Earth To Echo Review
The Plot
With their homes being removed to make way for a new highway, three friends decide to spend their final night together trying to figure out the mystery behind a strange map that begins to appear on their phones. Armed with handheld cameras and their bikes, the boys soon come across a lost alien/robot looking for his ship.
The Good
Found footage films almost exclusively fall predictably into the horror genre, with only a few notable exceptions. Earth To Echo is perhaps the first found footage film for children since the genre took off. And it’s odd to think it’s taken so long. On the other hand it’s easy to see why.
Found footage has always been inextricably associated with horror and it’s obviously not a genre that lends itself to family friendly fare. However, with Earth To Echo audiences get a traditional family film which surprisingly manages to make the most of the medium.
Although the film occasionally jumps audiences out of their seats with well timed scares, the central plot of three heroes setting out on a mysterious nighttime quest is generally much less intense. Building suspense without ever risking traumatising younger audiences
Then of course we have Echo. The titular robot/alien hybrid is the heart of the film and brings with him, echoes (no pun intended) of ET. A lost alien looking for a way back home is definitely not a new story. However Earth to Echo gives it a modern update and makes it feel like a traditional family classic with a dash of YouTubing mixed in for good measure. Sort of a mix of ET and The Goonies with a tiny sprinkling of Super 8 added in.
The three main cast members do their job well, despite their young age. With them, and the young girl who comes into the story, being really the only fleshed out characters in the film it’s nice to see them work together and play off each other easily.
The Bad
There’s not much to criticize about Earth to Echo. It’s put together well enough and has no real gaping holes in either plot or character. The film’s only real flaw or vice is occasionally being a little overly unrealistic. The fact that these children have access to quite extensive camera equipment is rather ridiculous. The most dubious item being a camera built into a pair of sunglasses that look completely out of place in a child’s possession.
Also it would have been nice to have some of the adult characters, such as the parents having more to do than simply being proof of existence in the background. But as mentioned before, the child actors hold the film together well enough on their own.
The Ugly Truth
Earth to Echo is a well done family film which brings the found footage genre to a new audience, hopefully paving the way for more opportunities like this. With great nods to classic family films and a simple yet engaging storyline, Echo is definitely worth a trip to the cinema with the kids.
The Fault In Our Stars Review
Plot:
John Green’s hit teen romance novel is brought to the big screen with Divergent stars Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort as the troubled couple. When terminally ill Hazel meets Gus at her cancer support group they quickly become friends. Hazel soon finds it hard to avoid escalating romantic feelings between them despite her intention of making sure her inevitable death affects as few people as possible.
The Good:
Shailene Woodley first caught attention in The Descendants as George Clooney’s troublesome daughter. A film in which she showed she can has the raw acting ability needed to make cinema audiences everywhere cry their eyes out. In The Fault In Our Stars she proves it yet again and even manages to surpass her previous efforts.
Hazel is cynical from the start and readily displays a sharply acerbic wit. However, importantly her attitude rarely seems particularly angry. When films approach the sensitive subject of cancer and adolescence it’s often hard to avoid the cliché of merely making characters constantly abrasive and hostile. By welcome contrast Shailene Woodley’s performance feels simply matter-of-fact. The fact being that she will probably die in the near future. Woodley brings Hazel to life flawlessly and doesn’t beg for audiences pity.
When Hazel meets Gus (Elgort) the connection is instantly easy to see. Woodley and Elgort capture a raw chemistry that will have you smiling from ear to ear. Gus’ easygoing attitude and self-evident love for Hazel is incredibly beautiful. Particularly as Gus goes to incredible lengths to demonstrate his love, such as his quest to find out what happens after the end of Hazel’s favourite book.
In the aftermath of Divergent, Woodley and Elgort both prove more than capable headlining a film, each injecting considerable personality and subtle poignancy.
The Bad:
Whilst the two young leads do bring an incredibly realistic chemistry to the screen, the story feels strangely familiar. Though it will inevitably bring tears, it will also bring along with it memories of other films of the same subject matter. One such example is My Sisters Keeper, which shares themes and emotional resonance if not necessarily matching plot points.
Willem Defoe’s undoubted talents are largely left unused during his appearance as Peter Van Houten, the author of Hazel’s favorite book. Likewise much of the supporting cast fade into the background, including Hazel’s Parents. The film sacrifices attention to its supporting figures to streamline its romantic narrative and fix focus firmly on its young leads. It’s understandable but denies the film some interesting territory to explore.
The Ugly Truth:
The Faults In Our Stars largely deserves it’s box office hype and delivers a well-crafted adaptation of John Green’s beautiful novel. Led ably by the performance its two young stars the film will linger in the hearts and minds of audiences long after they’ve wiped away the tears.
Chef Review
The Plot
When a successful chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) becomes an online phenomenon thanks to a run in with a food critic, he decides to try and rediscover his love for cooking with the help of a co-worker (John Leguizamo) and his son.
The Good
There are two main things writer/director/actor Jon Favreau is known for. Firstly, his stint on Friends as the Ultimate Fighting Champion and Monica’s boyfriend, Pete Becker. But more so now for his work on the first two instalments of the Iron Man franchise. Plus of course every Christmas we’re reminded that he directed Elf the third greatest Christmas movie of all time. Chef however, is a clear step away from his recent Hollywood experience and no doubt his most personal piece of work since his acclaimed indie debut Swingers.
Before getting into the main dish of the film, we must first look upon the starter. Favreau has created a film that, if viewed on an empty stomach will surely torture you. Whether it’s the delicacy of delicious dishes such as prawns or the simplicity of a toasted cheese sandwich, each time Carl Casper works his magic (which is pretty much throughout the film) you will salivate uncontrollably and your stomach will rumble wanting, no, needing to taste what’s being displayed on screen so beautifully. In fact this will probably occur no matter how long ago you ate. Essentially Favreau has managed to slip food porn into his film. In the most hardcore sense.
While the main plot centres around the food business, look deeper and you’ll find a hidden message about film criticism wrapped inside. Favreau’s script cleverly expresses his thoughts and views on working on big Hollywood movies and hides this inside a fantasy tale about a chef. Dustin Hoffman plays the big mean boss who won’t let the artistic talent be shown and instead orders Casper to stick to the classic menu that has been pleasing punters for ten years without a fuss. Drawing similar themes with the current state of Hollywood. For years now we’ve been accustomed to following the rules that the film business has laid out for us. And whilst Chef certainly isn’t the first film to do it, it questions why we should sit back and be fed the same things instead of venturing out and trying a new ingredient.
One of the films main plot devices is that of twitter and social networking as a whole. Favreau brings the argument both for and against the idea of social networking when it comes to reviews and marketing. Easily displaying how, in today’s tech savvy world, one simple tweet can either destroy you or create you. Again it’s something that has been done before, but Favreau somehow manages to make it personal.
The Bad
Although the hidden message is clever and interesting, it sometimes comes off as a bit too pretentious after a while. Chef is a film which can easily be viewed as either a silly quirky indie movie with heart and soul or as a smartly played out example of the current situation with today’s blockbusters. To view it as one or the other can easily annoy. It’s best really to try and switch your mind between both while watching if you can.
On a side note, if you have seen the posters and trailers you’ll no doubt know that Favreau’s old Iron Man chums, Robert Downey Jr and Scarlett Johannson star in Chef. Whilst the poster boasts that RDJ is ‘awesome’ it’s important to know that he really only appears in one small scene, which whilst integral to the story, probably won’t stick in your memory as much as the marketing people want you to think.
Johannson has more to do than RDJ, but is disappointingly brushed aside early on. So early in fact that you’ll wonder what happened to her. Dustin Hoffman’s cameo is dealt with correctly, easily being picked up and dropped down with no effort and no particular need for him from the moment he’s dropped. But with Johannson it seems her story is left without an ending.
The Ugly Truth
Chef is a beautifully shot homage to food which will leave you wanting to visit the nearest restaurant the second you leave the cinema. It’s also an incredibly interesting look at the film industry, film criticism and social networking. Take your pick as to which side you choose to focus on. But to get the most enjoyment out of Favreau’s latest, it’s probably best to stay sitting on the fence…
Check out our chat with Jon Favreau below:
Edge of Tomorrow Review
The Plot:
An alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world. Major William Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop-forcing him to live out the same day of brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again…and again. But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.
The Good:
Director Doug Liman has a proven track record in original and inventive action. With the Bourne Identity he quietly reinvented the secret agent genre, even forcing James Bond to abandon CGI nonsense in favour of copycat gritty and efficient action. Mr & Mrs Smith continued that trend, delivering an action comedy that had genuine laughs and real punch behind it. Jumper was Liman’s first apparent misstep, as he failed to capture box office attention with what was actually a unique and technically well executed sci-fi concept. Now Liman returns to the genre appropriately hoping to do better this time around.
The failure of Jumper can mostly be attributed to lackluster casting, with Hayden Christensen and Rachel Bilson serving as ineffective leads. However, this time Liman has Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt to work with instead.
Cruise remains one of the most consistently competent leading men in Hollywood. Whilst deploying many of his trademark mannerisms, Cruise actually explores some novel territory with this character. He plays Cage initially as a meek coward who only gradually and very reluctantly evolves into the more familiar battle hardened superhero. It’s an exponential improvement from watching Cruise effectively tread water in recent efforts like Oblivion or Knight and Day.
Emily Blunt also acquits herself very well in her first foray into the action genre. The haughty no nonsense persona that has served her so well in romantic comedies and dramas easily translates into a credible action heroine. She more than holds her own with comfortable ease alongside Cruise. In particular there’s something refreshing and sincerely amusing about watching her ruthlessly train and repeatedly execute Cage, to help him harness the power of his immortality.
Edge of Tomorrow also boasts special effects and inventive action concepts that immediately distinguishes it from the countless other ‘alien invasion’ blockbusters. The ‘Mimics’ are truly fearsome and original adversaries even for Tom Cruise armed with a mecha-suit and immortality. Liman also does a brilliant job of handling Cruise’s novel superpower, adequately illustrating the Groundhog Day concept without ever boring audiences with unnecessary repetition.
The Bad:
Edge of Tomorrow is perhaps the first big screen summer blockbuster to explore the comparatively high-brow concept of time loops. Though well executed it may still be a little off-putting to those who prefer their action flicks to be less complex and a bit more linear. In truth, it’s actually a remarkably simple plot device that’s explained repeatedly with simple words and dramatic illustrations. It might ironically be those hoping for existential philosophizing and cerebral discussions who are left more disappointed than those looking for the simple pleasures of big explosions.
Though the film’s time loop concept is well deployed for dramatic and comedic effect, it does inevitably also mean that much of the film’s action actually consists of an extended training montage and the same battle being endlessly revisited. Cruise’s convenient immortality also means that the film occasionally lacks urgency or a sense of real danger, even during some of the most frantic mecha suit warfare.
The Ugly Truth:
Edge of Tomorrow is a comparatively intelligent science fiction blockbuster that has far more black humour and originality than audiences might expect. It represents a significant return to form for both Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman. It’s worth catching in cinemas, particularly in glorious IMAX format, where the slick 3D effects really do impress most.
Pompeii Review
The Plot:
A gladiator fighting for his life in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius finds himself confronted by the corrupt Roman soldiers who massacred his family while also meeting his true love. When the volcano erupts he finds himself in a race against time to escape the burning city with his beloved and take his revenge.
The Good:
Game Of Thrones star Kit Harington graduates to the big screen for his debut role as a leading man. At least nobody can fault the considerable effort it must have taken to chisel his body into a convincingly muscled torso. Though short of stature the young British star is certainly a lean fighting machine, with tousled hair and a well displayed six pack giving him some credibility as an emerging action star. Armed with a gruff voice and minimal dialogue Harington graduates with some success from being part of a small screen ensemble.
Lost star Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje also delivers a pleasantly heroic turn as gladiator superstar Atticus. Towering a little over his co-star and adding even more convincing muscle to the film’s fight scenes. The film is in truth probably at its best when the pair of gladiators are battling for their lives in the Coliseum.
Cast in a shamelessly villainous role as a ruthless roman senator, Kiefer Sutherland clearly relishes the opportunity to ham things up as a pantomime villain. The 24 star has a sneering charisma on screen which keeps things comfortably watchable and even manages to briefly distract from the impending destruction of the city.
From its early Gladiator-esque drama, to its explosive final scenes, Pompeii never fails to at least hold audience’s attention. It also deserves some credit for creating actual characters and a plot, instead of lazily relying on just the promise of massive explosions to hook audience’s attention. Michael Bay… take note.
The Bad:
The Pompeii posters carry the tagline ‘No Warning No Escape’, unfortunately anyone with a basic grasp of world history or who has seen the film’s trailer knows exactly what’s coming. An over eager promotional campaign perhaps revealed a little too much detail of Pompeii’s inevitable fiery CGI destruction. It’s hard to create distracting subplots surrounding actual characters and their lives when audiences are mostly waiting to watch the world’s most infamous volcanic eruption.
When Vesuvius finally does start raining fire and destruction down upon Pompeii the special effects are competent but unlikely to create the sense of shock and awe which classic disaster movies once seemed capable of. Audiences are now so accustomed to CGI destruction, that cartoonish tidal waves or fireballs probably won’t impress anyone. Unfortunately, there are also a few moments near the end of the film of less than convincing CGI work during an increasingly implausible horseback chase.
The film perhaps fails to make the most of acting talents like Jared Harris and Carrie-Anne Moss, both given scarce screen time in brief supporting roles. Meanwhile, it gives love interest Emily Browning far too much attention, lingering frequently on her pretty but ineffectual performance.
Pompeii’s most obvious flaw is that even as the action ramps up towards an explosive climax it takes persistent breaks for dramatic monologues and unnecessarily contrived fight scenes. The film struggles forlornly to maintain its early subplots amidst an increasing mess of explosive scenery. It’s impossible to ignore the obvious fact that instead of fighting with each other or making heartfelt declarations all the characters should just be running away from the approaching wall of flames and molten lava.
The Ugly Truth:
Pompeii delivers a mostly satisfying CGI spectacle and physical performances from a clearly enthusiastic cast. The film ambitiously tries to be a combination of Titanic and Gladiator. Though it lacks the romance and credible drama of both, the result is a watchable ‘disaster movie’ effort none the less.
Premiere video interviews below: