Toy Story 4 (2019) Movie Review

TOY STORY 4 (2019) MOVIE REVIEW

Major directorial debuts are often hit or miss. Sometimes they turn out to be an instant classic, other times they result in a messy and unfocused mess of a movie. The 4th instalment into the much beloved Toy Story franchise hosts elements of Toy Story 2 making it appear much more of a sequel as appose to a continuation of the franchise. A small detail but one that doesn't factor into the overall quality of this, in layman's terms, fun time at the movies. 

First we are treated to a montage of Bonnie enjoying and playing with all our favourite toys until orientation day at kindergarten beginnings where she literally makes a new friend named Forky (Tony Hale). After Forky has a rough time fitting in with the rest of the gang, Woody (Tom Hanks) assures everyone that Forky is a toy like the rest of them, coinciding with the road trip Bonnie and her parents are about to go on. One night during the car trip however, Forky successfully escapes and forces Woody to track him down with all roads leading to a carnival in a near by town which results in old and new friends pointing out how big the world truly is for a toy. While this story arc has been touched upon in Toy Story 2, it defiantly feels expanded upon from the second film as we are introduced to new places that toys would naturally exist like a carnival, playgrounds and even an antiques shop. All of these locations also blend in well with the overall plot and character arcs that new and old characters are faced with whether it be Woody clinging to the past or Bo Peep looking ahead at what the world has in store for her. 

Like any good sequel, Toy Story 4 introduces audiences to new and hilarious characters including Ducky and Bunny (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele) and Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) but my favourite character in the entire movie, without question, was Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves). Reasoning for this was because not only were all of his jokes surrounding him failing his previous child but his character was necessary to drive the plot forward. While characters like Ducky and Bunny were extremely funny and arguably provided the biggest laughs, Caboom's arc and character in general was a necessity for the story to continue which is something I can always appreciate. Which brings me to my biggest problem with the movie. The inclusion of these new characters ultimately meant that others didn't get a real chance to shine like all of the characters in the first three movies. Jessie, Mr and Mrs Potato Head, Rex and many others were sidelined in this movie as the film wanted to focus on mainly Woody, Forky and Bo Peep. Devils advocate but I did like this change of pace in the middle of the movie but when I realised that the rest of the gang never got a chance to shine besides like one or two short scenes, I left the movie feeling a little disappointed. While they did have reason for this as shown through the film's climax, it ultimately left the movie with a gaping hole of nostalgia. 

Overall Toy Story 4 can be described in one word. Unnecessary. Although director Josh Cooley attempted to make a new and exciting story for our characters to explore, the similarities to other movies in the franchise is glaring and took me out of it. By no means a bad movie however as the inclusion of new characters pushed the film through the darkness and although the end of the movie did leave me a little sad, Toy Story 4 ends up being the weakest film in a franchise filled with classics. Now let's take our ball and hang up Woody's hat once and for all. 

OVERALL

7 / 10

Men in Black: International (2019) Movie Review

MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL (2019) MOVIE REVIEW

Since 1997, the Men in Black have been keeping the world safe from extraterrestrial threats in a charming and action-filled manner. Three films later MIB has been through some hits like Men In Black 3 and unfortunate misses like the second installment. Despite some highs and lows for the franchise, Men in Black: International offers a genuine connection between our two leads alongside a predictable, by-the-books plot. 

Molly (Tessa Thompson) has been addicted to extra-terrestrial beings all her life after meeting one when she was a young kid as Men In Black agents did not neuralize her. Now she is continually on the hunt for life among the stars and through this manages to find their agency. Finding their agency proves to be both a curse and blessing as although they threaten to neuralize her memory, Agent O (Emma Thompson) instead puts her on a probation job teaming with one of MIB London's best agents, Agent H (Chris Hemsworth). While their partnership doesn't start off smooth, mutual circumstances manage to convince them otherwise after learning there is a mole in the Men In Black. A story which we've all heard before though does prove to be a sound one as the possibilities on who the mole could be is welcome and while it is fairly obvious who it ends up being, the simple plot device is meant to take a back seat to the main reason this movie exists. The humour and chemistry between Hemsworth and Thompson.  

As previously stated, the driving force behind this fourth installment to the franchise is the chemistry between our two leads and thankfully is easily the best part of the movie. Chris Hemsworth despite starting off as a pretty boy stereotype soon evolves into a much deeper and meaningful character. Well...for a Men In Black movie. Opposite him we have Tessa Thompson’s character of Agent M who plays a very by the books kind of person and manages to be an easy standout in this film and was my favourite character in spades. Their personalities compliment each other near perfectly and have deep character building moments for both ends of the spectrum whether it be H's personality change in recent years or M's choice of work over love. Either way, both work very well. Halfway through the film we are introduced to our comic relief of the movie Pawny (Kumali Nanjiani) whom at first was shoehorned into the story for no reason other than comedic affect and while that remains true for the remainder, Pawny's inclusion surprisingly brings a much needed light hearted tone of comedy and plays off the others very well. Kumali's delivery and timing makes him not perfect for the role but instead sound which is never a bad thing. 

Overall Men In Black: International was a movie. There's no denying that. With a predictable plot and OK comedy, this latest installment proves that while it was nice to see a new Men In Black film, it also says a lot about the franchise as a whole and shows why the series needs to come to it's conclusion. Although not a bad film, it was a forgettable one. Which is worse depending on how you interpret it. 

OVERALL

6 / 10

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019) Movie Review

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM (2019) MOVIE REVIEW

2014's John Wick was a much needed breath of fresh air for the action genre as it delivered a compelling protagonist alongside enthralling fight sequences and choreography. As a result it became a near instant hit and a great film to kick off a brand new film franchise. Thus we would be introduced to the 2nd instalment which like a good sequel should, upped just about everything from the first by exploring Wick's story and characteristics further. Now we arrive at Parabellum which ups the ante for our protagonist in terms of action though at the cost of exploring the man behind the madness.

We begin where the previous left off. John Wick (Keanu Reeves) has committed a hanus crime amongst the assassin's guild by killing a member of the High Table. Now he has a $14 million dollar bounty on his head and with little to no help, John Wick must avoid hit men and women looking to claim the reward. John Wick films have had the good fortune of being able to have simple plot lines of the surface but making up for that by exploring the world surrounding the assassin. Starting off in the bright lights of New York City, we are soon introduced to new sceneries including ballet theatres, exotic countries and even the desert plains. All of which are welcome to the franchise and all are incorporated flawlessly into the story and never feel out of place. Perhaps the best thing Parabellum does as sequel is that it explores the world of John Wick drastically as not only are we shown new locations but new story elements and characters which is handled well as world-building. 

As the film goes on, we are introduced to many new and old characters in the franchise. One of the more notable additions is Sofia (Halle Berry) who does a fair job in this movie and while they do give her minor motivations, they aren't fully flushed out and unfortunately seem like they needed a reason for Halle Berry to be in the movie. While she does serve an important role, tweaks to the script could easily write her out of the story and little to nothing would change. But I'll honest, her dogs were adorable. Other stand out characters include Winston (Ian McShane) returning from the previous instalments who serves as an ally and friend to John Wick and is one of my favourites as they do explore his motivations drastically in this story. Another new character introduced who plays the role of her name is The Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon) and does a good job of progressing the story and serves as good opposition to John Wick's almost rebel role by being all business all the time as her screen name implies. Unfortunately this conflict isn't explored further and John's emotions and character takes a back seat to all the new elements introduced and although we learn little things hear and there about him, we never truly learn how he feels about all this happening. This of course being a result of his character which while a great one, feels like he is just a passenger in this journey. 

Overall John Wick 3 was a great ride. If you are looking for a film that has great fight choreography and action or just a well-done sequel, this is the one for you. Even with very minor flaws including Wick's character and some story elements, Parabellum will leave you wanting more and by the sounds of the ending, it looks like thats exactly what we are going to get. And I couldn't be more stoked to see more of this ballet of blood. 

OVERALL

8 / 10