Kingsman: the Secret Service (2015) Review

I love the superspy genre. The exotic locations, the fast cars, the beautiful women, and the diabolical masterminds make this genre the king of all blockbuster genres. The best era for superspies was the 1960s. Not only was Sean Connery playing Bond on the big screen, but spies were also on television in such imaginative shows as the Avengers (not the Marvel characters) and the Man From U.N.C.L.E. These shows were great because of their ability to take a familiar world, our own, and turn it into something exciting where danger and mystery lurked around every corner and Dom Perignon champagne flowed like water. There was a sense of escapism and comfort yes, but more importantly there was a playful imagination at work here that really hasn't been seen so much since. Matthew Vaughn, the director of Kingsman, must also feel the same way because this film is a love letter to superspies. a vulgar, blood-drenched, love-letter, but a love-letter nonetheless.

The film tells the story of a young man named Eggsy who finds himself in all sorts of nefarious activities. He had potential once, but due to the death of his father he, his mother, and his baby brother are struggling. Into all of this comes Harry, a superspy played by Colin Firth, who gets Eggsy involved in the super secret organization of the title. The rest you'll have to find out for yourself, but I will say that there is a supervillain played by Samuel L. Jackson and a henchwoman to rival any of the more recent Bond ones. this film is one of those examples where you know everyone making it must have been having fun doing so. Firth seems perfect for the role and he channels John Steed from the Avengers in every twist of his umbrella. Samuel L. Jackson also looks like he's having the time of his life playing his villain. The action, for the most part, is well executed in the most modern sense and the film has pretty much everything but the kitchen sink.

Unfortunately, sometimes you can get carried away when you're having so much fun. this film has so many different tones that sometimes the script doesn't balance them properly. The film also seems to overstay its welcome just a little bit. This is also not a movie for the family. The violence is extreme and the language is reminiscent of a Tarantino film. In fact this film feels like the Kill Bill of spy movies. Some people may find the violence upsetting and will not like the film for that reason and they may not be wrong. I, myself, felt that it went a little far sometimes.

That being said, one of the exciting things about this movie is its R rating. This allows it to tap into some uncharted territory when it comes to superspy movies and when it does this, it is at its best. Another great thing about this film is the actors which were enlisted to bring these characters to life. These respected actors give this film both a legitimacy and a sense of fun that is hard to deny.

My favorite parts of Kingsman were the subtle references to spy lore which were made throughout the film. These jokes and subversions are handled far more adeptly here than in almost any other superspy pastiche I've seen. because of this, Kingsman is not just another in a long line of superspy parodies but rather its own new product. a product that is not perfect and that will revolt some, but that will thrill many. 4/5

The Hobbit: the Battle of the Five Armies (2014) Review

Before I begin this review I will start with a short disclaimer. I have not seen the two previous Hobbit films, I have seen the original Lord of the Rings trilogy and read the book the Hobbit a long time ago, so long ago that I have pretty much forgotten the plot. With these things in mind, I understand that I come at this with a different perspective in that I am rating this film on its own merits and not in connection with the two that came before. I understand that some may view this perspective unfavorably or believe that I am at a disadvantage, so I just want to make sure it is known before we get into the meat of the review. I went into this film hoping for 2.5 hours of quality escapist entertainment with Martin Freeman's Bilbo as my guide and the world of Peter Jackson as my destination. Unfortunately, I found the experience disappointing.

I understand that I, who have not seen the previous two films, came at this with a disadvantage but it was not my lack of knowledge of the story thus far that disappointed me. It was rather the mechanics of the film itself. No matter how involved the stories that came before were, the story confined to this film felt drawn out and clichéd. The whole thing centered around a big battle much like Jackson's previous trilogy closer but here the battle felt long and uninteresting. The character development that occurred in this film also felt clichéd. I could predict where the story would go, what little actual story there was, and thus began to feel bored. This feeling was only accentuated by the drawn-out nature of several of the action scenes. The length of some of the fights harkened back to the long fights in a Zack Snyder film and I found myself wishing they would get to the point. I am willing to give the film the benefit of the doubt on some of the more emotional scenes because I am assuming the proper character development has been put in place for them to work. Even with that in mind the pacing just felt off to me.

The acting in the film was alright and I think Freeman was a good choice for Bilbo. It's always fun to see Christopher Lee on screen and I think the performances from the rest of the cast seemed on point but the scripting and directing seem to have lost the magic that the original trilogy had. The way Jackson filmed this installment seemed to suck the magic out of what made the Lord of the Rings so incredible. That magic lay in its sense of grittiness and its sense of realism. The world in those films felt realized and inhabitable. Here, Jackson films the proceedings so that one feels as if one is watching a video game. If you enjoyed the previous films don't let me dissuade you from going to see the conclusion, but from my perspective, on its own merits, it is a disappointment. 2/5

Night at The Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014) Review

The most moving moment in film this year came from the most unlikely of movies. That moment was Robin Williams' last scene in his last film, the third in the Night at the Museum series. The movie itself was okay in its own right but that final scene is something that transcends it. Oddly enough this third, and presumably final, Museum film also included Mickey Rooney's last scene on film, making it a kind of "in memory of" piece. For most audience members the film won't be more than just that, but it is neither a bad way to end the series or a bad swan song for Robin Williams.

I can honestly say that whoever outlined the plot of this last installment did a good job. Unlike the atrocious second film in this series, this film seems like an interesting and natural sequel to the first film. It allows us to meet up new characters but also for those characters to face new challenges. I don't really need to go into detail because if you wanted a synopsis you would just use IMDb. what I will say is that this film involves our heroes going to the British Museum in order to protect the magic which allows them, as museum exhibits, to come alive at night. The reason I think the plot is better outlined then the second film is that here the universe of the film is actually explored further and we get new perspectives of the characters we thought we knew. The second film was just a bad retreading of the first film.

I said the plot was "outlined" well because unfortunately the execution is very hit-and miss. Some of the jokes are alright, but some just go a bit too far, and some are just plain awkward. It's really a shame that the dialogue does not live up to the premise because this could have been a very good comedy, but, as it is, its just passably enjoyable. In terms of direction and acting there is not much to say. Ben Stiller carries the film pretty well and the supporting cast bring back their characters nicely. Robin Williams is by far the best of the lot and there is something powerful about seeing his last screen outing. Overall I recommend seeing this for that reason alone, that it is Robin Williams last film and that his final scene may be one of the most powerful things you see all year, 3/5

The Imitation Game (2014) Review

The Imitation Game is a prime example of a “Hollywood” biopic.  These films are movies that use as their subject a famous person, generally a hero, who is played by a popular and respected actor. In this case it is Alan Turing played by Benedict Cumberbatch. These films take historical events and turn them into classic narrative formulas (i.e. beating the odds, rise and fall). They are generally well directed and they have an agenda that they wish to promote. These assertions about the Imitation Game are neither positive nor negative but rather simply stating the formula which it follows. Luckily for viewers, the Imitation game follows this formula very well.

This story of the genius who helped crack the German coding machine is a narrative of highs and lows. We have scenes of great accomplishment as well as scenes of great despair. It all centers on Alan Turing, a man whose life was seemingly full of these moments of exhilaration and despair. Events from his childhood up until his tragic death are intercut to form this story and I was surprised at some of the skill with which the intercutting was done. What was most surprising to me was the amount of humor and wit laced throughout the script. It really helps to bring the audience into the story, which is something that is necessary for a film like this to work.

Another key to the success of a “Hollywood” biopic is the acting. Cumberbatch carries the film with his wonderful performance. There are certainly shades of Sherlock here but he makes Turing his own. The rest of cast does well but their characters are not as “fleshed-out” as Cumberbatch’s. This is one of my complaints about the film: some of its characters are simply uninteresting. These people act like people in a movie and thus are predictable. Turing is the only one that seems real, while the others feel like plot devices.

The direction of the film is quite good and brings across the message quite well. This message is brought through with a power that never borders on preaching. The Imitation Game is a good film and a perfect example of a formulaic biopic but due to its stock characters it does not surpass the formula. For most however, it won’t have to. 4/5