Tomorrowland: A World Beyond Review
The Plot
When Casey (Britt Robertson) comes across a badge that transports her to a whole new world whenever she touches it, she goes in search of the truth behind it all. With the help of inventor Frank Walker (George Clooney) and a young girl named Athena (Raffey Cassidy) she soon discovers Tomorrowland.
The Good
Director Brad Bird (Mission Impossible 4) brings a huge spectacle of a film to the screen in a way that only Brad Bird could. Serving as both an original sci-fi film and an advertisement for Disney World, Tomorrowland is a sight to behold. Opening with a flashback to ‘where it all began’ with young George Clooney’s inventor desperately trying to build a Rocketeer type jetpack and Britt Robertson’s Casey finding the pin that instantly takes her to Tomorrowland – in some completely breathtaking and seamless transitions – Tomorrowland’s first half is a treat to the eyes.
It’s the latter half that brings the important message to the forefront though. Without spoiling too much, Tomorrowland’s moral is incredibly poignant for today’s day and age. Comparisons can be made to Interstellar and even slightly Nightcrawler (at least in terms of its themes…). It’s hard to go into any more detail without spoiling the experience. Sufficed to say, Clooney and Robertson are fantastic, but the real highlight comes from Raffey Cassidy who knocks them out of the limelight most of the time. An incredible feat for a 12 year old actress!
The Bad
While the main cast are spectacular, the main antagonist, Hugh Laurie’s Nix, feels hugely underused. Considering he is set up early on, he doesn’t reappear for a good while, instead his robot minions – who alas, are human form and not yellow… - are used as the main threat for a big chunk of the storyline. Laurie’s character is an interesting one. His ideas and plans feel occasionally warranted but they aren’t explored as fully as they could or should have been. What starts out as an interesting villain, soon ends up a forgettable one.
And though the two halves of the film, the former, stunningly breathtaking spectacle, followed by the latter, poignant and thought provoking moral, are both interesting and well done on their own, together they affect the pacing of the 130 minute runtime. The latter half thus feels slightly more dragged out than the opening.
The Ugly Truth
Brad Bird brings his usual swooping visuals to a genuinely thought provoking story which will make you reflect on the state of our world today. It’s just a shame that the two don’t connect together so easily. At times it becomes clunky and unsure of itself, but when it works it’s a triumph.
Review by Johnny Ellis
Poltergeist Review
The Plot
After a family moves into a home that sits on a former cemetery, they soon become haunted by evil forces and must come together to save their youngest daughter when she’s taken captive.
The Good
Remaking a horror film as classic as Poltergeist was always going to be an idea which would provoke some worry. Released 33 years after the original, this remake does a perfectly fine job at updating it for modern audiences. The original story is still there, but with the addition of drones and a reality show ghost hunter in the form of Jared Harris to help things move along.
Thankfully it’s not a complete shot for shot remake and does actually try to bring something new to the story. One prime example being that when the family do start to take notice of the strange activities going on in their new not so humble abode, they start to work to get rid of it instantly, as apposed to, say, using your child as an experiment/plaything for the poltergeist (see the original for more…). With a plot that runs 20 minutes shorter, Poltergeist somehow manages to cram in more activity in than it’s predecessor. Though perhaps this might not have been the right way to go about it…
The Bad
Unfortunately it’s impossible to view Poltergeist without instantly bringing comparisons to the original, and because of this, it falls short. While it’s certainly brave of director Gil Kenan (Monster House) and writer David Lindsay-Abaire (Oz the Great and Powerful) to go a different way, the fact is that this remake barely constitutes a horror. Where the terror of the original came from the slow burning threat which is eventually paid off, this new version only manages to shock with the use of cheap jump scares.
The cast too don’t seem to be very invested or confident with the idea of it either. Sam Rockwell and Rosemarie DeWitt make for simple and uninteresting characters that seem bored with the script. Meanwhile the biggest highlight of the child actors is Kennedi Clements (whose biggest previous credit includes Jingle All The Way 2…) and this is only really because she’s the unfortunate child who gets taken in by the ghouls.
The Ugly Truth
Poltergeist should be respected slightly for not trying too hard to stay exactly like it’s original and instead trying to bring something new to a classic. However all attempts that are made are scuppered by cheap jump scares and a bored script.
Review by Johnny Ellis
Moomins on the Riviera Review
The Plot
The classic Finnish cartoon comes to the big screen in a story which sees the Moomins slip into the world of the rich and famous on the Riviera.
The Good
Though they’re not particularly well known these days, to many, the Moomins are instantly recognisable and bring a flood of nostalgia for those who grew up with the hippopotamus dopplegangers. Moomins On The Riviera serves as not only a nice introduction for the classic characters and a fitting reboot to bring them into the hearts of a whole new generation of young fans, but also as a brilliant way in which to introduce young ones to the cinema. While last years Paddington had this appeal too, Moomins drops the (in Paddington’s case, very mild) threat and instead leaves some charming animation which gives plenty for both adults and children to enjoy without the worry of anything too upsetting.
The simplistic storyline, in which the Moomins are split between their experiences with the upper class, brings a wonderful lesson for children to learn about the importance of wealth and fame. Thankfully too, the small voice cast, of which the two biggest names are Russell Tovey (Being Human) as Moomin and Tracy Ann Oberman (Eastenders) as Moomin mamma aren’t very distinguishable as particular ‘stars’ per se, which helps keep the characters of the Moomins as realistic as they can be for what are essentially cartoon hippopotami…
The Bad
Though it is certainly captivating, certain plot strands of Moomins do bring some rather worrying criticisms. A lot of the film focuses on the relationship between Snorkmaiden and Moomin and potentially gives off the idea that a young girl can’t be happy unless she has some sort of man in her life…
The Ugly Truth
Moomins On The Riviera is a beautifully animated and simplistically charming way to spend 80 minutes. While it does have the odd flaw in storytelling, it becomes quite futile to be too critical of it. If you’ve yet to introduce any young children to the cinematic experience, you can’t go wrong here.
Review by Johnny Ellis
McQueen Review
The Plot:
When British fashion visionary ‘Lee’ Alexander McQueen discovers a strange girl breaking into his studio late one night in search of a pretty dress, an unlikely bond forms between the tormented designer and his mysterious intruder. Instead of calling the police, the pair set out on a strange journey across London in search of beautiful fashion and meaning.
The Good
Leading man Stephen Wright gives a brilliant and consistently captivating performance as troubled genius Alexander McQueen. Carrying the weight of much of the production on his shoulders it’s a portrayal that trikes a perfect balance between vulnerability, creativity and danger. Aside from physically resembling the late fashion icon, Wright also captures the sharp contrast between swaggering confidence and fragility that defined much of McQueen’s work and life.
Glee star Dianna Agron easily proves her dramatic credibility with a role that is deliberately very far removed from campy high school musical adventures. Armed with a memorable mid-Atlantic accent and other self- affected eccentricities, her character Dahlia is definitely a unique flower. It’s a performance that becomes more fragile and credible as the play progresses.
Tracy-Ann Oberman must receive special mention for her scene stealing turn as the ghost of Isabella Blow, McQueen’s real life patron, muse and close friend. Oberman delivers a note perfect caricature of the likeably absurd fashionista, lifting the spirits of both McQueen and the audience.
McQueen is a new production but it takes the full benefit of a soundtrack packed with well-known contemporary songs. From opening with a mournful string quartet version of Nirvana’s grunge anthem Come as you Are, the play is full throughout with recognisable and well-chosen mood setting musical accompaniments.
The production makes excellent use of inventive physical and visual effects to create an immersive world the spans London from fashionable shops to the very rooftops. The ensemble cast of elegant mannequin-like dancers serve an efficient dual role of both populating scenes and aiding in the impressive transformation of sets. From holographic projections to simple tricks of light and shadow, the production makes the world of McQueen suitably visually striking.
The Bad
The play carries honest warnings that its dark themes, language and provocative visuals aren’t suitable for younger audiences. It’s not a surprise that a play about an artist who delighted in pushing boundaries and embracing the darker side of life does precisely that. Morbid lamentations and semi-nude dancing mannequins might not be to everyone’s taste, but it probably would have appealed to McQueen himself.
Though the play is inventively staged and makes fine use of a minimalist space, at times the dialogue lacks equal subtlety. The initial scenes between Lee and his young intruder stutter at times, struggling to cram extra exposition into an already awkward situation. It takes a little time for the unlikely duo to find their rhythm.
Audiences may also be forgiven for leaping to the conclusion that Dianna Agron’s stilted voice and odd drawling accent are merely symptoms of nerves or bad acting. It’s only as the play progresses and she maintains these affectations that it becomes clear that it’s actually a deliberate performance and very much part of her character.
Overall it’s fair to say that those who dislike the pretentious self-importance of the fashion industry and especially lack sympathy for the torment of being a ‘great artist’ will find the plays characters and heavy handed subtext both distinctly unappealing. Some may perhaps also question whether it’s bad taste to base such a fictional and morbid production on real people who actually met with tragic demises.
The Ugly Truth
Overall McQueen is an impressive new production that boasts accomplished performances, inventive visuals and a soundtrack of familiar hits. Though its morbid themes might not appeal to everyone it’s actually a fitting tribute to a much missed British fashion icon.
Video Interview with Star Dianna Agron below:
Mad Max Fury Road Review
The Plot
George Miller brings his cult classic post-apocalyptic Road Warrior back after 30 years, with Tom Hardy taking over for a reboot of the much loved trilogy. In a world where humanity is broken, two rebels become unlikely aliases in a race through the barren landscapes to escape the treacherous man who has kept them locked up as a human blood bag and a slave wife.
The Good
When it comes to action movies, you’ll be hard pushed to find anything that comes even remotely close to topping the action found in Mad Max: Fury Road. It barely gives you time to blink through the sheer volume of fire and destruction, which begins before the title has even appeared and still hangs in your head in some sort of drunken state after the credits have finished rolling. It is the purest action in its most undiluted form. You’ll need some sort of caffeine to stay with it.
Tom Hardy proves yet again that he can pull off the strong silent hero with tremendous ease and meticulous professionalism. He’s certainly a worthy successor from Mel Gibson’s original Road Warrior. Charlize Theron, meanwhile, is just as powerful, if not more so, as the one armed Imperator Furiosa, and is more than a worthy accomplice to Hardy’s Max.
Also surprisingly, Fury Road looks utterly beautiful for an action film. While the numerous ads and promos have shown that it’s huge in scale, it’s when the action turns into the night that the real beauty comes alive, in some gorgeous blue tint that deserves to be marvelled at on the biggest screen you can find.
The Bad
While there’s no denying the size and beauty of the film, much like the original trilogy, there’s a lot left out in the story side. Hardy himself gets barely twenty lines in the entire film and has little to no character development. He just suddenly appears and that’s that. There are some hints to a back story of how he became who he is, but it’s left very open and somewhat leaves you wanting more than just action.
On the action, there’s really not much to criticise at all, although, while clearly a lot of the special effects are practical (80% according to IMDb) there are still moments in which the CGI is rather blatant. Mainly when it comes to the explosions and fire used.
The Ugly Truth
Essentially, Mad Max: Fury Road is a two hour long chase sequence with admittedly incredible action that will be extremely hard to top. Unfortunately the story that comes with it is nowhere near the same standards…
Review by Johnny Ellis
Bonus gallery of Mad Max Fury Road World Premiere Pictures below:
