FILMALUATION - online magazine

Boss Level

22/8/2021

BOSS LEVEL ★★★½☆
D: Joe Carnahan (The Grey, Smokin’ Aces, Narc).
S: Frank Grillo, Naomi Watts, Mel Gibson, Michelle Yeoh, Annabelle Wallis, Selina Lo, Ken Jeong.

A violent GROUNDHOG DAY. Some crunching sequences and enjoyable dialogue. Everything is over-the-top, verging on the gonzo. Blockbuster action cinema should learn from its chutzpah.

Show Me a Hero [mini-series]

22/8/2021

SHOW ME A HERO [mini-series] ★★★★½
Finally got around to watching. Who would have thought a six hour political drama about housing would be so riveting? From the co-creator of THE WIRE, the contextualisation is a masterclass. Makes local politics feel as important as it must for those involved. The acting is outstanding.

Loki [season one]

22/8/2021

LOKI [season one] ★★★☆☆
It shouldn’t work. Am not convinced it all hangs together. The characterisation is ho-hum, the two leads have little range as actors, but is not boring thanks to an epic conspiracy. The show was about to nosedive, but is saved by Jonathan Majors. I hope the Marvel universe utilises him well going forward.

The Tomorrow War

5/7/2021

THE TOMORROW WAR ★★☆☆☆
D: Chris McKay (The Lego Batman Movie).
S: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, Sam Richardson, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Betty Gilpin, J.K. Simmons.

Part STARSHIP TROOPERS, part EDGE OF TOMORROW, part ALIEN COVENANT. Generic to the point of having the usual, lame extraterrestrial endgame. Chris Pratt is an unsatisfying lead when shorn of his comedy chops. Plus, what a waste of Betty Gilpin.

Xtreme

5/7/2021

XTREME ★★☆☆☆
D: Daniel Benmayor.
S: Teo García, Óscar Jaenda, Andrea Duro, Óscar Casas, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Alberto Jo Lee.

A sub-JOHN WICK Spanish vengeance flick. Instead of character smarts or inventive action choreography, there is sadism and ultra-violence. What is up with the baddies running at the lead one at a time? It looks like they wait their turn to be maimed.

Godzilla vs Kong

29/6/2021

GODZILLA VS KONG ★★☆☆☆
D: Adam Wingard (Death Note, Blair Witch, The Guest, You’re Next, A Horrible Way to Die).
S: Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Eliza González, Julian Dennison, Demián Bichir, Kyle Chandler.

This clash of the cinematic behemoths was never going to be HEAT, but even still virtually nothing stands out. A movie like this lives and dies by its visual effects, and these underwhelm, made worse by appalling cinematography. Nothing feels tangible, therefore little feels at stake. The plot is even more convoluted than BATMAN VS SUPERMAN.

The Knick

6/6/2021

THE KNICK [seasons 1-2] ★★★★★
I used to think E.R. was the greatest medical TV show, until now. Class, race, gender, corruption, self-sabotage, at the turn of the 20th century. Has the most consummate cinematography I have seen in film or television. Plus Steven Soderbergh kinetically directs all 20 episodes. What a talent!

Army of the Dead

6/6/2021

ARMY OF THE DEAD ★★★½☆
D: Zack Snyder (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Watchmen).
S: Dave Bautista, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera, Ella Purnell, Garret Dillahunt, Tig Notary.

As high concept movies go, why wasn’t there a mash-up of the heist and zombie genres sooner? As mindless blockbusters go, this is a riot. Winning casting and buckets of gore are integral parts of the fun.

Mare of Easttown

6/6/2021

MARE OF EASTTOWN [limited series] ★★★★★
A murder mystery on another level. The character and community observations are even more mesmerising than the thriller elements. The relationship dynamics are a masterclass.