PeterVincent's Reviews

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I haven't seen any of the Trsnsformers movies yet but I always figured I'd like them if I came across them. This one sounds horrible though.



I've never thought the Transformer films were for me and, having seen about 40 minutes of the third one, I was pretty sure that was the case, so I don't really have any feelings towards this pos. However, I did wonder whether this would be a film too far for the franchise when I picked it for the Box Office challenge and, in that regard, this review really isn't helping.

Here's hoping the worldwide take carries on where the last one left off, because I think that's the only chance I have.
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5-time MoFo Award winner.



Lets do one of my favourites from the 80's...



Fright Night (1985)

Hey PeterVincent? What's your favourite vampire movie? Well, it's probably the one in which there is an actual character called Peter Vincent.

The film centres around a schoolboy named Charlie Brewster, who after peeking through his window at his new neighbour discovers that vampires exist and his neighbour Jerry is one of the creatures of the night.

What makes this movie so good? Or bad? Well it's the 80's style, over-the-top acting and special effects that make the movie what I call a 'guilty pleasure'. The film has more cheese than a Joel Schumacher movie, and yet manages to entertain from start to finish.



One of the best things about the movie is Peter Vincent played by Roddy McDowell, a TV show host who is paid by Charlie's friends to help him. The character is funny, cheesy and somehow kicks vampire hide even at an old age.

The film is filled with some of the best practical effects i've ever seen (mainly the wolf transformation towards the end) and the remake is well worth a look too.

Overall Fright Night is a very entertaining movie, and bring your nachos because there is plenty of melted cheese with this 80's flick.

Nice to see some love for Fright Night...Roddy McDowell was brilliant.



Precious tritium is what makes this project go.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes



"You. Are. Not. Ape."

Visually powerful and emotionally compelling, Matt Reeves' take on Caesar and the apes is noticeably more mature than the fairly grounded prequel/reboot that came out a few years ago.

Andy Serkis gets rightful top billing and is essentially the protagonist of the movie for the first half hour until Jason Clarke comes in, and even then the ape story takes priority over the human story.



The film succeeds mainly through it's ability to invest you in the most unlikely of characters, and even the ones that aren't in the movie enough to be related to or noticed as a major plot point (such as Gary Oldman) have their brief moments of relatable emotion and circumstance (such as the scene with the iPad).
The action is fluent and exciting, although it's mostly eerie tension throughout the first act, the second and third venture into some pretty dark and violent territory that works, but might just be a tad too long.

Sub-plots are scattered throughout and left mostly up to audience interpretation or subtlety, and one point that was hinted at throughout the first film comes back here in a big way and feels like a satisfying payoff to something I expected to happen in the first one.



Overall, Matt Reeves' take works through the element of surprise and emotion, it's hard to see what'll come next (though some typical blockbuster occurrences appear in the third act) and the characters are so interesting you don't even notice and hour-and-a-bit has gone by until the action kicks in. The film does have the occasional slow point, but it works very well with material that's difficult to pull off in a serious manner. This tale of apes sets itself up for a sequel, but if it ended here it would still feel like a satisfying conclusion to a series that has surprised me two-in-a-row.

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Oxfords not brogues.



Precious tritium is what makes this project go.
Guardians of the Galaxy



"You said it yourself, b*tch. We're the Guardians of the Galaxy."

If Transformers: Age of Extinction was a film that masturbated AT you, then Guardians of the Galaxy is the film that masturbated WITH you.

It's been a few years since a non-sequel or team up Marvel film and so Guardians of the Galaxy was a risky move. The characters are unknown, and there's a lot of them, and along with that the entire lore is huge and difficult to understand at first glance. It all could have gone horribly wrong...

Ha.

Picking a favourite character was extremely difficult, picking a favourite scene was even more difficult and picking a favourite quote was virtually mission impossible because I was laughing so hard I couldn't hear a lot of the time.

The ensemble is incredibly fantastic, the direction and design is phenomenally dense and endlessly interesting and the story is handled with enough lore and fascination to captivate the most passionate of Marvel fans whilst also being followable to new audiences.



It's exceedingly difficult to put into words how blown away I was by Guardians of the Galaxy, and it's been a very long time since I've felt like I'm watching a movie so fresh and yet somehow so familiar. I was treated with so many loveable elements I feel oddly overwhelmed and excited to see this one again next week with my eyes peeled for more background eggs and gags.

James Gunn did some damn good, and Josh Brolin...god damn.

Also they made a certain hated Marvel character canon...and I'm cool with that.

PeterVincent Drax.




Looking forward to GOTG tonight. Really surprised at the love it is getting. I hope to love it of course. Not sure how I feel about your opening line of the review PV. You certainly paint a picture.
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Letterboxd



Enjoyed your review and I liked this movie...I think Tom Hardy is amazing but I hated Anne Hathaway as Catwoman...I don't know, she just came off as a little girl playing dress up, I just didn't buy her in the part...hell, I liked Halle Berry better than Hathaway.



I have never even heard of this film, but your review really piqued my curiosity about it. It sounds really interesting and I have nothing against Zac Efron.



Precious tritium is what makes this project go.
Avengers: Age of Ultron



"Like the old man said, together."

As this is the 11th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, here are 11 things to like, and to dislike, about Age of Ultron.

Things to Like

1) Because each character (the main ones, at least) has previously been introduced, we don't need 40 minutes dedicated to assembling them such as the first adventure. Here, the team is already together from the opening sequence, and we can 'marvel' in all of their united glory. Characters like Thor and Hawkeye get plenty of focus to make up for the first film, and every other hero in the team feels fully explored and fleshed out.

2) Joss Whedon twists his own formula, teasing you with a certain event enough for it to seem like foreshadowing, only to completely pull the rug and trick you with another twist to cover that one. (You'll know it when you see it).

3) Captain America is the man.

4) Ultron, when in action, is a pretty sweet character. When we see him alone or with a few people, his dialogue is just exquisite to behold. He's funny, intimidating, and despite my initials doubts, he looks pretty good...until maybe the end.

5) The mid-credits tease makes you wish you could leap forward to the next Avengers film and not have to watch another Thor movie.

6) Wait...I want to watch the next Thor movie! His quest sounds pretty cool if this is the basis!

7) Although the trailers show way too much, most of the big reveals near the end are kept spoiler-free. Unless you read a little too much wikipedia. Also, a certain someone didn't cameo like they were reported to?

8) Come the end of it all, the experience is pretty loveable. Joss Whedon fills the film with his signature humour, awesome sequences, and memorable moments. It's genuinely quite sad that this is his last Avengers flick, but he ends it with a moment that is so Whedon you cannot help but laugh.



Things to Dislike

9) Ultron's origins are rushed so much that it's almost like an episode of Avengers Assemble on Cartoon Network.

10) The romance is cute, but it doesn't quite feel as natural as it should have.

11) Third act doesn't ease in like it should, and a certain villain begins to look an awful lot like Megatron.

Overall, despite a few problems that make the experience a little jumpy, Avengers: Age of Ultron is a joyride and an excellent time at the cinema. I enjoyed it, along with a massive crowd, and I will certainly see it again. Hopefully a rewatch will make the experience even better, but until then Age of Ultron is a spectacular time, but it isn't as good as the previous MCU film, Guardians of the Galaxy.

Bring on Civil War! ...oh, and Ant-Man.






Precious tritium is what makes this project go.
(Imported from Letterboxd)

Star Trek Beyond



Refreshing, exciting, joyous, and filled with a glee that the franchise hasn't had in a while, Star Trek Beyond is a triumphant celebration of 50 years of Trek.

Taking place during the Enterprise's 5-year-mission, Beyond shows a tired and overworked Kirk, sombrely attempting to end his troubled career early. Docking at the newest and farthest Federation space-station, the crew prepare to go on a rescue mission to the furthest reaches of the frontier.

Justin Lin takes the helm from J.J. Abrams flawlessly, gone are the lens flares, but retained is the rocketing pace and fluent direction. Instantly we are taken back to the characters we loved from 2009's Star Trek with a touch of The Original Series in for good measure. Into Darkness almost seems like a troublesome dream you had a few years back once the humorous banter and action begins to take place.

The film goes for a much smaller scale than previous films in the new series. The mission is straight out of an episode of The Next Generation and, unlike the previous adventure, Beyond goes for a more original approach rather then a remake of a preexisting story. Thematically it's heaven, we get a wonderful tribute to Leonard Nemoy that actually gives the film an extra layer. We get a nice little sub-plot about unity and family. Pine gives us a more nuanced performance, and successfully sells the wrap-up of a minor plot given to us in 2009's Star Trek.

There are a fair few flaws. Idris Elba's Krall is intimidating and a great use of practical make-up, however, he falls quite flat. Not dissimilar to 09's Nero, the villain struggles to shine alongside the stellar crew of the Enterprise. His ultimate revelation and twist comes way too late during the climax, and despite his story really giving Kirk's an extra punch, it can't help but stick out like a Shatner in a Tribble-stack. In addition, Justin Lin sometimes struggles to shoot action in the same vein as Abrams. The camera swerves and swoops, but struggles to capture some of the wonderfully choreographed set pieces.

However, to Elba's Krall there is a Boutella's Jaylah. To Lin's troublesome fistfights, is a cheer-worthy character moment. The new allies and supports are wonderful, energetic and fast paced. The climax celebrates our heroes in ways that the previous films just couldn't. The film just feels like a breath of fresh air.

It's not perfect, and far from the best Star Trek, but Beyond is a celebration of the series and a genuinely fun experience. It's not exceptionally heavy, but it is light popcorn fun with a lot of emotion and character to satisfy Star Trek fans and general audiences alike. We get lovely send-offs to some of the actors we've lost, and subtle nods to the franchise's long past (a lot of it is blink-and-you-miss-it compared to the 'fan service' from Into Darkness). Star Trek Beyond is a great time that should hopefully appeal to many, and it certainly appealed to me.

Bring on that Bryan Fuller series, and live long, and prosper.






Red Eye



And now for a movie that I quote frequently and nobody ever understands what i'm on about, a movie from 2005 by Wes Craven that is often forgotten amongst the majority of people, I am, of course talking about Red Eye.
Hated this movie but respect your opinion and enjoyed reading your review.



Precious tritium is what makes this project go.
Doctor Strange
[letterboxd import]



As a fan of the character (one of the few times I've read almost everything I can before seeing the movie), I enter Doctor Strange with a little bias. Is it the perfect Marvel film, is it everything you've wanted as a fan of the comic? No, that's probably The Avengers. Is it the worst Marvel MCU film ever! They ****ed it up! Critics paid them out! ...No, **** you. That spot belongs to Iron Man 2 or Thor: The Dark World. Doctor Strange is exactly what it needs to be; a lighthearted introduction to a massively different lore to the rest of the MCU.

Enter Benedict Cumberbach as the titular egotistical surgeon turned sorcerer. Eggs Benedict does a fine job here, sporting an American accent that is actually not distracting at all (I had my worries). Our hero is written wonderfully by C. Robert Cargill (Carlyle from Spill.com for all you film critic fans of yesteryear out there), and taken straight out of the pages of the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko era. Stephen Strange is full to the brim of flaws, his ego being the primary one. His overconfidence and narcissism land him in an accident, permanently damaging his control of his hands. Enter, Nepal.

Strange is introduced to a whole new universe in his search for a cure. Tilda Swinton's Ancient One finds Strange and shows him the way of the mystic arts to cure himself...and find a new path to his destiny.

As said before, it's not perfect. Derrickson directs the flick with confidence and a keen eye for bizarre visuals. Visuals is a word you'll hear a lot of when discussing the film, because that's certainly the main draw. Worlds bend, twist, flip and universes smash together in a wave of trippy effects and fluorescent colour. It's a wonder, but also a distraction from a pace that's just a little too fast for it's own good. When the film stops to let characters breathe, reflect, interact and develop, it's ****ing great. A late scene between Cumberbach and Swinton is probably the best example of strong development in the MCU, but similar moments are lost in the breakneck race to the climax. The films itself is a wonder, but does let itself down with a surprisingly short runtime. I was amazed when it ended, thinking that there could have easily been another 30 minutes and nobody would have felt it.



The same problem of weak villains emerges here, but it's far more forgivable than say, Thor: The Dark World. The focus is where it should be; Dr. Stephen Strange. Our hero has a brand new journey, and a whole different universe to introduce us to, and I am pleased that the film takes time to ease us into it, and then let it explode all around us.

Supporting characters here are fantastic. Benedict Wong is the highlight as a Librarian of the Mystic Arts, and Chiwetel Ejiofor is excellent as the dramatic anchor and a character that fans of the comics will know all-too-well. I've mentioned it, but characters are really where the film excels.

Michael Giacchino graces the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his presence and gives us one hell of a score. Unlike some of the more generic tunes of Age of Ultron, Giacchino lets the visuals boom even more with wonderful and wacky tunes. Not to take credit away either, as the dramatic moments are increased by his subtle notes and touches. I don't bring scores up too much, but this is one of the MCU's best.

Doctor Strange isn't a masterpiece. It has it's flaws, but it also has some solid gold strengths. It'll please crowds and fans of the comic, and it certainly tickled my fancy plenty. Strong characters, visuals, score and writing elevate the thinner story and disappointing villain ( and from Hannibal Lecter himself!). It's a great character-piece with a fun ride attached to it, and certainly better than what most of 2016 has given us.




I am the Watcher in the Night
(Imported from Letterboxd)

Star Trek Beyond



Refreshing, exciting, joyous, and filled with a glee that the franchise hasn't had in a while, Star Trek Beyond is a triumphant celebration of 50 years of Trek.




Oh man, I liked your reviews but I gotta disagree with this. I enjoyed the first move in this trilogy but since then everything is so tired and there is way too much of that guy whos name I've forgotten. The Shaun of the Dead guy. There was too much of him in the last MI movie too.
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"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn"

"I need your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle"



Precious tritium is what makes this project go.
Mission: Impossible Fallout
[letterboxd import]

https://letterboxd.com/keeganeatspie...sible-fallout/



The TITANIC of it's genre. Mission: Impossible Fallout is, to put it lightly, an absolute epic.

I once was captivated by my best friend throughout most of high school, and the way he would describe his infectious love for Terminator 2: Judgement Day. I envied him, and the sheer passion he had for the film. Not to say that cinema experiences haven't shaken and shaped my life; The Matrix, Raiders, Cloud Atlas. All of these and many more have sparked my creativity, interest, obsessions and even captured pieces of my life and shown them back to me in the ways that only film can. However, none of these ever truly captured that unreachable green light that Ricky held in his hands when he talked about the first time he saw that movie,

How he could he ever forget the one experience that changed his life forever?

Tearing through the leather of the seats in the theatre tonight, holding my breath, sighing with relief for a moment only to find the air from my lungs stolen again by a mere film.
Not to exaggerate. But...I found that movie.