Nathan_Needs_A_Username Reviews

Zootopia (2016)

Zootopia review

[9/10 · 9 May 2020]

A kids film about talking animals that is also an intelligent look into systematic racism is the reason modern Disney has been so fun to watch. This is such a well written film giving just enough humor and action to keep a young child entertained while a unique police procedural plays in the background.

Personally i'm not a fan of the twist near the end but that is the only criticism I have for this incredibly unique film.

The Muppet Movie (1979)

The Muppet Movie Review

[9/10 · 9 May 2020]

This is my comfort movie and at a time like this we could as use a little bit of comfort. From the iconic opening which sees Kermit playing The Rainbow Connection right trough to the final moments this is an optimistic, hilarious warm hug of a movie. The soundtrack is among the best movie soundtracks of all time, the gags hold up perfectly and the message about relying on your friends when you need them and moving towards a shared goal is timeless.

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Manchester by the review

[10/10 · 9 May 2020]

2 hours of scenic shots and heart breaking revelations make this a tough watch but a beautiful experience. Manchester by the Sea proves that you can't fix the past and you can't be someone you're not but you can get better and move forward in the face of tragedy.

It's a slow burn but it's a kick in the gut that might not fully kick in until after the film is over.

Garfield Gets Real (2007 Video)

Allowing Instagram to Decide What I Watch While in Isolation Day 12:

[1/10 · 4 April 2020]

This is not just a bad film. This is one of the worst pieces of media I have ever consumed.

It amazes me that Garfield has been such an iconic and recognisable brand for so long and yet the quality of media produced by Paws inc. never seems to pass mediocrity and sometimes gives us mindbogglingly awful uses of the character such as Garfield Gets Real.

On the outset this film is supposed to be a critic about how stale the comic has gotten, being written by the creator, Jim Davis, himself my guess is that this was his attempt to show that their is still room for creativity and humor in Garfield. It's such a shame that Davis has never seemed to actually find any such creativity and humour.

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998 Video)

Allowing Instagram to Decide What I Watch While in Isolation Day 11:

[2/10 · 3 April 2020]

At least it was short.

This is my first real experience with any of the sequels produced by the Disney Toons brand that haunted the shelves of blockbuster in the late 90s and early 00s and I'm starting to see why people hate these things. The plot is nothing special, the returning characters are shells of themselves and the music is absolutely atrocious throughout.

The animation isn't quite as a big a step-down as I would have expected but is nowhere near as awe-inspiring as the originals. This will probably distract a younger kid fine but that's the best I can say for it.

Blockers (2018)

Allowing Instagram to Decide What I Watch While in Isolation Day 10:

[7/10 · 2 April 2020]

High school movies tend to be one of my least favourite subgeners but even I can appreciate a well written comedy.

This isn't quite at the level of Superbad or booksmart but it does offer some laugh out loud moments and even plays of the heart strings a little by the end. Sure some jokes go on too long and parts of the finale can feel forced but overall this was surprisingly good.

Look Who's Back (2015)

Allowing Instagram to Decide What I Watch While in Isolation Day 9:

[6/10 · 1 April 2020]

This satire is certainly going to rub some people the wrong way. The core concept of Adolf Hitler reappearing in modern day Germany is handled in a number of way throughout the film making this an incredibly unique if a little uneven experience.

Occasionally this film strikes a series tone and tackles issues of the media's role in spreading hateful messages and the underlying prejudice that can often go unchecked in everyday life. Other times the film features Sacha Baron Cohen style man on the street segments relying on cringe humour. Neither of these elements are done badly but the film often fails to link the two ideas and when it introduces a meta element (one very reminiscent of the third act of Charlie Kaufman's Adaptation) the whole thing begins to feel like a tonal mess.

Straight Outta Compton (2015)

Allowing Instagram to Decide What I Watch While in Isolation Day 8

[8/10 · 31 March 2020]

The (mostly) true story of N.W.A is the sort of film that never let's up. There is no real downtime within the near two and half hour run time. For fans of classic hip-hop this feels like a non-stop roller coaster ride through iconic stories and important moments in the genre's rise into the mainstream. That said I can totally imagine that for someone who is less familiar with the key players in the story the fast paced nature may be slightly off putting.

Personally, I think this might be one of the best musician bio-pics ever made and a must see for all hip-hop fans.

Fantastic Four (2015)

Allowing Instagram to Decide What I Watch While in Isolation Day 7:

[2/10 · 30 March 2020]

What hurts the most about 2015's Fantastic Four reboot is that there is a seed of something at the very least interesting buried under the layers of terrible studio notes and pandering rewrites.

The first 20 minutes or so aren't that bad setting up a series of likeable characters but as soon as this becomes a Fantastic Four movie it is borderline unwatchable. Blatant continuity issues, on the nose dialogue and you can practically feel the moment that Miles Teller gave up on his performance.

Our Souls at Night (2017)

Allowing Instagram to Decide What I Watch While in Isolation Day 6:

[8/10 · 29 March 2020]

Some films can only be summed up using the word 'nice' this is one of them.

Our Souls at Night is film made for the sole purpose of allowing two incredible actors show off their talent by reciting a watertight script. If you need something warm and heartfelt to watch then this comes highly recommended.

The Equalizer (2014)

Allowing Instagram to Decide What I Watch While in Isolation Day 5:

[6/10 · 28 March 2020]

Just one in a long line of 'old man get's revenge' movies. Honestly The Equalizer offers slightly more than most films in it's oddly specific genre with a great lead performance from Denzel Washington and a competent director behind the camera (Training Day's Antoine Fuqua).

If you tend to like gritty dramas with bursts of graphic violence then this is truly better than most of the competition but if that's not your thing then you probably won't be won over by this.

Hellboy (2019)

Allowing Instagram to Decide What I Watch While in Isolation Day 4

[4/10 · 27 March 2020]

I honestly thought this would have been worse given the critical response but don't get me wrong it is pretty bad.

David Harbour is great casting and he brings a lot to the role however at times he is written like an annoying video game character that wont stop spitting out one-liners every time they punch a bad guy. The plot is generic and paper-thin ultimately leading to a very underwhelming third act.

The casting is really good and a handful of moments do make this one almost worth recommending but it is let down in the end by a very by the numbers plot and disappointing finale.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)

Allowing Instagram to Decide What I Watch While in Isolation Day 3:

[5/10 · 26 March 2020]

First off all I am clearly not the target demographic here.

Utterly ridiculous in the most 2000s way. The higher budget allows for some genuinely impressive sets and the choreography is really good. The music never goes anywhere amazing but is pretty decent throughout (although Scream is perfectly absurd).

I'm not sure that the musical at the end actually makes any sense and there multiple scenes that go nowhere but overall this is definitely watchable.

Tall Girl (2019)

Allowing Instagram to Decide What I Watch While in Isolation Day 2:

[2/10 · 25 March 2020]

Did this film actually imply that cheating is okay if it's with someone who is less popular than your current girlfriend?

A decent soundtrack (for the most part) is not enough to save this from being a generic "comedy" for whiny, self impressed pre-teens.

Clash of the Titans (2010)

Allowing Instagram to Decide What I Watch While in Isolation Day 1:

[1/10 · 24 March 2020]

What an awful start to this experiment.

Shockingly bad performances, terrible editing, some of the worst dialogue ever put to screen and despite all that it still manages to be incredibly boring to watch.

It Chapter Two (2019)

Movie Review: It: Chapeter 2

[6/10 · 30 September 2019]

I've been putting of writing this review for a little while now. That's because no film this year has left me more conflicted after leaving a screening as this one. To be transparent this was high on my most anticipated films of the year after the first film proved to be a surprisingly, emotionally resent and enjoyable horror film. Given the source material I was prepared for the second installment to be more muddled than the first but I was not prepared for just how meandering, uneven and freaking long it turned out to be.

It is easiest to talk about this film in chucks, so to start with the introduction is sloppy and strangely rushed given the overall run-time. It is hear that it becomes clear that the new cast are what is going to carry this film with Bill Hader and James Ransone in particular filling the screen with their presence right out of the gate. This is a well cast film with all the actors working well together and managing to capture some of the personality of their younger counterparts.

Once the losers club is reunited the problems start to show themselves. Most of this film consists of heavy dialogue scenes in darkly lit rooms with over the top and often corny lines being delivered in surprisingly engaging ways followed by big CGI horror set pieces that feel rejected from one of the Insidious sequels. These scenes will then be followed by one or two of the main cast walking in an unrealistically empty street for way to long, rinse and repeat for the better part of two hours before we get to the big climactic ending (which for obvious reasons I wont get into here).

The film also features extensive flashback scenes with the cast of the first instalment. For the most part these get in the way of the main plot and could have done with being cut down a fair bit but it is still nice to see first hand the connection these characters had as kids (even if the de-aging and voice manipulation gets pretty distracting after a while).

Don't get the wrong idea from this review however, this is one of the films it is easier to talk about the bad stuff than the good stuff but there is some really good stuff in here. As I mentioned before Bill Hader and James Ransone are both brillant and the rest of the cast also does a great job in their respective roles. I also think that Andy Muschietti is a great director, the movement of the camera and overall visual flare of the "scary" scenes makes me wish I could see him direct something with a much better script.

Steven King's classic horror novel is a strange, meandering mess that will forever be divisive. There is something to said about how both mainstream adaptations have been exactly the same.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Movie Review: Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

[9/10 · 30 August 2019]

I'm going to state my bias right here, right now: I absolutely love Quentin Tarantino. There are a handful of film-makers that I discovered when I was first developing my tastes in cinema (Edgar Wright, Wes Anderson, Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, Stanley Kubrick, The Coen Brothers and of course Tarantino), these directors will always have a place in my heart and as a result I may be easily persuaded to recommend their latest work. That being said Tim Burton's Dumbo isn't exactly going to be making my top 10 this year so don't take too big a pitch of salt when I tell you that I might have a new best of the year contender.

I would be interested in how this film would be received by someone who is unfamiliar with the previous 8 (or 9 depending how you count them) Tarantino films. I think a large part of my love for this film is down to how it messes with the standard formula of a Tarantino movie while still offering many of the trademarks that have made his style iconic, however I have seen many critics and fans saying they were disappointed in the film for similar reasons. Either way it is clear that this film can only be read effectively through the eyes of the kind of person who knows what like a virgin is really about, what a quarter ponder with cheese is called in Paris and can recite Ezekiel 25:17 by heart.

This is probably the slowest film that Tarantino has brought out to date, large amounts of screen-time are dedicated to watching the characters drive through the painstakingly real looking sets or to fairly mundane conversations with no real baring on the overall plot. This has been an issue I have seen in many reviews but I have to say that it didn't bother me, the cast are fantastic and so even the most pointless dialogue exchange feels engaging and as I mentioned before the attention to detail in the set design as well as the wardrobe makes every scene a treat to watch.

There are a couple of scenes that have caused controversy for this film. In the interest of keeping this spoiler free I will not go into detail here but lets just say that I don't see what the problem is.

I do want to talk briefly about the ending, I will try to keep this as vague as I can but if you really want to go in blind then ignore the next paragraph.

A lot of people have compared this film to a fairy tale, given the unexpected and cathartic ending as well as the 'Once Upon a Time' title. For me this film reminded me more of a well told joke. A great comedian is able to keep their audience engaged for a long period of time while telling a seemingly mundane story, they will throw in little jokes and go on funny tangents only to come back at the end with the punch line. At the end of the movie when the sub-plot comes in focus and everything goes full Tarantino everyone in my cinema as laughing hysterically. I think that is what Tarantino wanted and what many critics are missing.

Ultimately, this a really great film. You should go see it.

The Dead Don't Die (2019)

Movie Review: The Dead Don't Die

[7/10 · 26 July 2019]

My first thought as this film warped up and the credits began to roll was "people are going to hate this". I shared this sentiment with my friend who I was with and he seemed to agree.

To start with most of the marketing centered on the rather impressive cast, the posters bosting the tag-line "The Greatest Zombie Cast Ever Disassembled". This marketing approach does give of the impression that audience will be treated to a light-hearted Zom-Com featuring a group of interesting and bizarre characters. This is only sort of true, The film has a dry wit to it that often makes it difficult to tell whether or not what you are watching is supposed to be funny, at multiple points I found myself having to contain my laughter despite the fact the nothing particularly funny was happening on screen but that does suit my sense of humour.

The jokes being delivered in a unique way is not what I think will divide audiences (although it will contribute) one thing I did not expect was just how much Jarmusch wanted to say about our current society. The film jumps from being about consumerism to the environment to even folding back in and commenting on itself constantly. It hits you on the head with obvious messages about not harming the planet, being nice to people and not allowing brands and products to define you but also has the nerve to feature meta comedy and bizarre side-plots that go absolutely nowhere.

This is the point where I tell you that I actually quite enjoyed how off-center and comically nonsensical the experience was. If like me you have seen many zombie movies and are looking for something fresh then this might just be what you are looking for and if not at least there's a pretty sweat Night of the Living Dead reference in it.

This film certainly is not for everyone but I recommend watching it anyway to see if you find something to like, however if you do watch it and hate it don't tell me I didn't warn you.

Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)

Movie Review: Spider-Man: Far From Home

[8/10 · 24 July 2019]

With this being the 8th Spider-Man film to have been released in the last 17 years it is safe to say that I like most people have started to find it difficult to get exited whenever Spidey is back on the big screen. That being said I am a big fan of 2017s Spider-Man: Homecoming so I was fairly curious to see what director John Watts was planning on doing next with the character.

I was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of this film. Watts seems to realise that both Spider-Man and the MCU as a whole are seen as a little played out by this point, he attempts to breath new life into both in a way that may not sit right with everyone but personally made me love this movie. There are so many jokes, one-liners and light comedic jabs aimed at the conventions seen in this franchise that it almost borders on self parody. Given the grand nature of many of the most recent MCU films it is refreshing to see something like this that is able to take a step back and point out how ridiculous the whole thing is. Martin Starr and J.B. Smoove have so much more screen time than I would have expected and really get a chance to deliver some funny material. This could be a turn off to some comic book fans but I think they do a good job with the comedy throughout and so it never bothered me.

That is not to say that the film never takes itself seriously, in fact the character interactions and dialogue in this film are consistently sharp and well written, with a few moments even allowing Tom Holland to fully show of his dramatic skills. Peter Parker's groups of friends are also just as fleshed out and interesting s they were in Homecoming with some of them even getting more screen time ans baring on the plot this time around.

Jake Gyllenhaal (despite appearing like he has never seen any of these movies) delivers a characteristically brilliant performance bringing a fan favourite character to life in a unique an genuinely entertaining way.

My favourite aspect of this film is best not talked about in a spoiler free review but I do have to give major props to the special effects department.

While I feel like this does not have quite as much replay value as Homecoming this is well worth checking out as a fun summer blockbuster with some moments of genuine brilliance. Hardcore fans of Spider-Man may not be happy with the direction that the MCU is going with this character but personally I think if they keep making movies that are this good then I don't have much of an issue.

Murder Mystery (2019)

Movie Review: Murder Mystery

[3/10 · 19 June 2019]

I have had no interest in watching any of Adam Sandler's output since his company made their deal with Netflix. Nothing in particular made me actively decide to avoid Happy Madison's films after the Netflix deal, in fact I didn't really have that big an issue with the films they were making before this point with the likes of Blended and Pixels coming across as nothing more than mediocre. In all honesty I just lost any sense of intrigue regarding the output of this company.

Sandler has made 4 films with Netflix beofre this one (not counting Noah Baumbach's great indie drama,The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)) at no point did it hit me that I had missed such a large amount of his work until the auto-play trailer for his latest began playing while I searched for my remote in order to find something to watch. For whatever reason curiosity got the best of me and I decided to sit down and see for myself what I have been missing.

It's nice to see that somethings never change.

Murder Mystery is another perfectly serviceable but equally perfectly forgettable Happy Madison film. Despite it's different premise it still hits all of the same story beats as you would expect when Sandler and his friends are involved. The mystery aspect is underdeveloped which leads to all satire of the genre feeling lacking and uninspired. There honestly ins't all that much to say about this film, I just watched it yesterday and I have already forgotten most of it, I will say that at no point did I feel offended or outraged nor did I feel that I had fully wasted my time. If you are really just looking for something to put on in the background while you do something else and you don't care about having an original plot or clever writing then this might just have to do.

Although I'm giving this a pretty bad score (spoiler alert) I want to stress that this isn't Jack and Jill or Grown Ups 2. Real effort was put into this production by at least some of the people involved, this gave me the same empty feeling as Blended, Just go with it and Pixels. I know that Sandler can do better than this, if you haven't seen his recent stand-up special "100% Fresh" then absolutely check it out, I'm also aware that he doesn't have to do better than this to get people to watch his movies. It's hard to be as outraged about that fact nowadays as it was a few years ago since these films are going straight to Netflix.

As long as Sandler keeps doing his brilliant dramatic roles every few years then I honest don't care about his mediocre comedies anymore. I look forward to seeing his performance in the upcoming Safdie brothers film but until then this is whatever.

Booksmart (2019)

Movie Review: Booksmart

[9/10 · 15 June 2019]

There are a handful of movies that I have always wished I could have seen in the cinema when they first came out. Certain films feel so important and ingrained in the year that they were released that I feel tangible amounts envy towards the people that got to experience them at them at the time they were most relevant. Near the top of this list for me is 2007s Superbad. I was 6 when Superbad was released and so naturally I didn't get to see it until much later, the point of that film would have likely went over my head at that age as well, I wish I could have been leaving high school when that film was out so I could experience it at its most impactful. I can only image how emotional and relatable the story of two best friends trying desperately to make it to the last party before graduation would have been for teenagers who were going through the same types of situations at the time.

Well as I said, I was 6 when Superbad was first shown in cinemas. I am about to turn 18 and I honestly feel like I have just walked out of my Superbad. I left high school early but was still invited to my prom which I went to just 6 days before seeing this film, there was a strange feeling that filled the room as if it had only just dawned on a lot of my old classmates that meeting up and hanging out was going to made a lot harder after this summer due to everyone having different plans. Although I didn't stay for my final year at that school I would be lying if I said that this wasn't a feeling that hit me too at a certain point in the night after running into some old friends I hadn't spoken to in a few months.

To get more to the point (and actually talk about the movie I'm meant to be reviewing) that is the feeling that I got while watching Booksmart. This film expertly captures the feeling of moving on after high school in a way that most films aimed at teenagers completely fail to do.

The characters feel like real teenagers, with real teenage problems. The performances are all fantastic especially from the two leads who are both destined to become stars after this. The tone is far from bleak despite what my intro may have had you think. I compared this to Superbad for a reason, it tackles it themes of separation and moving on in a mature way but it is still absolutely hilarious. The interactions between Dever and Feldstein are continuously funny, aided by what appears to be a heavy focus on imporv. The side characters also offer a lot of comedic potential that is rarely missed. Despite not appear much in the film Jason Sudeikis is at the top of his comedic game whever he is on screen however the best moments tend to come from Billie Lourd as Gigi. Lourd is a complete scene-stealer in all of the best ways as she commits 100% to a character that, if handled poorly, could have become insanely irritating. Honestly considering that I had only seen Lourd as Lieutenant Connix in the recent Star Wars sequels, a pretty forgettable role that she was given because her mother was Princess Leia, I did not expect her to be this great.

This is also the feature debut for actress turned director Olivia Wilde which you would not guess from how well this film is put together. I would not be at all surprised if Wilde decides to change course with her career much like Greta Gerwig seems to have opted to do.

I don't see this film garnering much awards buzz at the end of the year but, with the risk of spoilers for my 2019 retrospective, this is absolutely my favourite film of the year so far. I only really had an issue with one scene in particular where the score takes over way to much but that is all I will say about that so as to avoid spoilers. I highly recommend checking this out although I do admit that this may have just been the right film at the right time for me personally, but Isn't that the real joy of film?

Always Be My Maybe (2019)

Movie Review: Always Be My Maybe

[7/10 · 10 June 2019]

This was a pleasant surprise for me, having heard some positive buzz online and then finding myself with a couple of free hours I thought I'd check it out. My expectations were fairly low given how played out the romantic comedy genre has gotten by this point but I have to say that even though I am not a big fan of the genre I have to give a recommendation for this one.

Ali Wong and Randall Park are both very funny people in their own right and they bring their A game to this film. Both of the two main stars have writing credits and so the film can at points feel like a vessel to showcase their talents as comedians. This can be a positive or a negative depending on your existing opinions about the work of the two leads, for me this was absolutely a good thing with he pair firing on all cylinders throughout.

Another thing this film has going for it is an attention to detail that is rarely seen from movies of this nature. The bay-area setting is used to full advantage and impacts on how the characters interact with each other and the situations they find themselves in. For example this film uses the trope of the failing musician, other than having the character's band sound like a generic rom-com soft rock band they build of the hip-hop style soundtrack. The three original songs performed by the fictional band feel as though they would fit perfectly within the Bay Area sound and I instantly added them all to my party playlist.

As far as the story goes it is incredibly generic, while this is a fresh feeling film, it isn't exactly breaking new ground with any plot details. If you are tired of the rom-com formula then maybe this could be an issue for you but personally I think that this has enough good jokes and heart to keep you engaged.

Don't watch the trailers if you are planning on checking this out as they spoil the best part of the movie and the revel works so much better if you don't see it coming.

I think this is a really entertaining Rom-Com showcasing the talents of its two leads. If it sounds like your thing give it a shot.

The Perfection (2018)

Movie Review: The Perfection

[7/10 · 5 June 2019]

As soon as I saw the reports that multiple people had complained to Netflix that this film had made them physically sick due to its graphic content I knew I would be doing myself a disservice as a horror fan by not checking it out. As normal these reports seem to have been largely exaggerated, this happens all the time as a new horror film is said to have gone 'over the line' and disturbed audiences for the actual film to be pretty standard in its themes and content. The Perfection is destined to be seen alongside the original Saw and Hostel in that general audiences seem to have gotten the image of something truly horrific and disgusting when in reality the gore is used sparingly as a way to enhance the dark subject matter.

This film has so many twists in it that the final act feels as if you are watching a completely different movie. After a while I personally think that it bites of more than it can chew by trying to tackle a very serious subject matter despite still being a fairly goofy horror film. The first half is absolutely brilliant and I was honestly ready to call it a best of the year contender until the twists started to drag the film down a little. At first when the plot begins to unravel and things are shown to not be how they first seemed it feels fresh and interesting but after a while it gets in the way of the storytelling and I felt less and less invested in the plot despite the fact that the themes were getting darker and more serious.

Allison Williams is absolutely remarkable in this film. There is a sequence towards the middle of the film where she really gets to shine proving that between this and Get Out she has the potential to be the best thing to happen to horror since Anya Taylor-Joy. Logan Browning is also great in this movie and I hope that she is able to use this as a stepping stone to better things.

This film was clearly a big risk. The experimental presentation pays of greatly in some areas and can get in the way in others. I will always support new and interesting steps forward in the horror genre and even if I don't think this is as good as it maybe could have been I still recommend checking it out if you are looking for a good new horror. It is absolutely not as graphic or disturbing as the internet will have you believe but it is worth watching.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Movie Review: Avengers: Endgame

[8/10 · 26 April 2019]

The MCU has meant quite a lot to me over the years, this is the franchise the more than any other shaped me into the film nerd that I am today and in many ways is the reason I do this at all. I still have my Iron Man poster that I bought in the cinema in 2008, just before my 7th birthday, back when I had no idea what an expanded universe was and a film as ambitious as this was just a pipe-dream for Kevin Feige.

With that being said it shouldn't too difficult to see how reviewing this film is pretty difficult for me. At the time of writing I have seen the movie once so here are my initial reactions, I'll try to stay spoiler free but if you want to go in blind I recommend avoiding all reviews.

This film is a complete mess, but in a good way. I can't think of a more fitting conclusion to this era of the MCU than to just mash all of the plot points together and just see what happens. At this point the MCU feels like a 90s comic run where to appreciate the grand narrative and subtle character moments you have to have read every previous issue plus all of the spin off issues about each individual character until you just give up entirely reread Watchmen. If you have ever successfully kept up with a comic like that then you know how satisfying it feels to read the issue where all of the character end up in the same place and fight the bad guy as a team. That is the feeling that Endgame gave me, satisfaction.

This is a movie for fans, not for film critics, thats is why I am so lost for words on this one. I would be lying to say that certain scenes didnt make me choke up a little and other didnt make me smile uncontrollably having had 11 years of context pay off in very entertaining ways. That being said the film lover in me has to point out the issues in the Russos directing style which comes to haunt much of this film, The Russo brother have too modes: funny and depressing. This works perfectly on Community with the episodes directed by them being some of the best sitcom episodes of all time (dont believe me watch the A Fistful of Paintballs / For a Few Paintballs More two parter). Here it can be jarring with hard cuts between scenes that are dark and grimy looking were the actors get to show of their dramatic skills to bright, lighthearted scenes of physical comedy and one-lines. Occasionally the writers slip in some great character moments into the more comedic scenes but if you already dont like Marvel humor then you might start to feel that run-time.

Those are really the only observations I feel comfortable giving this early without having seen the movie again or allowing time for others to see it. I think that the issues with tone will matter to me less once I see it again but it still needs addressed.

Really it should come as no surprise to you that I would say you should see this film and dont take my rating as gospel here (or ever) as I will probably change my mind on it later.

Shazam! (2019)

Movie Review: Shazam!

[8/10 · 16 April 2019]

This is by far my favourite DC universe movie. Shazam! showcases the sort of quirky and exiting content that could only come out of an expanded universe in the same way Guardians of the Galaxy did. David F. Sandberg appears to have taken ques from other superhero directors, namely James Gunn and Mathew Vaughn, and made something fun, heartwarming and altogether a blast to watch.

Zachary Levi is pitch perfect in the role of Shazam, in every scene he is believable as a kid in an adults body. The psychical humour and sharp dialogue work perfectly but don't take away from the real character moments. At no point did it feel as though there was a disconnect between Asher Angel and Zachary Levi's performances which is insanely impressive.

My one flaw comes with the villain played by Mark Strong. Although the set up is good the conflict with his character doesn't really start until the end of the second act and so his character sort of disappears for a long time. When he does show up again it feels as though it kills the momentum of the film but this is made up for with a fantastic finale.

The real joy of this film comes from the fact that DC have realised that realism doesn't have to mean dark and brooding. All of the kids at Billy's foster home feel real and fleshed out and the character's struggle is believable. This manages to have realistic characters and yet still feels fun which is a crucial element that has been missing from this franchise for a long time.

Overall Shazam! is a wholesome, fun movie that is absolutely worth checking out. I can see this becoming many children's favourite film in the next few years but that doesn't mean there isn't something for everyone to enjoy.