RoboCop (2014) Movie Review

ROBOCOP (2014) MOVIE REVIEW

Going into this film, I was expecting a mediocre remake that makes the original appear and horrendous and utter garbage. However, what I got was a pleasantly surprising, entertaining movie.

In 2028 Detroit, Police Officer Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) becomes critically injured whilst in the line of duty, with third degree burns across 80% of his barely existent body. After seeing this, Omnicorp soon realises that they can use this man to his advantage by constructing him into a half-man, half-machine police officer. Since this is a remake of one of my favourite action flicks, I was expecting that the film would treat the source material like trash and just more or less ignore the simple but powerful premise and meaning that this film shows. However, what I got was a story that I felt while did not have as strong as an impact as I hoped, it was still necessary and was played out very well as in the film, they attempt at bringing even more humanity to the character of Alex by giving him a reason to keep living. His family, and while they did not incorporate as much time into that aspect as I hoped, it was at least evident and showed in some scenes that his wife and son just want their husband/dad back to normal. Anyhow, I felt that the plot for the film was just as good as the original, even though some things were tweaked to make the film more relevant.  

Still of Joel Kinnaman as RoboCop

As before, I mentioned that this film really did delve deeper into the whole human side of Alex Murphy and the relationship he had with his doctor and the entire company. This happens to be one of the things that was handled incredibly well as at the beginning of the film when he realises what has happened to him, you really do see emotions of fear and shock in his face, which is more than likely why Joel was cast for this role. As well as this, I love how instead of just going along with it, Murphy straight up says to his doctor to pull the plug as he doesn't want to let his wife and son see him like this, which shows that his humanity  is still an important factor and in the end is what controls you. Although the humanity was handled quite well, there were a few parts in particular that I felt could have been shortened or even taken out. For example, in the beginning of the film, it shows these robots protecting this village in the Middle East and it also shows the residents attempting to fight back. While this scene does become significant later on in the film, you really do feel that the scene could have been shortened significantly and could have made this already long film shorter. Anyhow, the visuals shown in the film I actually thought were incredible and really did showcase what this suit could do as when RoboCop is just laying waste to everything, it is just entertaining to watch and is just a real joy and really does show what made the original great, which was the action. I also, unlike alot of people, actually do like the design given to him as it does show both suits in the film, with the original 80's one being a prototype and the new one being the fully functioning one, which i felt was really smart story telling. 

Still of Gary Oldman and Jackie Earle Haley

As for the acting, this is actually where the film really did surprise as the film does showcase some already well-known acting abilities. For example, the ones who are obviously the best actors in the film are in fact Gary Oldman, Jackie Earle Haley and Samuel L. Jackson. Having said that, you really can tell that they just phoned up Jackson to be in this film as you can tell he doesn't want be here and just wants his paycheck. Having said that, he was still good in his role, even if it wasn't needed. Anyhow, as for RoboCop himself, I felt that while he wouldn't have been my first pick, Joel Kinnaman was still good in the role and really did excel when he had to do serious and stoic facial expressions, which more or less is what he had to do in this film anyway so yeah. However, out of everyone in the film, the actor who I felt was the best by far was actually Michael Keaton as he just managed to bring this hilarious, serious and overall cocky performance to his character and managed to make this one his own through his dialogue and overall tone in his voice. Overall, the acting in the film was actually fairly surprising, considering I didn't think the movie itself was going to be good in the first place. 

Still of Gary Oldman, Jay Baruchel, Michael Keaton
 and Jennifer Ehle

In the end, RoboCop was more or less everything I wasn't expecting. It was entertaining, thrilling and even at times funny. Overall, while it could have been much better, it was still a good time at the movies and I would gladly watch it again...in about 2-3 years.

OVERALL: 7.3/10

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) Movie Review

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (2013) MOVIE REVIEW

Remember how I said Prisoners was my favourite film of 2013? Well that may now have some serious competition. 

Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, this film follows him and his company through crime, corruption and his rise to the top and his descent to the absolute bottom. One of the things that managed to keep this film going is the fact that this ludicrous film is actually based on true events. This is made even more apparent when multiple times in the film, Jordan and his friends manage to get away with doing some of the most graphic acts ever put onto the big screen. Another thing that I absolutely loved in this film was the overall set-up in which Jordan is  a simple and honest man wanting to make a living, and then in a matter of days, he is corrupted by his peers and is suddenly the biggest name in the Wall Street game, hence his nickname "The Wolf of Wall Street". Anyhow, the story in this film was by far the most ridiculous and best one I have seen in a while and even with it's hilarity, it managed to keep me intrigued, even throughout the entire three hour run time. 

Still of Margot Robbie and Leonardo DiCaprio

As I said before, this film is based of the best-selling book of the same name, which in itself is the true story of Jordan Belfort and his successful life at the top of Wall Street. This obviously means that this film has alot of work to do in order to make it as reliable to the source material as it can, though in many cases, this film managed to be one of a kind. This is mainly due to the fact that many of the acts performed in the movie are just so ludicrously hilarious and reckless that you wouldn't expect a sane person to even consider performing these actions. For example, there is one scene where Jordan and Donnie take a dose of these tablets which say to be incredibly stronger than your average drug. Anyhow, upon taking it, they feel nothing at all though several hours later, the acts that these drugs make them do is just something you wouldn't expect to see in a movie nowadays. This is also one of the many things I loved about this film, which is the fact that the film knows exactly what it is. A ridiculous and incredibly crude film, which is exactly how it is marketed. If I were the average movie-goer and saw that it was a drama, I wouldn't be as excited for it. But the marketing team really did play their cards right in realising that a three hour film like this isn't supposed to be taken too seriously. Speaking of three hours, I actually thought that this was going to be one of the things I despised about the movie though in retrospect, it was actually one of the things I loved about the film as I had no idea when the film was going to end as there were several moments where it looked like it was going to end, but it just kept on going. And for a film like this, that is never a bad thing. 

Still of Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio

As for the acting, I mean....what else can I say but just no short of perfect. Throughout the film, I was attempting to pick out a weak actor/actress in the film and believe me when I say this, I just couldn't. Every single actor, whether big or small, managed to play their roles up perfectly. Leonardo DiCaprio in this film, in my opinion, it is without question his best performance he has ever graced us with. Seriously, if he doesn't win an Oscar for his role this year, there will be multiple riots within minutes. His character was just so fast talking and he just managed to make a serious moment so hilarious, like when he is more or less overdosing and he is just making the most ridiculous noises and faces, I honestly felt bad for laughing. Or maybe shouldn't have, I dunno, either way, it was phenomenal acting on his part. As for Jonah Hill as Jordan's best friend Donnie, he was also great in the film though I felt he should have stood out to me more as an actor, though he just didn't. Though I will give him the benefit as when most of his scenes consist of him and DiCaprio, it is extremely hard to hold your own. Others who stood out to me was actually minor roles in the film, these included Matthew McConaughey's small though significant role as Jordan's mentor and friend Mark Hanna. In his short though impacting scene, he had alot of energy and more or less set up for the entire movie. Others who stood out also include Jon Bernthal as Brad, who I actually really liked as both an actor and character as he was just the kind of guy that doesn't care about the money and more about the loyalty of his friends, oh and could also kick your ass if needed. Lastly, the final stand out for me at least was relatively well known actor Jean Dujarin as Jean Jacques Saurel who I also liked as an actor and character as he is more the foreign businessman who is a dick and is very fast talking, and he also seemed to be the polar opposite of Jordan at times which I loved. Overall, the acting was almost perfect if not for the sheer fact that I believe that nothing is perfect. 

Still of Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie and
Jon Bernthal

Overall, The Wolf of Wall Street is without question one of the best films I have seen in a long time and it has made me realise that films like this only come around once in a very long time.

OVERALL: 9.3/10

The Book Thief (2013) Movie Review

THE BOOK THIEF (2013) MOVIE REVIEW

Having hopes for this film, I was obviously expecting something a little more "different". What I wasn't expecting was this film to actually steal something other than books.

Based on the highly acclaimed novel of the same name, The Book Thief revolves around a young girl named Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nelisse) as she has been recently adopted due to the passing of her younger brother. After this unfortunate passing, she has now been adopted by an elderly couple named Hans (Geoffrey Rush) and Rosa Hubermann (Emily Watson). Now subjected to the terrors of WWII Germany, she must know attempt at finding sanctuary in the little town in which she now lives in. For the most part, I actually really enjoyed the entire plot of the film and how it played out. There were just so many elements and emotions that were explored in the film that made this film even more interesting and sickening at the same time. Although I have not read the book, I can say that this story, based on the movie alone, seemed to be reliable enough. Though one thing I am sceptical about is the fact that they focused little on the whole "Book Thief" aspect. Like I said, this may be the same for the book but since I cannot confirm this, I still had to point it out. Overall, the over-bearing message and story that this film held was incredibly effective from beginning to end. 

Still of Geoffrey Rush and Sophie Nelisse

Easily one of the best things this film has going for it was the fact that the source material is more or less timeless. With The Book Thief having such a large fanbase surrounding it, it would be almost impossible for them to screw up this book-to-film adaptation. Luckily for them, they managed to not screw it up as the film managed to tug on all the right string at the right time. And truly, I do mean this as at the end of the film, I was almost about to cry. Anyhow, one of the things that managed to make me do this was for one what was happening on screen and two, the score. Originally I was not aware of this but John Williams is actually the composer for this film and when I listened to a tiny sample again, you really can tell as the score is just impeccable. John managed to place all the right songs in the right places and also managed to make it work for the situation and characters within that scene. To be honest, I myself am actually surprised I cared that much about the score initially upon exiting the theatre as there are only a select number of films where the score stays with me. But never in a million years would I have guessed that this film would have been one of those films. Another thing that I loved about this film was the script as there are just so many quotable lines, with most of them coming from the narrator. Easily one of my favourite lines from the film has to be the first line uttered in the film. This quote, in my opinion, was just so powerful as it actually more or less set up the entire movie which I always find interesting when movies do this kind of thing. 

Still of Ben Schnetzer and Sophie Nelisse

For a film that doesn't hold any well known actors besides Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson, it still manages to showcase some incredible acting talent. Let's start with our lead, Sophie Nelisse who I thought while good, though I could have pictured any young actress playing her. Though since I can't name any I would have preferred, I still think she was great in her role. As for Geoffrey Rush, what can I say that hasn't been said before? This man has won an Academy Award and will more than likely win even more as he is just one of Hollywood's greatest. Oh and he was good in the movie as well. As for Emily Watson, much like Sophie, I feel she could have been portrayed by anyone like her. Even with everything in the film, there was actually one stand out performance that many people may disagree with me on. And that is Ben Schnetzer as Max as I thought he played up the role almost perfectly. Maybe it was just his character that caught me, but I must say that I am surprised that he is not in more stuff, though because of this film, I am almost certain he will get more jobs as his career strives forward. Hopefully. 

Still of Emily Watson, Sophie Nelisse and
Nico Liersch

Overall, I found The Book Thief to be heart warming, heart breaking, funny, interesting and just overall a great movie. With great acting, music and an near endless amount of quotes, this film is more than worth a good watch. 

OVERALL: 7.910

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014) Movie Review

JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (2014) MOVIE REVIEW

I've got to admit. Even for a Tom Clancy film, this is down right generic. But that doesn't mean it's bad right? 

After he recovers from a fatal war injury, Jack Ryan (Chris Pine) is approached by Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner) who offers him a chance to get back in the game. Eagerly accepting his offer, Jack is officially deemed as being a CIA analyst, though when things get out of hand fast, Jack is forced to work the front lines as a full-blown CIA agent. Now a full agent, Jack must stop a potential threat in the form of Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth Branagh). Now let's address the elephant in the room, yes this does sound extremely cliché. And while it is clearly apparent, that does not mean the premise is terrible. In fact, towards the end of the plot, I was genuinely surprised by the turn it went and although the turn may have been a disappointment to me, it was still a shock nonetheless. Overall the plot, while generic, was good enough to keep the film on it's feet through the entire runtime...well..almost. 

 Still of Chris Pine and Kevin Costner(left to right)

Now that that's done, let's get back onto the generic formula of the film. Bad guys are doing stuff to America, America has to go over there and take them down from the inside. While this formula has been done to death about 1000 times before, you know the old saying. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And that's one of the reasons behind this films quality is the fact that it's more or less impossible to screw up. Too be completely honest, if this film had of been god awful, I would have called this a terrible and disgrace of a movie. Though if it was a different kind of film, like for example, a romantic comedy, I would say it's the same stuff we have seen. This means because of the simple fact that this kind of film has been done with different actors and a different director, I can't say anything negative regarding the film. However, one negative I can say about the film is the fact that at the start of the film, it begins picking up which obviously is a good thing. And then suddenly, in the middle of the film, it suddenly decreases in intensity and becomes an incredibly boring "action" film. While this didn't stick with the film all the way to the end, I can easily say that the parts when it was boring were my least liked parts of the film. However, these boring parts were made watch-able due to the wide variety of performances given throughout the movie.

Still of Keira Knightley and Kenneth Branagh
(left to right)

As for the acting, I felt it was the biggest thing this film had going for it. If it wasn't for the performances given, I would have said they were simply generic and bad. Let us start with our main protagonist in the film, Chris Pine and too be honest, I found him the least interesting and the most generic out of them all. For a character that almost dies is more or less paralysed for a long period of time, it would make sense to make him the most interesting. Though thankfully, this character is made up by the next two actors, Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Costner. As for Branagh, I felt he played his part up spectacularly. Since he is actually the director of the film, it does make sense for his character in particular to be the most interesting, which he is. This guy is the kind of character that shows intimidation and utter anger in a very sophisticated and classy way, which I always like in an antagonist. As for Costner's character, I felt he was particularly interesting as the plot doesn't give you any background behind him besides his ranking in the CIA. Though the main reason I loved this character was because of Costner's performance as although people may disagree with me, but I believe Kevin Costner is still one of the best actors in Hollywood. Every role he puts himself into he brings such realism and charisma to just makes it a pleasure to watch him on screen. As for Keira Knightley's character.....I mean...she was just generic and could have been replaced by anyone, so moving on. Overall, the performances given were strong and managed to surpass other movie's like it.

Still of Kevin Costner lining up his shot

Overall, I'm not sure what else I can say. This film while good, was just so generic and sometimes a little too complicated. However, since I can't go against my own quote, I have to say that this film is actually worth watching. Even though you've probably seen it in a different form. 

OVERALL: 7.0/10