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3 Reasons Why you need to watch Chinatown right now.

Chinatown may be one of the best movies ever made, and I do not throw that term around loosely. When people argue about the G.O.A.T movie, we always hear about films like the Godfather, Citizen Kane and Casablanca. For some reason, Chinatown is completely neglected. This is utter bullshit. After watching it for the first time about 2 weeks ago, I am embarrassed it has taken me this long to see it. As with most of you reading this, I assumed it was another old movie where the pacing is slow and you quickly get bored after 20 minutes. I could not be more wrong. Let me explain;

3. Ahead of its time

Now I know how often critics, teachers or even parents go on about older movies. They tell you how amazing it is, you go and watch it and low and behold, it is slow paced and very boring. But Chinatown is different. The pacing of this film is perfect. From the opening, you will be hooked – hooked in a way that is different to modern films. It has no second act bore, no scenes that feel like they could have been cut in half and no 15 minute long conversations. Chinatown moves fast.

I believe this comes down to Roman Polanski’s Directing and Sam O’ Steen’s editing. While Polanski is an evil person (we will not delve into that), he understands how to keep an audience glued to the screen. The film doesn’t move like 70’s movies used to. It has no transitions, no montages, no shots of anyone driving or walking aimlessly. The film is bare bones. Polanski and Steen keep it lean. They don’t waste a single second of this films run time. As a result, the audience is gripped from the moment the film begins. It effectively makes the viewers understand that they must pay attention or they will miss out on pivotal plot points.

2. Jack Fucking Nicholson

I think everyone associates Jack Nicholson with a specific role. Similar to Johnny Depp, the public has type casted him as playing these outlandish and crazy characters. The Shining, Batman, the Departed – while he is famous for these, it is not necessarily the peak of his career. For me, it is his performance in Chinatown. He plays Jake with such a charming arrogance. It’s almost as if every line he delivers brings a small smile to your face. Jack just has this charisma that I have only seen in Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones or Han Solo. This ability to make you like him even when he is clearly a dodgy arsehole.

But when the dramatic scenes come is when we truly seen Nicholson shine. Its nothing over the top like a Brando or Daniel Day Lewis. Instead, his performance exists in the subtleties. An empty expression, a mumble of words, a slight chuckle. Each little action has clearly been thought through by the esteemed actor for days. We see all this culminate in the films ending through a perfect performance by Jack Nicholson. The defeated and hollow expression painted across his face summarises the core themes of the film so simply. His demeanour both transforms from the cocky man at the beginning and reflects exactly how the audience feels.

1. The Script

One thing Chinatown is always respected for is its screenplay. If you google or ask any film buff what the best screenplay of all time is (even if they haven’t seen it) they will almost always say Chinatown and that is for one pivotal reason. The dialogue. Each singular word in this film feels like it has been thought over a hundred times. Every line has its purpose in expanding the story and adding layers to the characters. In addition, it slowly feeds you information at a perfect rate. Every time you may feel a bit of boredom creeping in, Polanski and Robert Towne give you just enough information to suck you right back in. They balance this all without giving away the killer and without confusing the audience – a very challenging task.

Ultimately, Chinatown is so incredible because of its script. It is lean, it is tight and it will keep you hooked unlike any movie has before. Do not make the mistake I did and dismiss this film for so long simply because its old. If you love film or want to be screenwriter, turn on stan right now and watch this film.

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Why Episode 5 of Moon Knight is the best thing Marvel has ever created. (Spoilers)

Before you start banging your head against a keyboard and questioning if I am a moron, at least hear me out. And as always, don’t @ me.

Moon Knight is undoubtedly Marvel’s best show. While each Disney Plus show they create is getting better and better, Moon Knight stands on top. The characters are becoming deeper, the plots aren’t one dimensional anymore and most importantly, it is so refreshing. Now don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed each one of these shows and some more than others. I loved Wanda Vision and Hawkeye and thought that the Falcon and Loki were pretty average. But Moon Knight is different – in the best possible way.

From the very first episode I knew this show would be special. We are introduced to a character never seen before in the MCU. Someone with dissociative identity disorder trying to just live their life. Steven Knight is different from other characters. He doesn’t feel like someone in a superhero movie but instead a character that would be the centrepiece of a HBO drama. I truly believe this comes down to the Director, writers, and Oscar Issac.

In interviews with the lead, he made it clear that he took this role for two reasons. Firstly, to work with esteemed director Mohamed Diab and secondly because of its focus on the struggle with a mental illness. That’s what makes this show so incredible. Sure, the horror is amazing, and the action sequences are solid but the character writing and performance for Marc Spector and Steven Knight is why this show stands out amongst the MCU.

Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector/Steven Grant in Marvel Studios’ MOON KNIGHT, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

And where does this all intersect? In episode 5 we see this all come together. It is such a strong contrast to the rest of the show and the MCU entirely. The whole episode dives into the memories of Marc Spector and Steven Knight. In order to balance the scales, they must relive their past and tell each other the truth. Now there are countless revelations in this episode. Marc created Steven, he was abused by his mother, and he lost his brother when he was younger. On paper, this sounds like a lot of sudden exposition and plot development to reveal to the audience. To a lesser director and writer, it would be. But Mohamed Diab and Jeremy Slater balance this perfectly.

The whole concept of exploring his memories through a psych ward is genius. I guarantee you any other Hollywood writer would have just had them arguing over this in some Egyptian cave and then dump a bunch of shitty exposition in. Instead, we are told all this visually. If everything in this episode was dialogue, the impact would not have been anywhere near as great. Instead, each room Steven enters is another memory of grief and heartbreak that Marc has literally blocked away. In the space of 50 minutes, this character has completely transformed in front of us. As Steven goes up each level, we too see the levels to this incredible character unfold. The anguish of his brother’s death, the guilt of murdering people and the hatred for his mother. All of this perfectly clicks together to explain the beginnings of his dissociative identity disorder.

(L-R): Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector and Steven Grant, and Taweret (voiced by Antonia Salib) in Marvel Studios’ MOON KNIGHT, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

But why is it better then other Marvel content? Okay sure, Endgame has some depressing moments and Wandavision has some good character writing, but nothing in the MCU has gone this deep. No Marvel project has dared to dive into so much realistic trauma. And when they do, it is for 15 minutes so they can get back to action and shooting lasers. This episode devotes an entire 50 minutes to exploring a character’s past and what has fucked him up so bad. I truly believe Marc Spector will become peoples favourite Marvel character after this show and it is definitely earned. In 10 years of watching Iron Man, we have never seen him explored as truthfully as Marc is in this episode. I know more about this character then half of the heroes I have been watching for years.

Before I finish, I just want to quickly compare this episode to Eternals. Hear me out. Directed by Chloe Zhao, this film was definitely supposed to be character focused and driven. However, the movie is a flop. Now honestly, I do believe this was studio interference and not her fault but that’s for another day. Unlike Moon Knight, we never see any of the characters explored in the same way. In fact, we barely see any of their histories in a 2 and half hour movie. Marvel must learn from Moon Knight, or they will start do die. I know it’s a TV Show and they have more time, but their film content is relying more and more on cameos and less and less on engaging and multi layered characters. (Dr Strange is definitely going to be an overbearing number of cameos and easter eggs)

One last point. There has been a large focus on Martin Scorsese calling the Marvel Movies theme park rides. Honestly, I agree with him – to an extent. Films like Spiderman, Captain Marvel and Shang Chi are undoubtedly theme park rides. They are completely focused on entertainment and nothing more. But shows like Moon Knight are different. It is in a ballpark of its own. I truly believe if Scorsese watched this episode he may, just maybe change his mind on the MCU. It is to deep and clever for him to ignore.

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The Lost City: Review (Minor Spoilers)

The Lost City is finally here. Now just to clarify, I will not be reviewing the Lost City of Z or Dorah and the Lost City of Gold. These “masterpieces” will stay quiet for now. Instead, I will be diving into the newest blockbuster comedy – The Lost City.

Before I started writing this, I was sitting there thinking what the fuck do I talk about. That’s for one simple reason – this movie is very “straight down the line.” What I mean by that is that it is an extremely formulaic and simple Hollywood movie. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad but its just that and nothing more. There is so much wasted potential – let me explain.

The Writing

If you haven’t watched the trailer yet I would seriously recommend you skip it. This movie is everything you see in the trailer and nothing more. Call it Sony because they hide absolutely nothing. But even if you haven’t watched it, you could guess exactly what is going to happen. There is no twists, no reveals, no interesting character arcs. This plot is very simple, and it almost worked – except for one key problem.

The movie is not funny. Overall, it has some solid laughs (all of which are shown in the trailer) but apart from that it is pretty flat. I have a theory that this film is filled with a lot of         improv. Maybe I am completely off the mark, but it always feels like the camera is just placed on Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock and they are told to just be funny. Now Channing Tatum is a very good comic actor, but Sandra Bullock is not, and I think that’s why it doesn’t work. He is trying to carry this movie, but he has no one to bounce off like in 21 Jump Street. His lines are good, he just has no one to keep it moving like Jonah Hill.

The biggest writing fuck up in this film is the location. For what feels like half the film, it is just Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in a jungle. I do not understand why they weren’t exploring caves, going underground, or solving puzzles. Now I realised that this was because Sandra is keeping it all a secret from Mr Tatum. But this also made no sense. They should have made her tell him straight away and then have the two exploring ancient puzzles and booby traps like in Indiana Jones, The Mummy or even Moon Knight. Imagine how much more entertaining and funnier this could have been. It would have led to so many more and better-quality jokes.

The Acting

As I previously said, Channing Tatum carries this film. He brings such a charismatic energy to this movie that would have been dead in the water if it wasn’t for him. Not only for his comedic performance but also the dramatic elements. He really sells these heartfelt moments and adds layers to a pretty standard comedic character.

Sandra Bullock is shooting about 30%. She doesn’t seem to care or want to go for it in any way. Maybe its just her plastic surgery but she genuinely doesn’t do much with the comedic moments or even the dramatic ones. I truly believe she was given the role because they knew it would draw in 50-year-old woman.

Daniel Radcliffe is solid. I do like how he progressively gets more and more insane until he is just a ball of anger and fury. He often over acts but it seems to work for the most part. Realistically, he is just playing the same character as Now You See me.

Brad Pitt however is incredible. He has some great action scenes that were almost definitely all stunt double. Nevertheless, he really steals the spotlight for the short amount of time he is on the screen. He is funny without trying and as usual, very charismatic. As you would expect, he is introduced to the film by eating. Very nice.

Honestly, there is not much else I have left to say about the Lost City. It is ultimately a good film that could have been great with funnier actors and better writing. Instead, it is a simple and straight down the line blockbuster comedy that focuses on star power instead of comic writing.

Should you see it?
Yes definitely. This movie is perfect to go the movies and watch something easy that doesn’t require to much (or any) brain power).

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The Ultimate Film Dream

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Stand By Me: A Different Type of Nostalgia

There are few scenes in film history that I think can impact someone on a much deeper level. And after watching “that” scene from Euphoria it reminded me of one of them. No.. this article is not about Euphoria. It is about one of my favourite films, Stand By Me.

So after watching that super super super romantic scene it reminded me how amazing this film truly is and that I should definitely rewatch it. And guess what, I did – for probably the fourth time in my life.  This movie just isn’t talked about enough. At a glance, stand by me could be viewed as a kid’s film. Sure, it has an ensemble of children and some kid humour, but I would never classify this movie as a children’s film. Its just to sad. And not sad in your Marley and Me sense or the NoteBook. It’s different. Let me explain.

How the Characters are Written

The film has four main characters, Chris, Gordie, Vern and Teddy. What is so clever about these four boys is how they echo their parents. Chris comes from a family of thieves and is constantly battling with the path he wants to follow. Teddy’s father is an abusive WW1 veteran which bleeds onto Teddy who has similar chaotic patterns and an obsession with war. And finally, Gordie. Gordie is dealing with the neglect of his parents after the death of his older brother. Now these are all instantly horrible things to be dealing with, but it’s how screenwriters Raynold Gideon and Bruce Evans address it. The three boys don’t really talk about. Occasionally, we see Gordie and Chris break down but nothing more. Exactly as a kid would, they simply keep it to themselves. These characters bury their deep rooted issues. And sure, at a glance it seems like there is a complete character arc but truthfully, I don’t think they ever overcome these problems. That’s what’s so bitter. They are trapped in the shells of their parents. Gordie is still obsessed over his brother’s death; Teddy ends up doing time for chaotic behaviour and Chris? Well Chris does overcome his deep-rooted issues. He is the only one. And what happens to him? He is rewarded by being murdered for doing the right thing. No one gets a happy ending.

Nostalgia

What is perhaps most depressing about this film is its relatability. The way the boys interact, their demeanour and the adventure at hand, it all just feels so real. Everyone has experienced that same banter you have when your 12 or doing stupid shit you definitely shouldn’t be doing. Thereby, we are instantly linked with these characters. It is a realistic nostalgia. A not so good example of this is Stranger Things. Every season, they seem to cram more and more nostalgic shit down your throat. They create this unrealistic view of the 80s where everyone wore the same clothes and talked about Ghostbusters all day. Stand By Me is different. It makes the audience nostalgic for childhood, not the physical objects or time period. Essentially, it is a longing to have the same shared optimism you have when you’re a child. Nostalgic for an emotion, not objects – something much more powerful.

The Ending

Rob Reiner now has you exactly where he wants you. You are linked with these characters whether you realise it or not. When this final scene starts rolling it is a punch in the gut. As the gang all say goodbye to each other and Gordie explains how Chris died we understand what this film is all about. Saying goodbye to childhood. It is so brutal because everyone has been in that same situation before. The last time you ever go out to play together. And most of the time, you don’t even realise it. But what is so sad, and not talked about enough, is something so simple. The Title. Rob Reiner purposefully changed the name from the Body to Stand By Me after Ben E King’s amazing song. But the boys don’t stand by each other. In the end, they go their separate ways into adulthood. It is dramatic irony in the most perfect sense. And exactly what happens to all of us.

Maybe it’s just me but Stand By Me evokes a new kind of emotion. Not necessarily a sadness for the past but instead a longing for that optimism and wide-eyed attitude you had as a kid. Now I know I’m only 19 and sound like a knob saying this, but for me, Stand By Me is the quintessential nostalgic movie.

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The Euphoria Rant  

Euphoria has been talked about to death. And here I am, about to write another article on this insanely popular TV show. And why? Because it’s a perfect TV show to talk about. It is designed stir up as much controversy and discussion as possible. It’s designed to split people. So lets dive in.

SEASON 1

Now I started watching this Show when season 2 had finish so my experience was very different to other people. I watched the show very spaced out over 2 months, mainly because I found it so boring. But there were a couple things that really stood out to me about season 1. The opening of each episode is a perfect way to start a show. It launches you into this world instantly and makes you care about each of these characters in 12 minutes. People are not appreciative of how hard that is to do. For all his faults, Sam Levinson smashes that opening. To me, it reminds of me of the Good Fellas opening – something I know has been done 1000 times before. But essentially, its so effective because it launches you into their lives instantly. You know these characters like a close friend in a way that can take some shows 4 seasons to crack. Big tick from me.

I also think the acting in this show is amazing. A standout for me is Jacob Elordi as Nate Jacobs – and that’s not just because he is from Brisbane. He plays a psychopath perfectly. That calm quiet demeanour with fits of rage is horrifying. As a great villain does, he really makes you hate him. The comparison is always how Delorse Umbridge is he out of 10? Nate Jacobs is a solid 8. He even makes some of the shitty writing sound less shitty. Everyone else is very good as well, no one stands out in a bad way. I do feel sorry for how much crying Sydney Sweenie has to do… every single scene, all the time.

Speaking of cast, the side characters are what make this show good. Personally, I just didn’t care about Rue. Maybe I’m heartless or biased because I haven’t experienced these things, but her story was just so fucking boring. It feels like everything that happens with her character takes place in the first two episodes, and then its just on repeat for the rest of the season. Her story with Jules is good and I like the “will they won’t they get together” aspect (an easy way to keep fans watching) but after about episode 4 I just didn’t care for either of them. Once again, maybe I am an asshole but their relationship just feels dry and yet also over the top. Also, they take up way too much screen time when you have characters like Fez, Chris, Kat and Nate carrying this show. There stories are the only part of the show that kept me watching. Every scene with Rue just felt like a distraction from this amazing ensemble.   

SEASON 2

I know it’s not controversial but hey guess what, season 2 is absolute garbage. I hate shitting on movies and tv because I know how hard people work, but season 2, fuck me what a miss. Nevertheless, the show grabbed me straight away. With Fezco and Cal’s story it hooks you right in. They are honestly the two best character openings of the whole show and the highlight of all of season 2. In particular Cal. He is such an interesting and engaging character that I am so glad they explored more.  Obviously, Fez is top tier. He is charismatic in such a natural way, and I think that’s because he just isn’t acting. I mean seriously this man is the exact same in real life.

So where does this season go wrong? I think there are two reasons this second season is such a flop.

Number one, Sam Levinson had not idea where to go with this show. If someone can honestly watch this season and tell me he knew where to take it I will give you a sticker. This season is completely lost. We are exploring things we have seen completed in the first season. We are watching scenes on repeat – episode after episode. We are spending time with none of the engaging character from the first season. We are dragging simple stories out just to fill up episodes. We are forcing over the top soap opera drama every single second. Just imagine for one second that this show ended on season one. Think of how effective it would be, how critically acclaimed Sam would be. Just like Fleabag, and every great British show, if you don’t have anything better to follow up with MAYBE JUST STOP.

Number 2, the editing. This point has been talked to death, so I will just briefly mention it. In this season, there is a captivating scene where Rue does a eulogy for her fathers’ death. Her performance is great, the writing (of this scene) is good, and it looks incredible. But you know what’s not so incredible? SEEING THIS SAME SCENE 5 TIMES ACROSS THE SEASON. I have now idea what Sam Levinson was going for but it was not effective. It was so predictable that I  knew the next words coming out of her mouth. It felt like Levinson watched Christopher Nolan for the first time and wanted to experiment with some time shit. No tick from me.

Also, this season dives way to much into Lexi Howard. I know she was a big hit in the first season and appealing but in the second she’s the writing of her character is weird. She has this stupid naivety to her about the play that makes no sense. Hear me out, this character is supposed to be extremely clever and yet she does realise this play is going to offend people? WHAT???

The play is also just a complete mess. How the fuck did Sammy think it was a good idea to spend an ENTIRE EPISODE about a play recapping a season we have witnessed. It is just showing us scenes we have already seen but done worse? If it was me, I would have had the play happen completely off screen. Thereby, you see the devastation it causes and the audience kind of creates this monstrosity in their heads.  Almost like reading a book. Maybe in the after-credit scene you release a 20minute special that shows the whole play, like in Hawkeye. But hey, that’s just me.

Final Thoughts.

Before I wrap up, I need to talk about the cinematography and lighting. It is… flashy. Its over the top and distracting but still kind of cool. Some scenes pull you out of the drama because of how unrealistic it looks. Honestly there’s only one way to describe it, a music video. The whole show looks like a music video and ultimately it comes down to whether you like that style or not. For me, not so much.  Also, the music is very good. Not my taste but clearly effective as it appeals to a younger audience (which is what this whole show is trying to do ((be as cool and edgy as possible)).

So the final question…

SHOULD YOU WATCH EUPHORIA INSTEAD OF REWATCHING THE OFFICE?

Maybe just the first season, then jump right back into that sweet sweet comfort show.

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Why The Batman Slaps? | The Batman Review

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Why Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the most beautiful in the series

Harry Potter is my favourite film franchise. I would even argue that it is the best film franchise of all time. While Star Wars is always a classic, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is fun, we all got to grow up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and I think that is something purely magical. The Prisoner of Azkaban, a turning point in not only the development of the characters, but the whole franchise, is also in my opinion one of the most beautiful movies ever made. And here’s why.

Stuff like this isn’t made today

Green screens, studio executives, cash-grabs and ‘soft-reboots’ all plague the modern cinema landscape – audiences are spoon-fed entertainment like they are Dudley Dursley scooping out chunks of Harry’s 11th birthday cake.

But not this film.

From start to finish, you can tell that the director Alfonso Cuarón has poured his heart and soul into the production of this film; carefully planning out every little detail so that it services the story and not the Hollywood hegemony.

Take the opening shot – a dim light flickering in the distance, revealed to be Harry learning how to cast the spell “Lumos Maxima”. For a film with deep psychological undertones, about Harry’s journey to finding his inner strength, finding the happiness, the love and the light that lays inside of him, so he can fight off the Dementors – a physical symbolism of depression – this opening shot reveals the entirety of Harry’s forthcoming arc.

Visual Storytelling

This dichotomy between light and dark permeates throughout the rest of the film’s narrative in a striking and dreamlike way. The thing I love about Cuarón’s direction is that he often foreshadows events and themes of the film through his visual storytelling. For example, take Dumbledore’s famous quote: “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light.”

Notice how he gently waves his hand over the candle – a man with a tormented past, yet a man who whole-heartedly believes in the power of love, in his mind, the strongest magic of all.
Now look at Harry as he learns how to cast a Patronus, repeating the same shot as before. Similar to Dumbledore, his past is filled with pain and torment. Unlike Dumbledore, he still has to find his inner strength and embrace Dumbeldore’s quote in order to defeat the dementors.

And this isn’t the only instance.

This one is pretty straight-forward, footsteps in the snow shown before The Marauder’s Map is revealed.
Spiral imagery – as often depression is a psychological spiral where one loses control – taking inspiration from Hitchcock’s Veritgo.
If you rewatch the film, look at all the hidden clues hinting that Lupin is in fact a Warewolf.

Where is you know who?

What also sets this movie apart from the others, is that there is no real villain. While you could argue Worm-Tail, or the threat of Sirius Black could be villains, the real threat are the dementors – a pervasive, destructing force that continuously reminds Harry that the way to win this battle is through finding the light inside of him.

And this scares Harry.

For much of the film, he is often pictured isolated, in a black hoodie (not too dissimilar to the black hoodie dementors wear) and as alone and afraid.

This marks a turning point for Harry, and a change from the light-hearted fantasy adventure of the first two films, to something far more raw, dark and relatable. Where no longer is he fighting a reincarnation of Voldemort, but his own demons and trauma.

Lonely specs of starlight that glitter against the eternal black canvas of space.

I can’t help but think Rowling looked to the stars when writing this story. Having suffered from depression herself, the symbol of light at the end of the tunnel is a beautiful and heartfelt reminder that love always wins out.

Take the character Sirius Black. Sirius is also the name for the brightest star in the sky, and black, well that is pretty straight-forward. For a character, who has lost almost everything, to still hold on to the love he has for his friends, and the love he has for Harry is something truly profound.

If Sirius is the stars, and Remus is the moon, then Harry is the milky way (notice how his spell looks like a galaxy – continuing the spiral visual).

During the climax of the film, where Harry sees Sirius’s literal soul being sucked away by the Dementors, he only has one choice, and that is to cast Expecto Patronum. This one scene in my opinion is the best in the entire franchise. It encapsulates Harry’s growth from boy to a man as he realises that nobody is there to save him, not his Dad, not Dumbeldore, but only his pure inner strength and his appreciation of the love his parents gave him.

John Williams’s score echoes throughout this scene like churchbells in The Vatican. The music builds together in a climax, with a pervasive ticking in the background, reminding the viewer that Harry is running out of time. Until finally, he advances his leitmotif of “A Window to the Past” as Harry fights off hundreds of cloaked incarnations of death in a bad-ass fashion. I also love the pulsating effect they gave to the Patronus charm in the movie – it reminds me of a warm heartbeat. I can’t help but get chills every time I watch this scene.

As humans, we have an innate negativity bias, and it is often a struggle to remember the good. The idea of losing yourself in a happy memory, finding your inner strength and believing in love is something that carries across from the screen and into our lives.

As Trent Dalton put it: “Love is a complete mystery. Love is our most important mystery. Love is the answer to every question.”

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A Short Peacemaker Review

There is an absolute shit ton of superhero content coming out right now. So much so that it is becoming harder and harder for TV shows and movies to really stand out. Thereby, that becomes the ultimate question. Does Peacemaker stand out amongst other superhero content? Well, sought of, let me explain…

The show overall is very good. Unique characters, good jokes and excellent action. However, one of the few gripes I have with it is how “James Gunny” it is. Hear me out. I love James Gun’s movies, especially Suicide Squad. I truly think he is very funny and original. What changed for me in Peacemaker is that it is a whole show of James Gun jokes. Halfway through they started to feel a little repetitive. Each joke goes like this – one character says something weird and unusual, another character calls them out and then they get into an argument about how stupid what they said is. In 2-hour movies, you don’t get sick of this, but in a TV show it just gets a little draining.

What James Gunn nailed was the character arc of Peacemaker. As with most people, when the show started, I was thinking “Fuck this guy” and I don’t want to watch a whole show about this clown. But very quickly I realised why he chose it. Gunn loves the outcasts. He loves the morally ambiguous lead characters as shown with all his work. As a result, Peacemaker works perfectly because he is an extreme version of this. And Gunn smashes it. The audience understand why he killed Rick Flag and also why he is so fucked up in the head. Ultimately, the show is a perfect extension of his character in Suicide Squad because it shows you how deep his backstory truly is.

On top of this, is the side characters. All of them compliment each other so well. Once again, Gunn knows how to write a team you care about. This is extremely off topic but in my head I kept thinking about Eternals. In this film, it is a team you just don’t give a flying fuck about. If Gunn directed it, that team would be very different. I guarantee you we would actually view them as a family. I think he is just a master at breaking down hard exteriors to show a soft centre within. Through this, the audience begins to actually care about a character and the people they love.

I do think the show has a bit of a midway slump. About halfway through it just feels like nothing happens for about 2 episodes. Honestly, I believe this was a film in his head and he stretched it out to make a TV Show. This is because the only part that seems like a show is how deep Peacemaker’s transformation is. Everything else just feels stretched to make it run longer, for example the relationship of Adebayo and her wife. It just feels like something written in to add more drama and tension.

SO! Does it stand out amongst other superhero content. Well yes because it is not bland and unoriginal like a lot of other content. What I would compare to is something like the Boys and Invincible.  And don’t get me wrong, this is a big compliment. I love these shows.

Should you watch Peacemaker?

Yes, absolutely. If you are in the mood for a funny and easy to watch show, then Peacemaker is your go. Especially if you are rewatching the Office for the 7th time…

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Uncharted Movie Review

WARNING – THE FOLLOWING IS OPINION AN NOTHING MORE. IF YOU DON’T AGREE THAT IS COMPLETELY ACCEPTABLE.

I honestly was not going to go to the cinema and watch this film. While I was very hyped when I first heard about the pitch, the trailers removed all my hope – another garbage Hollywood project. Therefore, I feel since there is very little love and passion behind this, I am legally obligated to shit on it. Sorry not sorry.

The Characters

One of the biggest problems with the modern blockbuster is the writing of the characters versus the plot. (This is something that boils my blood so stay with my rant for just once second). Basically, in films like this and most Marvel movies the writers prioritise plot over character. In Uncharted it was screaming at me. I have a theory that the writers knew they wanted these big action set pieces and did anything to make it happen. Honestly its just opinion, but to me a movie is far more attractive when the characters drive the story. I know this is hard in an action film but just let it happen a bit more naturally. Let the characters force the plot.

I am not finished yet.

I just didn’t care about any of these knobs on the screen and I can’t imagine anyone else either. Even Nathan Drake. For me this is truly a madness. The writers literally stole the core concepts of this amazing and deep character and still couldn’t get it right. They took his character arc from the fourth game and completely botched it.  An incredible game and story ultimately wasted on this shit.

The Actors

Everyone in this was extremely average. Sorry Tom Holland stans, please don’t hurt me. But realistically when an actor comes out before the release of a movie trashing his performance and the film, you know it’s a not a good sign. Nevertheless, Tom Holland is like Chris Paul – a pure fundamentalist. He is very very good at doing the basics. His surprised / shocked face (clearly the reason he got the role of Peter Parker) is solid. And whenever he has an emotional scene he absolutely smashes it. But ultimately, I just feel he is kind of doing the same thing he always does.

Mark Whalberg’s performance was odd. I’m not sure if it was him or the writing, but every joke he told just did not land at all. He wasn’t funny and truthfully was anything like the Sully we see in the games.

Sophia Taylor as Chloe Frazer was interesting. I wasn’t sure if she was going for an Australian accent. If she was I am not going to shit on it. That’s because I honestly think it is one of the hardest accents to get down. I haven’t really ever seen a non-Australian actor do it right. I think its cause its barely an accent, more just a slur and drawl of mumbled words. So Goodluck future actors.

What it got Right

Don’t get me wrong, I liked a lot of this movie. The adventure and puzzles were all very good. While it wasn’t spot on, the Indian Jones vibe was definitely there. In particular, I love how films like this merge in the history fairly effortlessly. In addition, the action was visually engaging. Apart from some dodgy effects, it was entertaining to watch on screen.

The music

This shit truly rattled me. When there is a perfect, iconic and nostalgic theme waiting to be used WHY NOT FUCKING USE IT. I was honestly waiting for it to be appear the entire film and guess what, it doesn’t. Like the rest of this film it just doesn’t seem to give a shit about the games. Yeah they have the occasional reference to the climbing or the voice actor but its just not the same.

Nothing in this film feels like the Uncharted Games. It just feels like another movie Hollywood slaps a famous name over for a quick cash grab. If you told me this was a National Treasure prequel or Indian Jones prequel, I would fully accept it. Its ultimately just bland and tries to be nothing more then that. Its very frustrating when the games are so incredible and have so amazing stories and characters. Maybe it just doesn’t translate to film, who knows.

Should you go to the movies to see it?

Nah, wait for the streaming release.