June’s Film Fight is back up to the nearly standard four films…

First up, Spy is, as the name suggests, a spy film. Melissa McCarthy gets to show off her comedy skills as an agent who is thrust into the field after years behind a desk, and does so admirably. The comedy works as a mixture of great lines, unexpected brutality, some slapstick, but never becoming a spoof. The extended cast are mostly good, but this is definitely McCarthy’s film. We feel sorry for her, but in a way that keeps us on-side. Very funny.  (See my Spy Twitter review).

Jurassic World is an attempt to bring back the classic dinosaur franchise and, for the most part, uses that as a reason to coast on what we’ve seen before. Chris Pratt is as likeable as he usually is, but almost nothing else in this film works. The plot doesn’t hold together, seeming like an excuse to glue together a bunch of set-pieces. Most of those action sequences are done with CG that is bad enough to undermine them entirely, with the jungle bike ride being particularly awful. This is empty spectacle. A fairly mediocre waste.  (See my Jurassic World Twitter review).

Michael Fassbender stars as a classic near-silent outlaw with a good heart in the Slow West. Following a young man’s journey across the American frontier to find his love, the story is enjoyable if obvious. Instead it’s the beautiful and simple cinematography, coupled with the lead performances, that make this something special. It gets enough right that its few faults become glaring (an unnecessary dream sequence and epilogue, an out of place song), but not overbearingly so. Well-acted, beautifully shot, and generally very good. (See my Slow West Twitter review).

Finally, The Overnight does a kind of comedy that you rarely see: building up an uncomfortable tension for over an hour before releasing it in a big moment. There are laughs along the way, but the focus is very much on the weirdness of the situation: a couple meeting new friends at their kid’s playdate, that gets a little out of hand. The whole (tiny) cast is great, and it’s extremely well-paced, save for an unnecessary epilogue. Very worth seeing. (See my The Overnight Twitter review).

There are three good films this month, but I think I’d probably revisit Slow West over the years to take in those performances and scenery.

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.

April is a little quieter, with just three films…

First up, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck is a documentary that covers the early years of Cobain’s life, through his success with Nirvana, his relationship with Courtney Love, and ultimately his death. It starts off strongly, by showing a side of the icon that we rarely see, his formative years, in such a way that we both get insight into and sympathy for his later struggles. There are powerful moments throughout the piece, but the presentation is somewhat lacking. Lengthy montages over Nirvana songs make up the bulk of the piece, and these are the weakest segments by a long way. It works far better when it’s being a more traditional talking-heads documentary. Languid pacing ultimately ruin an otherwise interesting take on the man. Mediocre, meandering, maybe dull. (See my Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck Twitter review).

Keanu Reeves has a reputation for being a little wooden as an actor, and John Wick does very little to shake that, even amongst a movie full of forgettable performances. The story is pretty weak, and the world building is a mess, but it does have some fairly spectacular action sequences. The action choreography works extremely well, stylised and efficient gun play throughout. It’s fun but absolutely mindless. (See my John Wick Twitter review).

Finally, Avengers: Age Of Ultron gives us exactly what we now expect from these films: a large ensemble (including some newcomers), fight against a huge threat (in this case, the titular Ultron, played well by James Spader), in a series of increasingly large scale battles. It’s a high quality blockbuster action film with everything that implies. It’s polished, fun, exciting, but very much of its genre. If you like the rest of the Marvel canon then you’ll know whether you want to see this; it’s not the best in the franchise, but it’s certainly not the worst. (See my Avengers: Age of Ultron Twitter review).

The winner for April is Avengers: Age of Ultron. It wouldn’t win in a stronger month, but I’d watch it again long before seeing the other two films.

For March, we have five films to review…

First up, Predestination is that rare film that does far more than the description. The synopsis suggests a time travel plot about catching a mysterious bomber before he strikes again. The actual plot is very different, but to speak about it would spoil some of the surprises. Obviously made on a lower budget, the film manages to fit in a remarkable amount of world and character building, with striking visuals and genuinely unexpected twists. Very good. (See my Predestination Twitter review).

Catch Me Daddy is a dark and provocative look into so-called “honour killings”. While the details of the plot are best watched, it’s fair to say the film progresses slowly and grounded firmly in a realistic style, giving a sense of grim menace. Despite the pacing, the film is gripping throughout. The performances are, for the most part, understated, but that feels right given the subject matter. Worth seeing, but not easy going. (See my Catch Me Daddy Twitter review).

Neill BlomKamp’s latest, Chappie, manages to further erode the stellar reputation the director set up with his debut, District 9. The plot is thin and limp, telegraphed from the outset, and with little originality on display. Despite a great cast, the performances from the traditional actors are bare, and those by Die Antwoord (who make up the emotional core of the movie) are atrocious; consisting of either flat line readings or one-note, overwrought depictions. You won’t care about what happens to anyone. It’s an awful film, avoid. (See my Chappie Twitter review).

If you’ve ever seen a con-man film before then Focus will have few surprises. Expect the usual breezy dialogue, heavy use of narrative exposition (usually explaining the next con), and twists-upon-twists that you can see coming from the outset. That’s not to say it’s a bad film: it’s entertaining and competent, if a little predictable. Fun, but far from essential. (See my Focus Twitter review).

Finally, The Voices is about a man whose dog and cat speak to him, and encourage his better and worse natures. The film takes sharp turns between comically overdone violence and brutal, gritty realism, which greatly helps amp up the dark humour. Ryan Reynolds does well as the lead (as well as providing the voices for the dog and cat), and the remaining cast fit nicely around his increasingly strange behavour. Weird, but funny. (See my The Voices Twitter review).

The winner for is Predestination. Despite me trying to avoid saying anything too substantial about the plot, it’s worth seeing.

February is a lot shorter than January’s behemoth edition with just 3 films.

First up, Jupiter Ascending has some stunning visuals. If you took the Wachowski’s latest film as a series of isolated moments, it can be absolutely striking. Sadly, those moments are tied together as a film; and a terrible one at that. The plot is nonsensical, largely told in exposition, and with characters for whom it would be a stretch to call them “sketched”. Some of the devices and ideas tying the world and action together are beyond dumb, the gravity skates being a particular low point. This film is awful, and I’d wager a contender for worst film of the year. (See my Jupiter Ascending Twitter review).

Selma is a fresh take on the American civil rights movement, focussing on the period Martin Luther King took his campaign to Selma, Alabama. It’s a fascinating insight into both a small moment of the movement, and does a reasonable job of showing that King was a visionary but not perfect. David Oyelowo puts in a fantastic performance as the lead, demonstrating King’s well-known oratorial prowess, and some of his frailties. At times the swelling music and sweeping visuals can be a little on the Oscar-bait side, but this is a movie worthy of that grandeur. Very good. (See my Selma Twitter review).

Finally, Kingsman: The Secret Service is the kind of big, silly, fun, comic-book chaos that you expect from a Matthew Vaughn film. Sure, it doesn’t quite make sense, and some of the action is a little more chaotic than clear, but it’s entertaining. It’s not going to win any awards, but some films don’t have to in order to be enjoyable. Good. (See my Kingsman: The Secret Service Twitter review).

Fairly easy but deserving win for Selma in February.