For May, Film Fight has 4 films…
First up, Child 44 is a slow-paced thriller, starring Tom Hardy as a Russian officer trying to link together the disappearances of several children. It takes its time to cover the ground it needs to, building up slowly over the 2 hour or so runtime, without becoming a slog. While some of the accents are weak and the action sequences are ill-advised (but infrequent), it manages to do what it needs to do fairly well. Solid. (See my Child 44 Twitter review).
Samuel L. Jackson seems like he’s open to do pretty much any film that seems like it’ll be fun, and Big Game is no exception. It’s clearly on a tiny budget given its action aspirations, but does surprisingly well within its constraints. Following the dual plots of a boy sent into the Finnish wilderness to become a man and the attempted assassination of the US president, that quickly come together, it starts silly and remains generally fun. It’s definitely not a classic, but is an entertaining enough way to pass an afternoon. (See my Big Game Twitter review).
We’ve waited a long time for another in the series, so it’s good to see that Mad Max: Fury Road does not disappoint. This is a film that manages to get a surprising amount of world-building and characterisation through the deluge of action; with Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa a clear stand-out. The main event, however, is the relentlessly paced and breath-taking action. Tere are several lengthy sequences of chases that are always crystal clear, and constantly moving. While the handful of quiet scenes are a welcome relief, they are weaker than the rest of the film. An excellent action movie that is as technically brilliant as it is fun to watch. (See my Mad Max: Fury Road Twitter review).
Finally, Tomorrowland is probably the most well-meaning film you’ll see for a long time; focussing on a central message of trying your best to improve the world. It’s genuinely nice to see such a hopeful message given in a fun way. Sadly, the film doesn’t quite get to where it is trying to reach. It’s inoffensive, but fairly bland. None of the action sequences really grab you, the plot is a little flimsy, and it does get more than a little heavy-handed when delivering its core message. All in, it’s pleasant but forgettable. (See my Tomorrowland Twitter review).
The winner for May is Mad Max: Fury Road. Great action is rarely done with this level of clarity.