Elysium

In a genre where an ‘apocalyptic earth’ setting is becoming both hugely popular and horribly overused, director Neil Blomkamp is trying his luck with Elysium his second sci-fi release after the immensely popular ‘District 9’. Having an intelligent eye for storytelling seen in his previous film, Blomkamp prefers to link the sci-fi storyline with a relevant current affair as to bring the story close to home and give it a subtle moral message. Whilst he certainly gives this a good go with Elysium, he finds himself getting carried away towards the end with an over indulgence in CGI and general stupidity.

Set in the year 2154, where earth has been reduced to ruin, burdened with disease and poverty and the human population work primarily for the rich, living on a utopian paradise modelled on a floating space station. After learning protagonist Max (Matt Damon), has only a few days to live after a radiation accident, he revisits his violent past in order to seek the superior medical aid of ‘Elysium’ whilst aiming to bring the distorted worlds to equality.

Beginning with real vigour and enthusiasm, Elysium spent little time procrastinating as it quickly introduced us to its dazzling and highly innovative world. Soaring overhead the fresh, organic world of Elysium brought stunning visuals which seamlessly merged both real visual sets as well as CGI. Frequently in awe of the films creative flair, it rarely follows linear sci-fi stereotypes being instead in favour of a storyline with more intelligence and class. Quickly establishing a self-made personality for itself, the grungy yet realistic tone of the film resulted in immediate engrossment as well as quick connections to the down-trodden protagonist. Played perhaps ‘by the book’ by Matt Damon, the protagonist Max showed to be dense and meaty initially only to wear thin towards the end, suffering from a lack of characterisation and real personality, a path which not only this character follows. Starting stupendously strong and intelligently, Elysium slowly depleted in brain cells as it transcended into idiocy and typical Hollywood flavourlessness. Plot strands become quickly contrived as the film runs out of fuel with no help from the half-hearted performance of the main antagonist, Jodie Foster. Performing with a bizarre and jarring accent throughout, she made little effort to beef out her already thin character resulting in little care for her character and her fate. Taking over as the real villain was the highly different Kruger, played by the fantastic Sharto Copley who induces so much passion and enthusiasm into his character that results in the audience overwhelmingly resenting him. This hatred for the villain makes each action scene seem much more passionate and thrilling as we really get behind Max and his good intentions. This entwined with a lack of shaky camera footage, makes each action sequence highly enjoyable and gut-wrenchingly disgusting with gratuitous violence being used sparingly to thrill the audience.

Elysium is quite far from perfect; however it is far superior to many recent sci-fi’s of little creative merit. Copley makes the film, giving it an almost 80’s feel with truly evil one liners as well as a ridiculous caricatured persona which never fails to thrill. Blomkamp has yet again created a highly enjoyable sci-fi possessing both brains and brawn, it’s just a shame he couldn’t withhold his excitement which spiralled out of control towards the end with idiotic and explosive style.

7.5/10- An intelligent, if overindulgent sci-fi.

Calum Russell 

Kick-Ass 2

Following the recent influx of sequels and hard driven franchises, 2010’s cult classic release of ‘Kick-Ass’ has earned a follow up film promising to replicate it’s predecessors success. Shocking audiences three years ago with its gratuitous comic violence combined with its foul mouthed underage actors, it soon built up a considerable following earning cult status due to its relatively small scale production. As with all sequels, their primary (yet very much disclosed) purpose is to rake in the profits made from fans of the predecessor who know what they’re getting in for and this applies all too well with Kick-Ass 2. Containing vast pop culture references as well as a noticeable ‘Hollywood gleam’ of indulgent CGI, Kick-Ass 2 attempts to appeal to everyone yet inadvertently appeals to no one.

 

As we pick up from the well rounded ending of its predecessor we join Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) trying to blend back into high school all whist maintaining his superhero alter-ego, joining him is newly appointed ‘partner in crime’ Hit Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz), who now craves acceptance in High school after years of home schooling. After events transpire and Hit Girl finds herself unable to fight crime, Kick-Ass finds a superhero team named ‘Justice Forever’, led by the eccentric Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey) but when super villain the ‘Motherfucker’ (Christopher Mintz-Plasse)demands revenge on Kick-Ass for the death of his father, the team meet their match.

Admirably boasting a very different plot from its predecessor, this is about the only dose of originality present in the film with the remainder of the running time desperately attempting to replicate the success of the original, resulting in disaster. With an established unique style the 2010’s Kick-Ass was a thrill to watch, witnessing justice fuelled eccentrics taking down the sinister enemy, however here this is turned on its head as we watch the bad guys horrifically murdering the good guys, and quite understandably it’s no fun at all. With horrific violence being used throughout, many sequences of Kick-Ass 2 felt oddly disturbing as comic violence would play out to a childishly offbeat soundtrack in a ‘real world’ environment. The films tone is so desperately obscured that its identity crumbles, thinking it’s a serious and bleak superhero film one minute, then the next changing to supposedly thrilling unjustifiable comic violence, when the audience simply isn’t ‘in the mood’ following scenes of such depressing realism. Such action scenes are no doubt executed with considerable style and are very well choreographed despite their loud and unwanted presence. The tonal balance isn’t aided by a jarring ‘coming of age tale’ surrounding hit girl which undoubtedly provides for some of the best scenes and laughs of the whole film, but which also however provides for some of the worst and certainly the most whimsical. One in particular containing washed up x-factor contestants ‘Union J’ was poignantly awful, summarising in one 3 minute scene the failure of Kick-Ass 2 being unnecessary, boring and just damn awkward.  

Doing very few things to keep its audience stimulated, Kick-Ass 2 is a lame attempt to find box office success and similar cult status. With tonal infrequencies running underneath the film throughout, Kick-Ass 2 simply doesn’t work and suffers from indulging in a multitude of irrelevant sub plots as well as using gratuitous violence to tell its already bleak story. Being very little fun at all, Kick-Ass 2 is simply too serious for its own good.

4/10- Frequently disturbing, Kick-Ass 2 is tonally indifferent and constantly confused.

Calum Russell

The Conjuring

Being the cheapest and most highly profitable genre, the quality of horror films has quite noticeably deteriorated over time becoming increasingly nonsensical and clichéd with only a handful of directors recently attempting to revitalise the genre.  Quickly becoming one of the most prolific horror directors of the 21st century, James Wan is one of these creative enforcers as he returns with The Conjuring the original and supposedly true story of a sinister haunted house. Whilst it may not have the most original and exciting of premises, it certainly exerts enough passion and genuine intelligence to

make it linger with the audience long after they’ve exited the screen and make them tremble in an empty house.

Based on one of the many cases of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, this is the first to include them within the film as key characters. Initially exploring the back story behind the couple’s carer with the introduction of a sinister demonic china doll, we are soon shifted into the lives of the ‘Perron’ family through a perhaps hackneyed and patronising use of on screen text desperately persuading us to believe the films realistic legitimacy. In an orderly fashion we’re shown to a family of six as they move into a new country house only to discover that it holds darker forces. Despite the clear use of an overused formula, The Conjuring does an excellent job in introducing original material to create intelligent scares for its audience instead of the cheap ‘jump-scare’ which so many films indulge in. Such scares are present but are used sparingly and to good effect after a sufficiently built scene of tension, through this the film creates far more effective prol

onged moments of terror that linger as appose to momentary moments of fright.

Remaining however are the classic clichés of the genre, giving a heavy load to a film which would otherwise be hugely impressive. The general stupidity and unrealistic actions of each character along with the classic clichés of mirrors as well as animal noises used as jump scares ultimately put a muzzle on the film preventing it from being as scary as it should’ve been as every forthcoming scare was predictable and dull. Furthermore, as is the issue with a multitude of horror films, The Conjuring makes the mistake of showing too much when far less is far more effective. Whilst the ‘terrifying faces’ are creditably made with prosthetics (and wisely so) the more we see the ghoul and the longer the camera lingers, the more the audience becomes desensitised to its horror and it instead becomes an offbeat source of relaxing humour.

Whilst it may be riddled with horror clichés and subsequent mild stupidity, The Conjuring still proves to be hugely unsettling through its original material and also with the aid from the directorial prowess of James Wan and as well as the believable and enthusiastic performances of the whole cast. The Conjuring knew its source material extremely well and rarely went over its head and indulged in irrelevant areas, with slightly unexpected turns along the way James Wan concretes himself as a veteran of the horror genre, creating a film so unsettling and subtly terrifying it will stay with you for weeks.

8/10- An excellent formation of horror elements both old and new despite its unoriginality.

Calum Russell

The Wolverine (in a nutshell)

 Due to 'the wolverines' poor initial attempt at 'solo stardom' in 2009 with 'X-men origins: wolverine', this newest release is barely pressured by its predecessors success and therefore thrives in its creative freedom. Boasting heavy comic book visuals and action scenes, the wolverine manages to turn ridiculousness into enjoyable fun, with even the most idiotic of action scenes thrilling audiences. Doing little to stray from it's linear path the story is relatively bland and in need of some sort of 'spanner in the works' or at least some more serious darker tones to compliment it's heavy '12A' nature. Towards the end an appropriate yet not so surprising twist appears adding fuel to the dwindling fire which quickly loses momentum during the floppy third act. The lackluster characterisation of the annoyingly un-intimidating villain does not help the lack of threat in the final scenes as 'Viper' a poisonous mutant woman makes comical lizard noises as she runs around in circles. Hugh Jackmans performance allows for some moments of truly engrossing action, with his passion for the character being transparent throughout,
allowing the character to flourish within an entertaining yet realistic persona.

6.5/10- Hugely enjoyable comic violence make this a welcomed surprise.

Calum Russell

The Worlds End

Nine years ago, the now acclaimed director Edgar Wright began his comedy renaissance bursting onto the scene with the first in the now completed ‘Cornetto trilogy’. Setting a benchmark for both British and general cinematic comedies, his newest release, ‘the worlds end’ hopes to finish his acclaimed trilogy with style and grant the director inevitable prestige. Whilst it may have been six years since ‘the worlds end’ predecessor ‘Hot Fuzz’ hit cinemas, little has been altered considering the style and comedy prowess of Edgar Wright, putting his right hand men and comedy duo, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost to great use in a film which concludes the trilogy with heart.

 Using intelligent humour and broadcasting a believable yet simultaneously entertaining backstory, the later storyline of otherwise ridiculous occurrences slots neatly in place with the films nutty persona, rarely seeming out of place. Protagonist Gary King (Simon Pegg) is living in the past, with memories of a failed pub crawl with his past friends especially lingering on his mind he decides to ‘get the old team back together’ and finish what they started, only to find themselves fighting for their lives within a town in which they don’t quite recall.

 With much to live up to with two previous films of fantastic quality, it’s no big surprise to say that the worlds end perhaps doesn’t reach the intelligent grounds of ‘Shaun of the dead’ neither does it reach the comedy genius of ‘Hot Fuzz’. Instead ‘the worlds end’ chooses to take the sentimental route following the story of a young group of friends who’ve grown older and changed their ways, being all too apt within the final instalment of the trilogy this also speaks praises for the trilogy on the whole, each displaying a unique and excellently displayed trait. With this however it also manages to simultaneously and effortlessly hold the traits of its predecessors being hugely and most importantly intelligently funny all within a narrative which for the most part retains its ingenious brilliance.

 Taking a while to find its feet and choosing a wild route in the closing minutes the narrative is slightly inconsistent being sturdy and hugely impressive in the middle but weathered at the ends. While we wait at the beginning for characters to be developed upon and plot strands to be thickened the comedy remains light resulting in short chortles from the audience with some jokes inevitably falling flat, proving to be the calm before the comedic storm. With aid from an excellent supporting cast, the band of five friends on show showcase the very best of British comedy and acting with ‘Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine and Eddie Marsan’ all giving terrific performances to give the narrative long distance legs and a renewable source of comedy as the actors form effortlessly as a band of regular friends as their off screen chemistry becomes transparent.

 In amongst an industry of constant profit driven franchise releases it’s extremely refreshing to witness a trilogy linked only by their uses of ‘cornettos’  achieve so much whilst boasting so much originality. Proving to be one of the best directors currently in the industry, Edgar Wright has once again provided a film with heart, laughs and bags of originality.

8/10- Something for everyone, intelligent jokes, a heart-warming story, and gratuitous comic violence.

Calum Russell  

Pacific Rim

Big budget, bright lights, loud noises and heavy does of CGI, the summer blockbuster has become a staple of the the cinematic year hoping to thrill its dozens of enthusiastic spectators. Entertainment is key due to blockbusters' infamous focus on action over story and for Guillermo del Toro's new colossus film, Pacific Rim, this couldn't be more relevant. Boasting huge man-made machines battling giant monsters it's no surprise that it's being compared to the 'transformers' franchise and whilst it may not be as monotonously dull it shows to be just as narratively poor.

 Of course the plot isn't the primary point of appeal in the film with the glaring titan brawls taking pride of place, however without a sufficient and engaging enough story proceeding the action then it becomes useless, watching epic fights of man vs. beast may be momentarily entertaining however it's ultimately pointless. It's around the year 2020 and a hole at the bottom of the pacific ocean has been ripped open allowing hellish beasts called 'kaijus' to cause mass destruction on earth, after military tactics prove ineffective the world is forced to retaliate by constructing towering controllable machines, or 'jaegers', to fight them. Following a harrowing experience whilst controlling the 'jaeger', pilot 'Raleigh Becket' (Charlie Hunnam) leaves the programme only to be re-assessed years later as he returns through the persuasive voice of superior officer  Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba). With a plan to kill the monsters off once an for all it falls to 'Raleigh' to execute the mission.

Whilst the plot may not be diverse or hugely engaging the action certainly makes up for lost time being bold and hugely entertaining with the weapons and abilities of the 'jaegers' appearing nonsensically out of nowhere to sarcastic chuckles and enthusiastic 'woops' as a 'kaiju' comes crashing to the ground. Living up to its epic blockbuster status the action sequences are huge amounts of fun due to the fact that the film knows how ridiculous it truly is. With this however comes the lack of attention towards the story and characters, focusing too heavily on the high budget action instead. Surrounding our protagonist throughout the story are a plethora of exaggerated , stereotypical characters with poorly developed backgrounds and did very little to contribute anything towards the film aside from the occasional cliched 'one-liner'. Hindering any chance of character enthusiasm are the relatively average performances of the cast with protagonist Charlie Hunnam looking hugely bored throughout supplying a lack-luster performance. Exceptions appear in the forms of both Idris Elba who clearly enjoys playing his exuberant character and also Charlie Day who provides some fitting comedy in amongst violent scenes as a bumbling government scientist.

 Achieving in its primary purpose tho entertain, Pacific Rim does little else to thrill its audience being sluggish and hugely predictable for the most part. Being overly excessive in its action scenes the film forgets about its other necessary elements crucial to make the film mesh. If your're able to ignore a frustrating screenplay, a lot of fun is to be found within Pacific Rim however its difficult to neglect even when confronted with a monstrous brawl.

6/10- Lazy writing makes this film more dumb than fun.

Calum Russell

A Field In England

 Famous for defying genre and narrative conventions, British director Ben Wheatley is quickly becoming a cinematic phenomenon exciting audiences with his gritty and highly realistic approach to filmmaking. Following from the success of last year’s dark rom/com ‘Sightseers’, Wheatley has taken on a far more ambitious project in ‘A field in England’, surrounding the story of a group of deserters in the civil war as they are captured by an estranged alchemist searching for treasure.  Being released on multi-platforms on the same day (5^th July), ‘a field in England’ is an extremely audacious project, supplying a narrative which is highly extravagant and certainly not for everyone.

Containing perhaps some of the lesser known thespians that the UK has to offer, they ultimately prove to be crucial giving believable, meaty performances to a narrative which is relatively bare.  Following their capture, Whitehead(Reece Shearsmith) as well as his band of fellow deserters are forced to search for some buried treasure by alchemist O’Neil (Michael Smiley) all whilst under the influence of unwittingly consumed ‘magic mushrooms’, unsurprisingly madness then ensues. The film works on a basic level giving a plot which is undeniably thin, made interesting only through its fantastic cinematography and occasional moments of quotable dialogue. Shot in distinct black and white this choice of monochrome colours immediately transports you to the time of the English civil war and does an excellent job in encapsulating the setting and macabre themes. Breath-taking at times the cinematography is truly stunning, supplying frequent artistic stills as well as notable moments of mesmerising absurdity.

Whilst this style and cinematic grace coagulates perfectly with the terrific acting performances, the narrative ultimately proves to be too thin with the film filling it’s time with egotistical moments of nonsensical images and overlong scenes of a ‘bad trip’.  The overall pretentious nature of this film frustratingly looms over its 90 minute running time allowing the film few moments to legitimately express some genuine scenes of character chemistry or simple normal occurrences.

To create such a film is no doubt congratulatory as certainly very few Directors could replicate the bizarre and highly psychedelic piece that Wheatley has created.  ‘A field in England’ benefits greatly from its intelligent release schedule allowing great choice to audiences for a film which will no doubt be highly opinionated. With a tight script that morphs today’s dialect with the pasts seamlessly through fantastic acting performances across the board, it was a shame to see the plot enter into a nosedive being filmed terrifically yet showing scenes of no real value and very little payoff.

7/10- A highly psychological and convoluted ride with few twists and turns but plenty of mushrooms.

Calum Russell