Reign Over Me: Review of X-Men Apocalypse

X-Men: Apocalypse

Director: Bryan Singer

By Alex Watson

Sadly X-Men: Apocalypse marks a low point for Bryan Singers tenure in this Marvel Franchise. Everything we know and love is there is this feature, but too many adjustments and new character injections are what drags this piece down. It is also not helped by its confusing script and flat storytelling. Changing the character arcs and timelines has been in place since First Class rolled onto screens, but here it is just unbearable.

Rising from his tomb underneath the pyramids after many millenniums, Egyptian God En Sabur Nur/Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) plots to drag humanity down to its depths and rebuild a better world. In 1983 society, Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) is attempting to establish a school and has come across a talented by trouble protege Jean Grey (Sophie Turner). Meanwhile, Magneto (Michael Fassbender) has tried to live a normal life until tragedy strikes. When Apocalypse threats to ruin earth, each X-Men has his own conflict.

We all want to love X-Men: Apocalypse, but its moral compass just seems to be skewed. Magneto once again is toying with the idea of being both good and evil. Living in Poland he has settled down with a wife and child before (SHOCK HORROR!) tragedy strikes. Xavier still believes there is good in the man, despite he has routinely betrayed him and committed numerous murders. Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) is also beginning to sink and in this one, she made out to be too much of a do-gooder. Her rousing speeches don't feel genuine and the moral ambiguousness that worked so well has vanished. The new recruits Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) and Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee) makes the strongest impression and give us a key reminder of why we loved these characters before. The pain of youth and curse of their powers go give this picture a much needed emotional relevance.

Things start so well when we see Nightcrawler forced to fight the underwhelming Angel (Ben Hardy) in a rage in the cage match. This is as many thrills as the first hour will provide as Singer then insists of bouncing his audience from story to story to set us up for later. Sadly from this point the story becomes muddled and many of the ideas Singer probably wished to include get stranded. Quicksilver (Evan Peters) who was so effective in Days of Future Past is unable to replicate his form here and also due a questionable plot change it leaves us scratching our head. Jean Turner comes across a promising reboot, but here rather frosty character is hard to warm too. Though her inability to control what is a vastly powerful mind does earn a few extra points

The biggest sin of X-Men Apocalypse comes from its flat and unthreatening villain. All of us growing watching or reading the X-Men cartoons loved Apocalypse as the big bad of the franchise. In this universe is a boring and forgettable presence. Showing his backstory provides us with precious little as we see him transported into the body of a young man. After his transformation, he looks more like a replication of Ivan Ooze from Power Rangers than a God with unlimited powers. The whole picture seems to him going around and absorbing other people's powers. His intentions and his hatred for the modern day are never made explicitly clear but we know he wishes to punish them. How he convinces lonely and unbalanced mutants to join his cause doesn't raise any thrills and despite Oscar Isaac's best efforts, this just feels like a huge letdown.

Even the X-Men performances don't grip us like they should do, Michael Fassbender is beginning to struggle with the eternal good and evil conflict of Magneto. Singer should just choose the direction and let Fassbender do this thing because when he does, he is magnificent at it. James McAvoy, as usual, is great (if underused) as the professor but Jennifer Lawrence's complete redirection as Mystique doesn't feel right. She is settling more into physical aspects of this role, but making her a hero is step back. Kodi Smit-McPhee and Tye Sheridan are marked out well as the new blood of the franchise. SMP in particular is able to project the confusion and vulnerability that makes Nightcrawler so great. Also, he rocks his Michael Jackson Thriller jacket!

On the whole X-Men: Apocalypse is just another big budget blockbuster gone south in what has been a bad year for superhero films. Back to the drawing board boys because the old ideas are becoming stale.

The Odd Couple: Review of The Nice Guys

The Nice Guys

Director: Shane Black

By Alex Watson

You always forget just what a great action comedy writer Shane Black really is. Like Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang before it, The Nice Guys is an effort that successfully blends the buddy comedy element with blistering action. Crowe and Gosling make for a perfect of fear and loathing and their contrasting personas light up Black movie. A witty and sharp script by Black and co-writer Bagarozzi takes us into a dark yet hilarious 1978.

Holland March (Ryan Gosling) is a drunk and washed-up private eye who is currently attempting to look after his teenage daughter Holly (Angourie Rice). Jackson Healy is a man who is paid to beat up guys to stay away from people. Together the pair becomes intertwined over a girl named Amelia (Margaret Qualley) and soon finds themselves knee deep in a conspiracy. Who is behind these seemingly never ending series of events? And how just do they keep getting mixed up?

The principle strength of The Nice Guys seems for the big difference between the two leads. March is a guy whose moral compass is flying in all directions. Bored of life and fed up chasing scumbags he is forever drunk and borderline neglecting his child. Healy is a man who is angry with how the world has become and prefers using his fists to a kind word. Together this is a pair that should avoid each other at all costs. Both are rough and unpolished characters, refreshing although the edges are never quite smoothed over, they still appeal to us on a broad scale. They cross each others paths early when Amelia pays off Healy to beat up whoever has been asking questions about her. Holly is the catalyst for the pair making nice and her sarcastic smarts are a never ending source of use.

When they are attempting to figure how the death of pornstar Misty Mountains (Murielle Telio) fits into Amelia's disappearance, they soon suspect there is a far bigger picture. Black gives the story a heavy ambiguity and each red herring such as a blue-faced man or Kim Basinger's justice department official could be all or nothing. Conspiracies, goons, and unexpected twists always come out of left field. Healy and March are always one step forward but then pegged back another ten. Constantly bewildered at this series of unfortunate events Black is also unafraid to be critical of the hidden corruption that late 70's brought, in particular, the Detroit automotive industry.  Although the story perhaps extends its reach at times, it still runs like clockwork.

For all the excellence of this picture, Black does at time feel like he has added on things unnecessarily. The third act addition of villain John Boy (Matt Bomer) feels tacked on and lacks any real threat. The final showdown at the LA Autoshow does sport some fine physical comedy but lacks the hoped punch. When given such a fine display we are compelled to forgive this oversight. Although he has ruled the scriptwriting world ever since his 80s glory, Black's outings in the director's chair have been few and far between. The Nice Guys is a picture that reminds you of his prowess (oh and the billion dollars he brought Iron Man 3 too). Few have the eye for robust laughs as this man which makes us hope that he returns soon.

Gosling and Crowe are a dream together and their vastly different characters are a riot throughout. Crowe, in particular, gives his strongest performance in some time. A hulking and thumping presence his Jackson Healy is a grumpily funny man.He is also able to give a sense of street smarts which helps them avoid trouble, Gosling is a revelation as the impulsive and drunken March and shows a good eye for physical comedy, especially during his botched stand-off in the men's room. His queasiness at the sight of blood is particularly hilarious, anyone who thought Gosling couldn't do funny please hang your head. Angourie Rice is also a fine young talent as March's witty and bright daughter Holly. Possessing a fine sense of humour to swallow her father's constant misjudgement, she so nearly steals the picture from under her A-list co-stars.

The Nice Guys is a magnificent return to the big screen for Shane Black and will be a high candidate for the funniest film you will see this summer. Just remember when you pay for a job, make sure there are no loose ends.

Mo Money Mo Problems: Review of Money Monster

Money Monster

Director: Jodie Foster

By Alex Watson

While it may lack a certain bite, Jodie Foster's Money Monster is still a fine satire that raises some serious questions about Wall Street Ethics. It doesn't break any new ground it does have an element of fun silliness to it which is capped by a wacky yet composed George Clooney performance. While The Big Short went for the flashy approach, its talk about markets and algorithms because overwhelming. Foster here asks the simple question of how does these millionaires who break the law stay out of prison?

Lee Gates (George Clooney) is a smug host of a network show called Money Monster which gives Wall Street stock tips to viewers. His producer Patty Fenn (Julia Roberts) is weary of his shock-jock persona and wishes he would button it down. One show, a desperate and furious blue collar worker Kyle Budwell (Jack O'Connell) takes Gates hostage live on air and forces him to strap on a bomb. Previously Kyle along with many others lost his life savings on a bad tip by Gates on a company called IBIS owned by Walt Camby (Dominic West) and now he wants Wall Street to pay.

While Money Monster doesn't completely work as a thriller, it still has its merits. Gates is a man who lives for the spotlight and begins every show doing cringeworthy dancing with two backup dancers. When Kyle bursts in and forces him to strap on the vest, Foster manages to inject a needed panic into this scenario. Forget the implausibility that Kyle could sneak in undetected along with this question of whether a truck driver could really build a bomb and go with the flow. Patty is boxed into a difficult corner and the police intervention by Captain Marcus Powell (Giancarlo Esposito) isn't helping a whole lot either.

Previously Gates coerced his viewers into investing with IBIS claiming it was safe. Now the firm has mysteriously lost $800 million in one swoop and Camby is nowhere to be found. Venn and some other producers embark on some investigating to discover to why this sudden dip occurred. This element is entertaining as they continually bug put upon PR lady Diane Lester (Caitriona Balfe). Although this film has its merits it doesn't feel nearly challenging enough, we are aware through Kyle constant explosions about how unaware it is that rich men frequently break the law but go unpunished. Foster, however, seems to want to play it too safely and it leaves us with a flat aftertaste.

While the against time feel does serve Money Monster well, its finale has an air of unbelievability about it. The lies are always being exposed as Camby real destination for the last few days is picked at. There is a more honest approach to this picture than your typical Wall Street picture because it does show the dark underbelly of the trade world. Stripping it back to basics and show a simple story of good guys and villains do make this an easier pill to swallow. Just a shame that Foster decided to go with a slightly overblown ending which sees Gates and Budwell attempt to take on and confront Camby publically. Realistically this whole show would have been long done by this point if the police were allowed to do their thing.

George Clooney has fun with the role of Lee Gates and keeps his head among the increasingly unlikely odds. Embracing his character's arrogance combined with his inner self-loathing, Clooney makes the perfect choice to bring this tale of greed forward (even if his dance moves do need a little work). The real star turn of this piece goes to Julia Roberts who keeps her performance in check as the tension mounts. Not once does she succumb to the urge to phone things in and instead Roberts give a composed turn as a newsroom producer whose in far too deep. Jack O'Connell is a talented performer but he is stranded in this picture with a role that requires him to do little more than shout loudly. With such a raw performer on her hands, Foster could have coaxed out far more than this.

Money Monster might not be the gritty thriller we so hoped for but it does succeed as a witty and zany look at the effects Wall Street can bring. The Big Short may have gotten accolades for its trickery but this piece is more down to earth effort.

Taking Sides: Review of Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War

Directors: Joe and Anthony Russo

By Alex Watson

There was a fear when Captain America: Civil War rolled around that too many cooks would spoil the broth. Joe and Anthony Russo do a marvellous job (no pun intended) of holding the show together amidst so many old and new Avenger additions. Unlike the previous installments, this one is made out to be simply a filler and it has a more morally complex feeling. The small acts of old and new films come ahead in this one and this sparks this summer's most enjoyable film.

After a mission in Nigeria goes disastrously wrong, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) and Natasha Romanov (Scarlett Johansson) find the Avengers have now been regulated by the U.N. Although the Cap refuses to sign, Iron Man chooses to and in doing so creates a divided group. Tensions will boil over when Rogers chooses to rescue his assassin friend Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan).

Captain America: Civil War might just be the finest entry in the Marvel cannon yet. The Russo Brother unashamedly play it for thrillers and throughout the entertainment factor never dips. There is also the first appearance by the new Spiderman (Tom Holland) and T'Chilla/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) whom already are getting us excited for this new chapter. Without the Hulk or Thor, this group still packs a mighty punch and the mutual hostility between the Captain and Stark is electrifying. The lines between enemy and ally are blurred in this one as Black Widow finds herself conflicted towards keeping peace and joining the fight. Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) is struggling with her powers and is at fault for causing mass casualty during their heroic Nigerian mission. When Sam Ross (William Hurt) reappears with a U.N sanction signed by 117 countries, this elite team is grounded.

There might be a distinct lack of a main villain asides from Daniel Bruhl's ambiguous former soldier Helmut Zemo, but even he still plays a vital role in dividing the numbers. Bucky is very much the catalyst in this piece and is still wrestling between his Soviet programming and becoming the man he used to be. After being framed for a bombing in Vienna, Bucky's mere presence earns him the wrath of the new King of Wakanda T'Chilla who vows to take him down. Rogers refused to give up on his former childhood friend and his decision leaves many angered and vengeful. Despite the nostalgia, old Bucky is still a dangerous weapon and still has blood on his hands. From here the once steadfast group takes sides and a mini war breaks out. One huge battle against an airport strip becomes a punch and explosion filled venting ground for each. The Russo Brothers make sure they throw in everything but the kitchen sink- this case Antman (Paul Rudd) makes literally the biggest appearance.

What sets Captain America: Civil War apart is its well-written script and heart grinding finale. Often in this series the makers fall into the same trap of unnecessary plot devices, lackluster villains and the same default final battle in the air. The Russo's are aware of what flaws there have been and refuse to fall into the same trap. During a gut-wrenching final act, some hard truths are reveal and people's agendas become blurred. All the way through there is the big notion of who the Avengers should answer to? Well, it appears that the answer is each other because Stark's hatred and suspicion of Bucky come full circle. Watching the two former comrades do battle is both thrilling and devastating and they both equally influence different key players to join their side. Now this is very much what you call an ultimate showdown- Synder take notes.

Chris Evans has grown into this role well, but in this installment, it feels like he goes deeper. Rogers in Civil War is a morally conflicted yet dutiful friend and he is aware of his wrongdoing but refuses to back away. Evans handles the physical side of his character well but this one demonstrates the talent he has behind the mask. Robert Downey Jr gives perhaps his most convincing turn yet as billionaire stark because in this one he has left his cocky side at home. Throughout he attempts to stamp down his authority but his attempts at safeguarding the cause he bankrolled only cause trouble. It's his emotional vulnerability during the impressive third act that impresses the most as Stark wrestles with his past demons along with his new found fury. Chadwick Boseman also deserves a mention for his frowntastic Black Panther. In limited screen time, we have a glimpse of what could be an authoritative and slick new addition- hurry up Ryan Coogler.

Forget any competition for the number one summer film, Captain America: Civil War succeeds where Dawn of Justice failed miserably. Finally, Marvel has found its new strongest link and now can look forward to one hell of an Avengers 3!

Top 5 Movie Jerks

Walter Peck (William Atherton- Ghostbusters) 

The never blinking EPA agent Peck is the masterclass of movie jerks. His insistence on sticking his nose where it doesn't belong results in the audience clenching their fists whenever he appears. This is the kind of careerist that really doom us all. The scene where he gets the authorities to shut down the Ghostbusters vault ranks him highly. Atherton apparently had problems avoiding fights in bars for over a year afterwards.

Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight- Jurassic Park) 

Money starved and ungrateful for the hand life had dealt him has made Dennis Nedry a desperate man. Just a shame he's such a blue ribbon bastard for selling out his corporation to its a rival. Constantly whining and bad mouthing all in sight, it gives us a sense of satisfaction when he literally gets a facial from the Dilphosaurus. Though kudos to him for infecting the park system with the now legendary "Uh Uh Uh, You Didn't Say The Magic Word!"


Percy Wetmore (Doug Hutchison- The Green Mile) 

Bad clearly goes all the way to the bone for entitled Percy. Nephew of the governor's wife, he uses his political chips to verbally harass and bully people along the way. The ill treatment of simple minded prisoner Edward Delacroix (Michael Jeter) makes us boil with a hatred so unique it might just explode. Using a dry sponge for the same character's execution gives cinema one of the most excruciating death scenes.


Biff Tannen (Thomas F Wilson- Back To The Future)

One of the 80s most memorable bullying jocks, Biff Tannen was the jock at high school we prayed to avoid. Constantly popping up all the way through Robert Zemeckis' famous trilogy, Tannen is known for his frequent misquoting "Make like a tree and get outta here!" although he does his comeuppance from the shy and nerdy George McFly (Crispin Glover), Biff's whole ancestry is proven to be made up of pure jerks.

Bill Lumbergh (Gary Cole- Office Space) 

Lumbergh is that one middle manager boss that we all despise. Obsessed with such minor stuff as the correct cover for TPS reports, Lumbergh shows the bad side of corporate ownership. However, it's his sleepy and monotone delivery that gives us the most chills. Especially when he asks Ron Livingston to give up his entire weekend to work "yyeahhh so if you could be here round 9, that'd be great mmmkk?" Whenever you enter a new role, hope this man isn't in charge

The Backwoods: Review of Green Room

Green Room

Director: Jeremy Saulnier

By Alex Watson

Currently the new hot indie director on the block, Jeremy Saulnier has once again created another inventive thriller in Green Room. Although it lacks the black comedy element of his debut, Blue Ruin it does succeed in cranking up the suspense to unbearable levels. Its unique setting of a band being trapped in the midst of bloodthirsty Neo-Nazi may raise and eyebrow, but it is executed so slickly that soon it is the furthest thing from your mind.

The Aint Rights are a punk band consisted of Pat (Anton Yelchin), Reece (Joe Cole), Tiger (Callum Turner) and Sam (Alia Shawkat). Arriving for a gig in Portland, Oregon they quickly establish the crowd is made up of White Power followers. In the green room afterwards, they witness a horrifying act which leads to them being taken hostage. The bars owner and leader Darcy (Patrick Stewart) is particularly eager to be rid of them.

Opening with a series of misadventures that sees this band booked into the worse possible venue. Immediately upon opening they suicidally decide to cover The Dead Kennedy's anthem 'Nazi Punks Fuck Off!' Although set wins over a few admirers, especially with the psychotic Werm (Brett Werzner) who fronts house band. All seems ordinary enough as the band is ushered away after being paid, but when they stumbled upon a freshly murdered corpse things take a bad turn. Here they come across Amber (Imogen Poots) who is forced to hole up in the green room with them while the troopers are called.

The arrival of the calculated Darcy sends ripples in the water because he is a man who is happy to resort to negotiations by either  murder or using words. Threatening even when standing behind a door frame, he rallies the men including Gabe (Macon Blair) for one hell of a night. Soon Green Room takes on a tense and claustrophobic feel where both sides are required to think fast to resolve difficult situations. Frequently things could potentially descend into Django Unchained style shootout horror, but thankfully Saulnier keeps his story in check. Given his audience short but controlled bursts of excitement adds to already building suspense.

There is a bleak feeling surrounding the middle of nowhere club and a happy ending is not at all guaranteed (what fun would that be right?). Through our heroes and villains, we are given a surprisingly deeply bunch, especially Gabe whose motives might not be hurtful. Pat becomes the defacto leader, who at first struggles against the tide but grows a set later on. This band is in a venue far out of their depth to begin with and although they play out as being anti-society, they are more normal underneath the surface. Like Blue Ruin before it, the ending provided is very unexpected and will leave Saulnier fans puzzling over its meaning.

Although we are given fine lead turns by Anton Yelchin and Imogen Poots, this picture belongs to the supporting turn of Patrick Stewart. Obviously happy to play against type, Stewart takes on the evil mould with such relish it is almost frightening. Darcy is a man who keeps his head level and his thinking a dozen moves ahead. Yelchin does excel as the weak yet determined Pat and his transformation to reluctant and desperate hero is noteworthy. Macon Blair once again proves to be Saulnier's go to man despite a lesser role and his downplayed loyalty to his leader almost makes us feel pained as he is aware of the sacrifice he is making.

Green Room is a clever thriller that once more puts Saulnier on the map as a potential indie king. Knowing how to stretch a low budget and a keen eye for story, something tells me this man has a big future ahead.