Must-See May Day #1: Alien (1979)

The second Movie Marathon Month has begun, and it's started out strong, as I imagine a lot of these franchises will. In many ways Alien (1979) is almost like the grandfather of modern survival-horror films. A lot of B-grade horror films today will try to copy or replicate what this movie did, and it's easy to see why. A simple premise, but almost flawless execution and it's easy to see why this film is a must-see. Starring Tom Skerritt as Dallas, Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, Veronica Cartwright as Lambert, Harry Dean Stanton as Brett, John Hurt as Kane, Ian Holm as Ash and Yaphet Kotto as Parker.

Alien (1979)

As I mentioned earlier, this movie has a very simple premise: an alien causes havoc on a spaceship. But, what makes this movie so effective is its atmosphere, and this is what elevates the film to something more. This movie is tense. The titular alien is hardly on screen for 5 minutes total, but the great thing is that's almost why it's so terrifying. The alien is far more of a presence than I was expecting, even before it actually lets loose on the ship. Hell, the alien itself doesn't actually appear until halfway through the movie. That's a risky move. Instead, the film spends the first hour building the characters to the point where you've begun to care for them, or at the very least, get to know who they are. The drawback from this, however, is that the first two acts of the movie are very slow, but this wasn't a problem for me at all. In fact, the last third was so great and so fast that the slow beginning was almost welcome. This also allows the film to explore the alien's biology and abilities in greater depth, which is always welcome. If you're going to establish a threat, it's worth letting us know why it's a threat before actually having it do threatening things, that way it's all the more suspenseful once the alien does break out. We don't have to waste time being shown or told what the alien can do, and it can be a danger right away.

The Alien

This film employs a lot of practical effects, which is very welcome. It would be very easy for a movie like this to overdo it with the CGI, especially in the late 70s. Thankfully, about 95% of what you see is either practical or done with models, and it all holds up incredibly well. The famous chest-burst scene in particular is a triumph, and it's almost like a signal to let the audience know that the movie's about to pick up the pace, which is a genius idea. There's also another practical effect at around the 2/3rds mark that I won't reveal in case you haven't seen the film, but it was certainly very impressive, and if you've seen the movie, I think you know what I'm referring to here. The only time the practical effects don't quite land is when the baby alien escapes; that just looked kinda goofy like something out of a Looney Tunes cartoon, but everything else is fantastic. The alien itself has a brilliant design, and it certainly looks unnatural enough to be believably alien. The lighting effects also really impressed me, especially in the last portion of the film. The constant flashes, the yellow sirens cutting through the smoke, it was all so unsettling that is was wonderful. 

The chest burst scene

Everyone does a great job in their roles here, but the obvious standout is Sigourney Weaver. She's the one we spend the most time with, and she's the one we get the most range from, so it goes without saying, but she nailed it. This was a powerhouse performance, especially when we get to the end and she's basically acting by herself. The camerawork employed during these sequences also amplifies the fear factor, making everything seem so claustrophobic through the use of extreme close-ups amidst the more frightening moments, and in these moments especially, Weaver shines in her performance. All of the other actors fulfil their roles nicely, but I feel as though I need to give a special mention to the late John Hurt, who was amazing in just about every role he was given, but this was an especially great performance. He's the one we spend the least amount of time with, yet the film manages to get us to like him, which makes that scene all the more tragic. Hurt's performance in that scene especially was just so gut-wrenching that it was almost uncomfortable to watch, which is what made that scene so effective.

Sigourney Weaver as Ripley

For the majority of the film, there is no music, and it works well enough in those moments, but when the soundtrack kicks in, it's even more effective. The OST does a fantastic job of making you feel what the movie wants you to feel: afraid, relief, even the occasional moment of whimsy; this soundtrack has it all. But, again, the amazing thing is how much of the movie takes place in silence. The film knows exactly what it wants you to feel when it wants you to feel it and how to make you feel it. It's almost not a movie at all. It's more of an experience. You almost feel as though you're right there in that spaceship with the crew. When they're being stalked by the alien, you yourself feel as though it could be around any corner, and the film puts you on alert during those sequences. It's almost maddeningly good at this, and that's what differentiates this from other survival-horror movies: it succeeds in sucking you in. It just goes back to the atmosphere and how natural the entire movie is. Everything about this movie just works, and it was a joy to watch.

Yaphet Kotto as Parker and John Hurt as Kane

Alien (1979) is the template for all survival-horror movies that came after it, and I'd dare say very few could top this one. Despite a slow start, the film doesn't waste a second of screen-time, and it's this, combined with the grounded story-telling and atmosphere, that certainly make this a must-watch. 9/10.

Tomorrow: the Terminator.

Off the Cuff Reviews Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Alright, here we go. This is one of the big ones. This is arguably one of the biggest cinematic events in movie history, and it pleases me to no end to inform you that Avengers: Infinity War (2018) lived up to the hype and then some. This was one of the best movie 'experiences' I've been alive to witness, and certainly one of the most gratifying. Starring... oh, boy, here we go... Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange, Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes/War Machine, Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa/Black Panther, Paul Bettany as Vision, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/White Wolf, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon and Josh Brolin as Thanos.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

So... yeah... this film has a big cast. And, I'm not going to lie, there are moments where the film doesn't feel as balanced as it could have been. Fortunately, the film doesn't feel so bloated where characters feel as if they are in the film for the sake of it. Everyone has a reason to be in the film, however short their time may be, and the people who are on screen the most are thankfully given enough development in the context of the story itself that it feels justified, if that makes sense. Also, it's worth knowing going in that this is technically Part 1 of a 2 part story. So, don't go in expecting a complete story, expect a complete movie that leaves a lot of room for the future. Finally, the film does feel somewhat episodic at times, and a film like this needs to, as it needs to find a way to bring all these characters together in a believable fashion. The drawback is that at times, the film can seem a little choppy. That's not a negative in any way, but it does need addressing. To me, it made the whole movie feel like it was lifted straight out of the comics it was based on, and that's alright in my book. Anyway, disclaimers aside, on with the review.

The Infinity Stones

There's nothing thought-provoking or incredibly deep in this film. What you see is what you get: an all-in rumble with our heroes we've been watching for the last 10 years. Thankfully, it's immensely fun, and it all works based on what Marvel has set up. As someone who's watched every MCU film at least once, I can see the plot threads all weaving into this package. Everything was leading towards this, and that's so painfully obvious now. This is the movie that rewards you for watching every other movie, but it doesn't go so far as to alienate you if you've missed something. It's a great balance, even down to the tone of the characters themselves. When the Guardians of the Galaxy get introduced, it feels like a Guardians of the Galaxy movie. When Spider-Man's on screen, it feels like a Spider-Man movie. Everyone in this movie is just so natural, and there was nothing particularly jarring about seeing Rocket Raccoon interacting with Thor, for example. Everything slot into place amazingly well, almost scarily so, and it's almost hypnotic watching everything land in the correct positions like this.

Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, Vin Diesel as Groot, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon as Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer

Josh Brolin is exceptional as Thanos. This is a great villain for this story. Even within the first 5 minutes of screentime, Thanos proves why he's the biggest and the baddest villain in Marvel lore. I was so tremendously impressed with the mo-cap and how they brought him to life, even down to the tiniest inflections on his face and the little twitches that came with the more emotional moments. Oh, did I say emotional moments? From a Marvel villain? Much less a Marvel villain with the goal of destroying half the universe? Because, yeah. Not only is this a menacing villain, but it's a layered one, and those are always the best. His intentions are good, but his methods and mindset are misguided, and those always make for the most intriguing villains. His plan is nothing too convoluted, which I'm happy about for a film as big as this. It's just get the Infinity Stones and 'balance the universe'. Whether or not Thanos' plan actually would solve overpopulation or the problems that come with it is a discussion for another time, but the fact that he so believes that he's doing the right thing is what makes him such a great villain.

Josh Brolin as Thanos

There's really not much more I can talk about without getting into spoiler territory, but I will say this: this film has stakes. There are things that happen in this movie that are going to leave a lasting impact on those that survive it. You can talk as much as you want about how 'there are never repercussions in Marvel' or how 'it's a cop-out' or blah-blah-blah, stop it. It's a comic-book movie. The source material is notoriously good at resetting everything every few cycles, so it's entirely possible the events of this film will mean nothing in a few films' time. But, that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Because it did. Everything that happened in this movie will leave its mark on everything that comes after it. Every single character in this movie is changed by what happens here, and that's part of the reason why this film succeeds so beautifully. For, really, the first time ever, it feels like people are going to be fundamentally changed as people by what happens here, regardless of what happens moving forward. I'd say 'enjoy it while it lasts', but even that's not the right phrase. Just enjoy it.

Tom Holland as Spider-Man

If you wanted me to nitpick, I probably could, but the fact is that Avengers: Infinity War (2018) was a brilliantly entertaining movie and a true celebration of everything that came before it. I feel as though a lot of the criticisms people are going to have for the film will disappear once Part 2 comes out and the whole thing can be treated as one package, but for now I'm satisfied and I just can't wait for what comes next. Because, for the first time in a while, I'm genuinely stumped as to what that could be. 10/10

Schedule for Must-See May

Okay, it's time. I've been sitting on this for a while now, but here it is. I am going to reveal my line-up for next month's Movie Marathon. You guys voted, and I'll be watching just some of the many franchises I have never seen before.

I've tried to find a good balance of quality and the opposite, and I think I've done well. So, without further ado, here's my line-up.

May 1st: Alien
May 2nd: Terminator
May 3rd: Twilight
May 4th: Mad Max
May 5th: Aliens
May 6th: The Hunger Games
May 7th: Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark
May 8th: Terminator 2: Judgement Day
May 9th: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
May 10th: The Twilight Saga: New Moon
May 11th: Alien 3
May 12th: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
May 13th: Mad Max 2
May 14th: Indiana Jones: The Temple of Doom
May 15th: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
May 16th: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
May 17th: Alien: Resurrection
May 18th: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
May 19th: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
May 20th: Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade
May 21st: Terminator: Salvation
May 22nd: Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome
May 23rd: Prometheus
May 24th: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
May 25th: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1
May 26th: Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
May 27th: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
May 28th: Terminator: Genisys
May 29th: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2
May 30th: Alien: Covenant
May 31st: Mad Max: Fury Road

So, yeah. I'm in for a good time. And a bad time. Tune in during the month of May to see how it all goes down. Expect a few one-off reviews between now and then, as well.

Off the Cuff Plays Spyro the Dragon (1998)

(Originally posted April 14th, 2018)

Okay, I do video game reviews now as well. You know why? Because I just completed Spyro the Dragon (1998) for the first time ever. I've owned the game for about 15 years and this is the first time I've ever beaten it. Though, in fairness, I've always been more of a Crash fan, so apart from one or two playings, I've never really given Spyro the love he deserves, until it was recently announced that the original trilogy would be making an HD return, so I figured now's as good a time as any to give it a proper go. Spyro the Dragon is a collect-a-thon platformer developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment.

In the world of dragons one peaceful day, a fellow named Gnasty Gnorc decides to cast a spell that encases all of the dragons into crystal, and also converts their treasure into minions for his cause. For some reason, Spyro isn't affected, so he must save the day. Yeah, platformers at the the time weren't known for their intricate stories, and Spyro doesn't need one. Just an excuse for Spyro to go on his quest. That's all you need. The game has a heavy collect-a-thon element, with you needing to free all the dragons, collect all the treasure, defeat all the minions and rescue all the dragon eggs in all 6 worlds. Spyro has two methods of attacking: he can charge, and he can utilise his flame breath. Fire has no effect on armoured foes, and larger enemies are invulnerable to Spyro's charge attack, so there's a decent amount of variation in the enemies and how Spyro must take care of them, even though the majority of them still go down in one hit. Each world also has a flight stage, which gives Spyro free-reign over how long he can fly, with all other stages only allowing him to glide downward, and he must destroy certain sets of items along the way to receive treasure.

The Artisans Homeworld

For being released 20 years ago, the game is still beautiful. It really holds up. Each world, and even each level, is so different from any other in terms of environments, colours and the like, that it gives each area of the game a unique style and backdrop that really helps when you have to revisit levels if you miss anything, or for memorising the level path on repeat playings. This also helps in making sure that Spyro's adventure never goes stale, and it's a testament to the great level design at work here, because these levels are very well designed. You will need to explore every nook and cranny in order to find every last bit of treasure in every stage, but luckily, it never feels like anything is too well hidden. There are always just enough clues to let you know when you're on the right track, but not so many that you still feel like the master of the universe for figuring it out. Well, except for the Tree Tops level. That stage can go and die for all I care. The soundtrack is great too. Not fantastic, but really great. The songs are more atmospheric and ambient, which also helps each level have its own identity, but the OST isn't as bombastic as, say, Crash 2 & 3. I'll take this soundtrack over Crash 1's, but if I'm just listening to the soundtrack on its own, it's a good one, it's just not my favourite of all time. But it is good. It's great, and I'm definitely downloading it for my own listening.

Spyro fighting Jacques

Spyro's controls are incredibly responsive, and very easy to pick up and get into. I never found myself yelling at Spyro for not doing what I wanted him to do, which is a big bonus. In a platformer, the number one priority is making sure the controls are responsive so that the player feels as though they are in control of the game, and they were here. There's also quite a lot of charm in the character of Spyro, and that comes across through the cutscenes and dragon dialogue, some of which is laugh-out-loud hilarious. The writing for this game, however sparse it is, is very clever, especially in early stages when it needs to teach you about the game. The game also has a unique hit-point mechanic in the form of Sparx the Dragonfly. It's your basic 'three strikes and then you're out' gimmick, with health pick-ups (smaller animals) scattered around to replenish your health, but the idea of making your health bar a character in their own right is genius. Granted, Sparx doesn't talk at all in this game, but the fact that it's a dragonfly that's always following you around made him seem like a living, breathing element of the world. Whenever I got hit, I would seek out a sheep or something, not just to bring me back to full health, but also to make sure that my dragonfly companion was fighting fit. Giving the player an additional incentive to keep themselves healthy, and in turn punishing them for not keeping their dragonfly healthy, is a genius concept.

Sunny Flight

Alright, so what are the negatives here? Well, I do have a few. Firstly, Spyro's movements can sometimes be a little janky, especially when narrow ledges above bottomless pits are concerned. Moving around the edges of the map could be nightmarish at times, since when you push the stick, Spyro moves at one speed, so there's no real way to move slowly around ledges except to push the stick quickly, then let go, then repeat, and this was especially gruelling when the game decided to hide enemies around such corners, allowing you zero response time to deal with them unless you knew they were there. That was the only time the game felt really cheap to me. Also, whilst the majority of the game was easy to get the hang of, super-charge was a nightmare to get the hang of. When turning corners in super-charge mode, Spyro felt almost too sensitive, and would careen into walls more times than I liked. Once I got the hang of it, it was still sensitive as hell. but slightly more manageable, but it's still one of the things I hope improves in the remake. Finally, the boss encounters were extremely disappointing. They were basically slightly smaller levels with a tougher enemy and a bit of a chase at the end; nothing special at all. Jacques in particular was especially disappointing, particularly for how great his design was. And, sadly, the final fight against Gnasty Gnorc wasn't particularly thrilling either. Chase some thieves around for some keys, chase Gnasty to the end of a path, hit him once, chase him through an admittedly challenging platforming section with the platforms slowly retracting into the walls, hit him a second time, and he's done. For how much of a threat he was built up to be, this really let me down, and I don't think he got a single hit in on me for the entire fight.

Gnasty Gnorc

In conclusion, Spyro the Dragon (1998), is a fantastic game, and it's a travesty that it took me this long to complete it. I'm so excited to be able to play this in HD later in the year, but I've got to get to the next two games first. On its own, however, this was a great experience, and it's easy to see why Spyro became the video game icon that he once was, and hopefully, can become again. 8.5/10.

Off the Cuff Reviews Arrow: Season 1 (2012-13)

(Originally posted April 13th, 2018)

I've talked about this show in the past, but I've recently been re-watching it with my sister, so I figured I might as well post a review. This is for the 1st season of Arrow, the show that kick-started DC's shared TV universe known as the Arrowverse, and I'm going to delight in talking about this show again. Starring Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen, Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance, Colin Donnell as Tommy Merlyn, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, Susanna Thompson as Moira Queen and Paul Blackthorne as Quentin Lance.

Arrow: Season 1 (2012-13)

5 years after billionaire playboy Oliver Queen is lost in a boating accident and presumed dead, he returns to his hometown, Starling City, with a secret agenda to right his family's wrongs and save his city. A simple enough premise and, really, it starts out just as simple, with each episode featuring a new target for Oliver to cross off his list. But it doesn't take long for the show to pick up the pace and start dealing with the real stuff. Whenever this first season deals with the season-long story arcs instead of telling one-off stories, it's a joy to watch, and the characters are what make it. There's not a single person in this starring line-up that isn't a compelling and complex character that you just love. The show even manages to win you over on characters that you hate in the beginning. Oliver's character is strong enough to carry the show on his own, which you'd want, but with such a strong ensemble, the show shines.

Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen

The show also employs a small amount of flashback storytelling, with most episodes featuring brief cutaways to Oliver's surprisingly intense stay on the island of Lian Yu. These serve as a nice way to break things up a bit, but they also tell a story of their own, and the best parts are when the story of what happened on the island and the story of what's happening in Starling City are interconnected in some fashion. Especially about halfway through the season, the flashback scenes really pick up, and they're such a treat that you forget anything that's happening in Starling, particularly with such a strong supporting cast. I need to stop talking about the cast in general, but when you've got such strong recurring actors as Manu Bennett, Sebastian Dunn, Colin Salmon, Alex Kingston, Colton Haynes, Emily Bett Rickards and John Barrowman, they definitely deserve their own special mention.

Manu Bennett as Slade Wilson

The fight scenes are especially well choreographed. These are some intense action set-pieces, and they all feel very unique despite mostly pitting an archer against some guy. Of course, there's typically a lot more to it than that, but I can't really discuss it further without encroaching on spoiler territory, which I try to avoid in these reviews, but trust me when I saw that these action sequences are among the best I've seen on television, and they're especially good with Blake Neely's score providing the assist. The OST for this show isn't my favourite of all time, but it does its job, with the music being mainly atmospheric or ambient rather than grandiose. Any scenes involving 'The Hood' in action, however, allow the score to become a little more bombastic, and I love that recurring motif that accompanies such sequences.

The Dark Archer

In summary, though at times the show can be a little formulaic when it just deals with crossing a new name off the list each week, whenever it deals with the characters or the season-long arcs, the first season of Arrow is incredible TV, and I could talk about the season finale alone for pages and pages if I wasn't being spoiler-free. If you haven't seen it yet, I'd definitely recommend it, though be prepared to get sucked into an entire universe of shows which i will be reviewing in due time, as I'm so far down this rabbit-hole already that I never want to come out. 8.5/10

Off the Cuff Reviews Ready Player One (2018)

(Originally posted April 11th, 2018)

Okay, well, I didn't know I'd be watching this when I woke up today, but here we are. Ready Player One (2018) Is a film that's ben driving the internet crazy recently, with some people gung ho for the concept, and other people just about ready to tear their own eyes out at the thought of it. And what do I think? ... I can see where both sides are coming from. Starring Tye Sheridan as Wade Watts/Parzival, Olivia Cooke as Samantha Cook/Art3mis, Ben Mendelsohn as Nolan Sorrento, T. J. Miller as i-R0k, Simon Pegg as Ogden Morrow and Mark Rylance as James Halliday.

Ready Player One (2018)

One of the easiest things to enjoy about this movie is the world. The film does a surprisingly good job of establishing the world of the movie quicker than you'd expect, and appropriately, allows you to immerse yourself into the film much easier than I thought. I was also worried that the scenes outside of the Oasis would be boring fluff while waiting to get back into the Oasis but, again, they do a surprisingly great job of finding that balance. The Oasis itself is a world that I definitely believe could exist, and not to mention, it looks phenomenal. The visual effects in this film are gorgeous to look at, and the film never has to fall back on the excuse that it's 'just a video game'. A lot of effort went into making this film look as beautiful as possible, and it absolutely succeeded.

Tye Sheridan as Wade Watts

I do need to mention the pop culture references, which I know a lot of people will have a problem with. Personally, I didn't mind them. Wait, no, scratch that. I was really on board. The film rarely throws a pop culture reference in for the sake of throwing a pop culture reference in. Any sequences which actually exploit a certain element of pop culture all have plot-specific and character-specific reasons for being there, and it never feels forced. Otherwise, for the most part they're just there in the background as player avatars, and it's completely believable. Give a nerd a world with limitless potentials, and of course they're going to make a whole bunch of pop culture stuff come to life. An easy point you can make is that we never see any pop culture stuff from the future, since the film takes place in 2045. To that I say, how do you know we aren't seeing references to pop culture that hasn't happened yet? We don't know, because it hasn't happened yet. Admittedly, there are one or two moments where a pop culture reference doesn't quite land, or they throw one in there for the sake of it, but by that point, you're so on board with the world that it really doesn't matter.

The Iron Giant

The characters are, admittedly, hit-and-miss. By far, the best character in the entire film is James Halliday. Every scene that he's in, every time they delve into his past, any emotional moment that involves Halliday, it's all executed perfectly. Mark Rylance does a fantastic job in this role, and his chemistry with SImon Pegg is fantastic. T. J. Miller's voice stands out a bit, but, again, it makes sense in the world, and he's a genuinely funny character. Wade Watts and Samantha Cook are... fine. When they're on their own or in the game world, it's great, and they both have really great and interesting backstories. But as soon as they introduce a love arc with them, I wasn't on board. It seems like they just shoehorned it in for the sake of having a love arc in there. Particularly with Artemis, she was such a cool character, and her backstory was really interesting, but they just threw it all away to have her be the love interest, which you know I hate. Their acting was good, so it wasn't so bad, and they definitely sold it, but it was just a route I wish they hadn't taken.

Mark Rylance as James Halliday

But the villain? Oh, my God, talk about the guy in the suit. This guy was so annoying, and I don't mean annoying like a good villain who you hate because he's always one step ahead. If anything, he's always one step behind, it's just his position of power that makes him such a threat. There's something that's shown early on that you know is going to come back in the conclusion that just makes him look like the stupidest motherf***er on the planet. The actor has an intimidating presence, and every now and then, he's genuinely threatening, but most of the time? No. He's only there to give the heroes someone to rebel against, and to drive home the message that the film's trying to get across. Oh, yeah, and about that...

Ben Mendelsohn as Nolan Sorrento

So, in the last half-hour or so, the film takes a bit of a turn. Not only are the pop culture references much more condensed, but they attempt to wrap up all of the messages that the movie wants to convey. And, when the movie embraces how stupid and corny it's being, it absolutely works. The final fight scene is fantastic, just because it's 100% self-aware about how ridiculous it is and it steers into the skid. Even the emotional message involving Halliday, again, works completely. But then, all of the morals that are gotten across in the real world (oh, yeah, there's more than one) just don't land, mainly because the movie's not self-aware about itself anymore. It thinks it's being really insightful and deep, when it's just not. You can't have a movie a ridiculous as this only for it to get super-serious at the end, unless it's The Lego Movie. It works for that movie because it's a kid's film. This doesn't work because it's for... actually, I have not idea who this film was targeted at. Is it for kids? Adults? People in the middle? I don't know, thanks to the ending, the film can get a little messy with its tone at times. Sometimes it knows exactly what kind of movie it is, and when it does, it's an incredibly unique and exciting movie. When it doesn't... it's sloppy. And, I'm pretty sure a lot of that comes down to the inspiration: the original novel.

Tye Sheridan as Parzival and Olivia Cooke as Art3mis

So, Ready Player One (2018), whilst not perfect, is probably the best adaptation of its source material that could possibly have existed. Does that mean the book should have been adapted in the first place? I don't know. That's for you to decide. All I know is that I'm glad I saw it. Would I watch it again...? Maybe once more. It's definitely a journey, and appropriately enough, I think the best way to enjoy a movie like this is to shut your brain off and just let yourself get sucked into the world. 6.5/10

Off the Cuff Reviews A Series of Unfortunate Events: Season 1 (2017)

(Originally posted April 8th, 2018)

After watching and reviewing Season 2 of A Series of Unfortunate Events last week, I figured I might as well complete the set and watch back Season 1 for the purposes of reviewing it. You already know my opinions on the show as a whole, I love it to bits, but how does Season 1 fare now that Season 2 is out? Starring Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, Patrick Warburton as Lemony Snicket, Malina Weissman as Violet Baudelaire, Louis Hynes as Klaus Baudelaire, K. Todd Freeman as Arthur Poe and Presley Smith as Sunny Baudelaire.

A Series of Unfortunate Events: Season 1 (2017)

The world that is presented in the show is so unique to anything else I've ever seen on TV, and it seems to exist in its own world, a world in which typewriters, James Brown and cable cars coexist. It helps that the sets a gorgeous, and are among some of the most stunning set pieces I've ever seen. The Reptile Room is beautiful, Count Olaf's house is depressing, even Lemony Snicket's lodgings, which we only see once or twice, are packed with detail, including easter eggs for us diehard book fans. This show really is the love letter to the books that I always wanted it to be, and it's so gratifying to hear some of Lemony Snicket's dry commentary sometimes repeated word-for-word from the very novels I grew up with.

Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf

I believe, upon hearing of Neil Patrick Harris' casting as Count Olaf, I made a post that went something along the lines of 'YES YES YES YES YES'. Harris is a joy to watch, and any scene he's in is immediately stolen by him. He somehow finds a way to make the role his own, yet also perfectly encapsulate everything that made Count Olaf who he was in the books. One of my gripes with the 2004 movie was that while Jim Carrey did a great job, he sort of overpowered the role a little, and a lot of the humour became just that Jim Carrey style humour. The books already have such a unique sense of humour, that would have been enough. And, it is enough in the show, as the humour is very uniquely A Series of Unfortunate Events. And a lot of that comes down to Patrick Warburton's portrayal of Lemony Snicket. He is the perfect voice to give to that voiceless persona, and every anecdote explaining the story, or some words, or any ridiculous tangent are delivered flawlessly.

Patrick Warburton as Lemony Snicket

Weissman and Hynes are great in their roles as Violet and Klaus. While I do think they didn't quite find their feet 100% until Season 2, Season 1 has some incredible moments featuring just the kids. Their scene towards the end of the first episode is heart-breakingly well executed, and their chemistry is perfect as well, so it's not so bad overall. Of the 3 kids, the comedic highlight is definitely Sunny. They know exactly when to have her pipe in with her classic one-liners, with Tara Strong providing excellent baby voicework. The supporting cast all shine as well, and they got great picks for all the minor characters in the story, with notable highlights being Aasif Mandavi as Uncle Monty, Chris Gauthier as Phil, Sara Canning as Jacquelyn, Patrick Breen as Larry Your-Waiter and Count Olaf's entire acting troupe. There are also a few surprises in the form of Will Arnett and Cobie Smulders, and I will not spoil how they are integrated into the story as a whole, as it is quite genius.

Presley Smith as Sunny Baudelaire

Compared to Season 2, I do think Season 1 lacks a bit. I'm not sure what it is, maybe it's because Books 1-4 are a little more formulaic and less intense than Books 5-9, maybe it's the lack of Esme after seeing her in Season 2, I don't know. It's definitely not because the show needs to take its time to get going, because that couldn't be further from the truth. Right from before we even see any characters, the show knows exactly what it is and what it wants to be, and it's got the kind of charm and confidence that you'd usually expect of a show that's a couple of seasons in and knows it can be more adventurous and unique since it's already found its audience. It might seem a little unfair to compare Season 1 to Season 2, but the way I see it, Season 2 build upon the foundations that Season 1 set up, like any good continuation should. If those foundations aren't stable enough, the whole thing falls apart. In that sense, Season 1 succeeded unquestionably well, and it even held up on a rewatch over a year later, so that's saying something.

Aasif Mandavi as Dr. Montgomery Montgomery

The first season of A Series of Unfortunate Events is simply amazing. It succeeds as a faithful interpretation of the source material, as a TV show in general and as a story in general. If you haven't seen this show at all yet, I highly recommend you do so, and with a 3rd season officially confirmed and currently filming, it seems like we don't have long to wait for the conclusion, and you better believe I'll be first in line to review that. 9/10.

Off the Cuff Reviews The Jungle Book (1994)

(Originally posted April 8th, 2018)

When this movie began, I was so confused. I had so many questions, mainly about why this film was made. Was it for kids? Was it for adults? Was it meant to be a darker version of the cartoon? Was it meant to be more faithful to the books? I was just so perplexed as to why this film was made. Thankfully, The Jungle Book (1994) won me over by the end, and I enjoyed this far more than I expected to. Starring Jason Scott Lee as Mowgli, Lena Headey as Katherine "Kitty" Brydon, Cary Elwes as Captain William Boone, Sam Neill as Colonel Geoffrey Brydon and John Cleese as Dr. Julius Plumford.

The Jungle Book (1994)

It's important to establish early on exactly what this film is, as despite being titled 'Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book', this has little to nothing to do with the books. Rather, it's an adventure movie with the characters from the book and Disney movie. Mowgli is an adult, not a child, and is discovered by a childhood friend and crush, who attempts to reintroduce Mowgli to society. Meanwhile, a British Army captain who also happens to be dating Mowgli's love interest discovers that Mowgli knows the location of a vast treasure, lost in the jungle somewhere, and attempts to use Mowgli to recover the treasure by any means necessary. So... it's a loose interpretation. I knew from the start that I wasn't going to be getting the story of the Disney cartoon, but it's worth knowing about in case you go into this film expecting the wrong thing.

John Cleese as Dr. Julius Plumford and Casey as Baloo

Bizarrely, this ridiculous story works for this setting. Think of it as The Jungle Book meets Tarzan, and it was honestly very entertaining. The film never takes itself so seriously that you yourself can't take it seriously, but it treats itself seriously enough for there to be stakes and tension. Shere Khan is introduced in the first scene as a dangerous, and doesn't make a return until the last 20 minutes or so. And, again, it works. When he's on screen, he's a powerful presence, and when he's not on screen in that last act, it's still really powerful. He's not the main villain, of course, and we'll get to that, but he's still very much a threat. Like I said, these are still the same characters, and while the animals never talk, their personalities still come across in their behaviour. Bagheera is a stoic observer, Baloo is a free spirit, King Louie just does his own thing and has fun. And they all have great relationships with Mowgli.

Bombay as Shere Khan

Speaking of which, while the acting is solid all-round, Jason Scott Lee as Mowgli was fantastic. I'm always impressed when actors have to work through a handicap, and for the first half of this film, he doesn't say a single word. He completely sells the 'raised in the jungle' character, and he's also fantastic at being the 'fish out of water' in Act 2. He's probably the best part of the movie, though I am biased towards John Cleese a bit. Also, for what I initially though was a paper-thin villain, he actually ended up being a strong character by the end. Although all of these characters are products of the times (it's set in 1900s during the British Raj in India), he's certainly the most set in his ways. I'm not sure how to accurately describe it, but suffice it to say, it works, and Cary Elwes does a great job in the role.

Jason Scott Lee as Mowgli

It's not a perfect film, and none are, so here are my criticisms. There are times when the movie can feel somewhat disconnected. It'll finish one scene, then cut to the next which is set sometime later, but it's never explained precisely how the character got from Point A to Point B. Like, one scene ends with Mowgli nursing a bullet wound, and in the next scene, he's completely fine. I could have used even one shot showing how he treated himself, and that would have been fine. Also, the entirety of Act 2 takes place in the city with Mowgli being reacquainted to human life, and while it definitely is interesting, it's nowhere near as fascinating or entertaining as watching him in the jungle, interacting with the animals. I could have used a little more of the jungle, and just a little less of the human world. Also, and again, this may be my bias, but I wish we saw just a little more of John Cleese. His character was so great, I could have used just a little more of him and that would have made me happy.

Cary Elwes as Captain William Boone

In short, The Jungle Book (1994) was a big surprise for me. For a film where I'm still not quite sure why exactly it was made, it was a superbly entertaining time, and I'm sure to be returning to the jungle sometime soon. 8.5/10.

Off the Cuff Reviews Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

(Originally posted April 1st, 2018)

Well, it was a hectic day, however, I still found the time to play this awesome game that came out last year. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) is a delightful video game that seems to dissect video games as a medium, and is a surprisingly hilarious time, for a video game. Featuring the voice talents of Dwayne Johnson as Spencer/Dr. Smolder Bravestone, Jack Black as Bethany/Professor Shelly Oberon, Kevin Hart as Fridge/Franklin "Mouse" Finbar, Karen Gillan as Martha/Ruby Roundhouse, Nick Jonas as Alex/Jefferson "Seaplane" McDonough and Bobby Cannavale as Professor Russell Van Pelt.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

I was a huge fan of the Robin Williams Jumanji movie as a kid, and I watched it a lot. So, when I heard they were making a game that was going to sort of follow on from the movie, I was a little sceptical, as was the majority of the internet. Thankfully, this game delivers, and is not only a great game in and of itself, but is a glorious love letter to the movie that's not afraid to update things for the modern era. The game looks beautiful, and the graphics are far beyond what I expected. It runs at a solid 60-fps, I could barely see the polygons and there were very few moments of debilitating lag. The animals especially were a joy to look at, though I could have used more of them in the game, but we'll get to that later.

Jumanji (1995)

For a video game, I was surprised by how often the script had me laughing my ass off. A lot of that comes down to the voice actors, who I believe used their likenesses to make it more believable. Comedy highlights were Kevin Hart and Jack Black, though Karen Gillan and Dwayne Johnson certainly brought their A-game for the comedic moments. More than that, though, it was interesting to see how many jokes poked fun at video games themselves, almost like the game was self-aware that it was a game. Also, it may be seen as poor game design, but I love how thoroughly useless Kevin Hart's character was, and I don't think I used his archaeology or palaeontology skills once. He was useful to get info about the animals, but that was about it. It was clear that he was the character that you give your little sister to play as while you play the game for real, and that's what I did. Never looked back.

Kevin Hart as Franklin "Mouse" Finbar, Karen Gillan as Ruby Roundhouse, Jack Black as Professor Shelley Oberon and Dwayne Johnson as Dr. Smolder Bravestone

It was interesting how we got to see the 'players' before they get sucked into 'the game'. This is clearly a send-up to the movie where Alan Parrish gets stuck in the game for an extended period of time, and setting this game in the context of players getting stuck in a video game version of Jumanji was a genius idea. The game became less about the story of the game and more about the story of the characters you were controlling who were playing the characters in the game. You really get sucked into their stories, as well, and the characters are really well-rounded and believable. I believe there are people like this in the real world, and it's small touches like that which made this game feel so real, as if it was a real sequel to the movie, instead of just being a game. I related to Spencer so much, and I felt as though someone just took me and put me in this game, though not while he had Dwayne Johnson's body.

Alex Wolff as Spencer Gilpin

Even though the game was more about the characters instead of the story, it did make the actual story seem kind of weak by comparison. The villain barely did anything, and it was clear that he was just the foil to get the characters on their quest. Which is fine and everything, I mean, it is a video game, after all. But it made it feel like all the enemies were just people with guns. When I play a Jumanji game, I want to go up against the raging wildlife, the harsh conditions, not people with guns. This goes back to what I was saying earlier when I said that I wish there were more animals in the game. You could have kept the gem stuff, but made the plot that the gem got dislodged by a freak weather effect, and all the animals were overly aggressive while it was missing. Nothing changes, except you get more awesome animals as opposed to recycled human enemies. True, you don't get the awesome dance fight levels, but they could have compensated for that some other way. Or just have Ruby Roundhouse dance fight against a pack of crocodiles, that would have been fun. I don't know, I just felt as though the wider variety of enemies, levels and boss battles would really have helped this game from getting a little stale, even though it wasn't that big a deal since the human characters you play as and their stories are the focus.

Bobby Cannavale as Russel Van Pelt

In the end, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) is an awesome addition to the Jumanji universe, and I'm so happy I got the chance to play it today. On this day. April 1st. ... Yeah. 8.5/10