OZ, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL; Carlisle's Final Word

"Look, I know I'm not the wizard that you expected. But I might just be the wizard that you need."

Oz

"I could escape this feeling with my China girl"

Synopsis;

Small-time carnival illusionist and all-round cad Oscar 'Oz' Diggs finds himself swept away by a tornado which leaves him stranded in a magical new world. Soon, after a case of mistaken identity and his own subversive nature, he finds himself embroiled in a tug-of-war for rulership between 3 sisters (who also happen to be very powerful witches)...

Script Logic; 1/2

Alright, I appreciate it's a fairy tale aimed at children, but there are a few niggling plot-holes that seem to exist simply because the writers didn't seem bothered enough to patch them up, which is a shame seeing as in almost every other respect the film is slickly handled. I won't go into them to avoid spoiling anything, but some parts (if you pause for thought) will leave you scratching your head in wonderment.

Pace; 1/2

A solid effort, and the run-time is peppered with visual treats and witty dialogue, but the film does loose momentum half way through the second act. Still, things perk up again nicely for the climax and it should certainly hold the attention of it's younger target audience.

Acting; 1/2

Oddly, most of the film felt strangely miscast, but in a way that I found quirky and endearing. It was almost like watching a pantomime, which as you'll probably agree is very in-keeping with the subject. Still, that strange observation aside, all the cast (including James Franco, Mila Kunis and especially Zach Braff as the cute sidekick monkey) are never less than charming and charismatic.

It's not really an appropriate project for what thespians and dram-luvvies might call 'acting', it's about 'playing a part' (there's a large difference between the two), and the cast here all play their parts well enough and seem to be having a good time. However, one character's transformation from naive sweetheart into agent of 'furious vengeance' is tragic and quite uncomfortable to watch, jarringly off-kilter with the lighter tone of the movie.

Aesthetic; 2/2

It seems that Sam Raimi has recently attended the Tim Burton school of fantasy aesthetic, and his interpretation of Oz probably owes as much (if not more) to the latter's take on Wonderland as it does to the original Wizard Of Oz film. I appreciate the fact that he was refused permission to use any likenesses from the original film, not that there's anything at all wrong with the art direction- Oz is a both suitably twee and subtly sinister, as it should be, and what's up on-screen is never less than candy for the eyes.

Originality & Intention; 2/2

Strangely, this plays like the 3-way bastard-lovechild of Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland, the original Wizard Of Oz, and (most surprisingly) the directors own The Army Of Darkness- that perhaps most of all. Actually, think of this as The Army Of Darkness for children and you've pretty much nailed the project.

• Do we have a self absorbed and over confident anti-hero? Check!

• Is he thrown into a strange fantasy world filled with magic and danger? Check!

• Despite his many faults, does our hero redeem himself? Check!

• Will he use techniques and science from his own world to combat his strange new enemy- despite overwhelming odds? Check!

• Is there plenty of slapstick,  including a few Marx brothers routines for good measure? Check! 

• Do the witches levitate and float menacingly towards their victims, hunched over and cackling? Big check!

Final Score; 7/10 

OK, let’s not kid ourselves here; this is definitely a kid's film, and there are some major holes in the script, but despite that I was charmed and won-over, and so were little ones. If you liked the 'look' of Tim Burton's Wonderland film but thought (other than that) it was a complete omni-shambles, then this is the film for you!

Worth pointing out; 
When Ash, the anti-hero of the Evil Dead trilogy, is sucked into the medieval fantasy-world which serves as the setting for The Army Of Darkness- he too is transported by hurricane (all be it, a magically summoned one). This is likely to have been Sam Raimi's nod to the classic Wizard Of Oz, whose main character Dorothy is whisked away to Oz via hurricane, seeing how Raimi is quite partial to tipping-the-hat to the works which have influenced him the most. By serendipity, he's now directed the official prequel to that same film which he referenced all those years ago, and now it seems he's using that franchise to salute The Army Of Darkness. Full circle... Strange world we live in, isn't it?

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD; Carlisle's Final Word

"Strong animals know when your hearts are weak."

Hushpuppy

Will the RAC come out for this?

Synopsis;

Savvy 6 year old Hush-puppy lives with her father in a place known by the locals simply as the Bathtub. When her strong-minded father's health begins to fade, and a catastrophic flooding desolates her community, Hush-puppy must put aside the small comforts of childhood and emerge both strong and determined if she's to survive in this dangerous new world.

Script Logic; 2/2

To be fair, there's little to the script outside that synopsis, the meat of the film is chiefly concerned with the relationships of the characters caught-up in the ecological ramifications of the flooding- hard grafting and hard living. It doesn't sound like a riveting film, I'll admit, but I was engrossed from start to finish.

Pace; 1/2

While I was never bored (far from it), I was aware the film meandered at certain points. Having a very definitive 'moment' that the film was clearly heading towards meant that all lulls in pace and plot deviations from reaching that certain 'moment' were very noticeable.

Acting; 2/2

Enough praise cannot be lavished on the largely unknown cast, especially young Quvenzhané Wallis who played the film's plucky little heroine Hush-puppy. I don't believe I've ever seen a more natural and convincing child actor, and I'd go so far as to say I doubt many A-listers have ever given a better performance. A film like this lives-or-dies on it's lead's ability to carry the story, and Wallis (in her first film, no less) effortlessly rises to that burden, stealing every scene she's in- which, as the view-point character, is every single one. Beyond impressive, and the film is worth watching for this reason alone.

Aesthetic; 2/2

The aesthetic of the film is intentionally gritty and, whether by luck or design, the grainy quality of the image is very in keeping with the tone of the story- somehow invoking the sense of news archives and raw documentary footage without relying on imitation. You can almost taste the dirty water, and the sweat on your upper lip, or feel the mud between your toes and the callouses on your hands- just sitting through the film feels like a hard days laboring (but in no way is that intended a flaw)! In the best possible sense, this is a film you don't 'watch' so much as 'experience'.

Originality & Intention; 2/2

I've not seen a film like it, and I highly doubt I will again. It make's it's points about community, family and ecology very clear without ever becoming preachy, it's beautiful without every losing the rough edges that keep it grounded in realism, and throws it's young heroine into the drama and dangers of  an ecological disaster with refreshing disregard for her young age. The result is an honest, touching, heart-warming, heart-breaking and (dare I say it) uplifting film.

Final Score; 9/10 

I can't recommend this film strongly enough, and while it may be at points a hard film to watch (not exactly light hearted although amusing in parts), overall the film celebrates the tenacity, frailty and perseverance of the human spirit. We'd all do well to remember just how easy we often have it when we feel life has dealt with us unfairly...

THE WORLD'S END; Carlisle's Final Word

"I still think nothing that has been suggested in the last 10 minutes beats smashy-smashy-egg-men."

 Andrew

The three friends were unimpressed with the trailer for the new TMNT movie...

Synopsis;

The team responsible for bringing us Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz (the comedy team of director Edgar Wright and actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) reunite a third time for this, a tale of 5 friends attempting to top their epic pub crawl from 20 years earlier. Obviously, things don't go completely to plan as old tensions within the group resurface- and (wouldn't you just believe it?) they also find themselves in the midst of an alien invasion... Talk about inconvenient timing.

Script Logic; 1/2

Aside from a few (irritating) lapses in logic the film plods along nicely and the characters do their thing. I mean, and it's not overly important in the grand scheme of things, but (spoilers ahead) why are some of the robots / clones more life-like than others? Who was the creepy barman (a cameo by Mark Heap) who knew what the friends were going to order? How comes some of the robots repair themselves while others can't? Lastly, under the extreme circumstances the characters find themselves under (i.e. annihilation), it's a contrivance that anybody would assume it was a good idea to keep up with the pub crawl. Blah, blah, blah... So, it doesn't hold up as well as Shaun Of The Dead? It does at least provide the means for some decent gags...

Pace; 1/2

The set-up is well developed and smartly told, but when the aliens / clones/ robots do emerge onto the scene, that's when the film begins to come undone, especially regarding the pace. I feel like I have this complaint a lot, but for the sake of trimming back the script the final finish of the film would have been much stronger- a few less pubs and a much leaner ending would have been of great benefit. It's not that I have no attention span, I'll sit through anything so long as it serves a purpose, I'm just acutely aware of scenes that feel like padding or which don't further character or plot (hey, Tarantino, take note).

Acting; 1/2

Not really an 'actors piece', and perhaps it's a little unfair to hold that against a comedy, but everybody plays their part well enough- and Simon Pegg (looking very gaunt here) goes nicely against type as the manipulative lead character responsible for assembling his old drinking buddies. Still, it's not really Pegg's film- he's overshadowed (as he always has been) by his sidekick Nick Frost, not least because, in this instance, his character is a lot more likeable- the sympathetic beating heart of the film. It's a shame then that, despite the strength of the premise and the set-up, the more dramatic moments lack a satisfying resonance or pay-off.

Anyone familiar with Edgar Wright's other works will also be sure to notice a steady stream of cameos from his many other past collaborators.

Aesthetic; 2/2

Well, it doesn't look cheap, and Wright has made good use of his effects.  Nothing else to add I guess, other than the aliens (when they turn really mean and emit a blue glow from their eyes and mouths) are suitably eerie and serve as an affectionate homage to the clones from the classic film Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, to which this film owes a considerable and obvious debt.

Originality & Intention; 1/2

As a follow up to Shaun Of The Dead it's disappointing (they set the bar ridiculously high) but after Hot Fuzz a good step in the right direction. The laughs are there, it's just a shame the story's not stronger. Still, it's entertaining while it lasts, although a few scares would have gone a long way- the comedy outweighs the horror to such an extent that you never really fear for the characters as much as you might expect, and when they do start succumbing to the alien threat, it's never with as much impact as the deaths in (yep, I'm bringing it up again) Shaun Of The Dead.

Final Score; 6/10 

Worth watching if just to see Pegg and Frost doing what they do best, and so long as your hopes aren't unrealistic then there's much to enjoy. A fitting end to Wright's 'Cornetto trilogy'. As a stand-alone comedy it's a success, just don't expect any lasting memories...

OLDBOY; Carlisle's Final Word

"...And your remains will never be found. Why? Because I'm going to swallow every last bit!"

 Dae-su Oh:

"Stop. It's hammer time!"

Synopsis;

Oh Dae-Su is abducted off the street and held prisoner for 15 long years, his pleas for freedom and demands for answers ignored by his captors. Then, as suddenly as he was taken, he is released. Driven by an insatiable appetite for revenge Dae-su embarks on a twisted and danger filled journey into a murky criminal underworld, and even his one and only ally, the seemingly innocent Dae-su Oh, comes under suspicion.

Script Logic; 1/2

Bloody hell, it's hard to write about a film such as this in regards to logic, I doubt it was ever intended to be more than a surreal fantasy. On the face of it, overlooking a few stretches of credibility it holds up- within the constraints of it's own bazaar world, I guess Dae-su was just unlucky to make an enemy of such a supremely wealthy and influential head-case...

Pace; 1/2

Due mostly to the intentional shifts in tone and surreal intricacies of it's own plot, the film moves at a fair pace- but it does suffer for it's own art and many will find the film too disjointed to ever be completely absorbing, instead they'll sit through till the bitter end just to learn the truth behind Dae-su's captivity- which, ultimately, is reason enough.

Acting; 1/2

Again, it's difficult to criticize an intentional decision. Realism is not what the cast and crew are striving for here, instead we are treated to a hyper-stylized decent into insanity, a nightmare world painted in broad strokes and populated by warped caricatures. Min-sik Choi proves a charismatic lead- and if not necessarily likeable, his plight is worth supporting and you'll be engrossed as he aches his way ever closer to the truth behind his captivity.

Aesthetic; 1/2

Nothing really to get excited about, the direction in this sense is unremarkable, save for a few touches of odd inspiration and a strikingly-choreographed one-take fight scene along a narrow corridor (one of the film's highlights).

Originality & Intention; 2/2

I'll say this for old Boy, it's a pretty fucking unique experience. If you're a little warped then you're sure to find a few dark laughs (as I did), and if you're a feeling person, or expecting a 'happy' resolution, then the ending will be sure to scare. It's, well, it's... Different. Old Boy is more an experience than an entirely coherent story.

Final Score; 6/10

Love it or hate it, I'm certain that the finished product is exactly how director Chan-wook Park envisioned his film to be. Uncompromising, unflinching, unapologetic, anarchic, warped, melancholy, perverted and just a little bit funny. It should be on everybody's 'to-watch' list, but will unlikely be anybody's favourite...