Grimsby

Sacha Baron Cohen has taken a more restrained direction with his latest movie, Grimsby. Although it's not his first fully integrated fiction film, that was in 2012 with The Dictator, it is one where he hasn't gone over the top with his main character. That's not to say, however, that this film is filled with all the gross jokes you'd come to expect from his comedy. Combine these with an experienced action director like Louis Leterrier and you get a pretty enjoyable action-comedy.

Nobby (Baron Cohen) is living a happy life in the north of England. The only thing missing is his younger brother Sebastian (Mark Strong) who was adopted without him when they were younger. Sebastian is now a spy working for MI6 and Nobby finally gets a chance to reunite with him when he hears that Sebastian will be attending a charity event. Sebastian is actually at the event to prevent an assassination attempt on Rhonda George (Penélope Cruz), the head of a global health charity. Nobby manages to mess it up for him (and give Daniel Radcliffe AIDS in the process) and soon they are both on the run with MI6 believing Sebastian to be a rogue agent. The only way to clear his name is to find who was behind the attempt in the first place.

Grimsby is a pretty funny movie, I should say that right of the bat. But then again the jokes are the typical Sacha Baron Cohen "I'm going to shock you into laughing" jokes. They usually involve an extreme sexual gag, like Nobby having to suck a toxin from Sebastian's testicles. Some of these jokes come back in various forms throughout the film in more extreme instances than the last. Not all of them are as low-brow as these. There is a joke later about how guns remove guilt from the act of killing. That's a pretty complex joke once you think about it.

I do think Grimsby might be in need of some structural reshuffling. There was a missed opportunity in giving the audience some serious misdirection in the type of film they are watching. I think if they had have started on one of Sebastian's action missions and then reveal that it's actually a comedy. That's what I would have done anyway. The direction all up is fantastic. Louis Leterrier, who has previously worked on The Transporter series of films, brings his experience in action movies and melds it perfectly with Cohen's comedic sensibilities. The action sequences don't take up too much of the film, but they are snappy and well done when they do show.

Sacha Baron Cohen's Nobby is quite a fun character to watch. He really does mean well and he just wants to help his brother but he can't help from screwing up. A fun detail I realised was that his sideburns are mismatched in length, which is one of those small things Cohen does with his characters. Mark Strong has probably missed his chance to play James Bond (a shame if you ask me), but he does a great job playing him here. He has some rather subtle emotional moments after his flashbacks to when he and Nobby were younger that he carries quite nicely. Cohen's wife Isla Fisher is quite good as Sebastian's ally in MI6 and Rebel Wilson plays the same old character, this time just from the north of England. Although she's the main villain, Penélope Cruz hardly gets enough time to show off any of her acting skills.

While it may not be as punchy as Borat and Brüno, Grimsby is a pretty funny comedy of two worlds clashing together. Sometimes it can be a bit culturally homogenous and not all the references will be gotten, but watching Sacha Baron Cohen come up against a proper actor like Mark Strong makes it a pretty fun watch.

John Wick

"I hear you struck my son. May I ask why?"
"He stole John Wick's car, and killed his fuckin' dog."
"Oh..."

There's been a decided trend in action films in the last few years, and that is the prevalence of middle-aged and older dramatic actors turning to action and action-thrillers, and even action stars returning to their former glory. Liam Neeson is perhaps the most iconic, based on the success of his recent Taken franchise and his most recent turn in A Walk Among the Tombstones, but also Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher, Terrence Stamp in The Limey, Michael Caine in the Harry Brown remake, the resurgence of Jean Claude Van Damme film since JCVD, Bruce Willis' entire career this millenium, and of course the cartoonish nostalgia-trip that is The Expendables franchise, among many others. The financial potential of this trend is undeniable based on the star-power legacy of its famous faces, but several of these have solid support from younger writers and directors who have grown up on their films. Additionally, another recent trend that has impacted John Wick is the return to stylish and simple action directors, who shoot their scenes with a mind for the viewing of action, rather than the feeling of action. What this means is that John Wick is a solid, enjoyable action vehicle, with sequel potential if its financially successful (which it may well be with such early acclaim), with action that is not shot in ultra-fast cuts and in close-up.

At the seasoned age of 50, Keanu Reeves is no stranger to action films and shows no sign of stopping, and like the aforementioned Jack Reacher and A Walk Among the Tombstones, John Wick is a premise and character that is both new and old, human but tough, and even then the villains are more of the same. John Wick's nameless wife (played by Michelle Moynaghan) dies of an illness, and he is left alone in their quiet, modern home, until a Beagle named Daisy is delivered by his wife after she passes away. While out driving in his Mustang, Wick captures the eye of young gangster Josef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) who, along with a pair of fellow gangsters, breaks into Wick's home, assaults him and kills Daisy. John then begins to descend back into his past self, an assassin so feared and respected in the organised criminal underbelly of New York that the threat of his wrath concerns kingpin-figure Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist), Josef's father and Wick's former employer. And so begins the carnage, with John Leguizamo, Willem Dafoe, Ian MacShane and Adrianne Palicki appearing has figures who either give Wick a helping hand, a wide berth or a tough time.

Much of this film seems to be shot to meet conceptual art designs, early on and in certain set-pieces and locations there is such a flair for colour and style that feels so beautifully deliberate and neat. And in that regard, the establishment of this underground world and its prominent figures, Leguizamo as a car customiser/chop-shop owner named Aurellio, Dafoe as a prominent hitman named Marcus and MacShane as the charismatic manager at the Continental, a hotel and rule-based neutral zone for contract killers, is what brings this world alive. They add flavour and depth without being too meddling, whilst also boosting up the star power in trailers and promotional material in spite of this film being mostly about Viggo Tarasov throwing all of his might against Wick.

The action thankfully is shot in wides and mediums, and in long enough takes at times for Reeves and company to really work, and it helps, with each fight being a legitimate highlight of the film. Each fight has at least one stand-out shot or stunt, everything feels fluid, and Wick is not an invincible hero, often taking enough damage to maintain the danger. That being said the main problem with this film is the villains, while henchmen and other members of the criminal underworld are varied in their approach and effect, the Tarasov's themselves are cowardly, conceited and inept. Allen is essentially playing his Game of Thrones character of Theon Greyjoy, but with the ability to speak some decent Russian, and Nyqvist's character's motivation seems to violently shift from scene to scene. In contrast, figures like Palicki's Ms. Perkins, another assassin who knows Wick, and Lance Reddick's concierge are underused.

John Wick is a suitable role for Reeves, as he is early grim and lonely, with minute bits of hope and happiness seeping through, he quickly becomes cool and dangerous, and all of these suit Reeves', though a late emotional outburst from Wick is welcome and excellent. In both John Wick and 47 Ronin, directors seem to have learned what makes Reeves work in action roles, he's not a wild charismatic figure, more tragic and quiet, and Wick seems a perfect fit. The pace of the film is measured and brilliant, purpetually gaining but never becoming flat-out. The drama is just too little to actually engage with, but there is enough deadpan humour to be found. The sound design has little to impress aside from a descent soundtrack that alternates between score and playlist, with Marilyn Manson's Killing Strangers featuring as an almost theme song.

Also, wow, everyone wears head-to-toe black in this film.

Hercules

This latest obsession with Hercules isn't the first time its happened in movie history. In the 90s there were two TV series with one spinoff series and an animated movie, so two movies in one year is nothing. I think I saw the better of those two movies.

I thought that this was going to be a very different movie. From the trailer I had expected a movie about the Twelve Labours of Hercules (which I know every one of), but we are instead introduced to the man behind the myth. Hercules (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) is a mercenary whose only ambition is to get enough gold to retire to the Black Sea and live in peace. He is offered a job by Lord Cotys (John Hurt) to help stop a civil war.

Instead of just presenting a demigod Hercules, this movie looks at how the legend is born. Hercules' nephew Iolaus (Reece Ritchie) heightens the abilities of the hero and exaggerates the labours he completed for King Eurystheus (Joseph Fiennes).

Dwayne Johnson is a sensible choice for Hercules. His muscular physique makes it believable that he is the strongest man ever (obviously), but he is also able to perfectly convey the torment that haunts him after he has murdered his wife and children (or so the legend goes).

Though this movie is incredibly tense at times, there are some moments of great comic relief. These come from quite a few characters. Iolaus can be quite funny, but Ian McShane's Amphiaraus steals the show with the premonitions of his own death. Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Aksel Hennie and Rufus Sewell round out Hercules rag tag group of mercenaries.

Verdict: Normally anything made by Brett Ratner would make my skin crawl, but there isn't anything for him to ruin here. It is all that it sets out to be; a swords and sandals adventure that certainly has the right level of scope.