the way, let me just say this: the action in Jason Bourne is the best you will see this year. The motorcycle chase through the streets of Athens in the film's first act is absolutely brilliant, only topped by the downright insane car chase at the movie's climax. I can only imagine how much fun those scenes must have been to shoot, and the love that director Paul Greengrass has for this type of sequence translates amazingly well on screen. The hand-to-hand combat is just as it has been with every other Bourne film: gritty and intense. The fist fights in Bourne are head and shoulders above those featured in other action franchises simply due to their realistic nature and hard-hitting feel. The shaky-cam style of filmmaking makes a welcome return, and overall I think it's safe to say that Greengrass and cinematographer Barry Ackroyd have once again knocked it out of the park. If Matt Damon knocking a man out with one punch or a large SWAT truck crashing through a plethora of other vehicles is your type of thing then I'd highly recommend you see this film. 

Speaking of Matt Damon, the man can do no wrong as Bourne. His most beloved character, Damon does not have a lot of dialogue in this movie, but he encapsulates the character so much that he can do more with one simple look over his shoulder than lesser actors could with a monologue penned in collaboration by Arron Sorkin, Quentin Tarrintino and Richard Linklater. Damon knows how to do Bourne and he is as impressive as ever in this outing. Tommy-Lee Jones is a standout as Robert Dewey, the villainous director of the CIA. Dewey gruff demeanour combined with an almost gentleman-like charm make him very endearing as a villain, and Jones is very careful to keep his evil nature very close to the surface. In saying all this, Alicia Vikander steals the movie. Anytime she is on-screen she grabs your attention. Vikander (who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress at this year's ceremony) is subtle in her performance that she would have you believe that her character is a one-dimensional good guy who wants to fight against the corruption at the top of the ladder. Yet every line she utters is laced with subtext, and if you look deeper then you will see that her ambition is really what drives her throughout the entire film. Straddling the line between hero and villain, I think that Vikander's Heather Lee will be a brilliant foil for Damon's Bourne should the rumoured further sequels transpire.

The cherry on top of this sundae is simply the fact that this is a blockbuster that makes you think. The underlying themes of this film made me leave the theatre and still think about what I'd seen days before, as well as serving to amplify the film's central story. The conflict between Dewey and Lee mirrors the idea of clashing generations that we are seeing today. Dewey represents an older generation who's seen it all and done it all but refuses to accept he should take a finished role in a world he's beginning to no longer understand, while Lee personifies the young generation who want change and the control to make that change but may overestimate the task they have at hand. The other conflict that runs throughout the film is the argument over the pros and cons of surveillance. While it would be nice to have seen this explored a bit more, the film actually did offer some good counter-arguments to the usual pro-privacy stance traditionally taken by left-wing Hollywood. Combine this with Bourne's continuing struggle to find his place in the world and you have a blockbuster that isn't all just explosions and set-pieces, but one that actually has something interesting to say about the world we live in today.

Overall, Jason Bourne is a prime example of a big-budget movie made with precision and passion. Paul Greengrass knows how to handle this character, and he delivers once again here with stunning action sequences that will have you glued to the screen. I really don't understand why this movie hasn't been more universally praise, and I can only assume that this critical divisiveness is backlash from all the lacklustre sequels and reboots that have come to the screens in recent years. While I would count myself among those who champion original properties and think that we should be seeing more of them on our screen, a franchise film should be given the curtesy of being judged on its own merit. 

My recommendation would definitely be that if you are to see any action movie this summer, it should be Jason Bourne. I guarantee you will be entertained.

Score: 8.6/10