Category: REVIEWS

I saw Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in a double-bill showing with the first one. My feeling on Guardians are actually very positive. It’s one of my favourite superhero films, and is my favourite film in the MCU. That’s not to say Guardians doesn’t have its problems; the directing is fairly basic and James Gunn does fall for some obvious traps (like failing to hide an edit where we are supposed to have the illusion of a single shot), some of the acting is unbalanced and forced and a pretty bad villain does do the film harm. But the writing, the charm of the lead cast (even at those ropy moments), the visuals, the colours, the characters and, of course, the music more than make up for such shortcomings. So, here we have a sequel from the same studio, with the same writer/director and the same cast as the original; so, yes, I was very excited for this one. This and Logan are actually the only superhero films this year that I was looking forward to. How does it fair? Let’s find out.

The story takes a backseat to the characters, as it should do, but for the sake of argument here it is. The Guardians are on the run, on account of Rocket stealing something he should from someone he shouldn’t. In their running’s they find Ego, Starlord’s father, who invites them to his planet. You see, Ego is a god of sorts, and he controls the growth of all on this planet, something that Starlord can also do being his son. However, the group is split; Starlord’s with his dad, Gamora is fighting Nebula, Drax is doing…something, and Rocket and Groot must help Yondu fight off a mutiny. Again, the story is not really the focus, and going deeper would reveal some major spoilers. All you need to know is that something bad is happening to them all.

This is a film that can be summed up in one three word sentence; it’s good, but… And that is sadly where people are really going to take issue with it. But before I talk about my issues with the film, I’m going to mention what I loved about it. The cast is great; all return, with Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper back as the Guardians, and all delivering the wit and charm of before. Also returning are Michael Rooker as Yondu and Karen Gillan as Nebula, who are again on top form. In fact the performances are actually a little better in this one. New cast members are Kurt Russell as Ego, and there is no better choice; as soon as I heard that he was cast in the film I knew it would be for Starlord’s dad, it had to be. And he doesn’t disappoint, in fact has Russell ever let us down? I don’t think so. There’s also cameos from Sylvester Stallone of all people, Ving Rhames and David Hasselhoff (who this film has a weird fixation with).

The soundtrack is also as great as ever, with some new songs that include The Chain by Fleetwood Mac. Visually it’s still amazing, and even more colourful this time around. The action is definitely improved, with some amazing moments involving Yondu and his arrow. And the film just does what a good sequel should; it takes the original and builds off it, becoming something similar yet different. The characters are all built up more here. We find out Starlord did emotionally suffer with no paternal figure as a child. We find out more about Gamora’s past, and her relationship with Nebula. In fact, that was my favourite part; Thanos isn’t in this film but we finally hear what he did to these two, and it really helps them develop as characters. It’s also the first time the films have addressed what Thanos is like, whereas before we all had to rely on that geeky friend we all have. Yondu, however, is the one who gets the most depth and character to him. He becomes so much more likable with all they tell you about him. And yes, baby Groot is as cute as you’d hope. And in the end it’s just a fun film.

So what don’t I like about it. Well, I know I said that the story is deliberately taking a seat to the characters here, but this story is really bad. The problems actually come with the concept if you think about it; Starlord meets his dad, all well and good, but what do the rest of them do? And it really isn’t much. They do that thing where they split the team and they all come together at the end (like Empire Strikes Back and Star Trek Beyond), but again they don’t really do anything. There are these golden people who are pretty funny, in that overly self-entitled kind of way, but they serve no point, except to build up a sequel. Oh not again! I also really didn’t like the direction they took Drax. Drax was one of the funnier parts of the first one, so they cashed in on that and now he is no longer that unassuming, overly-literal badass he once was, and is now just a parody of himself. It’s like watching Freddy Krueger in the first Nightmare on Elm Street and then following it up with the Freddy from Nightmare 4, it’s that much of a jump. I’m not saying I didn’t laugh, because I did, but it felt so distant from what he was before.

Speaking of the humour, this is the most comedy focused film of the MCU. It makes sense, with Guardians of the Galaxy being a staple of comic book humour, and with how funny the first one was. And there are some good laughs in here (one involving FTL jumping had me laughing harder than any film in recent memory). But my problem is that they are everywhere, and this time they feel forced. I was actually groaning at numerous attempts at humour here. And it’s not Guardians humour, it’s MCU humour. It’s just people throwing quips and one-liners at each other, and I know the first one kind of did that but they made it feel fresh.

Ultimately the film’s biggest problems are how it feels like just another movie in the MCU and how little the stakes feel. For better or worse Guardians of the Galaxy felt like a separate film from any other in the MCU, partly to do with how it was shot. This time it’s shot like just another MCU film. And I should be feeling the stakes, this time it’s not just a planet under threat, it is the galaxy. But it doesn’t feel personal, I can’t relate to the struggle at hand. It’s just a mess story wise, and that may not be as important to this one as it would for, say, Civil War, but it does drag the film down. In all honesty, it wouldn’t surprise me if the writing process was a little rushed on this one.

Again, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a good film, but it does have some major issues. If you love the first one and think it’s an amazing film then you’ll like this one. If not, I’d say that there’s still something there to warrant watching it. I do prefer this film to the likes of Age of Ultron and Iron Man 3. Maybe I am comparing it too much to the original, but I don’t think my feelings would change much. Do see it by all means, just be aware that it may not live up to that high pedestal you’ve held it by.

By Last Caress.

Lisa (Mandy Moore) and Kate (Claire Holt) are sisters, on holiday in Mexico. Lisa is coming to terms with having very recently been dumped by her beau and, to assist in keeping Lisa’s mind from her grief, Kate books an hour-long session of “swimming” with great white sharks – from inside the relative safety of an undersea observation cage, of course – because I guess simply partying hard in the hardest partying country on Earth just won’t get it done, eh?

Anyway, the plan: Once the shark tour boat captain (Matthew Modine) has chummed the water to draw in a shark or two, he’ll get the girls into their masks and oxygen tanks, and pop them into the observation cage which he’ll then lower with a winch to a depth of roughly five metres, keeping radio contact at all times with the girls who should be plenty busy enjoying the majestic natural spectacle of great white sharks in their natural habitat. And that’s precisely how the plan goes.

Until the winch cable snaps, plummeting Lisa, Kate and their cage 47 meters down to the ocean bed, cut loose from the boat, in the dark, out of radio range, running out of oxygen and surrounded by great whites.

I love a good shark movie. The problem with finding a good shark movie though is that, as with Bigfoot films and Godzilla pics, the ratio of good ‘uns to f*ckawful ‘uns is heavily stacked in favour of the crap. There’s Jaws (Spielberg, 1975) of course, and Open Water (Kentis, 2003)… then what? The Reef (Traucki, 2010), Jaws 2 (Szwarc, 1978) maybe. Many have a fondness for Deep Blue Sea (Harlin, 1999); personally, I’ve a bit of a blind spot for Bait (Rendall, 2012) with its nutty sharks-in-a-shop premise. Recently, The Shallows (Collet-Serra, 2016) drew some interest – I certainly liked it, for the most part – and it would appear I can now add 47 Meters Down, the new movie from British director Johannes Roberts (The Other Side of the Door) to my rather slim list of quality bitey-fishy features. It’s a tense little gem.

From the moment that winch cable breaks, we stay down in the gloomy depths with the girls. An initial  bout of panicked hyperventilation by Lisa is brought under control by Kate but, just watching, I could feel myself struggling for air along with her. The temptation for the girls to clamber out of the cage and bolt for the surface is palpable but it’s not that simple; even if they could avoid the enormous predators circling them, they risk contracting decompression sickness (the bends) which could kill them if they rise from that depth too quickly. They do have to leave the relative short-term safety of the cage though, both to rise to a depth shallow enough to a least re-establish contact with the boat, and to collect the spare oxygen tanks the crew are going to drop down to them so’s they don’t drown while they wait for the coast guard. Their rapidly diminishing air supply is a constantly ticking time bomb, underpinning all of the other issues piling up before the increasingly terrified sisters, played with a good deal of honesty by Ms. Moore and Ms. Holt.

Renamed In the Deep by distributors Dimension Films and initially scheduled for a VOD home release last August, 47 Meters Down was bought at the last minute by Entertainment Studios who returned to the movie its original title and slated it for a thoroughly deserved cinematic release which it will receive in June this year. Catch it as soon as you can.

By Marti Dols Roca.

What’s good and what’s not that good about Whiskey Galore (2016)

What’s good?

It’s sweet: every little story-line the movie creates resonates with a certain aspect of everyday life and it’s very easy to empathise with them as well as holding a warm smile on your face for the ninety minutes the movie lasts.

It’s simple: less is more; the simplest the better; brevity is the source of wit… The movie efficiently tells a simple story in a simple way. Even though it sounds easy, it is not. How many good premises have gone bonkers due to ambitious (gently put) directors? i.e. Suicide Squad.

It’s fun: from the naively dumb British army officer to the ultra conservative Scottish mom, the film uses and uses well all kind of comedic registers in the shape of characters, situations or sound design. Again, no need to articulate the most sophisticated of jokes when whiskey and Scots are within reach.

It’s one of those movies that focuses more on little personal stories than in a big main storyline and consequently offers a portrait of a small and very particular society or ecosystem. Other similar products of different genres would be: Calvary (2014); Fellini’s Amarcord or Burt Lancaster’s starred Local Hero (which is also about a small Scottish town).

It doesn’t lie about its nature; in other words, it doesn’t try to be what it’s not. From the very first seconds of the movie we understand what we are about to see. There is a: “WWII-Tiny Scottish Island” caption, and then we hear a fairytale kind of music over a beautiful shot of the Atlantic Ocean. Enough said.

What’s not that good?

Why make a remake when nowadays these kinds of movies are not that easily appreciated anyway?

Is it too simple? What is the balance between simplicity and stakes? Considering that the result of the equation is the time (and money) investment from the audience, is worth reflecting on that.

Until what extent a movie about Scots stealing whiskey stands on its own?

Could it be that Scots don’t like it because it’s too cliché and non-Scots are just not interested or more interested in other simple and entertaining movies like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2?

*On the other hand, Englishmen are made fun of; always a good thing for both UK citizens and foreigners.

Just as visually arresting, vibrant, joyous and funny as the original, we meet up with the team months after their 2014 adventure. They’re still a squabbling, wonderfully imperfect band of misfit underdogs but this time we’re thrust into the action almost immediately. Wham! No messing about, no foreplay, just straight into the mayhem.

And what mayhem!

With baby Groot dancing, oblivious to the crazed conflict that is happening around him the focus is squarely on the light-hearted innocence of a character who’s face will grace toy shelves, lunch boxes, soap-on-a-rope and lollypops the world over. The original team are mainly unchanged but each get enough chance to shine.

Peter Quill may be our window into Marvel’s cosmic side but the way in which the team is split for a sizeable chunk of the movie means we get Gamora and Nebula’s sibling rivalry come to a head, Rocket and Yondu off on their own adventure, while Drax gives the kind of welcome to newcomer Mantis that could only come from such an emotionally tone deaf character.

Almost as a way of overcompensating for the lack of impactful “big bad” in the original, this sequel contains several villainous entities. A weird, gold, alien master-race fail to stand out despite Elizabeth Debicki’s decent turn as their Empress. They’re an interesting bunch but just aren’t given enough to do. Also, Taserface comes across more comic-relief than de-facto villain, like Beebop and Rocksteady but looking like an oversqueezed nut-sack.

The makeup and costume design are outstanding; the Sci-Fi Fantasy aesthetic is jaw dropping and the IMAX 3D is without a doubt the best I’ve ever seen. Along with Tyler Bates triumphantly hummable score and exceptional soundtrack, GotG2 is a heady assault on the senses. To complain that a Summer blockbuster is overbearing seems a bit silly but if I had one issue with GotG2 it’s that James Gunn’s kitchen sink approach is most definitely too much to absorb in a single viewing.

There’s all the thrills and spills one has come to expect from the Marvel Cinematic Universe but with an emotional poignancy in the final reel that actually feels earned. Within the confines of the MCU I’ve often heard that Guardians of the Galaxy regarded as a standalone movie, while this is mostly true for the sequel there does feel as though there’s a barrage of set-up for vol.3 during the movie’s close which is a very exciting prospect.

I had an amazing, sugar-rush of a time with GotG2. The nods and Easter eggs are an embarrassment of riches, but I just wish I’d been more readily prepared for the sensory assault, which at times was overwhelming.

Guardians of the Galaxy vol.2 is out now.

Check out the Sudden Double Deep podcast review, available on all good pod-catchers!

Films come in all forms and this one, a monologue, is totally unique. Directed by brothers Paul & Ludwig Shammasian, The Pyramid Texts is based on Geoff Thompson’s personal and raw screenplay. The story was initially inspired by a meeting between Thompson and veteran Scottish actor James Cosmo when they discovered their mutual interest in boxing.

Aging boxer Ray (James Cosmo), is wanting to make amends for his failures, particularly towards his son (Ethan Cosmo). “I’ve got so much to say to you kid. So much unsaid. What I didn’t teach you, what I was afraid to teach you was that everyone is full of fear, some people just hide it better than others. We are all afraid.”

There is a question at the heart of the film: ‘if we have been remiss in our life and hurt the people we most love, is it ever too late to redress the balance?’.  While maintaining the feeling and intimacy of a theatre performance, keeping the spectators outside the ring, Ray performs to a single camera in the middle. He is completing the one last thing he feels compelled to do – filming himself reminiscing over a lifetime of fights, aligned with boxing metaphors, until he gradually lets his guard down.

His confessions lead to an emotional conclusion. The title alludes to the original Pyramid Texts, a collection of ancient Egyptian religious texts primarily concerned with protecting the pharaoh’s remains, reanimating his body after death, and helping him ascend to the heavens. The relevance to Ray’s attempt at atonement becomes obvious as the film progresses.

Made with a £20,000 budget and an extremely tight schedule (only five half-days of shooting) due to filming in a busy gym, the result is slick, aesthetically beautiful and a great example of a man confronting his demons as well as regrets, a role that James Cosmos has declared his toughest one yet.