John Wick: Chapter 2

John Wick: Chapter 2

The highly anticipated sequel to a very popular action film has arrived. John Wick as sort of a sleeper hit that came out of nowhere and really blew a lot of peoples minds. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the film but it was a solid action film that was very sleek and really established Keanu Reeves as an action hero. If you have any doubts about his credibility as an action star, you should probably see John Wick: Chapter 2.

This time, no one kills John Wick’s dog. Thank god. Wick is visited by a gangster who wants Wick to serve him because of a blood oath taken years ago. When Wick refuses, his house gets blown up. Wick then goes out for revenge and must face bounty hunters and a bunch of trained assassins. I’d say the sequel has more going on storywise as it involves much more involving a crime lord and the underside of what it entails. The sequel does a good job of maintaining fantastic, frenetic action with a balanced story and dialogue (or lack of it in Ruby Rose’s characters instance).

The film doesn’t always flow strongly as characters sort of appear without question but this is an action film and you shouldn’t worry too much about what makes sense and what doesn’t. As you’d expect, the film is very sleek and has eye catching action. The scenes are shot with flashing neon lights and plenty of sick shooting with blood. If this is your sort of thing you will absolutely love it. The car chases and hand to hand combat scenes were fantastic. The whole exchange between Common and Reeves in the subway was just hilarious.

My main complaint is that the film is longer this time and sometimes feels its length. Its not such a bad thing. This film is a really solid sequel, I may just prefer the original but its close. The action, blood, and style is really turned up in this edition and you just know we have an action star and franchise in our hands. I don’t mind it, Keanu Reeves can rock the three piece suit and he’s even better kicking major ass in it.

7/10

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017)

 

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Thank god that its finally over. I hope. Paul W.S. Anderson finally closes out the film series based on the very popular survival video game series. The video game series is actually excellent and tons of fun, the same cannot be said for the film series. I did enjoy Resident Evil and Resident Evil: Apocalypse as far as the films go, but I cannot say that I liked the rest at all. I wasn’t very keen on checking this film out but there was a curiosity to watch it be put out of its misery.

The film starts off with flashbacks to young Alicia Marcus and the creation of the T-Virus. I think this was necessary for people who may have forgotten how the outbreak and destruction even started. We then see Alice walking the streets of a desolate and ruined D.C. while fighting some monsters along the way. I immediately got annoyed by the headache inducing, rapid, editing. Its awful. It takes so much away from the action sequences as you can’t fixate on anything on the screen. You can’t even get a good look at the monster designs so its a real downer.

The situations are absolutely ridiculous. I know you have to suspend beliefs sometimes for action sequences but my god we get some really ridiculous fight scenes that are not only cliched to hell but ridiculously improbable. Alice maneuvering her way out of the moving laser beams had me rolling my eyes multiple times. The film introduces a side cast that nobody will ever care about. Ali Larter as Claire Redfield returns but she remains so underdeveloped that you won’t care to see her. There are multiple moments where Anderson tries to produce jump scares but they are so horribly predictable and out of place in this type of film. We’ve seen all of it a million times before and this film basically comes off as cheap. The editing will do your head in.

The films passages aren’t always interesting. The picture quality is mostly dark, dull and ugly. I don’t really rate Paul W.S. Anderson as a filmmaker but this was TV SyFy movie levels in terms of quality. Some questions are answered and I guess some loose ends are solved but its not anything amazing and remains cookie cutter. If you enjoy all the other films you will be satisfied with the film series’ conclusion. For me however, this film was the worst of the bunch but the silver lining is that the series has finally closed itself off.

5/10

Doctor Strange (2016)

Doctor Strange

 

Its no secret that Marvel is a money making machine. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grossed billions of dollars and remains a force every year. Overall, I think the franchise has been very successful in bringing comic book heroes to life through origin stories and combining the heroes for action epics. Marvel's latest installment was introducing the masses to Doctor Strange. I wasn't very familiar with the character so I was cautiously optimistic going into this one.

The films stars Benedict Cumberbatch in the titular role. Benedict is a great performer and I think he's always remarkable in what he is in. Doctor Strange is about a arrogant but precisely successful neurosurgeon who gets in a life changing car crash that messes up hi hands. Strange searches far and wide for a way to get his hands working again. he travels to Nepal and is introduced to a fantastically magical world of sorcery where he can do more with his mind and alter reality, time, and the world from harnessing the power within.

First off, the effects in this film are great. Its immensely psychedelic and extremely graphically busy. The skyline is constantly shifting and worlds are bending and all of it looks up to par. It was reminiscent of some of the sequences seen in Inception. The fight scenes in the film also do not disappoint. Its got what it needs to keep thrill seekers engaged. Marvel also gathers a very talented cast to add to its never ending list of A-listers involved in the MCU. Mads Mikkelsen is a brilliant performer, although he's a bit of a shallow villain in this.

The film has too much going on in concepts. A person's soul? can come out of their body, there is a giant demon thing that's trying to destroy the world, there are shortcuts that lead to major cities, buildings can be moved, there is a mirror reality, a moving cape, fireballs, time can be put on a loop... its insane how many things happen in this film. Its not that its hard to follow, its just that the film becomes conceptually ugly the longer it goes. It doesn't feel like other Marvel films as the world that is created isn't very interesting and feels bland despite all the visuals involved. 

Cumberbatch plays a great Doctor Strange. He's an egotistical guy who becomes humbled and is yet witty and remains flawed. He's a welcome addition to the Marvel Universe, I assume he will be a part of the next Avengers film. Its just that this origin film doesn't really stand out as you are just thrown into the world of sorcery and just have to accept what is going on. Its an admirable effort but pales in comparison to some of the other heroes in the MCU. There is still room for improvement and I'm curious to see where this goes.

6.5/10

Underworld: Blood Wars

Underworld: Blood Wars

My first experience of film from 2017 happens to be the latest installment in a series that I am extremely mixed on. I love the original Underworld. I loved the universe created and thought it was a well crafted action film with a good balance of both style and substance. Unfortunately, none of the sequels were close in quality to the original and a few of the films kind of just faded into the background. I wasn’t overly excited for Blood Wars but all I really wanted was a decent film that is at least better than some of the sequels.

The film starts off explaining some of the key events of the previous in the franchise (which I really needed as a refresher). It takes a while for the film to really get going. We see a few new characters, all with their own motivations. You really wonder who is doing what and it takes time to really frame the story. I felt uninterested through the first act. The film does get better once we see more of Tobias Menzies’ villainous character. I think with so many films in the franchise its easy to forget characters and all about the vampire/werewolf hybrids and what the Lycans are really after.

Kate Beckinsale is gorgeous as always in the film. Her Selene character always kicks ass and looks incredibly sexy in a black leather suit. I also dug remodeling her character with the blondish locks in her hair. The dark blue hue of the film is back once again but its cool because the film looks really stylish and the gothic feel of the Underworld universe is ever present. There’s more than enough action and bloody violence to keep the moviegoer entertained. Its important to remember that these films are gearing more towards popcorn entertainment than something that can be take seriously  as a cinematic work.

I think the introduction of Tobias Menzies’ is such a strong point. The man plays one of the most despicable villains I have ever seen on television in Outlander. Just channeling a fraction of the hate in that character is enough for you to get invested in the hate for his character. Some of the other characters kind of fade away and feel incomplete but there’s enough fun going on to allow you to forgive some of the film’s shortcomings.

I think with Blood Wars we get the film series’ most satisfying sequel despite being flawed. The film is still as stylish as ever and a stronger third act keeps the fuel in the machine. I wouldn’t mind if the series ended soon but I think we may have to go through a film or two before the series is at its conclusion. Overall, its nothing special but still better than what I had expected.

6.5/10

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)

 

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

 

I'm not going to lie, I enjoyed Jack Reacher in 2012. It had a nice complex-ish story mixed in nicely with good action and style. This made it an enjoyable popcorn flick. You can't ask for more from a film like this (and something with Tom Cruise). With all that in mind, I can't say the trailer for its sequel brought much excitement. Jack Reacher was always going to be a film series, it just seemed marketed that way. Its just a bit of a shame that the sequel does not live up to or succeed its predecessor in anyway.

Jack is back, and this time he and Major Turner are on the run after being framed for espionage. While they try to clear their name a wise cracking 15 year old teen is thrown into the mix. Not very exciting. This film seems like a step backwards for  a franchise that had a promising start. The original had a better cast, fight scenes, and was written in a way where you couldn't exactly tell what was going to happen (or maybe I just wasn't smart enough to figure it out). That's not the case here. This film treads ground that is all too familiar. You know exactly what's going to happen. The film seemed like The Fugitive but worse. I like Cobie Smulders, but her and Cruise weren't a great pairing; its a step down from Rosamund Pike.

The film has a not very memorable, prototypical villain who strikes the same chords of generic spy films of the past. You can't get behind loathing this guy and that's a problem. If a film isn't allowing you to connect with its main characters you just go through the motions of the film without really feeling anything. That's basically how this film felt for me. Everything about this film just screams average. There are a few moments where the dialogue is just so bland, you wonder how it was written and approved into the script.

It may sound like I'm complaining a lot but it really is the case that this was such a step down from the first film. The more infuriating bit is that its an Edward Zwick film and he brought us two pretty sensational films in The Last Samurai and Blood Diamond. There's real raw emotion in the latter, something that's completely lacking in the new Reacher. Its just another sequel that got churned out into the mix and I think it clouds the quality of the future films. I may 'never go back' to Jack Reacher after this effort.
5.5/10