Category: REVIEWS

Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution – The BRWC Review

The Pokemon Company recently have taken pleasure in trying to capture its older audience’s nostalgia. Their last three animated films have essentially been remakes of films or episodes from the Generation 1 era and with not much success at recapturing its roots.

However, that hasn’t stopped them from remaking one of my favourite films ‘Pokemon: the First Movie’ with ‘Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution’.

Like previously mentioned, ‘Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution’ is a shot-for-shot CGI remake of ‘Pokemon: the First Movie’. In the film, scientists create a new Pokemon from the DNA of legendary Pokemon Mew called Mewtwo. However, the results are disastrous.

When it comes to remakes, I consider myself fairly open minded; as long as the remake adds something new to the source material then I’m happy.               

This remake adds absolutely nothing to the source material. If anything, it reduces any iconic reputation that the original has. While this version does begin with some of the original Japanese opening (which wasn’t included in the English language version), that doesn’t elevate this remake above the original.

The CGI animation style is reminiscent of the cutscenes featured in the recent Pokemon video games. Unfortunately, while this works for the games because the art style is expected, it doesn’t translate well to film and is jarring to look at here. The leathery texture of the Pokemon all look strange, aside from the water Pokemon, which suit these types of creatures because of their appearance.

With a new film comes new voicework on the film, and it shows: the delivery of the dialogue is dull in comparison to the iconic voice cast of the show and ‘First Movie’. The actors either sound bored or are putting too much effort in to try and make this stand out. The actual dialogue is essentially the same, but just said in a different way. Oddly enough, the series’ villains, Jessie and James, are the stand-out characters in terms of voicework and dialogue. Which is unfortunate, as their role in the film is to provide exposition and, therefore, do not appear in many scenes.

Furthermore, there is a lack of a musical score throughout the film. This leads me to believe that either this film had a rushed production, or the musical score was left to the last minute when making this and was, therefore, forgotten about. It makes the film feel unfinished, and the silence in most scenes really stand out when all that is heard is the dialogue and the ambient sounds. It’s altogether an extremely strange decision.

If someone doesn’t know the source material then this will probably be enjoyable. However, ‘Pokemon: The First Movie’ is one of my favourite films, so the differences are obvious and painful to see/hear. When it comes to remakes, you shouldn’t compare it to the original. However, that’s difficult to avoid in this case when ‘Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution’ is literally a shot-for-shot remake…and one that somehow fails to cash in on the nostalgia of its source material. It’s a lazy piece of production from The Pokemon Company, and surprisingly, my moderate expectations of this weren’t even remotely met.

In terms of its animated films, it’s time The Pokemon Company stopped trying to cash in on nostalgia; it’s clearly not working.

‘Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution’ is now available on Netflix

And Then We Danced: The BRWC Review. By Heidi Sharpley.

“There is no sex in Georgian Dance”, shouts the dance master to his students.  Reminds me of the minster in Footloose who announces there is no dancing in Bomont.  But we know better, there is dancing and there is sex.  This is not a lighthearted dance movie. 

You won’t be singing along with Kenny Loggins at the end but you will be moved by this personal journey in a very constrictive and old fashioned society.

Mereb, played by Levan Gelbakhiani is a dancer in training committed to making it into the national dance company in Georgia.  He is disciplined and hard working and trying so hard to be good – a good dancer, good son, good to his girlfriend, responsible financially and even polite on public transport.  There’s a lot of tension building and pressure to be strong as the tradition of Georgian Dance conveys the spirit of the nation.  

When Gelbakhiani is on the screen you don’t really need to read the subtitles, his face conveys all the emotion necessary and tells Mereb’s story beautifully.  His eyes show the determination of a dancer trying to compete with himself and please others and when he smiles in rare moments of happiness you feel the sun radiating on you. 

Like all dancers he tells the story with his body and when his shoulders slump with disappointment you feel the weight of it.  He has a tough life, in a very judgemental environment.

I don’t want to give too much of the story away but to understand the importance of this movie, you first must know that in Georgia, being LGBTQ+ only became legal in 2000.  Society is very much traditional, patriarchal, conservative and homophobic.  When this movie premiered in Georgia, ticket holders had to pass through protesters to enter the cinema.

“And Then We Danced”, is a very beautiful movie about finding yourself.  It’s a familiar story told in a new environment that really reaches you.  It’s a wake up to the western world that we have come so far but the battle for acceptance of sexual diversity really has such a long way to come in many societies.

Spoiler alert, just like in all dance movies, the dance scene at the end is strong and powerful and you will cheer him on.

Buster Keaton is one of those names that even those who aren’t well versed in silent cinema will recognise. Alongside Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton was an iconic actor, writer and director who managed to envision the kinds of cinema set pieces that were years ahead of their time and just as impressive when viewed today.

Especially considering how little went into the special effects. However, through the use of camera trickery and Keaton being the best special effect of all, Buster Keaton became a unique and unforgettable performer during the Roaring Twenties.

The Great Buster is a documentary written, directed and narrated by director Peter Bogdanovich which charts Keaton’s life meticulously from his early years in his family Vaudeville show to his untimely death in the mid Sixties.

Throughout the documentary, Bogdanovich tells the story of one of his idols leaving no stone unturned as every facet of Keaton’s life is explored from his incredible success to his spiralling career and alcoholism that developed once he lost creative control.

Along with Bogdanovich are other famous film makers and actors that all talk lovingly about what an influence Buster was on their own work, with some surprises such as Quentin Tarantino and Werner Herzog. Split into two halves, the second half of Bogdanovich’s documentary lets the silent movie star speak for himself as the audience are treated to the best bits of Keaton’s finest work.

Lovingly restored and preserved for everyone to see from ardent fans to those who just want to see what made the man and his work so great, the clips from some of his most beloved film are sure to raise a smile.

Gliding through all aspects of Keaton’s life, the documentary doesn’t really have the time to settle down on one thing and it would have been nice to have heard a little more from its talking heads. However, the joy on their faces when talk about what an impression Keaton made on their careers is enough to make the audience want to look back at their work as well as Keaton’s to see if they can see the join.

A master of the silver screen that pushed boundaries of not only cinematic wonder, but also pushed the limits of his own body, The Great Buster is a documentary that encapsulates Buster Keaton’s story with love and admiration.

For those fans who think they may have seen everything Keaton had to offer, this documentary may even show fans a little bit more.

Christ has been the source of plenty of controversies when it comes to film and television. From Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ to Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, outrage is at every turn. However, I’ve always believed that this shouldn’t stop us from telling his story. He’s one of those rare figures who can transcend beliefs. Even if you believe his acts to be fiction, his message is still remarkable and essential to this day. After all, his preachings were primarily on the concept of love above all else, and the world could use a little more of that.

Dallas Jenkins’ 8 episode series “The Chosen” endeavours to tell the biblical tale once again, and does so with a paramount reverence and an abundance of kindness. The concept of this new retelling is that the perspective is primarily from the apostles of Christ rather than Jesus himself.

And of them, the primary 4 we follow are Simon Peter (Shahar Isaac), Mary Magdalene (Elizabeth Tabish), Matthew (Paras Patel) and Nicodemus (Erick Avari). We see each of them as they meet Jesus (Jonathan Roumie) for the first time, just as he is preparing to reveal himself as the messiah. He saves some, he redeems others, but all come to love and follow him. There is, however, another side to the story, that follows the Roman persecution of the Jewish people, and their slow discovery and disdain for Jesus.

As all this begins to happen, it quickly becomes apparent that The Chosen is a show fully prepared to express itself at a slow pace, and that’s totally fine. Yes, inevitably things do get bogged down, particularly when following Matthew, a tax collector shunned by his people, as he associates himself with some Romans. Still, for the most part, the show finds an entertaining and enlightening pitch. This is thanks to the work of two of the most important characters in the show, Erick Avari’s Nicodemus and Jonathan Roumie as Jesus. Their eventual canonical meeting is one of the best moments of the show, and of all the beautiful and impactful moments The Chosen creates one or both of these men generate it.

Roumie carries himself with such an apparent kindness and warmth that he is at times breathtaking. The humanity at the centre of the portrayal is so crucial to get right, and the performance is remarkably grounded and moving. I think he nailed it, and it is my favourite performance by anyone in the role. His finest moments come as the many individuals he heals begin to appear. The beautiful score begins to swell, and you know you are about to see something heart-warming

Avari is brilliant in a very different way. His debates on faith with the other Pharisee’s and Jesus himself are engrossing, and his arc of confronting the contradictions of his faith with what he believes Christ’s emergence means is the strongest of the show. It’s a performance unlike any I’ve seen him produce before and I would gladly see more of it.

This does highlight one crucial question to ask when reviewing this show: how much does it mess with the source material? I’m happy to report there are no egregious changes. The most notable differences see some figures take a step back so others can be more prominent, in particular, Nicodemus, who is likely in this show far more than in all of the Bible. Regardless, this is a faithful adaption, one that elects to provide more context than the Good Book itself provides, which was a good decision.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=craeyJdrCsE

When it comes to independently funded series about Christ, there will never be one as good as this. There are issues though, the main titles and theme is always jarring and feels thrown together and cheap, which considering the beautiful score the show boasts, is a shame. The other issue is the show’s most significant, the casting of Brandon Potter as the primary antagonist, Quintus. Unfortunately, he delivers a frankly distracting performance seemingly focused on making Quintus a weaselly and cunning man, who never actually does anything wicked. The writing of the character destroyed this performance before it could even take place, and the end result isn’t pretty.

The Chosen strikes gold with some key casting decisions and as a result, delivers a wholesome and enjoyable retelling of Jesus’ story.

Producer Aisling Chin-Yee makes her feature film debut directing The Rest of Us. Cami (Heather Graham) and her daughter Aster navigate a difficult situation when Cami invites her ex husband’s family to live with them following his sudden death.

The premise is similar in certain ways to Dead to Me (2019-), but without the violence and humour of the Netflix Original series.

Heather Graham has been hitting TV screens much more often than cinema in recent years, and her directorial debut, Half Magic, made a poor impression in 2018. In The Rest of Us Graham is joined by Abigail Pniowsky, Sophie Nélisse, and Jodi Balfour who made an appearance as Jackie Kennedy in The Crown (2017).

The characters are reluctant to address their own shortcomings and irrational behaviour sparked by the loss.

Chin-Yee works with editor Véronique Barbe beautifully threading in a lot of backstory with a few fragments. Women are front and centre, following the pattern of Chin-Yee’s production filmography. A testament to the pragmatism of women in the face of adversity, but though The Rest of Us has the ingredients of something great, but the result is lacking.

It passes the Bechdel Test, sure, but is that such a victory when the spectre of the man looms large? The Rest of Us is a quiet tribute to the women who pick up the pieces after a tragedy. Perhaps a little too quiet: hardly memorable at all. Kelly Reichardt without the brooding or menacing undertones. 

The Rest of Us premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and has a UK release date of 23rd March 2020