X-Men: Apocalypse

I really enjoyed the last X-Men movie. The decision to go back and explore different stories with younger versions of the characters has ultimately paid off, but even by their own admission, the third movie is never as good. That last statement is a bit of a lie. While Apocalypse may not be a high point in the series, it's still a pretty awesome movie.

In a pretty exhilarating introduction in ancient Egypt, we see all-powerful mutant Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) get buried under a collapsed pyramid. In 1983, CIA agent Moira McTaggert (Rose Byrne) witnesses his reawakening at the hands of a cult. Meanwhile in Poland, Magneto (Michael Fassbender) is living a quiet life with his wife and daughter until the townspeople discover what he is. Elsewhere, Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) is off looking for mutants and comes across Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee), whom she decides to take back to Charles Xavier (James McAvoy). It's at this point that Apocalypse reveals himself to the world with his plan to destroy everyone so he can start the world afresh.

Okay, so after writing out that plot it does sound like the movie doesn't have a lot going on for it. The plot of the movie does take a bit of a back seat, but don't worry, it's not sacrificed for the sake of action. Rather the focus of this movie is character development. Although the majority of characters who we've seen before have already been established, we do get a better insight into their personalities. For example, the psyche of Magneto is explored and we can further see how he is torn between being good and bad. The new characters who are introduced are also given similar inner conflicts. Jean Grey (played by Sophie Turner) is shown to have an immense inner power that she is unable to control. This ties in nicely with the future we saw in X-Men: The Last Stand. 

The performances from the series regulars were solid as usual. The newbies however gave mixed performances. Kodi Smit-McPhee was a standout. He gave Nightcrawler the right amount of a comedic edge that helped lighten the dark mood throughout the film. That complemented the laughs given by Even Peters as Quicksilver well. Sophie Turner, Alexandra Shipp and Tye Sheridan came out okay, but they still need some more time to find their footing, which is okay with a franchise like this as they have plenty of time to do that. I was really disappointed with Oscar Isaac's performance because he is my favourite actor and he was misused so much in this film. I think it primarily had to do with the fact that the character of Apocalypse wasn't all that menacing for me and none of the power that he supposedly had came through.

I know it seems like I'm skirting around whether or not to say this movie is good or bad, but I have to commit to something. I guess I thought it was a little bit better than average, but the lacking plot and Superman level of destruction in the action sequence at the end dragged it down.

Bad Neighbours 2

A logical sequel to the original, Bad Neighbours 2 looks to spice up its comedy classification with touches of feminist commentary and character development (for those returning from Bad Neighbours). Despite not fully achieving this attempted depth, the film feels comfortable enough as a comedy and as a sequel, while still bringing something new to the table.

Bad Neighbours 2 sees Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) attempting to sell their family home a few years after the events of the first movie, when a sorority led by the likeable Shelby (Chloë Grace Moretz) moves into the old frat house next door. Teddy (Zac Efron), who seems to be stuck in the past while his old frat brothers pass him by, floats between both sides amidst a "quarter-life crisis" to create a more dynamic plot, while the Kappa Nu sorority attempts to work outside the normal parameters of frat and sorority life and empower their members.

It's apparent from the start that the film is attempting to mirror the successes of the original while still differing enough to not be seen as a carbon copy, and although the writers weave in moments of uniqueness and difference, the overall plot remains much of the same. Despite the linear feeling to the plot for anyone who has seen the first film in the franchise, the back-and-forth between the sorority and the "old people" (as the sorority coined them) feels fresh enough, with new hijinks and disruption strategies spanning further than just the confines of their two houses. The comedy is as unpredictable and quirky as the first film's, with snazzy one-liners effectively catching the audience off guard multiple times and hilarious action sequences playing on the success of the physical comedy in the original. The film also effectively calls back prominent aspects from its predecessor without feeling forced, including Mac and Kelly's awful attempts at being intimate and the frat's notorious 'airbags' prank, as well as appearances from characters such as Lisa Kudrow's unorthodox Dean Carol and Dave Franco's 'grown-up' Pete Regazolli.

Despite being an overall pleasant comedy experience, the film does have a few discouraging qualities which perhaps take it out of the realm of 'quality filmmaking'. The film has some rather dull portions, with some dialogue feeling forced and cringe-worthy at times, as well as some unnecessary and over-the-top plot inclusions, leading to an unconvincing green screen and an unneeded (and repeated) minions cameo. The film's attempts at portraying more serious issues such as the empowering of women, the struggles of parenting and Teddy's post-college depression ultimately fall short, briefly touching on the issues and making them feel natural to the plot but failing to develop them to an effective extent.

Although sections of dialogue felt slightly forced and unnatural, acting was generally solid across the board, with each of the main cast impressing with their comedic quips and portrayal of character growth. The general production of the film seems sound as well, with director Nicholas Stoller returning with a similar style to the original to make the sequel feel recognizable and comfortable for viewers. The constant use of dynamic shots creates a live feeling to the viewing experience, with fitting uses of hyphy music adding to the party vibe of the film. 

Sequels to comedies are always difficult, and despite following a similar plot to the original, Bad Neighbours 2 still manages to surprise and entertain as it attempts to incorporate some freshness and depth into its hilarious story. Fans of the original will not be disappointed.

Spy

Parodies of the spy film and in particular the James Bond movies have been around for as long as the genre has existed, with notable entries being Johnny English and the Austin Powers movies. But these parodies have never really been executed too well using American characters (although Austin Powers were Hollywood movies, the character was still British), so I had little faith in Spy, something that was soon proven wrong.

Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) is a CIA agent who handles field agent and super-spy Bradley Fine (Jude Law) from the CIA headquarters in Washington. After a mission goes wrong where Bradley is killed and the covers of all CIA field agents is blown, Susan is the only person who can go undercover and recover a nuclear weapon being sold by villainess Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne). Susan must also contend with the arrogant rogue agent Rick Ford (Jason Statham) who doesn't believe she can complete the mission on her own and wishes to garner all the glory.

The film parodies a lot of the elements of a James Bond movie, and quite well too. Everything from the cars to the gadgets to the glamorous women appear. The opening title sequence is even a perfect match to one of those films. The movie does try to delve into some of the more in-depth subplots that involves a double CIA agent that is played by Morena Baccarin. This seems a little out of place and only adds confusion to a rather simple and enjoyable plot.

The film however is very self-aware and sure of itself as a spy parody. It understands all of the ridiculous elements of the movies and each character is an archetype of those movies. Jude Law's Bradley Fine is very much the gentleman spy and Statham's Rick Ford is a cross between Jason Bourne and his own character from Crank or The Transporter films. Susan Cooper is very much the tough female protagonist and it was quite cool to see Melissa McCarthy kick ass, although her reactions to when she kills someone could have been removed.

So while McCarthy does play a strong character, she still is playing the same crass woman that she has been, although it was rather dialled back in this film. Rose Byrne shouldn't really venture into mainstream comedies like this. While she's good in quirky and offbeat comedies, I think she should just stick to serious roles. I'm sure Jude Law was glad to have a chance to play James Bond in this movie and he looked like he was having a fun time. It is refreshing to see Jason Statham return to comedy after almost twenty years because it seems everyone has forgotten that he made his debut in two great comedies (as the characters of Bacon and Turkish). Miranda Hart makes for great support with Allison Janney as Susan's boss at the CIA. The real show stealer for me was Peter Serafinowicz, who was a delight in every single scene as Italian agent Aldo.

A surprising foray into the spy parody for Feig and McCarthy which pays of with some fun laughs, but mostly presented by the other characters. Jason Statham and Peter Serafinowicz shine in the supporting roles.

Annie

              Stacks: "I've learned you can count the people who truly love you on one hand."
              Annie: "You know you're making a fist, right."

What is Annie? It's a modernised update of the classic stage musical, made for the children of 2014. Set in New York City, specifically Harlem. The race of the leads are inverted to, along with excessive producer credits that include two hip-hop stars (Will Smith and Jay-Z) and Jada Pinkett-Smith, give the impression that this movie has the appeal and feel of a Tyler Perry or Oprah Winfrey production, or one of those Ja-Rule movies (a.k.a often bad and intended for black audiences only). With a script by the writers of Friends with Benefits, Morning Glory, 27 Dresses, We Bought a Zoo, Fired Up! and The Michael J. Fox Show. Directed by the man who directed Fired Up!, Friends with Benefits, Easy A and was the creator/executive producer of the Michael J. Fox show. And with a trailer for such a film it's hard not to walk in to this childless and not be full of a passionate, frothing hatred and the expectation to be delighted by the shoddyness on-screen. But like the titular little "foster care kid", Annie is not as awfully annoying as it would seem.

In Harlem, the precocious and eponymous orphan (Quvenzhane Wallis) lives with four other "foster care" children, waiting and wishing to be adopted and saved from the hammy Cruella-DeVille-ing of Cameron Diaz's Miss Hannigan, an alcoholic and abusive spinster who denigrates the chirpy young girls, and occasionally drunkenly smacks their heads into walls. Annie visits the same restaurant every Friday night as it is the only clue to her patronage, but otherwise spends her time at school, running about the neighbourhood, or cleaning her foster home. While trying to protect a Shiba Inu doge from some boys who are throwing cans at it, she is saved from a speeding van by billionaire mobile phone mogul Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx). Stacks is in the middle of a mayoral election campaign, but losing to a man who talks about being pissed on during a kids film ("Don't pee in my ear and tell me it's hot rain"). So Stacks, his British assistant Grace (Rose Byrne) and fast-talking money-loving adviser Guy (Bobby Canavale) intend to exploit the humanity the young girl gives him to win votes, and he soon invites her to live with him for a while. During her stay the two bond and learn off of each other, most often Stacks learning that there is more to life than hard work and business.

Annie has a certain precocious charm to it, though this is surrounded by discussions of political campaigns, phone mechanics, wildly inappropriate jokes about prostitution, alcoholism and abandonment, and such inexplicable marginalisation of real issues such as alcoholism, domestic abuse, abandonment and repression that its baffling to see these details even present in what is intended to be a sweet childrens musical, let alone being mocked. There's also many references to actors and pop culture that's fine for older audiences, including a Young Adult film-adaptation parody featuring Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis and a political ad featuring Michael J. Fox. You know, jokes for children. Chuck in a  Deliverance joke while you're at it.

"No, thanks. I don't want....companionship. Not that I'm judging!"
Literally a line of dialogue in this childrens film.

Quvezhane Wallis is undeniably great in the lead role. She's smart-mouthed, but innocent enough to be completely endearing, and possibly the best thing to say about the film as a whole. Jamie Foxx is serviceable, Rose Byrne is Rose Byrne (solid and sweet), but the hammyness of Bobby Canavale and Cameron Diaz meanders between entertaining and cringe-worthy, and often distracts. Visually, the film is bubbly and bright, but otherwise unremarkable. The musical side of the film is presented as self-aware, during several songs characters often react with bemusement, astonishment and/or scorn when others launch into song, but this just invites the wish for more confused reaction shots of bystanders during these musical numbers. The songs themselves are apparently mildly updated versions from the stage-play, with some being dropped completely to meet pacing and narrative requirements. Also, the occasional remixing of a song can be pretty startling (Foxx's rendition of "The City's Yours" featuring an interminable R&B backing). The film certainly falters in the third act,  devolving into tying loose ends where character arcs should be, and a boring chase involving Twitter and Instagram. It actually makes you miss the archetypal end of second act break-up moment that appears in most childrens films, which is followed by a sweeping crescendo of a reunion. But hey, it's a hard knock life.

Annie is not a cinematic movie, but will be an enjoyable enough DVD to pop on for the kids on a lazy weekend. None of the songs will stick, and neither will the performances outside of Diaz, Canavale and especially Wallis. Not as bad as it deserves to be, but nothing work making a fuss over, really.

This Is Where I Leave You

As I have mentioned before here and here and I think maybe here, I'm a huge fan of movies about families. Doubly so if they're about dysfunctional families. I think it's because I come from a slightly dysfunctional one myself (sorry guys, if you're reading this). Anyway, that is what drew me into this movie.

Judd Altman (Jason Bateman) finds out that his wife is cheating on him with his boss. This comes just before Judd finds out that his father has died. His mother Hillary (Jane Fonda) wants to honour his last wishes by holding the Jewish practice of shiva, which is ironic because they are all atheist. During shiva, they must all stay together for a week. The rest of the family, Paul (Corey Stoll), Wendy (Tina Fey) and Philip (Adam Driver) all have their problems with each other, making the week extremely hard to get through.

I think this movie has my dream cast. All the actors in the rate among my favourites. Jason Bateman is back to his funny ways in a role not too similar to Michael Bluth in Arrested Development, but you can definitely see how this role is so easy for him. Tina Fey is a delight to watch in this and plays a much more sweeter character than some of her more recent roles. Corey Stoll (House of Cards) is great to watch in a comedy although he is a bit more of a straight-laced character.

Adam Driver is a lot of fun in this movie and a lot more wacky than some of the things he has been in and Ben Schwartz who plays the rabbi known only as "Boner" is great as Philip's foil. Schwartz has to be one of the funniest improv actors around (along with Thomas Middleditch) and is just great in this movie. Timothy Olyphant, who I have admired ever since seeing The Girl Next Door, plays a fantastic character who has a touching relationship with Tina Fey.

While the movie does seem to be a great comedy on surface, the movie does have overarching themes of family and taking risks in your life. These moments are sometimes interjected by jokes, but that doesn't interfere with the pacing at all, instead it makes the film more poignant and funnier.

Verdict: A great comedy-drama filled with some wonderful characters and fantastically hilarious moments.

Bad Neighbours

There's something about a movie that bridges the divide between generations that I like. Bad Neighbours is definitely one of those films. On one hand it's about growing up, whilst on the other it's about retaining your youth as you grow older.

Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) are a couple with a newborn baby who have just bought their first house. Soon after moving in, the large house next door is also up for sale and after much guessing over who will be moving in. They soon discover that it will be a fraternity from the nearby university. The president Teddy (Zac Efron) assures them that if they are ever too loud, Mac and Kelly should come to him instead of calling the cops and also invites them to party if they ever feel the need. Teddy loses his trust in the couple when they eventually do make a noise complaint and vows to make their life a living hell.

Zac Efron is a true powerhouse of acting in this movie, showing off his range in a variety of scenarios. One moment he is chilling with Mac smoking weed and the next he is menacingly devising ways to destroy his life. He also has some very touching moments when he realises that he isn't as smart as he thinks.

Dave Franco also stars as the accomplice and frat brother of Teddy, Pete. Pete is the more emotionally stable of the two and begins to feel remorse about what they are doing to their neighbours. His relationship with Teddy is hilarious, sometimes bordering on homoerotic.

Both Rogen and Byrne are funny, but the humour in the movie comes more from the insane antics of their neighbours than their reactions, then again they are playing the straight characters in a comedy and that role traditionally doesn't allow for too much wackiness.

The jokes in this movie are fantastic, most of them relying on the generation gap between the two sets of characters and the misunderstandings that this can cause. Some of the jokes early on where Rogen and Byrne are trying to endear themselves to the fraternity are just cringeworthy, but funny all the same.

Verdict: A really funny comedy about how the generation gap can cause wacky misunderstandings. It was great to see Efron in a slightly villainous role.

The Internship

It has been eight years since Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn last starred together in 2005's Wedding Crashers. At the time, I didn't find that film too funny as it did not appeal to me for I was too young and/or naive to get the jokes. The Internship on the other hand appealed to me a lot more. As a member of the Internet Generation, I got all the jokes presented in this smart and funny fish out of water comedy.

Vaughn and Wilson are playing Billy and Nick, two grown man-children, who find themselves out of a job when they discover that their boss (John Goodman) has folded the company they work for as sales reps, without telling them. Down on their luck, Billy manages to finagle an internship at Google over the summer. They are teamed up with a group of young university students and through a set of gruelling challenges, have the opportunity to win full time positions at the company.

This movie is fantastically funny. To see these middle aged men try to navigate around computer based problems from a generation that they are not native to. But to be fair, I am also from the aforementioned generation and I would have difficulty with some of their challenges. It is filled with humourous references that transcend the generation gap for audiences. Everything from music and allusions to things from the 80s, right down the guys participating in a game of Quidditch are involved.

Vaughn and Wilson also have a chemistry that makes them a believable partnership within the world of the film. Vaughn's tough no-nonsense Billy is right out of Old School and Wilson really does have a great chemistry with his fellow actors, particularly Rose Byrne (Two Hands).

A great part of this comedy comes however, from the young actors playing the university students and how each of them play well known (to me, anyway) archetypes of young people in today's world. There is the hardworking, over-achieving Asian, Yo-Yo (Tobit Raphael), the detached, self-involved hipster, Stuart (Dylan O'Brien), the excitable, enthusiastic girl, Neha (Tiya Sircar) and the awkward white guy Lyle (Josh Brener)(definitely me). There is also the cool yet douchey guy, Graham (Max Minghella) and the boss/hard-ass head teacher, Mr Chetty (Assif Mandvi).

For a younger audience, all these characters are relatable. As for an older audience, they fill the shoes of Nick and Billy, and provide an insight into the younger generation.

Verdict: A hilarious comedy that will please both younger and older audiences and will be super relatable in this modern technological world.

The Place Beyond The Pines

One of the first descriptions I read of this movie said that it was a multi-generational saga. And boy, you better believe it's a saga. But at no stage during the 158 minute running time did I want it to stop. Also, Ryan Gosling.

The Place Beyond The Pines has three consecutive stories that all affect each other and, more importantly, the characters within them. The first story follows Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling), a stunt rider in a traveling carnival (so basically he's a carnie), who finds out that he has a son from a fling that he had with Romina (Eva Mendes). Because he doesn't want his son to turn out like he did (with an absent father), he promises to provide for him. But Romina has moved on, with a new man in her life, Kofi (Mahershala Ali). Luke still wants to provide for his son, so he starts to rob banks with the help of his friend, Robin (Ben Mendelsohn). This life soon takes a heavy toll on him.

The second story follows Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper), a young hero cop who becomes involved in police corruption. He turns to his father, a former judge, for advice. His father tells him that the best course of action would be to take down the corrupt officers, which include Pete DeLuca (Ray Liotta). He turns them into the district attorney, Bill Killcullen (Bruce Greenwood). He also has an infant son with his wife (Rose Byrne).

The third story picks up fifteen years later. Both Luke's son, Jason (Dane DeHaan), and Avery's son, AJ (Emory Cohen), become friends in high school. It is only after Jason becomes aware of Avery's involvement in his father's death that things start to go off the rails.

This movie is fantastic. This is Derek Cianfrance's second film after Blue Valentine (which also starred Gosling). He has crafted an immense flowing storyline, that whilst doesn't explore every single possibility, is still coherent and easy to watch.

The film also looks amazing. It is set in upstate New York and some of the scenery is amazing. So too is the set design in the small town in which it is set.

In my review for Gangster Squad earlier this year, I said that Ryan Gosling works best when he's outside the Hollywood system. Whilst he's not in this movie for too long, his character resonates and you can see a little bit of him in his son. Because he has worked with Cianfrance previously, you can see that relationship come through. At first I thought his character was going to be similar to the Driver, but not at all. You can see that all Luke wants is what's best for his son.

The character who we see the most in this movie is Avery Cross, so that meant just a little bit too much Bradley Cooper for me to handle. When he's in a movie like the Hangover where he has other actors as a buffer, I find him more tolerable.

The women in this movie are also very strong. Mendes' Romina still shows feelings toward Luke, but ultimately knows what's best for her son. We don't see a lot of Rose Byrne, but when we do, you know that she is a stronger person than her husband.

I always feel good when I see Australians in American film, so to see Ben Mendelsohn in this movie made me feel good. Here, he plays an extremely toned down version of the character he played in Animal Kingdom, a man who has lived the life but is happy to settle down. Ray Liotta on the other hand, plays the greediest person alive. His character knows that because this is a small town, he can get away with his corruption.

Finally, Dane DeHaan is someone to watch out for. I recognised him from Chronicle and I hear he will be playing Harry Osborn in the new Spiderman movie. In this role, he has to carry a lot of emotional weight on his shoulders and he pulls it off perfectly.

Verdict: I'm not afraid to say that this film might have to compete with Django for my favourite movie of the year, because it really deserves it. And, of course, Ryan Gosling.