For what it set out to do, I think Dunkirk is brilliant. The portrayal of the war and the soldiers trying to survive & reach home is done in a spectacular cinematic experience...with some great visuals, action & intensity, and accompanied by one the best musical scores of the year (by one of the greatest composers of all time). But as a film, I didn't particularly like it. There is a lack of character & emotional journey.
This is perhaps a film that I watch with more admiration rather than enjoyment. For what it set out to do, in terms of the portrayal of the battle of Dunkirk, it was done brilliantly. Few can do better than Christopher Nolan when it comes to directing action sequences like these. And some of the shots, especially those in the air with the spitfires, are just gorgeous. And the action is brought to life with great intensity.
The intensity is especially so prominent thanks to the musical score of my favourite composer of all time, Hans Zimmer. I don't know how he keeps creating these awesome score, but he definitely did it again this time. So, if there is one thing that I particularly enjoy in this film, it would be the score. There is one music titled 'Supermarine' which is spectacularly awesome. It will definitely be put on repeat in my Spotify for the next few days.
However, I actually don't like the film that much. I think this is no fault of anyone - not the director nor writer, and most certainly not the actors (who were brilliant) - but they set out to do a realistic portrayal of the battle, and not focus on the characters. As such, there is a lack of character development and therefore has no emotional journey that I could have gotten invested in.
For me, that is such a pity because I go to the movies for some good plot & characters where I can get invested in someone's emotional journey - otherwise, I could always simply watch a documentary. So it is just unfortunate that this film didn't put forth the characters, and for me personally, that makes the film feel a bit shallow.
Which is why, in the end, it was more admiration than enjoyment for me (except for the score, of course), and I do appreciate the great visuals, action & intensity...but as a film, it didn't stuck with me. I might still recommend some people to catch this film if only for the one-time cinematic experience, but I will warn them not to expect too much from it.
VERDICT: 55 / 100
August officially marks the end of the summer big-budget blockbusters, but there still quite a few interesting & fun films to look forward to...
The Dark Tower (Aug 4-USA, Aug 18-UK, Aug 3-Singapore)
A few months ago, I would have been really excited about this film. A science-fiction fantasy western film based on the book by Stephen King. Not to mention the starring roles of both Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey. It does sound like a very promising blockbuster near the end of the summer. But the trailers then came out, and I was a bit let down. I'm not sure how to say it, but it just doesn't look as substantial or as action-packed as I thought. I'm not even sure what the plot will be (I don't read books, by the way). And the latest (and hopefully, the last) straw for me would be knowing that the running time is a mere 95 minutes (including credits)....which is very short. In the end, I will probably still watch the film, but I don't feel excited any bit at all now.
Trailers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK9LpM7qmJY (Trailer #1)
Detroit (Aug 4-USA, Aug 25-UK)
These kinds of 'based on real life' stories aren't usually my favourite kind of films, but this particular one really intrigued me. Well, the main reason for that is that it is a Katheryn Bigelow directed film. That sells me straight away. Then you have some excellent cast in the film with John Boyega, Will Poulter, Anthony Mackie, and more. It still probably isn't my most awaited film in any stretch, but it certainly has lots of positive buzz around it.
Trailers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5h7Kgo-zeI (Trailer #1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-2_1tUnIWM (Trailer #2)
Wind River (Aug 4-USA. Sep 8-UK)
After his awesome work in writing the screenplay for both Sicario & Hell or High Water (which were really brilliantly written films), Taylor Sheridan has got my full attention for this next project of his. Perhaps the only existing question mark is from the fact that this is his first run as a director. But after seeing the trailer, this doesn't feel like much of a concern anymore. I like what I've seen in the trailers, and I like the tone/style of this film. Really quite looking forward to this.
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZgN0dpFoaE (Trailer #1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGk_sO57Gr4 (Trailer #2)
The Hitman's Bodyguard (Aug 18-USA, Aug 18-UK, Aug 17-Singapore)
This really looks like one of those hilarious action comedies with a great dynamic from the main duo. I have always enjoyed these kind of films which has excellent chemistry between the main characters, like The Nice Guys, Central Intelligence, etc. And by the looks of it in the trailers, the Samuel L Jackson and Ryan Reynolds certainly looks like they have an amazing & funny partnership brewing. And that's all I need to buy this film. I can only hope that the story delivers, too. But I'm excited about this.
Trailers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d1XOshDSbg (Trailer #1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXKgEBkjZ2k (Trailer #2)
Logan Lucky (Aug 18-USA, Aug 25-UK, Aug 31-Singapore)
Another great looking comedy. This one, instead, has an array of great actors with the likes of Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Seth MacFarlane, and even Daniel Craig (sporting a southern accent, no less). And with a heist element added into the film, this really has the potential to be one of the better comedies of the year, and I really look forward to this film.
Trailers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsOIuzxMplA (Trailer #1)
Other Movies:
As most of you may well know by now, I am certainly not a fan of horror flicks, but for those of you who are, Annabelle: Creation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s3XdCN1uks) is out on August 11. Meanwhile, if you are a fan of animation movies, The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nF8T_V22ng) is also out on the same day, while musical animation Leap! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vM-CnKojrQ) will be out on August 30th in the US.
When I first started this blog, it was because of an awesome, powerful film that concluded what is arguably one of the best trilogies of all time - the film was The Dark Knight Rises. And I gave that film a perfect score. And 5 years later, I have that very same feeling again with War for the Planet of the Apes. It is spectacular in so many ways, from the story, to the characters, to the performances, and more.
The emotional journey that Caesar went through in this film is so powerful, and you really feel that in this film. And this is due to a great mixture of awesome work from the whole team - from the brilliant performance by Andy Serkis, the visual direction of Matt Reeves, and even the visual effects that really brought it to life.
Meanwhile, a lot of the other supporting characters are also very memorable. For example, the likes of Maurice & Rocket are such excellent companions to Caesar. They counterbalance Caesar's emotions, but they also care so much for him. On the other side, The Colonel, who acts as the antagonist, is both menacing when he needs to be, but you can also understand the reasons why he does what he does.
But in terms of standout characters, it has to be both Bad Ape & Nova. Bad Ape acts mostly as a comic relief, but it did not feel forced or cringey at all. The humour really works and adds a nice balance to the overall dark tone of the plot. Nova, meanwhile, is just something else. I don't want to say too much about the character now, but she is really such a wonderful character & plays a big role/impact (not necessarily physically, but emotionally). You'll like her.
I seriously can't find anything in this film that I don't like at all. I thought to myself, that if this film has a more epic battle, this would be even more perfect. But actually, it doesn't need it. Even as it is, the film is already the perfect conclusion to a spectacular trilogy, and I really enjoyed/appreciated every single moment in this film...for me, this already is the perfect blockbuster.
It has the perfect blend of intense action sequences (with a great accompanying musical score by Michael Giacchino), a great emotional story, excellent memorable characters, and even nice touches of humour along the way. I thought about it for a while, but then I realize, it was a very easy decision for me...this is easily the best movie of the year so far!
VERDICT: 100 / 100
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Spider-Man
In my main review, I spoke about this being the best Spider-Man seen in film. And I obviously can't spoil it back then, but I would like to list down some of examples of these excellent moments. There are actually a lot of these but a good example would be the montage early in the film when he does these little things in the street like stopping a bike theft or helping an old lady with some directions, when Tony & Happy were not responding his calls. All this really feels exactly like what a Spider-Man would do.
But the parts I like best was when Peter has these conversations with his suit AI, Karen. These are just hilarious. Like when the suit keeps suggesting the instant-kill mode, or when suggesting the different type of web shooters...Peter's responses were just hilarious. And I also like it when the suit was in enhanced interrogation mode and masks Peter's voice. It made the voice intimidating, but the words that came out was one of a young teenager. The most memorable scene, for me, was when he was stuck in the warehouse and has these conversations with Karen while also trying out the different type of web shooters. Again, he does these funny things that only Spider-Man can do.
All these scenes are super fun & hilarious to watch and which is why I can easily say that this is the definitive film version Spider-Man.
Peter Parker's Friends
Also as mentioned in my review, I was initially very skeptical about the high school scenes in the film, but I ended up enjoying those a lot. Ned is a surprisingly very fun character, and so is the snarky, sarcastic Michelle. By the way, I don't quite like the MJ reference...but it doesn't bother me much. Meanwhile, I really like this version of Flash Thompson for being more of a fun character & modern bully, instead of the old school physical bully.
The character of Liz was okay, but what I like was seeing how Peter has a crush on her and how he approaches her. I mean, these are things that we all feel at one point in time, but we don't see it happen with Captain America or Iron Man or Thor. By the way, the reveal that Adrian Toomes was her dad was such a surprise to me. I didn't see that coming at all, but it was a nice surprise.
The Avengers
A very quick one here. I like the fact that while Iron Man and The Avengers deals with all these big threats and aliens and monsters, but they ignore these street level crimes on the ground, and that is where Spider-Man comes in. This gives that perspective that there are more dangers than just the ones from the sky, but even those closer to home. Which is also why I like that, at the end, Spider-Man rejects the option to be an Avenger, and instead chooses to stay at home and look out for the "little guy" in and around his neighbourhood.
Credits Scene
I mentioned in my review that the mid-credits scene got me really excited for the future. And that is because, for a while, I thought Mac Gargan (who will end up to be Scorpion) had fallen from the ferry and died. But to see him in the mid-credits scene there gives me not only the relief that the character is alive, but also the excitement that if he gets teased like this in a credits scene, you can bet that he'll show up in future movies.
And in case you are wondering, I am not necessarily a big fan of Scorpion, no...that's not the reason why I'm excited about this character. Rather, I am very much a big fan of the actor Michael Mando. I am such a big fan of his work, including as Nacho Varga in the Breaking Bad spin-off, Better Call Saul. But his best role remains as antagonist Vaas in the video game Far Cry 3, which is my favourite character ever in video games. I became a fan of him because of this game, and anywhere I can see more of him (more so if its in the MCU) is just going to get me excited.
Meanwhile, the post-credits scene is just brilliant. It is hilarious, and was brilliantly delivered by Chris Evans. Amazing stuff.
I am undecided on whether this is the best Spider-Man movie ever made, but for damn sure, it's the one I like the most, and it really is another excellent film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They just don't know how to make bad movies. This film has great humour, great story, great characters...and this is, for me, the best Peter Parker/Spider-Man in film.
I just have to start off by talking about Tom Holland's Peter Parker. Unlike other heroes like Iron Man (who is a billionaire) or Thor (who is a god), this is a character who has to deal with day-to-day stuff like school, socializing & even falling in love. It is so nice to see a superhero that needs to deal with & balance these things. And I can say that this is the best Spider-Man on film because of how he acts when he is on that suit. I don't want to spoil anything here, but if you just see what he does when he's in that suit, it is just fun & hilarious, in the way only Spider-Man can be. Which is why the humour in this film really hits!
The plot was pretty good, but it is the characters that really made it work. All the supporting characters were quite memorable, from the likes of Tony Stark & Happy Hogan, to his high school friends Ned, Liz, Flash, Michelle. There was some great chemistry between the high school peeps, and they really feel like a modern bunch of kids. I was initially skeptical of the high school rom-com part of the film, but I ended up really enjoying it. And on the topic of supporting characters, the villain in this film is arguably one of the best in the MCU. Michael Keaton's The Vulture looks menacing & awesome in the suit, but he stands out more in his human persona.
If there is anything that lacks in this film, I think that would actually be the action sequences. Not that it's bad, but some other previous Spider-Man movies did it better, so I can't say that this one stood out. That being said, (as mentioned above) I really like whenever this Spider-Man is in his suit in whatever he does...so there doesn't even need to be an action set piece...I thoroughly enjoyed watching this character do what Spider-Man does. There aren't too many jokes/humour throughout the film, but when there is, it really hits the mark.
Another thing that probably didn't stood out much was the score/soundtrack...but I do have to say that the Spider-Man Homecoming Suite (theme) was excellent, so I'm going to give the composer credit for that. And without spoiling what it is, the mid-credits scene really got me excited for the future, meanwhile the post-credits scene at the end...well, it is very simply a must see!
VERDICT: 83 / 100
