10s Movie Review - The Ritual

Director: David Bruckner
Genre: Horror/ Mystery/ Thriller
Runtime: 94 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier, Sam Throughton
 
I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 44: A HORROR MOVIE
 
Description: A group of friends reunite for a trip to a forest in Sweden, but encounter a menacing presence there stalking them.

Review: At first you think, this is yet another story about a group of people getting lost in the woods. And the comparison with “The Blair Witch Project” is also easily made. However, “The Ritual” gives a different twist to this story and really knows how to scare you.

“The Ritual” tells the story of four friends who go exploring together in the Swedish forests after a fatal accident back home in London. As they head deeper into the woods, they come across the strangest things, including a dead deer hung up high in a tree. When they come across an abandoned cabin in which they find various strange objects, you start thinking about “The Blair Witch Project’, but this turns out to be absolutely not the case. The story takes an entirely unique turn and gives the viewer goosebumps from head to toe.

“The Ritual” is highly recommended and an excellent horror movie. It is one of those hidden gems on Netflix that you should absolutely see.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Hot Fuzz

Director: Edgar Wright
Genre: Action/ Comedy
Runtime: 121 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton, Rafe Spall, Paddy Considine, Olivia Colman, Bill Nighy, Steve Coogan, Martin Freeman

Description: Exceptional London cop Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is involuntarily transferred to a quaint English village and paired with a witless new partner. While on the beat, Nicholas suspects a sinister conspiracy is afoot with the residents.

Review: Supercop Nicholas Angel is transferred from the hard crimes in London, to a sleepy town called Sanford, because Nicholas makes all the other cops ‘look bad’. He is just simply too good. Sanford is in the running for the title ‘Village of the Year’, which they have won multiple times before. When Nicholas arrives, he soon discovers that the citizens and local cops don’t really take crime very seriously. Even when several people are murdered, they all think it’s just all an accident.
You can say a lot about “Hot Fuzz”, but not that it’s boring. There is a lot of action, violence and a load of great jokes. And there isn’t one joke that doesn’t make you laugh or is predictable or cliché. That makes this film fresh and original.
Of course the on screen duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost work like a charm. Pegg is an adrenaline rushed cop and Frost is the very naïve and looking-for-action partner. Like a tradition of buddy cop movies, who are complete opposites of each other, but yet again it’s never cliché.
“Hot Fuzz” is fast paced, action packed and fresh. An original film with lots of laughs, even after rewatching it many times, with a dark undertone. “Hot Fuzz” is a winner!

Rating: 5/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Big Short

Director: Adam McKay
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 130 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Brad Pitt, Marisa Tomei, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong, Melissa Leo, Margot Robbie, Selena Gomez, Karen Gillan, Finn Wittrock, John Magaro, Hamish Linklater, Jay Jablonski

Description: In 2006-2007 a group of investors bet against the US motgage market. In their research they discover how flawed and corrupt the market is.

Review: “The Big Short” is based on the true story of fraud within American banks, right before the financial crisis. Four outsiders try to expose these banks and want to make money from it at the same time. Dr. Michael Burry starts this, when he discovers that most mortgages aren’t as safe and secure as they seem. Most banks think he is crazy and there are only a few others that believe him.
The cast of “The Big Short” is one to be proud of. They are all big names in Hollywood and are all seemingly enjoying the roles they’re playing. Christian Bale portrays the eccentric Dr. Michael Burry, Steve Carell is the loud Mark Baum, Ryan Gosling is the slick Jared Vennett and Brad Pitt plays the reluctant Ben Rickert. All characters are well-developed and the performances are fantastic.
And that’s where I’m going to stop with the positive, because aside from this, I hated this movie. And it’s not the director or the style it is filmed in. It’s simply the theme and story. Adam McKay tried so hard to create an intense and interesting film with the somewhat dry material he had. But in my opinion he didn’t manage to do that. At least not for me.
The film is too long and it drags. I think 90 percent of the dialogue and story didn’t interest me at all and sometimes I had no idea what they were talking about. This movie made me feel dumb, but then again I don’t know much about the financial world nor am I interested in it.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad movie. Because it’s well-made and all performances are great. Most critics praise this movie and it’s a typical film for the Academy Awards. “The Big Short” simply didn’t do it for me because of the theme it was dealing with. And if a movie’s theme doesn’t appeal to me and I can’t sympathize with any of the characters, you lose me as a viewer.
A movie not for everyone, and I’m sadly one of the haters. And I don’t often share the more unpopular opinion.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Movie Review - Men in Black: International

Director: F. Gary Gray
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Rebecca Ferguson, Rafe Spall, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson

Description: The Men in Black have always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe. In this new adventure, they tackle their biggest threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black organization.

Review: As a child Molly managed to escape the “neutralizer”, the device that the Men in Black use to erases your memory about the existence of aliens. Twenty years she searches for the agency that protects the earth from the scum from outer space. Molly wants to become one of them! One day, she manages to infiltrate the agency in New York. Agent O is impressed enough to recruit her. Molly, now Agent M, starts her probation in London.
The movies doesn’t start out that bad. But the first signs of this film lacking substance is when Molly’s training starts, which is nothing more than deciding which suit to wear and which weapon to choose. There is no need to further expand the introduction of the universe, because that’s what the previous films did.
“Men in Black: International” is for the most part a repetition of the other films. Visually it’s not very different and the formula is almost identical. The are hunting for an object to secure the future of the universe, there is some friction. There are some new elements, which make it a nit more interesting. Like the main duo is now a man and a woman. I liked the dynamic between Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. Not an old wise man and a flashy rookie, but an arrogant top-agent who has to acknowledge his hero status is crashing and he is surpassed by an enthusiastic newcomer. And it’s not because of them that this film isn’t good, because they are good together and their dynamic is the best part of the film. It’s just sad that they have to work with such terrible writing.
It's an uninspired spin-off, which the good cast couldn’t even safe.

Rating: 2/ 5

Movie Reviews - Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Director: J.A. Bayona
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 128 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ted Levine, Jeff Goldblum, Toby Jones, Rafe Spall, BD Wong, James Cromwell

Description: When the island's dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas howard) mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.

Review: The dinosaurs that were left behind when the Jurassic World theme park went bad, need to be saved. The islands volcano is about to erupt and Owen and Claire decide to go back. But naïve business men also send an over ambitious hunter to the island.
“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” is the sequel to “Jurassic World, the way “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” was a sequel to “Jurassic Park”. And you can see that a lot of it is the same. But director J.A. Bayona decided to have only a few scenes in the jungle and take the rest of the film to the city. Which is basically the last scenes from “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” stretched to film length. But from that point the film gets more original.
“Jurassic World” got mixed reviews. Especially the fans of “Jurassic Park” were really brutal. I’m also a huge fan, it’s THE movie that made me the movie geek I am now. But I watched “Jurassic World” as a separate film, not comparing it with the orinal master piece. And I really liked “Jurassic World”. And I also liked “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”. But less, because it reused a lot of elements from the previous films and the characters don’t really have any development. I like Owen and Claire, apart and together, but there is no development whatsoever.
Seeing Jeff Goldblum was off course great and he might be the greatest character ever created for the franchise (no, he IS).
“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” shines because of the great visuals and its high entertainment value. And Chris Pratt as an action hero with the right amount of humor. But the best moments and quotes were ‘borrowed’ from the earlier films.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 103: The BFG

Director: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton, Rebecca Hall, Rafe Spall, Bill Hader

Description: A girl named Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) encounters the Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance) who, despite his intimidating appearance, turns out to be a kindhearted soul who is considered an outcast by the other giants because, unlike them, he refuses to eat children.

Review: I grew up with Roald Dahl books and when I was a teacher I read his stories a lot too. For his 30th film, Steven Spielberg made this genre film filled with children’s fantasy. Finally “The BFG”, one of Dahl’s best stories, is brought to the big screen.
Little Sophie lives in an orphanage and sees a giant in the middle of the night. This giant, the BFG, takes her into the world of giants.
This type of film really has to rely on the chemistry between the fable like creatures and the little admires. Ruby Barnhill, who plays Sophie, does an excellent job. With both the charisma of an adult and the amazement of a little girl, she is believable. Mark Rylance is a charming BFG, heartwarming and just loveable.
The animation is amazing, it looks really impressive. The expressions on the face of the BFG are so realistic. This film is jawdropping, when it comes to its techniques. And the chemistry between Sophie and the BFG is so good, especially in the more quiet scenes.
“The BFG” is bit lighter then the book and a little less complex. It was a film I really looked forward to and it brought back the little girl in me that loved this book. It didn’t disappoint, Spielberg hardly ever does that.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 69: What If

Director: Michael Dowse

Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Romance

Runtime: 102 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Zoe Kazan, Adam Driver, Megan Parks, Mackenzie Davis, Rafe Spall, Lucius Hoyos, Jemima Rooper, Tommie-Amber Pirie, Meghan Heffern, Jonathan Cherry, Rebecca Northan, Jordan Hayes, Oona Chaplin, Adam Fergus

Description: Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe), who is burned out from a string of failed relationships, forms an instant bond with Chantry (Zoe Kazan), who lives with her longtime boyfriend (Rafe Spall). Together, they puzzle out what it means if your best friend is also the love of your life.

Review: Not very original, but very enjoyable is this romantic comedy “What If”, with Zoe Kazan and Daniel Radcliffe, who manages to make us forget about Harry Potter.

Radcliffe plays Wallace. This young twenty something lives in his sisters attic, he has a crappy job as the writer of manuals and has been single for quite some time. Because Wallace and his ex where both in school to become doctors, Wallace dropped out. Since then he hardly has a social life. His friend Alan invites him over for a party and that’s where Wallace meets Alan’s cousin Chantry. The two have an instant connection, but later that night he finds out she has a boyfriend. They decide to be just friends. When Chantry’s boyfriend has to go to Ireland for work, Wallace and Chantry’s friendship develops.

“What If” is a charming comedy, that is fun because of the natural charisma of the two leads. Radcliffe and Kazan have perfect chemistry. The question, if men and women can have a platonic relationship, has been asked many times before. Director Michael Dowse and script writer Elan Mastai gave it a fresh twist.

Another plus is the dialogue. Sometimes strange and cynical, but so pleasant to listen too. The story is sometimes over the top, like the first meeting between Wallace and Chantry’s boyfriend Ben or the moment where one wants to follow the other overseas.

“What If” is still a joy to watch, even with some clichés and unoriginality. Lovely leads and sharp dialogue are the two things that make this movie worth your time.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Favorites: Hot Fuzz

Synopsis: Top London cop, PC Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is good. Too good. And to stop the rest of his team looking bad, he is reassigned to the quiet town of Sandford. He is paired with Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), who endlessly questions him on the action lifestyle. Everything seems quiet for Angel, until two actors are found decapitated. It is called an accident, but Angel isn't going to accept that, especially when more and more people turn up dead. Angel and Danny clash with everyone, whilst trying to uncover the truth behind the mystery of the apparent "accidents".

 

 

Unique Selling Point: This is how action and comedy should be mixed. This is probably my favorite out of the cornetto-trilogy.

Most Valuable Player: Edgar Wright, for writing one of the greatest comedies in movie history. Clever jokes, something that makes me laugh every time.

Best Moment: Nicholas Angel jumps over a fence, smoothly. Danny also does it, not so smoothly. “What’s the matter, Danny? Never taken a shortcut before?” Well, he clearly hasn’t.

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 147: Prometheus

Director: Ridley Scott

Genre: Actie/ Science Fiction/ Horror

Runtime: 126 minutes

Year: 2012

Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Logan Marshall-Green, Sean Harris, Rafe Spall, Patrick Wilson

Description: A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

Review: Director Ridley Scott doesn’t make it easy for himself. He tried to tell a story, located in the universe of his own classic “Alien” from 1979, to answer one question: where do we come from? Man who wants to meet his maker. Scientists Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway find a series of identical cave drawings in 2089. They think they know the answer to that question and billionaire Peter Weyland sets up an expedition. On spaceship Prometheus they are on a search for the truth.

The Prometheus arrives, with a crew of seventeen, on a planet similar to the one in “Alien”. The tension is built because you don’t know why each of the crew members are on the mission. The distant Meredith Vickers has to lead the crew and her help is android David.

Scott could have chosen to play out a cat and mouse game, but instead he focuses on David. His plans are revealed little by little, but it’s clear he’s the one with the most dangerous mission. Dangerous for mankind. The questions isn’t who is going to survive, but why David does what he does. There is no emotional impact whenever one of the crew member dies. And even though some scenes are pretty gruesome, they are never as anguished as in “Alien”.

The movie is visually stunning and detailed. This movie is beautiful in 3D. But beautiful pictures alone don’t make a good movie. Scott made this movie a bit too simplistic and the characters lack intelligence and depth. “Prometheus” is still a pretty good movie.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 11: I Give It a Year

Director: Dan Mazer
Genre: Comedy/ Romance
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Rose Byrne, Rafe Spall, Simon Baker, Anna Faris, Minnie Driver, Stephen Merchant, Olivia Coleman, Jason Fleyming

Description: Newlywed couple Nat (Rose Byrne) and Josh (Rafe Spall) are deliriously happy despite their differences, though friends and family aren't convinced that they can last. With their first anniversary approaching and attractive alternatives in the mix, can they last?

Review: After a short romance, Nat and Josh decide to get married. That there are many big differences between them doesn’t bother the couple. Their family and friends do question the marriage.
“I Give It a Year” starts where most other romantic comedies end. The film tries to flip the genre upside down by showing us what happens when two people in love get married. It’s an interesting starting-point, but it still has many romcom clichés in it. For example that the leading characters discover that someone else is the one for them. It does have a cynical tone to it, but some of those jokes are a big miss. Especially some situation, that are meant to be funny, just aren’t. The film is one big akward moment.
Rafe Spall, who plays Josh, was only a supporting actor so far. His somewhat immature character is really sympathetic. Rose Byrne has the unfortunate task the play the most uncongenial character: the perfectionistic and ambitious Nat. It’s a lot like Helen, who she portrayed in “Bridesmaids”. Minnie Driver on the other hand is hilarious as Nat’s crude sister. Olivia Coleman, as the weird therapist, really overdoes it. She totally lost herself in the role, which makes it over the top. As a viewer you are more drawn to the charming Josh then the up stuck Nat.
“I Give It a Year” tries to give the term romantic comedy another dimension to go a little further. The makers didn’t achieve it and is missing its balance. One missed shot.

Rating: 2,5/ 5