As a person who was never a fan of the franchise, I had many concerns going into this. I was bracing for what was potentially a bad movie, but it turned out differently, and I had some fun...surprisingly. The cheesiness that I had expected is mostly still there, and I don't think the dialogue are that well written. That being said, there are some rather fun moments to enjoy, and the main characters are better than I thought they'd be.
I always like to say that characters are the most critical element of a film, because without good characters, we'll be just looking at things happening to some random individual. Fortunately, this film got this element just about right and I managed to get invested with these characters...at least, some of them.
The plot, on the other hand, is...acceptable. The overall plot just about works, but really it is as generic as an origin story can be and its not hard to predict what happens next. And there are quite some cheesiness and conveniences in how things turn out (how they all meet, etc). I won't complain too much about it, but the plot points actually feel pretty weak.
However, between those plot points, there are some fun to be had. The action sequences are not bad at all. And while the cheesy lines/jokes are, for me, the biggest drawback of the film...there are surprisingly some humour that works, too, which I find enjoyable.
For a non-fan, I really find myself surprised to at least be able to enjoy some of the fun moments in the film. As a whole, I definitely won't say that this film is good in any stretch, but there are some fun moments peppered throughout.
VERDICT: 60 / 100
Again, it really isn't a good film, so I won't go out recommending this to people. But if you are a fan (or you feel that you can at least enjoy these kind of films), then I think you might enjoy the film (or at least, some of it)...
Alright. A quick note before I start. My review will be quite different from most of the reviews you will see anywhere else. Why? Because I have not watched the original animated film. So, for me, this almost feels like a new film entirely, and hence my review will actually incorporate the story elements, too. I can't even compare the two, so it will be a pure review of the new live-action film itself.
With that out of the way, I have to say I really loved this film. It very much feels like watching a great Disney animation film....the same way I felt after watching Moana or Tangled, and the like. The only difference, of course, is the fact that this is live-action. But even so, (for quite obvious reasons) it does feel like I'm just watching a Disney animation flick. And I enjoyed it for the most part, the music, the story, the characters...
The tale as old as time works as an overall plot, but what really gets me are some of the funnier moments throughout. Most of all, I like the dynamic between Lumiere & Cogsworth, and there is a lot of fun banter between the two. And then the chemistry between the two titular characters is also really good. Perhaps one unexpected character I find to be very funny is Belle's dad, played by the brilliant Kevin Kline. These characters provided some really fun & touching moments throughout the film.
Now, the songs. I have only heard the main 'Beauty and the Beast' song itself previously, but even that song feels great to hear when seeing it in the dance scene itself. And all the other songs are really good as well, and I really enjoyed them in the film. Although, it didn't really struck me that much as the likes of Moana or Tangled did where I ended up listening to the songs too, outside of the film. I didn't do the same with this film, but I promise you, the songs were really excellent within the movie.
And overall, I really enjoyed the film the way I would expect a Disney film. There is nothing to really complain about. I don't expect action sequences any way, so I'm not going to comment on that. And the visual effects were pretty good. And so are all the actors. They played the characters a bit over-the-top but that didn't bother me at all, because I was always feeling like watching an animated film, anyway.
In the end, to simply put it, for me it was really like watching a great (and it really is great) Disney flick which I thoroughly enjoyed from start to end.
VERDICT: 85 / 100
I cannot comment really for those of you who have watched the original, but my sentiment is simple. This is a really good Disney film and I would recommend it to everyone, because its a nice feel-good story, anyway, and we all need a bit of that in our lives...
When you see a movie titled Kong you would expect some awesome action with the great big ape himself...and that's exactly what you get in this film! Unfortunately, you don't get too much more. Its not that everything else is bad...its just that there is nothing else that this film to offer.
Easily put, everything in relation to Kong in this film is handled brilliantly. The big action sequences are definitely part of this, and you will definitely have a lot of fun with it. To add to that, I like the way they introduced Kong in this film. For me, that scene when Kong attacks all the helicopters was excellently done. I don't really want to spoil the scene, but the way we get to see Kong's face for the first time is brilliant.
However, as mentioned above, this film has little else to offer. Most of the characters are not quite well developed. The only character I can relate to is Tom Hiddleston's character. And though this next character wasn't in the spotlight enough, I still think that John Goodman is a brilliant actor and always gives his best and makes things believable, even if it sounds weird.
The plot is okay. It works, but its not particularly good. If there is one thing that really needs improvement, it would be the dialogue. Some of the dialogue are just plain bad and sounds like it was written by a ten-year old. Oh, but the score/soundtrack is pretty good.
Overall, it was a good watch. I had fun where I expected to, and the film was overall pretty solid. But the plot, the characters, the dialogue really needs improvement. So if you ask me whether it is a particularly good movie...no, its not - but its fun to watch.
VERDICT: 70 / 100
If you like these kind of big monster movies, then I think this is a good watch. Just don't expect a really good movie...
There are so many beautiful & memorable moments in Logan, but there are also some of the not so good ones...
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"That's not a choo-choo!"
X-23
First off, I would like to say I am surprised by how good Dafne Keen is and her portrayal of Laura (X-23). The character is amazing! I like the fighting style and how the character brings a mix of the rage and the agility in the fight sequences. In her personality itself, she brings a mix of the naughty and of the innocence. And that sometimes becomes a humourous moment, like when she was riding that kiddie horse ride, or when she sits on Charles' wheelchair.
X-24
This is one character in the film I wish was different. It was a little off-putting for me, to be honest, that this character had to be an exact clone of Logan himself. I understand that this is supposed to be like a perfect recreation of Weapon X (Logan, in case you don't know) himself, but I would rather that this happen in someone else's body instead and hence will look like a different character. My complaint may not be fully justifiable, but I still maintain that I don't like this character, and it is the one idea in the whole film which I cannot back. It seriously feels off-putting.
Charles Xavier's Death
And in relation to the above, I feel that Charles' death is not momentous enough. The main problem of it is in fact that his death is also the first time we see X-24. And at that point (and for the next minute or so), I was partially thinking if this is more of a dream sequence, and hence the feeling that Charles had been stabbed hasn't really sunk in yet in my mind.
And by the time I realized the reality, and we see Charles' final moments, some intense action is happening with X-24 capturing X-23, so again it slightly takes away the spotlight from Charles.
Despite a touching line by Logan (trying to tell Charles that it wasn't him), I really feel that Charles' death does not get enough time & attention. A significant character like Charles, with the history he has in the X-Men series, deserves a more momentous end.
Logan's End
On the other hand, Logan's death scene was very touching and deserved. And what made it more emotional is Laura's presence by his side. It was very emotional to see that Logan finally feel love again in his dying moments. And it is reciprocated by Laura herself just crying by his side, and calling Logan "daddy". I broke down at that moment, and it got me really teary. In this scene, I really get to see how good of an actress Dafne really is, and this is a very fitting and emotional end to our favourite X-Men.
And speaking of which, that moment at the end when Laura takes the cross and places it as an 'X' instead, is a very nice touch.
Family...
In the end, the best compliment I can give to this movie is that this is perhaps one of (if not) the best family film I have ever watched. You don't normally associate Wolverine and 'family drama', but that's what we get in this film, and is in fact the best aspect of the film for me.
To be able to see him take care of an ailing Charles, who still has enough spirit in him to be both a mentor and a nuisance for Logan himself. And add to that his daughter Laura, who he initially resents but slowly learns to love (amongst all the rebellious interactions).
There is so much emotion in the interactions between these three characters as they go from their hideout to a Mini Mart to a Hotel to someone else's House like in a family road trip. And more than just the emotions, there is so much humour between them. All this brilliant dynamic & interactions is why I can easily say that Logan may be the best family road trip movie I have ever seen...
As far as last movies go...this is as good as its going to get. Logan really shows us what a character like Wolverine would live like in his older days. And the really good thing about this movie are the characters...the characters of Logan, Charles and Laura and the dynamic between them is the core of what made this movie great. The rest of it (the action, the humour, etc) builds on top of it perfectly.
As much as I would like to commend the tone for being really different than other comic book movies, it really is not the tone itself that deserves the praise. Like I mentioned above, the characters are the core of this film. It very much feels like a character story and a family story. The characters of Logan, Charles and Laura in this film are about as great as I can hope for, and the dynamic between the three of them are excellent! It is like a struggling man with a troublesome father and a rebellious daughter. There is a lot of heart, but there is a lot of humour, too. Easily the best part of the film, for me, is the family road trip aspect.
The tone, the drama, the humour....they all just flow perfectly with these characters at the center of it. I can talk about these characters as much....but you really have to watch this film and see it for yourself. I really cannot praise the characters (both in the writing of it and the acting of it - young Dafne Keen is amazing!!) enough, so I would really hope that you catch this film and enjoy it yourself.
Meanwhile, the action sequences are quite good, and the stakes are higher because of how much I am invested in these characters. The plot itself is also quite good, to a certain extent. And that's probably the only thing I had some issues with in this film. The overall plot is fine, but there are some moments (without spoiling anything here) that I really feel they should have done differently, or just didn't feel right. Anyway, more on that in the spoiler discussion soon.
Otherwise, this film really got the basics right and gets us to experience and feel the characters the way it should have been. There are only a few moments I didn't particularly like towards the final third of the film, but the first 1.5 hour of this film is as perfect as can be. And easily the family road trip part of the film and the dynamic between the characters are the best part of the film. As Hugh Jackman's last run as Logan, this movie is as great as anyone can hope for.
VERDICT: 91 / 100
An easy recommended watch for everyone!! Not just for comic book fans...
