Film views from Sarge

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

I enjoyed the first 'Guardians' film. It was well made and I found it refreshing and it immediately became one of my favourite films that are connected to Marvel in one way or another.
I knew nothing about who the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' were before watching the first film and found the whole thing refreshing in it's approach. Great effects, superb characters and enough of an emotional undercurrent to keep me gripped. It was one of those films that is a pleasant surprise in the same way that 'The Lego Movie' and 'Deadpool' were.

After seeing, and really enjoying the first 'Guardians' film, I was hoping for more of the same. I was not disappointed...



The film continues pretty much soon after the last one ends, and we catch up with the 'Guardians' as they continue to guard the galaxy.

What I liked
The film is pretty much just a continuation of the first one, and everything that I really enjoyed about the first one, continues seamlessly in this. The film looks great with a really imaginative look at the galaxy and different planets and the civilisations that inhabit it.
The blend of humour and action is almost perfect again for this film and it was really well done. The key to this film and the story is the dynamic between the key characters and this is utilised to it's full potential yet again, with the relationship between each character and the other being shown, and the depth and complexity of each.
This was just pure fun and with most 'franchises' like this I hope they stop before they run out of ideas. With this, I totally trust them to keep making these films and that there is a whole galaxy of places and characters to keep it from going stale.
The soundtrack which is a key part of the story, is also tremendous once more.



What I didn't like
There was little about this film that I didn't like.
Maybe the 'sibling rivalry' story was at the risk of going on a little too long, but I think they just got away with it.



Summary
Overall, this film just picked up where the last one left in terms of quality and story. It was a great use of two hours. It was fun, aesthetically impressive and the soundtrack was superb. It was pure fun from start to finish.

Dances with wolves (1990)

I remember as a kid that was a lot of fuss about this film and that it did well.
I also remember that I had watched it because my Dad had it on VHS.
There is a vague memory that I found it boring. I was 11 at the time of it's release and so will have been 12 when I watched it. I was always going to struggle with a 3 hour film at that age and never mind one that is so dialogue heavy.

I was delighted when it was nominated on the HoF tournament, as I hadn't watched it since that first time and was almost certain that I would understand it more this time and almost certainly appreciate it more.



The film stars Kevin Costner (above) playin Lt. John Dunbar who after being named as a hero requests to be posted to the Western frontier. He gets his wish but find the post deserted. He remains faithful to his posting and keeps a journal, which also serves as the narrative to the film.

He comes into contact with various animals and people whilst there, and eventually he finds himself face to face with a tribe of Sioux.



What I liked
I loved so much about this film. The key thing for me is that I found it totally believable from start to finish. I was invested and immersed throughout.
The writing, acting and directing were superb and woven together created a special piece of film. I felt empathy with many of the characters throughout and the film took me on an emotional journey as well as a visual one.
I thought the cinematography to be spellbinding. The way it was shot simply captured the time and place that it was meant to portray. I was utterly convinced that these shots were taken at the Western frontier in the late 1860s.
The costumes seemed authentic and convincing, as did all of the characters.
One of the things that I appreciated most was the subtle, yet powerful story of the film with key messages of humanity throughout.



What I didn't like
I am seriously struggling to find anything that I didn't like about this film.
The one thing that comes to mind is questions about how easy it seemed for 'Stands with fist' to recall vocabulary in order to communicate. It was more of a question than a problem though.
Apart from that nothing comes readily to mind.



Overall
I loved this film. It really was a joy to watch. 3 hours long and I was disappointed that it ended. It has immediately gone into my top 20 films.
Such a well made film and it is easy to see why it won so many awards.
The characters, cinematography, costumes, directing, acting etc were, as I have already said, of a really high quality and they all combine to tell a wonderful story of hope, integrity, friendship, greed, prejudice and so much more. This is a film that has, action, romance, tension and drama, as well as offering so much more.
I am so pleased that it was nominated.

The Hunt (2012)



I didn't know anything about this film when it was nominated in this HoF.
I quickly saw that it was highly thought of, without being made aware of any of the plot.
I had glanced something about it being a somewhat difficult watch, but I didn't know in what way.



The film starts with Lucas (Mikkelsen) who is a teacher that has been working with some younger children than he is used to due to his previous job ending due to a school closure.

A situation arises which sets the whole story into motion and with it a whole host of emotions, both for the characters and the viewer.



What I liked
This movie made me feel, and that is an effective ability of well made films, and well told stories.
It made me feel a lot of things. I felt anger, sorrow, frustration, empathy, injustice and at times absolute rage.
I was fully invested in the story and the majority of the characters and part of that was down to the topics raised in the film, and also in the quality of the film making.
The film was well written, directed and shot. I loved the seasonal reflection in the cinematography, particularly the autumnal scenes in the forests.
I felt that it was a powerful piece of film making for many reasons.



What I didn't like

It was a tough watch, due to some of the subject matter and whereas it was powerful and intentional, I didn't 'enjoy' it as such.
I also found that some of the characters and their actions were utterly nonsensical and unbelievable.
On more than one occasion I found myself saying "That simply wouldn't happen'.
It was ok to a point but after a while I found myself getting frustrated as the story wouldn't have been affected too much if the characters had performed my believably.
The last scene (intentionally so) was a bit ambiguous.



Summary

Overall I thought that the film was really well made. It was solid in all areas, but for me it was slightly unbelievable in some places.
With that said, I was physically tense throughout due to the story, the topic and the acting. I was invested and I was taken on a journey. A key aim of any film, should be to make the viewer feel things. In that area this film truly did deliver.

Baby driver 2017

I knew nothing about this film, before watching it in the cinema this morning. I went in totally blind.
I only learnt that it was Edgar Wright as the opening credits rolled.

Brief plot
The film is about a young man who is the baby faced (hence the name) getaway driver, for some criminals that carry out heists within the city.
If I tell you anything else here, then I risk revealing too much, and seems as though my enjoyment of this film was increased by the lack of exposure to trailers or reviews, I want to afford you that same opportunity too.



What I liked
This film was primarily fun. The soundtrack and the way it complimented the cinematography created a funky environment and I found myself smiling and even throwing out some small shapes in my seat.
The soundtrack was a key part of the film and I thought that it worked superbly well. Baby listens to a lot of music and it is the topic of much discussion and it almost becomes like another character.
Baby is cool. Ansel Elgort does a great job in creating a very likeable character that has an almost apologetic coolness to him. Upon leaving the cinema I was reaching for my ear buds and sunglasses and I live in England, where there is little need for the latter.
The driving scenes were great fun and although pushed the boundaries of believability it was just about enough to not ruin the film. The Fast and the Furious franchise could have learned a lot from this film. Lot's of screeching, drifting, power slides and wheel spins, but it also had the driving scenes to back it up.
There was a slight darkness to the story and to the film. Overall the film didn't go where I expected it to go, and when I had it figured out, it pulled the handbrake and changed direction.
The film stayed true to itself. It knows what it is and doesn't try to be anything else. It doesn't take itself too seriously but doesn't just descend into utter drivel either. I also liked that it was less than two hours long, which is unusual in films today.



What could be better
I found some of the characters just plain irritating and not in the way that you are supposed to be irritated by a character. Some of them were just a bit cliche.
Jon Bernthal plays the same character that he always plays and it was a slight bit tiresome.
The same could be said of the 'Bats' played by Jamie Foxx. I just thought that there really wasn't that much too him.
The last third of the film was slightly messy and didn't seem to flow as naturally as the previous two thirds, but it wasn't so much that I hated it. The last act seemed a bit rushed and I think that it could have been better, but again, I didn't hate it.



In summary
In summary, it was a fun film, that had enough edge to it to make it different.
There was action and some surprisingly dark scenes that stood out from the bouncy feel of the rest of the film. There were also a few scenes and quips that raised a smile.
The soundtrack was excellent and overall it was a pleasant surprise.
I liked it

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Not spoilers as such but some opinions below.

I love Star Wars and I largely loved this.

The last 45 minutes was outstanding cinema.

Downsides were - Too many jokes and forced attempts at comedy. It felt like it was trying to be Guardians of the Galaxy. There were also too many new cute characters. I guess both of them tie in with the Disney ideology, but it was just too much.

Good points - Everything that makes Star Wars great was in there. A couple of goosebump moments. The effects just get better and better.

Will probably keep adding to this review as I process more.

Darkest hour (2017)

I was looking forward to this film as I have always been interested in and inspired by Winston Churchill.
It is obviously also a key part of my countries history and some of the first things that we learnt about in school history lessons.
I like reviewing such films as the risks of spoilers are lower as most people know the general story.
My concerns were that it was going to be more of the same of previous films that we have seen about the subject and the man.
I went in with an open mind and the only expectations that I had was a strong performance from Oldman as there have been plenty of plaudits.



What I liked
Simply put, Everything! I absolutely loved this film. I have seen many films, TV series and documentaries about Winston Churchill and his defiance of Hitler. I have also read some biographies about it.
Oldman was superb and deserves all of the praise that he gets from this performance.
The cinematography was excellent, some really good shots. That is not normally a priority for me in films but I was consistently appreciating the quality throughout the film.
I wasn't fully prepared for how emotive the film would be. I am patriotic, but not really in a flag waving, chest beating kind of way, but this film had me wanting to applaud the speeches that I have read and heard so many times previously.
As stated, I have read and watched so much on the subject and yet before today, i don't think I fully appreciated how precarious the situation was and how different things could have been.
This should be used as a resource for schools wanting to learn about the subject.
I also felt that I understood more about the urgency of the situation in Dunkirk from this film, without a single shot of a soldier or a French beach than I did from the whole of Nolan's film.
One of the stand out things for me about this film was the sense of realism I got from it. It felt real and Oldman portrayed the strength and vulnerability of Winston Churchill simultaneously. The conflicts that existed with Churchill are mirrored by those that surround him and also by those within Europe at the time.



What I didn't like
Nothing. I loved it.


Overall

12 days into the year and I am not sure that I will see a better film this year. A superb piece of film making that may well slide straight into my top 10.
Excellent work from Anthony McCarten and Joe Wright.

This was not a film that initally appealed to me.I am fairly sure that it would have bypassed me had friends that I respect not spoken so highly of it.

There are only a few Superhero films that I have fully enjoyed. I watch most of them, but more often than not I am left disappointed. I find that most Superhero films don't really do what they set out to do. The majority seem to either take themselves too seriously or not seriously enough. I prefer the ones that seem to operate within a more obvious genre, or at least try to be distinctive.

The ones that I rate highly include: The Dark Knight Trilogy, Deadpool and Logan. The majority of the rest seem to blend into one another.

I didn't hold out much hope for Shazam, as it even sounded silly and I thought that it would consist of farce and poor jokes.
I haven't read a lot of comics and I have not seen any of David F. Sandbergs previous work either, so I had no real frame of reference.



This was one of those film experiences that I love, the ones where you are simply caught by surprise.

The general premise of the film is that powerful forces for good and evil are looking for heirs or Champions to take their cause forward. One of these is activley pursued and the other falls to a reluctant participant. This transpires into the expected Superhero v Supervillain contest. It is the other ingredients that spoke more loudly to me. The themes of pain, rejection that are directly opposed by hope and family were great at creating a genuine empathy for the characters.
It also captured brilliantly the excitment and juvenile thinking that I am sure I would experience if placed in the title characters shoes.

This film was just pure fun, that was well written, brilliantly acted and knew exactly what it was.It was a perfect blend of a fun Superhero film combined with Big.

Despite it being pure, unadulterated fun it did leave me thinking that Shazam would probably be one of my favourite Superheros to be. The fact that he isn't a proffessional Superhero and that he has a brilliant selection of powers makes him a firm favourite with me.

Overall the film was fun and funny with relatable characters and positive themes.