Logan Lucky – Review

When I saw the trailer for this I figured I could just skip it. It looked boring and I already saw one boring heist movie, I didn’t need to watch another. But then just about every film critic I follow on YouTube started giving it positive reviews, some even saying things like “don’t miss this one” so I figured I might as well give it a chance.

I should have trusted my first impression, this movie is boring. I watched/rewatched those positive reviews that convinced me to watch it and I still don’t get it. People make a big deal out of Daniel Craig’s performance but it was just him doing the same voice everyone else in the movie was doing. At some points it sounds like they’re talking about a completely different movie.

I’d say you could probably skip this one but considering I appear to be in the minority here who knows maybe you might actually like it. I wouldn’t see it in the cinema though unless you’ve got Odeon Limitless or something similar.

Rough Night – Review

I’ve now seen 44 of this year’s movies which means I’ve caught up with the end of year total from last year. Like many comedies the reaction to this film from the critics I follow are mixed. Some think it’s funny, some hated it and others are fairly neutral.

It’s funny but I can see why people might not like it. It has a mix of hits and misses and it’s one of those movies where your opinion is going to be based on which had the bigger impact on you.

I think the main cast are all pretty good but without a doubt the stand out performance has to be Kate McKinnon who has become the main selling point for every comedy she’s in lately.

Unfortunately as a comedy it’s hard to say much more than that. If you found the trailers funny you’ll probably enjoy this and if you didn’t you were probably going to skip it anyway.

Death Note (2017) – Review

I remember years ago back when Death Note was so popular L was a more popular cosplay choice than Deadpool and Harley Quinn there were rumours of an American live action movie, most having something to do with Zac Efron because he had the same hairstyle as Light. Now we do have one at a point when people aren’t really talking about or watching/reading Death Note.

It’s average at best and not a good adaptation. I’m fine with reboots/remakes that make changes in order to bring something new to the property but here the changes take away the things that make Death Note worth adapting. Light Turner isn’t nearly as smart or tactical as Light Yagami and doesn’t bring anything new to the role.

In fact the character of Mia has more in common with Light Yagami than Light Turner does making me wonder why the movie wasn’t about her instead, she’s got the right balance of similarities and differences to work as a Death Note reimagining lead. In fact they probably could have avoided all that whitewashing backlash if the protagonist wasn’t someone called Light.

The thing the movie did a great job with though was Ryuk. He was mostly kept in shadows or out of focus with Willem Dafoe giving a fantastic performance. Ryuk is the best part of this movie but he’s not in enough scenes to have enough of an effect on its overall quality.

Other than Ryuk the main thing I’ll give the film credit for is direction. Adam Wingard has directed a few horror movies and you can see that in the way this film is shot. In fact it’s his directing and Willem Dafoe’s performance that keep this at least a little bit entertaining.

The Hitman’s Bodyguard – Review

After seeing the first trailer I knew I had to see this movie and I’ve enjoyed all the trailers I’ve seen for it since then too.

It’s very funny, if you liked those trailers too I’m pretty sure you’ll like this movie. From what I’ve seen the less positive reviews tend to be from people who probably weren’t going to like the film to begin with.

Lets face it the main reason to watch this movie is to watch Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson swear at each other between and during a bunch of action movies and it delivers. These two are very funny and work so well as a duo that it’d work regardless of the setup.

Unfortunately there’s not much else I can really say about this movie. It tends to be a common problem with reviewing comedy movies. Probably won’t see another movie tonight, I’ll be too busy watching Defenders. On that note…

Napping Princess – Review

I’m making an effort to see one anime movie that isn’t tied to an existing franchise each year, especially after last year’s Your Name ended up as #1 on my top 10 list. This means a break from my usual Odeon trips as this one was only showing at the Vue.

It’s a pretty good movie. This is one of those movies where dream sequences are something to look forward to much like Paprika and Inception.

The visuals look fantastic and I loved the way the dream world is designed being a mix between fantasy and modern technology.

The dreams are interesting and I won’t spoil their connection to the real world but it all works together to tell a neat story. I’m watching a few new films this week and am seeing another one later tonight…

Free Fire – Review

I would have seen this one in the cinema but it didn’t end up showing for very long. Now I have seen it I find out that it’s earliest screenings were actually last year meaning by my own system it counts as a 2016 film.

It’s an entertaining film but after a while the setting gets tiresome and it starts to feel long. It’s an interesting setup for a movie but it does make it clear why these sorts of encounters usually only last for a scene in other movies and TV shows.

What makes the film work at all is the cast. There are some great performances in this movie that keep it entertaining. Brie Larson has more to work with here than she did in Kong: Skull Island and it’s always good to hear Sharlto Copley angrily swearing in a movie, though it makes me want a District 9 sequel even more.

If this is a premise that interests you go ahead an check it out. As for me I mostly watched it for the cast. I’ve seen 50 films from 2016 now, the funny thing is it won’t be that long before my 2017 film total catches up.

Batman and Harley Quinn – Review

I went to see a screening of this with a friend of mine who went dressed as Harley Quinn. It was thanks to her that I found out our local Odeon was doing a screening.

It’s a fun movie. It’s not without its flaws but as a comedy movie it is funny. This is clearly going to be a film that has a very mixed response, especially to scenes/moments that are more sexual. It’s possible that with time some problems with the film will stand out for me more than they would the day after I saw it (like with The Killing Joke) but for now I found it enjoyable.

One thing I already know has divided a lot of the audience reaction of this film is Harley herself. While she does have her classic look this is more of the modern comics Harley and if you’re not a fan of that Harley I can see why you wouldn’t like her in this. Personally I found it interesting seeing one of her co creators revisit this more recent version of the character. I also like Melissa Raunch’s voice for her, it’s different enough from Arleen Sorkin and Tara Strong’s voices while still sounding like Harley Quinn and I hope she gets to play her again.

This movie isn’t for everyone but for me this was a funny movie I saw with friends that sparked some fun discussion. Even if my opinion on the movie changes later in the year my opinion on the cinema experience won’t. Also I’m up to 40 of this year’s movies now at two thirds of the way through the year doubling where I was at the end of April, and I’m not even done watching movies this month.

DuckTales: Woo-oo – Review

I’ve been excited about this series since it was announced and since the premiere was being promoted as a movie that means it counts as one of this year’s movies I’ve seen. The more we found out about the series the more excited I got and now it’s finally here.

And it’s fantastic. It’s like a love letter to everything related to the Disney ducks from the original DuckTales to the comics that show was based on while still being its own thing. It’s fun noticing the little references such as pictures of members of the McDuck family from the comics to the cities of Spoonerville and St. Canard getting mentioned.

The cast are great with most being actors with stand out performances in the shows I’ve seen before. They each bring something new to the roles that set them apart from previous actors who played their parts. Of course Donald is still played by Tony Anselmo but even he gets to do something new with the voice as he’s now depicting Donald as a concerned father figure.

If you’re a fan of Disney ducks you’re going to love this series. I was already a fan before it even started and now that it has I can’t wait to see the rest of the season.

Atomic Blonde – Review

I was first introduced to this film through a friend of mine who was excited about it and showed me the trailer. It looked like a fun movie to watch and even if I hadn’t had that recommendation I’d probably still be interested in the film once the trailers started showing at the Odeon.

It’s one of the more fun spy movies I’ve seen. I really like the colour scheme of a lot of the scenes and it has a catchy soundtrack I’m listening to as I write this.

The fight scenes in this are fantastic and the biggest strength of the movie. They’re all shot very well and depict some pretty brutal fights. There’s a great shot where Lorraine and a henchman she’s fighting are both so worn out from fighting it slows them down but they both keep going.

And of course the cast are great too with Charlize Theron once again being a great action star along with an entertaining performance from James McAvoy. I do wish they had more scenes with Sofia Boutella’s character though, something that seems to be the case for most films she’s in.

The trailers were selling a pretty looking action movie with a catchy 80s soundtrack and it delivered.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 – Wishlist

Being the big Marvel fan that I am I’ve been really excited about the upcoming sequel to LEGO Marvel Super Heroes. And whenever there’s an upcoming game with a large selection of characters from a franchise I like I enjoy writing wishlists of characters I’d like to see them include.

The limitations I’ve set for this list are that I won’t include characters that are already in the first game or LEGO Marvel’s Avengers unless I want an alternate version of them. This is because I expect most characters I’d like to return have either been confirmed or have a pretty good chance of returning. I also figured characters like Ironheart and Totally Awesome Hulk are already pretty likely that I don’t need to include them in the list. Anyway on with the wishlist.

Lady Spider

Spider-Verse introduced a fair amount of new spider characters and one that stood out was Lady Spider. She comes from a steampunk world and since the game is focused on bringing unique worlds together why not add a steampunk section to Chronopolis?

Bombshell

A recurring character in the Miles Morales Spider-Man comics and survivor of the Ultimate Universe, I’ve always felt she was a character the deserved more attention.

Ultimate Universe designs

Speaking of the Ultimate Universe it has a lot of great designs it would be neat to include. They’d only need to be alternate costumes but ones I’d use a fair amount.

Netflix Defenders designs

And another set of alternate costumes I’d like are for the Defenders. I know some of these designs have already been included in the comics so for them it might even be a good choice to have as the new default costume.

The Runaways

I’ve been a fan of this team ever since my first Marvel art project and with their new Hulu series coming up and a revival of their comic I think it’s the perfect time to include the full team.

Singularity

Just imagine how cool she’d look as a minifig.

Silk

It’s hard to say if she has a good chance or not as it seems her solo series is over now. Either way she’s a character I think deserves to be included.

Japanese Spider-Man (and Leopardon)

He made an appearance in Spider-Verse so we know Marvel have the rights to use him and since Lou Ferrigno Hulk was a character in LEGO Marvel’s Avengers it wouldn’t be the first reference to an old TV series.

The Inventor

Most of my previous Marvel wishlists have included Kamala Khan but since she’s not only confirmed but is also part of the main cast I figured I’d include one of her villains instead and since this guy was name dropped in LEGO Marvel’s Avengers it makes sense to go with her original enemy; Thomas Edison the cockatoo mad scientist who hates being called a bird.

And finally…

Spider-Ham

Why hasn’t this guy been confirmed already? He’s perfect for a LEGO game.