Review: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children (UK Cert 12A)

Jake (Asa Butterfield) is a young man whose life is stagnant. However, when his grandfather Abe (Terence Stamp) dies in mysterious circumstances, it opens up a whole new world. It turns out that Abe's bedtime stories of children with strange gifts- peculiarities- living in an orphanage on a small Welsh island overseen by the enigmatic Miss Peregrine (Eva Green) weren't just fanciful tales. But every good tale needs a monster and soon Jake is confronted by the terrifying Hollowgasts as he seeks to help his new friends.

Directed by Tim Burton with his usual flair, the screenplay is by Jane Goldman, based on the 2011 young adult book by Ransom Riggs. One thing the film has made me want to do is actually read the book; I picked it up idly in a bookshop at the start of the year (before I knew the film was being made) but put it back down.

There's a strong central performance by Asa Butterfield (Ender's Game, Hugo) as Jake. Devoted to his grandfather and distraught at his death, Butterfield sells the alienated young teen without being stereotypically mopey or emo. Green's performance as Miss Peregrine is similarly strong- quirky without being annoying, stern without being over-the-top- but I couldn't get away from the nagging feeling that, but for personal issues, it was a role meant for Helena Bonham Carter. Awkward.

The young Peculiar children were all cast well, with Ella Purnell impressing as nascent love interest Emma (who is lighter than air and needs leaden boots to stay grounded) and Hayden Keeler-Stone as dream-projector Horace my personal favourites. There's also a lot of humour gained from the invisible boy Millard (voiced by Cameron King) who is frequently naked. There's also a nice supporting turn by Judi Dench and Samuel L. Jackson seems to be having the time of his life chewing the scenery as the villainous Mr Barron. 

On the topic of villains, the Hollowgasts are well realised and quite unpleasant creatures (especially the whole eye-eating thing) which might cause some concern for younger viewers. Visually, it's a stunning film- the desolation of the Cairnholm island looking great, compared with the bucolic idyll of the Orphanage in 1943. There's even a trip to a sunken ship and the final battle takes place on Blackpool Pier. The score- by Mike Higham and Matthew Margeson- is also particularly good (especially the ethereal theme as Emma and Jake visit the sunken ship).  

Fans of Burton will love it- this is the kind of film he excels at, full of light whimsy and dark fantasy. It's assured, fun and suspenseful. I really enjoyed it.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Tez

Review: The Hateful Eight (UK Cert 18)

We're going to do something a bit unusual for this. Usually, it's one reviewer for a blog review. Not here. We're going to break the mould and two of us are going to give their reviews and all three of us will give the film a rating.

Tez's Review: Tarantino's eighth film (if you don't count anything he did before Reservoir Dogs and count Kill Bill as one film) is back to the Western genre, set in the aftermath of the American Civil War where racial tensions are still running high. Holed up during a blzzard in a rest stop in the Wyoming mountains are a bounty hunter and his prisoner, the new sheriff of a local town, a black Cavalry officer, a white Confederate general, a taciturn cowboy, an English hangman and a Mexican cowhand. The stage is set for a bloody showdown as tensions flare amongst the inmates.

The words 'ordeal', 'drained' and 'weary' were all used once the final credits started rolling after a bum-numbing and patience-trying three hours (which did include a 10-15 minute intermission).

So what's good? The cinematography is quite stunning in places, the original score by Ennio Morricone is particularly effective and the script is fitfully funny- I did have a bit of a giggle in a few places. With one exception, the acting is pretty solid throughout; I enjoyed the performances of Kurt Russell and Tim Roth the most, although it's been Jennifer Jason Leigh that's been getting the award buzz (with Golden Globe, Critics' Choice and BAFTA Best Supporting Actress nominations). Her performance is alright but it's difficult to see quite what's so special about it; she's basically there to be physically and verbally abused. The real misstep is the miscasting of Channing Tatum who appears towards the end of the film and is just the least convincing villain you've seen outside of Quantum Of Solace.

Everything you would expect from a Tarantino film is present and correct- copious dialogue, gut-churning violence, Samuel L. Jackson- but there's something off in the presentation here. Maybe it's the the overly long tracking shots that belabour every point. Maybe it's the repetition. Maybe it's the horrendously overwritten script that is badly in need of a good edit (the first thing that can go is the annoying narration done by Tarantino himself that crops up every now and then to signpost things which, if the script had been a little more coherent, wouldn't need signposting). Maybe it's that the blood and gore effects look so unreal. Maybe it's the complete lack of tension. The film is also a bit of a rip-off of Reservoir Dogs but, here, you don't really care whether any of the characters live or die.

Due to what might charitably be described as 'distribution issues', we were unable to see The Hateful Eight at our usual cinema. However, as it transpires, because of how it was shot (using 70mm Ultra Panavision, which hasn't been used since the 1960s), the vast majority of cinemas won't be able to show it in the format it was intended anyway. I get that Tarantino is a massive film buff and likes to play with genre and form but this is surely an indulgence too far? As I said in my review of Django Unchained, Tarantino is one of those directors who seems to have absolute carte blanche to do whatever he wants to do in a film. If any other filmmaker (with the possible exception of Martin Scorsese) turned in a film like this, the producers and editors would pitch a fit and the damn thing would be filleted down to two hours if they're lucky. But because it's Tarantino, he can get away with it. But I'm a big believer in the saying that just because you CAN do something, it doesn't mean you SHOULD. Maybe this will tell you what you need to know: we had several walkouts during the film and a load of people didn't come back after the intermission. We came very close to walking out ourselves but felt, as we'd given nearly two hours to the film already, we should see it through.

All art is ultimately subjective, but I'm truly baffled by the amount of 4- and 5-star reviews it's getting. Is it because reviewers don't want to be seen as out of touch or snobbish? Is it because it's a Tarantino picture and they always get good reviews (even if the quality is shonky)? Is it  a case of The Emperor's New Clothes? There's an interesting, decent film buried in amongst the self-indulgent waffle and a ruthless edit would bring it out. But as it stands it's an overindulgent, overwritten, overproduced mess.

Rhys' Review: Don't go.



Rhys' Rating: 1 out of 5 (and that's being kind) 

Tez's Rating: 2 out of 5

Matt's Rating: 1 out of 5

Review: Kingsman: The Secret Service (UK Cert: 15)

Kingsman: The Secret Service is a fan boy’s wish list of a homage to the Roger Moore Bond films. That’s the great thing about director Matthew Vaughn’s latest (Kick Ass, X-Men: First Class, Layer Cake), but is also its biggest problem.

Eggsy (Taron Egerton) is a young man with plenty of talent and potential, but is stuck in a rut, stealing cars for fun, spending what money he has down the local boozer, and forced to put up with his thuggish stepdad’s constant putdowns. After a run-in with the police, Eggsy is recruited by Harry Hart (Colin Firth) to join international spy agency Kingsman, where not only must he prove himself during training, he also has to survive it.

The performances in Kingsman are all solid. Colin Firth steals the show as Harry Hart. He’s suave, delivers a droll one-liner at a moment’s notice, and he’s deadly; the man can literally kick ass. While a couple of set-pieces have clearly been tinkered by CGI, Firth does the majority of his own fights. Firth, who rose to fame as Mr Darcy in the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice, is just as convincing and lethal as Daniel Craig’s Bond or Matt Damon’s Bourne. Samuel L Jackson hams it up as the film’s megalomaniac villain, having plenty of fun with his scenes. Valentine is text book Bond villain (including a secret underground lair), but at least Jackson gives plenty of charisma and laughs. Mark Strong gets something to do for once as Merlin, Kingsman’s answer to Q; not just standing in a lab creating lethal new toys, Strong gets in on the action as well. Sophie Cookson, as fellow recruit Roxy, gets a female supporting role where she’s not just eye candy, she’s got the brains and able to knock someone out just as well as the boys, the only problem is the film’s climax, where Cookson is literally moved out the way (Earth’s upper atmosphere – you can’t get further away!) so that Egerton can take the glory.

As for Egerton, you can’t argue that he’s got the personality to hold the film together, it’s just a shame that Eggsy has been written as a massive Daily Mail stereotype: baseball cap, hoodie, trainers, lives in a dingy London flat with his cockney tart mum (Eastenders’ Samantha Womack), and steals things because he’s bored, Eggsy is Britain’s middle class view of working class youth. Young people in this country are more complicated than that and Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman (admittedly adapting Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons’ graphic novel) took the easy way out when they came up with Eggsy.

As you would expect from the director of Kick Ass, Kingsman’s violence is over-the-top splatter. Some critics have described the gore as stomach-turning, but its larger-than-life, realism be damned gore, much like Tarantino’s Kill Bill instead of the projectile vomit inducing antics of Eli Roth’s Hostel. Kingsman’s stand out scene is what appears to be one solid take as Firth wipes out the congregation of a racist, homophobic – everything ending in ‘ist’ or ‘ic’ – church, easily rivalling the ballet style choreography of Gareth Evans’ Raid films.

Vaughn gives us a faithful recreation of the larger than life spy films that were the norm before The Bourne Identity and Casino Royale ruined the party, whilst also coming up with a few of its own ideas (the world’s population massacring each other to the soundtrack of KC and the Sunshine Band’s Give It Up). The trouble is, because Kingsman rigidly sticks to the formula we all know and love, there are no surprises, and even the script’s shock twists were done before in Bond films from years back. You have the gadgets, cars, girls, double-crossings, the henchwoman with razor sharp blades for legs, explosions, innuendos  - everything you could want from a trip down memory lane, and Kingsman is a hell of a lot of fun, but it doesn’t have quite enough that’s new or never-saw-that-coming to make it something you definitely need to go and watch.

3 out of 5

Matt

Watchers Geek Chat: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

BE WARNED THIS IS FULL OF SPOILERS - Enjoy !!!

Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (UK Cert 12A)

Marvel Studios' latest movie and sequel to their 2011 Captain America: The First Avenger. The first film set the scene with Steve Rogers changed into a super soldier by a genetic experiment during World War Two, then he ends up frozen in time to wake in 2012 and become a member of the Avengers.

Jump to 2014 and Captain is struggling to find his place in the modern world while working for Nick Fury ( Samuel L Jackson) and the government agency SHIELD. The Winter Soldier is a assassin who appears to try and kill Nick Fury – call to action Captain America along with fellow Avenger The Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) to stop this deadly new foe.

The film is a 1970s political conspiracy film in disguise – the film feels like a mix between James Bond and All The Presidents Men. What the Directors, the Russo Brothers, have done is cleverly work on a very complex intriguing plot which without giving too much away – deals with a conspiracy within SHIELD itself.

What could of easily been a by the numbers fan action-athon follow up, basically joining the dots between action set pieces and one liners. Thankfully what you have her is a solid Comic Book movie, which relies on a strong plot, excellently played out character development – not just the lead role too.

Chris Evans here is given a meaty bit a character to own – Rogers here has come to terms with what he has lost and where he is. He is a soldier however who is at a point in his life where he doesn’t know who he’s fighting for any more, he’s a man who is lost to what cause he stands for. Evans is solid in this film and owns the screen when he is on it, in Avengers I thought of him as a weak link in the Marvel armour, but in this film he has shown that Captain America has a place in modern story telling.

The supporting cast are as expect superb – in brief. Samuel L Jackson as ever gives a dominating performance as the mighty Nick Fury, Scarlett Johansson has very well written Black Widow here. Unlike when she was introduced in Iron Man 2 – where she was merelypretty fodder for the teenage boys. Here the character is seen venerable, witty and extremely strong woman. Hands down the best supporting actor in this film is the steely Robert Redford – who just by being in this genre fair brings kudos to the film and he as you would expect every time he’s on screen ups all the game around him.

This film in my opinion is the best Marvel Studio film to date – its complex, twists and turns will keep you entertained without the action scenes. Mind you the action scenes here are grounded in a reality and add real jeopardy too the film like no other Marvel Studio film. If you loved the Avengers then this is for you and if you’ve never seen any of the Marvel films this is the film to watch to convert you into seeing that the Marvel Movie Universe has grown up.

5 out of 5 - Rhys

Review: RoboCop (2014)

RoboCop (2014)

OK....and breath!!! Before I point the flaws and there are many, many, many flaws! My mum always told me if you need to find some good in everything in life!

So, the good points. The film has RoboCop in it! The correct theme music is there. The modern effects are spot on. The plot keeps to the original concept, in part.

Right now I can unleash! This film is again a great example of how Hollywood need to grow some balls! The film lacks the power of the original and the power of central character. The film is a remake of satirical SciFi Action classic – so what should there be here. Satirical view on fascist police state run by a large corporation – well no. They failed, the plot does revolve around the idea of Omnicorp trying bring there robotic products onto the streets of America, but this lacks any of the originals clever messages – this version just fails on any satirical level.

The action – well I’m still waiting to see some action in this action movie – the film when it does finally have action, either uses too many shaky camera angles or the speed of the action is so quick you miss the brief escape from the endless boardroom chats.

The scifi element – well that is here, unfortunately what they have focussed on in this reboot, reimaging, remake … piece of crap! Is they have focussed on the Murphy family and that’s how they draw into Murphy's humanity, instead of using an actor who can internilise the frustration from within the suit, we have endless scenes with Mrs Murphy unhappy and RoboCop missing his family!!!! Im going to SCREAMMMMM!!!!!

This film is everything I hate about Hollywood at the moment, why remake just make RoboCop 4! Terribly written, drivel performances from Joel Kinnerman and Abbie Cornish as Mr & Mrs Murphy. Gary Oldman, Micheal Keaton blatantly going through the motions and picking up there paychecks!

If you want to watch RoboBland – please carry on but if you want to watch RoboCop, then watch RoboCop not this watered down, polished up 12A embarrassment of a film – watch the 1987 film that is and always will be ROBOCOP!

In fact don't waste your cash on a cinema ticket, buy this instead: RoboCop Directors Cut 1987

2 out of 5

Rhys

Programme 12: Comic Book Movies Special (including Avengers Assemble review)

Programme 12 is our super-extended bumper Comic Book Movie special, in honour of the UK release of Avengers Assemble and is now available on VideoMajic!

It's fair to say that we were both downright excited about this, so much so that we went on opening night and even saw it in 3D. But did it live up to the anticipation? Find out our thoughts in the main review.

However, we also discuss our favourite and least favourite comic book movies and formulate the Watchers definitive best and worst comic book movie lists. Included in the discussions are such movies as The Dark Knight, Captain America: The First Avenger, The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Catwoman but where were they placed?

There is also a brief discussion of upcoming comic book movies and some comic book movie news!

Please click here and here for podcast versions - podcast subscribers also get an exclusive bonus podcast where we discuss Avengers Assemble in full, geeky and (be warned) spoiler-y detail.