Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

IMDB

First time viewed: Yes

Current Release: Yes

Watched With: Tyler, Michael

Much like Transformers, I have no real attachment to the source material, although I did watch the old cartoons on occasion growing up. Rewatched the pilot episode beforehand to get in the mood. It's not so great. But it tells pretty much the same story as this film, although with much less action and in 20 minutes. 

Although Michael Bay's name is on all the advertising, it's Jonathan Liebesman's film. Either way neither of them seem to know how to make a plain ol' FUN movie, but it's the closest Liebesman's gotten since Darkness Falls. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles does not need to be a serious movie. And the script here really does try to keep things fun. I don't know why they insist on adding in guns when all the characters are supposedly ninjas but apart from that the film skews much younger than I was expecting. It's not shockingly gratuitous or violent and actually feels like a film you could take younger kids to enjoy.

The turtles have that many slight variations to their origin story that one more's not going to hurt. But there are some questionable details, like Splinter teaching himself karate from a manual rather than learning it by copying his human master. And just like the recent Spiderman series, hey feel the need to reign in the extended world by making April a part of the origin story. I hate that Hollywood today feels the need to have all the major players in place from the outset, characters can't just get caught up in a new world and taken along for the ride, they have to had something to do with its inception too.

Shredder is really overblown here. A bit of a dud villain with a really boring evil plan.

These a nitpicks though. The story and action are serviceable as are the cast. Casting William Fichtner does not work as a stealth bad guy. Will Arnett comes off as creepy trying to get into April's pants. Megan Fox does well enough with the broad strokes her character is painted with. That goes for all the turtles as well. You got a science/tech nerd, the comedy relief and the angry tank and leader who always but heads. The animated movie did a much better job with the characters but I don't think they have as much screen time in this one. Probably because of how much more expensive they are. The suits in the old live action movie hold up guys, just saying.

Now, perhaps I'm just numb to expensive blockbusters because we're over saturated with them but this film felt surprisingly smaller and contained. I think the ridiculous excess of Transformers 4 left me with expectations for how horrible and overblown this would be. But it's all pretty contained within 3 or 4 locations, has a relatively small main cast and only 3 action set pieces, the snow chase being the most fun. And a glorious running time of under 2 hours. 

Brian Tyler's score jumps from action blockbuster to cartoon and I didn't really care for it. But it's the most bubbly score I can recall from him.

There should be a drinking game for every time someone says "mutagen". It's a pretty shoddy macguffin.

Serviceable is the word I keep coming back to. It's way less offensive than Transformers, a much happier film too. The origin story is questionable, as are the villains, and we dent really get that much time to know the titular characters but all that could be improved with further instalments should there be any. On its own it's a pretty forgettable but inoffensive film. 

Shrooms

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Tyler, Kate

This was a fun little horror from a few years back. Group of teens tripping out on Shrooms in the woods and there's a psycho killer with them. ad one of the girls claims to see the future. There's some nice moments throughout but a few too many times relying on the it-was-all-a-dream scenario that makes the audience not really trust anything they are watching. Unreliable narrators don't always make for good horror investment. I do enjoy the ending though.

Cube

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Kate

Hey guys, remember Cube?

Man, it's been an age since I last saw this little gem. It was an obsession back when it first came out. Vincenzo Natali made a heck of a debut with this low budget sci-fi thriller. And it looks great on bluray too.

The film really holds up, it's just how I remember it. Some of the acting seems a little broad but the fx, the sound, the score and the gore, all great. It's once of those concepts that are written from the ground up to be cheap but still filled with really cool ideas. The best. So good to refresh this one. more like it please. (And no, the sequel and the prequel don't count.)

Predestination

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler, Michael

The Spierig Brothers' latest is a neat little umm... thriller? Drama/sci-fi thing? Based on the short story "-All You Zombies-" by Robert A. Heinlein. I foolishly read the synopsis for the short before seeing the film, which was a major spoiler. But even so the big twist reveal at the very end doesn't work because they spell it out quite clearly half way through. 

But putting those troubles aside this was still a well put together number and Sarah Snook gets a hell of a role. 

I do love my time travel and within the space of a month have seen 2 new Australian time travel movies. Madness. This one's central thesis is about a paradox so obviously the time travel logic is going to be a little skewiff but really everything in the film works logically. Except for the whole added conceit of this Bomber and stopping tragedies from happening. That bit doesn't make any sense re. time travel logic. Ah well, it's still a great looking film with a really odd premise that I hadn't seen explored like this before. Good fun.

If I Stay

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

Once again, seeing an average film in Gold Class, this time with the entire cinema to myself, really makes for a much more enjoyable experience but probably coloured my appreciation of the film. It's a weepy little coming of age story of a girl trapped in limbo, remembering her life and figuring out some big decisions.

R.J. Cutler is the latest documentarian to make the jump to narrative features and he's made a pretty good looking film. The young cast make the relationship believable enough to invest in. But the jumping back and forward became a little annoying and although they resolve the biggest question of the film everything else is left unresolved. It certainly makes a statement but after a whole film of getting us to invest in these decisions and not have any of them made by the end, it's a little frustrating. There's a sequel book though, so, who knows.

It's a little wishy-washy for my tastes but certainly a great deal better than some recent young romance films.

Felony

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

Joel Edgerton's morality cop drama is a neat little story, perhaps over stays its welcome a little but the cast are engaging and hold your attention.

Magic in the Moonlight

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler

Woody Allen's latest is a light and fluffy little piece, purportedly a comedy but there's not really any funny moments. It has an alright set up for a romance but the amazing actors are stranded delivering some of the most inept dialogue I've heard from a purportedly well renowned writer in a long time. In his fright to release a movie a year Allen seems to have rushed this one and filmed a first draft, where the ideas for scenes are laid out but what actually happens in them seems to be placeholder.

My guest succinctly described this as and "unapologetic seesaw between blatant exposition and blatant statement of theme." It's bewildering and flaccid and the cast can't save it, though you can see them trying, while they all holiday in France on the films budget. 

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

That title's a mouthful.

This is a fun watch, kind of a Forrest Gump-esque story of an old man going on one last adventure and remembering his life. The present day story is great fun, the memories are pretty great too however within the film they have little to no relevance so it's questionable as to why they are in there at all. I think it could have benefited greatly from just being set in present day, even if it means losing the whimsical history lesson.

Deepsea Challenge 3D

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler

James Cameron's raising the bar. As much as there is some cool stuff in this doco about the expedition and some nice footage (amazing data wrangling, amiright?) I have to admit the one thing that really stood out to me (besides Cameron's impressive ego) was the 3d converted footage from The Abyss. Now all I want more than anything in the world is for that film to get a 3d directors cut theatrical re-release. Oh man, someone make this happen. The Abyss. The Best.

The Lego Movie

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Craig

Write Up.

Fun times!

Cabin in the Woods

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Craig

Non-Spoiler write up here.

Slightly more in-depth write up here.

Always fun to show to someone who knows nothing about the film.

The Inbetweeners 2

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Craig

These vulgar lads are back and this time heading to our shores for more mischief. It's fun to spend a bit more time with these characters, I found the film a bit hit and miss, there's definitely some funny stuff but also a lot of stuff that just didn't connect with me.

What We Do in the Shadows

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Kate, Cicely

Absolutly hilarious. From beginning to end. Wonderful dry and unassuming humour. Flat out loved it. Go see it!

Guardians of the Galaxy

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler

Write Up.

Saw it at the small IMAX. There's a lot to enjoy but those few issues keep nagging at me. Definitely like it more than don't, I'm more excited for a sequel though, now the groundwork's been laid.

Hateship Loveship

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

I was just talking about this film with friends before seeing Skeleton Twins at MIFF. I found it was playing on the plane back to Perth so I thought I'd give it a watch.

Kristen Wiig in subdued drama mode. I like the character but the relationship that's depicted is not really romantic, at least I didn't find it that way at all. It feels like it'll all fall apart not too long after the end credits. Maybe I'm being pessimistic but I found the whole thing very troubling. Maybe I just shouldn't watch films on the plane.