Category Archives: film review

Netflix Review “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” (2012) #NetflixFilmReview

October 13, 20233/5, film review#MovieReviewsBlog, #NetflixReviews, @MovieReviewsBlo, animation, CGI, comedy, film, film blog, film review, film reviews, film student, films, jump the shark, London, Madagascar, Madagascar 3, Madagascar 3 Europe's Most Wanted, Madagascar 3 MOVIE, Madagascar MOVIE, Monte Carlo, movie review, movie reviews, Netflix, netflix film, Netflix review, New York, New York zoo, Shrek, Terminatorbryanajparry

I don’t know if Madagascar 3 is where the series jumps the shark or where it realises its potential

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted sees our groups of lovable ~~archetypes~~ animals — the leader one, the wise-cracking sidekick one, the neurotic skinny one, and the chunky bombastic one that the neurotic skinny is in love with — back for a new adventures in every location bar Madagascar.

The lack of time spent in Madagascar must surely open the producers up to false advertising, as this time round we’ll be taking in a tour of Monte Carlo, London and New York, as our animals struggle to get back home to their New York zoo after their penguin-piloted plane has another mishap.

I don’t know if Madagascar 3 is where the series jumps the shark or where it realises its potential fully. Or both. It is even less realistic than the previous outings, physics-defying nonsense abounds, and is chock full of exciting set pieces and chases. However, the storyline is far more developed, with our crew at one point finding itself involved in a travelling circus troupe. We also have a classic Disney-style crazy female baddie, but rebooted post Terminator era — an unstoppable adversary.

This threequel is simply full of so much stuff. Nonetheless, on the whole the balance is just right. Plus, the jokes are amusing, and there are fewer cultural references which is a bonus (usually, the references increase as the sequels go on and the writers run low on inspiration).

Entertaining stuff, but it’s no Shrek.

3/5

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Netflix Film Review: “Nimona” (2023) #NetflixReviews

September 25, 20234/5, film review#NetflixReviews, a Netflix Film, ADHD, Ambrosius Goldenloin, Ballister Boldheart, Drag Race, film, film blog, film review, film reviews, LGBT, LGBTI, movie, movie blog, movie review, movie reviews, movies, ND Stevenson, Netflix, netflix film, Netflix review, Nimona, Nimona 2023, Nimona MOVIE, RuPaul, RuPaul's Drag Race, The Fifth Element, The Hunger Gamesbryanajparry

Nimona’s zany shtick gets old quick

A disgraced knight, sworn to a code of honour, Ballister Boldheart, and a hyperactive shapeshifter, scorned by all, Nimona, team up to root out corruption at the centre of their kingdom.

Based on the graphic novel by ND Stevenson, and set in a futuristic mediaeval world, Nimona‘s bold science fantasy setting is refreshing in itself and is portrayed gorgeously: the animation, the character and set design, the direction, it’s all a joy to experience. The story zips along and the two main characters make for an entertaining double act, Ballister the straight man and Nimona the comedy man.

My use of the terms “straight” and “man” are a bit ironic, as the film is unashamedly LGBTI+. Ballister is gay, but that is never the focus of the story, and his lover is a dashing man named Ambrosius Goldenloin(!), and then there’s the casting of RuPaul of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame(!) All this plus the science fantasy setting helps to give an enjoyable and slightly campy vibe reminiscent of The Hunger Games or The Fifth Element. Nimona “her”self, the shapechanger, is apparently a cypher for writer ND Stevenson who is “non-binary, or something like it” — his words (he also uses any gendered pronoun).

But that leads us to the only bum note, and it’s a pretty big one: Nimona herself comes off as an ADHD, egoist who is hyped up on a speedball of caffeine, sugar and E numbers 102, 104, 122, 129 and 211. Basically, she is less charming than she is meant to be; her zany shtick gets old quick. Stevenson has also stated that he himself has ADHD and is bipolar; Nimona is basically Stevenson, or something like it. Setting aside LGBTI+ issues for a moment, any character this hyperactive, unstable and egoistic who does not have an arc where they try to fix that aspect of themselves — indeed, that aspect is lauded — is always going to make for an irritating and hard-to-sympathise-with character. Stevenson would have done better to divorce the non-binary narrative from his own ADHD and bipolar. There seems to be no real reflectiveness on this character flaw or even acknowledgement that this is indeed a character flaw; where is Nimona’s journey?

Nonetheless, this is a very entertaining film. Beautiful and quirky. It’s just a shame Nimona wasn’t slightly more likable or on a journey to overcome her character flaws.

4/5

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Netflix Film Review: Cargo (2017)

September 17, 20234/5, film review#NetflixReviews, 28 Days Later, Aborigines, apocalypse z, Australia, Australian horror, Ben Howling, Cargo 2017, Cargo MOVIE, Danny Boyle, hiking horror, horror, horror film, horror movie, Martin Freeman, Netflix, netflix film, rotten tomatoes, Simone Landers, social horror, Susie Porter, The Babadook, The Future is Fragile, The Outback, Thoomi, Usain Bolt, Wolf Creek, Yolanda Ramke, zombie, zombie apocalypse, zombiesbryanajparry

a cerebral human drama … unlike any other zombie flick you’ve ever seen

Stranded in the Australian Outback after a zombie apocalypse, Andy (Martin Freeman) tries to navigate the dangerous terrain to safeguard the life of his baby daughter. But he must battle not only zombies and other desperate humans who will do whatever it takes to survive, but also the enemies within which threaten to derail his bid to save his daughter’s life.

Cargo is a refreshing take on the zombie apocalypse delivered coolly by debutantes writer-director Yolanda Ramke and co-director and producer Ben Howling based on their own 2013 seven minute short film of the same name.

I don’t even want to call it a zombie film. Why? Because that will turn off the prospective audience for what is a cerebral human drama. It really is different to any zombie flick.

The beautiful but stark Australian landscape, believable performances from Martin Freeman and his on-screen wife Kay, Susie Porter, as well as Andy’s guide through the wilderness Thoomi, Simone Landers in her debut role, and the realistic-feeling portrayal of an aboriginal culture, make this film unlike any other zombie flick you’ve seen.

Ramke and Howling deserve extra credit for never going in for cheap scares or thrills, resisting the urge to Wolf Creek it up, and having the confidence to tell their epic story in their own way and at their own pace. It even made for a fresh change to see a return to the shambling, disco-ordinated zombies of yore rather than the Usain Bolts we’ve come used to after 28 Days Later.

A gem that’s well worth it’s 88% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. An artistic (but not artsy or pretentious), visually compelling, refreshing take on the zombie genre.

4/5

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“Choose or Die” (2022) #100WordReview #NetflixReview

September 4, 2022100 word review, 3/5, film review#MovieReviewsBlog, #NetflixReviews, @MovieReviewsBlo, a Netflix Film, Asa Butterfield, Eddie Marsan, Elm Street, film, film blog, film review, film reviews, film student, films, Freddie Kruger, horror, horror film, horror movie, Iola Evans, movie, movie blog, movie review, movie reviews, movies, Netflix, netflix film, Netflix review, RADA, Robert Englund, scissor hand, scissor hands, survival game horror, survival horror, Toby Meakinsbryanajparry

Think “Horror Jumanji”

After starting up a previously undiscovered survival horror video game from the mid-80s, “Curs<r”, a young programmer’s world is torn apart as the game unleashes real world horror. Think “Horror Jumanji” or “Ring + Saw”.

Choose or Die is the feature debut from British director Toby Meakins, and stars young and old British talent such as Iola Evans, Asa Butterfield, Eddie Marsan and, err, Robert ~~England~~ Englund (well, he did go to RADA).

The film is tense, genuinely horrifying, and one of the trials is truly disturbing. It’s a bit different, but nothing revolutionary. There are some weaknesses in the plot and acting.

A strong and enjoyable horror flick.

3/5

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The Promise (2016) #NetflixReview #ArmenianGenocide

July 30, 20224/5, film review#MovieReviewsBlog, #NetflixReviews, @MovieReviewsBlo, Angela Sarafyan, Armenian Genocide, Armenians, Charlotte le Bon, Christian Bale, film, film blog, film review, film reviews, film student, films, First World War, First World War film, historical movie, Igal Naor, James Cromwell, Kevork Malikyan, Marwan Kenzari, movie, movie blog, movie review, movie reviews, movies, Netflix, netflix film, Netflix review, Oscar Isaac, Ottoman Empire, period piece, Robin Swicord, Shohreh Aghdashloo, streaming, Terry George, The Promise, The Promise 2016, The Promise MOVIE, World War One, World War One movie, WWIbryanajparry

shines a spotlight on this awful chapter

Set during the sunset of the Ottoman Empire, The Promise tells the true story of the awful and sadly forgotten Armenian Genocide, where 1.5 million people were brutally slaughtered by the Ottoman and Turkish authorities because of their ethnicity. This is a genocide which, amazingly, the Turkish authorities still bold-facedly deny; therefore, this is an important story that needs to be told.

The film follows a love triangle between an American journalist (Christian Bale), an Armenian artist (Charlotte le Bon), and an Armenian medical student (Oscar Isaac). As the Empire enters the First World War, our trio’s charmed existence spirals into the depths of nightmare.

By focusing on this love triangle, does The Promise belittle or demean the awful genocide by turning the film into a soppy wartime romance? Absolutely not. Rather, we become invested in the Armenian people and their plight directly through our affection for our leads. It allows us to explore the Turkish and Armenian society of the time, and the place of religion and culture.

The acting is first rate. Christian Bale is well-known as one of the most versatile, brilliant, and committed actors of his generation. Oscar Isaac is less well-known to the general public, but his performance here can leave no doubt in anyone’s minds as to his phenomenal talent.

This film wonderfully shines a spotlight on this awful chapter in human history which the Turkish government still refuses to acknowledge.

4/5

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Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa RE-view #NetflixReview #Madagascar

July 25, 20223/5, film reviewBen Stiller, Billy Frolick, Chris Rock, Chris Rock Slap, computer animation, David Schwimmer, Dreamworks, Eric Darnell, fish-out-of-water, Ice Age, Ice Age franchise, Ice Age MOVIE, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lion King, Madagascar, Madagascar 2005, Madagascar MOVIE, Mark Burton, Ross Geller, Sacha Baron Cohen, Shrek, Shrek franchise, Shrek MOVIE, Tom McGrath, Will Smith slapbryanajparry

literally Lion King retold … but Shrekified

check out the RE-view of Madagascar here

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa picks up where Madagascar left off: with our cadre of lovable animal friends trying to escape Madagascar where they were washed up in the original film, Robinson Crusoe style. In a penguin-piloted plane back to New York — what could go wrong? Well, a lot — surprisingly. Short story shorter: they crash land in Africa.

Madagascar 2 takes the charm and the likable characters of the first movie but rounds them out by giving a deep backstory to our fully three dimensional characters (ahem). Yes, we find out the origins of our main protagonist Alex the Lion. Madagascar 2 also bounces along fine, but I couldn’t help but feel that in order to avoid totally rehashing the plot of the first movie as so often happens in light-hearted comedies (Family Affair 1 and 2, Harold and Kumar 1 and 2, Ace Ventura 1 and 2, and so on), the writers decided to shamefacedly go down the plagiarism route: this story is literally Lion King retold with the Madagascar characters but pushed in a slightly Shrekified direction.

There’s the odd cultural reference, as in Madagascar, but thankfully these are few and far between. The jokes are actually jokes, not references.

Unoriginal it may be, and definitely the inferior Dreamworks computer animated franchise of the noughties (Shrek is the undoubted king whose sheen has not been dimmed by the passing of time), it is none-the-less entertaining. Likable characters, a simple story well-told, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is an entertaining way to waste ninety minutes (yeah, it’s a waste — you’re not learning anything here, and there’s nothing philosophical to unwrap).

3/5

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Film Review “The Unforgivable” (2021) #NeflixReview

July 12, 20224/5, film review#MovieReviewsBlog, #NetflixReviews, @MovieReviewsBlo, Aisling Franciosi, Courtenay Miles, film, film blog, film review, film reviews, film student, films, Hillary Seitz, Jon Bernthal, Linda Emond, movie, movie blog, movie review, movie reviews, movies, Netflix, netflix film, Netflix review, Nora Fingscheidt, Peter Craig, Richard Thomas, Rob Morgan, Sally Wainwright, Sandra Bullock, The Unforgivable, The Unforgivable 2021, The Unforgivable MOVIE, Vincent D'Onofrio, Viola Davisbryanajparry

she struggles to reintegrate into a society which refuses to forgive

A young woman (Sandra Bullock) gets sentenced to a long stretch in prison for committing a serious crime, but she struggles to reintegrate into a society which refuses to forgive her past sins.

“Do the crime, do the time”, the idea being that when you get out, you are free to start your life again. But what if the time wasn’t enough to pay off the crime? What if you got off lightly? Wouldn’t you deserve to have your life ruined? The Unforgivable explores the nature of forgiveness and freedom.

We are in no doubt that Sandra Bullock’s life was freer on the inside. Outside she has to regularly check in with her parole officer, she has huge restrictions placed on her life by the State, she has to guard the secret of her past transgressions or face the consequences. But no matter how she tries to get on with it, people will not let the past lie.

There are moments in this film where we can see the powerful acting chops that earned Bullock her Oscar in the magnificent The Blind Side. We never feel the film is bombarding her gratuitously for dramatic effect nor are we made to feel that she was okay to do what she did. No, but we do wholly sympathise with a woman who made a fatal mistake and is simply not allowed to survive.

A wonderful and believable movie. Completely compelling.

4/5

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Madagascar (2005) RE-view #NetflixReview #Madagascar

June 4, 20223/5, film review, re-viewanimation, Ben Stiller, Billy Frolick, Chris Rock, Chris Rock Slap, computer animation, David Schwimmer, Dreamworks, Eric Darnell, fish-out-of-water, Ice Age, Ice Age franchise, Ice Age MOVIE, Jada Pinkett Smith, Madagascar, Madagascar 2005, Madagascar MOVIE, Mark Burton, Ross Geller, Sacha Baron Cohen, Shrek, Shrek franchise, Shrek MOVIE, Tom McGrath, Will Smith slapbryanajparry

… neurotic weed (voiced by an American Jew), and the fat chunky one (voiced by a black person) … racist

Madagascar is a fish-out-of-water tale of a group of zoo animal friends — hippo, giraffe, zebra and, err, lion (they’re from a zoo, they don’t know any better!) — who find themselves stranded on a distant island (no prizes for guessing which one). Can they survive in the wild, and will the jungle threaten to break their relationship as their true animal natures begin to assert themselves? Well, it’s a kids’ film, so no surprises.

Madagascar is a charming film with some lovable albeit unoriginal characters: cool leader (voiced by a white, all-American guy), wise-cracking donkey sorry zebra sidekick voiced by a leading black American stand-up, neurotic weed (voiced by an American Jew), and the fat chunky one (voiced by a black person). Oh, and there’s Sacha Baron Cohen doing a possibly racist generic foreigner voice, again.

But we can’t judge this 2005 flick by today’s somewhat different social mores. The fact that Ross Geller, Sorry David Schwimmer, is part of the leading cast should date this film considerably (no prizes for guessing which of our foursome he is — and no offence to Schwimmer, he is a genuinely talented performer, but let’s be honest — he hasn’t exactly been flush for film roles in the last decade or so, has he?). So how is it as a film?

It’s good. It’s still good. The characters have a balanced relationship between them. There are some great set pieces. There’s the whole emotional journey thing. There’s a friendship hanging in the balance. There’s the odd cultural reference; not too many to charge the writers with laziness, as most of the gags are gags are not “I-know-what-he-is-referencing-!-lol” so-called gags which blight much of the world of comedy these days.

Is it inferior to Ice Age and Shrek? Well, yes. It always was. But it’s a good way to waste ninety minutes.

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Las Elegidas ‘The Chosen Ones’ (2015) #NetflixReview #100wordreview

May 15, 2022100 word review, 3/5, film review#100wordreview, #MovieReviewsBlog, #NetflixReviews, 100 word review, @MovieReviewsBlo, David Pablos, drama, film, film blog, film review, film reviews, film student, films, Leidi Gutiérrez, movie, movie blog, movie review, movie reviews, movies, Nancy Talamantes, Netflix, netflix film, Netflix review, Oscar Torres, people smugglers, prostitution, sex, sex slavery, sex trade, sex traffic, traffickbryanajparry

disturbing

Las Elegidas (‘The Chosen Ones’) follows a fourteen year old who gets kidnapped into sexual slavery by her boyfriend who is himself under the duress of his people-trafficking older brother and father. The boyfriend begs his father but is presented with a stark choice: his girlfriend will be released if he finds another girl to fill her space. So we spend half the film with him seducing another girl, ultimately successfully. His girlfriend is changed forever, however, and is “released” but only to live with the family and under their supervision at all times.

The film was moving. The sex scenes were disturbingly shot, but featured no actual sex. But this made it all the more disturbing as the sex is in our minds.

However, the film ends rather abruptly. Just as a plotline develops about one of the patrons of the brothel being an undercover would-be liberator of the girls, credits roll.

3/5

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Netflix Film Review “Perdida” (2018) #150WordReview #NetflixReview

May 7, 2022150 word review, 3/5, film review#MovieReviewsBlog, #NetflixReviews, @MovieReviewsBlo, Alejandro Montiel, Amaia Salamanca, Carlos Alcántara, Cornelia, crime, crime-mystery-thriller, film, film blog, film review, film reviews, film student, films, Florencia Etcheves, Luisana Lopilato, movie, movie blog, movie review, movie reviews, movies, mystery, Netflix, netflix film, Netflix review, Nicolás Furtado, nunca dejes de buscar, Oriana Sabatini, Perdida, Perdida 2018, Perdida MOVIE, Perdida PELICULA, Rafael Spregelburd, thrillerbryanajparry

totally falls apart, our main players [are] totally incapable

A policeman carries around the pain of the mysterious and unsolved disappearance of her best friend from years before when they were on a teenage night out together. But when she finally decides to reopen the case and investigate it herself, she soon finds herself in danger.

Perdida is a mystery crime thriller with some interesting twists and turns, although you can see one of the main twists coming a mile away. Sadly, the just-about-passable acting totally falls apart, our main players totally incapable of even trying to react normally at several crucial moments; indeed, there is no reaction at all at emotional pay-offs. This weird disjunction between what is happening and the performance of the actors is vaguely confusing and certainly ruins the film’s high points.

A good story, some bizarre acting.

3/5

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Bryan's Magic Lantern Filmhouse

Mostly pithy film/series reviews of Netflix and Amazon Prime