A Quiet Place Part II is quite literally a sequel, picking up directly where its preceding chapter left off, extrapolating on the first instalment’s cliffhanger ending, which had resilient  mother Evelyn Abbott (Blunt) killing off inhuman attackers who were threatening her and her kids Regan and Marcus.

But there’s a prelude before the story continues, in which the viewer is taken back to the very moment the Abbott clan witnessed first-hand the horrific experience that would forever disrupt and change their lives.

Via the flashback, we see how the Abbotts reacted to Earth’s new apex predator – blind, emaciated beings with chitinous armour and an acute sense of hearing – and provides an inkling of where they came from.

Flash forward 474 days, and the surviving members — still living by a code of silence lest they give their presence away – meet an old friend, Emmett, who’s been hiding out in an abandoned steel mill.

It’s Regan’s idea to find the nearest radio station and use her hearing aid to broadcast a signal that could defeat the beasts once and for all.  Getting there is doubly dangerous though, as she and Emmett encounter horrors both human and alien along the way.

Indeed, this is just one part of an overly complex, three-pronged arc that breaks up the family unit and relegates Blunt to the background.

One story features Emmett and Regan in the woods, off on their own odyssey, another Evelyn heading back to town for medical supplies, while adjacent to that one, Marcus has to tend to the baby, while also fending off one of the multi-toothed critters.

It’s perhaps an attempt at a cross-cutting editing technique that appears too ambitious – but kudos for the effort.

MORTAL KOMBAT
(Lewis Tan, Josh Lawson)

Let’s briefly recap for the uninitiated. At the heart of the video game is the tussle between the player and an opponent of his choice in a one-on-one match, involving various combat moves and attacks. The  trademark feature is the Fatality, a finishing move executed against a defeated rival to kill them in a gruesome fashion, some of which have become almost iconic.

The challenge for any moviemaker then is to take the simplicity of this fighting platform, and build any sort of storyline around it, incorporating all the various characters, elements, and yes, even the Fatalities. Especially the Fatalities, in fact.

In this latest remake, the lore of the series is brought to a grand and epic scale, showing off the crowded roster of individuals.

Backed up by some beautiful cinematography, stellar fight choreography and physical stunts that defy logic and gravity, the impressive action sequences brim with energy and excitement, with many based on those found in the video game, such as bicycle kicks and juggling maneouvres.

And there’s one definite character improvement which stands out, which truly sets this apart from other video game adaptations where the cast consists of humdrum individuals.

The scoundrel Kano, played brilliantly by Josh Lawson, has been transformed into a dinky-di Ocker with wisecracking one-liners and a foul mouth that would make a sailor blush.

The interpretation completely steals the show, bringing pure, unadulterated joy and injecting some much-needed levity at every turn, so much so that when Kano is not on screen, he is genuinely missed.

NOBODY
Bob Odenkirk, Alexey Serebryakov

The movie begins by focusing on the humdrum life of the lead character Hutch (Odenkirk), a former feared secret agent who is painted as a loser. His disinterested wife sleeps with several pillows between them, and his son is disillusioned after Hutch refuses to put up a fight against a pair of home intruders.

When a bunch of drunken gangsters get on the same bus as Hutch and start harassing a girl, he beats them up in a wonderfully choreographed sequence which is all fast, furious and farcical, causing the audience to guffaw and recoil in disgust at the same time.

Unfortunately for Hutch, one of the injured ruffians is the brother of a Russian mobster named Yulian (Serebryakov), a crime boss who just likes partying and having fun but isn’t above killing a dude at the smallest provocation.

Watching Odenkirk using all his skills to defend himself – while calling himself just “a nobody” – and gleefully killing Russian gangsters with various forms of firearms is a guilty joy.

Nobody contains many inspired set pieces and enough bits of vim, verve and violence to make it an entertaining experience. But the fact that the characters are pretty typical and unsurprising limits the film’s staying power, while the casting of an actor more known for his comedic roles makes every scene feel like it will end with a knowing wink at the camera.

GODZILLA VS. KONG
Rebecca Hall, Alexander Skarsgard, Kaylee Hottle

 Everyone’s favourite gargantuan reptile, Godzilla, long seen as a friend of humanity, has started to attack the puny homo sapiens and destroy their towns and cities, seemingly without provocation.

So what’s up with that? In their desperation, the military and scientists call upon help from the supersized simian Kong – who has been held captive in an artificial simulacrum of his homeland, Skull Island.

And therein lies the basic premise of this epic monster mash, as the two creatures square off for the alpha title.

This the fourth film in this monster universe (after 2019’s Godzilla: King Of The Monsters, 2017’s Kong: Skull Island and 2014’s Godzilla), and one in which the primordial protagonists get the most screen time.

As such, human relationships and characterisation take a back seat, unlike the initial chapters of the franchise when there was an underlying moral conundrum of whether the kaijus should be kept alive to balance the forces of nature.

While the story won’t win any Oscars, the movie definitely lives up to its title in every way – monster-size entertainment worth catching on the biggest screen possible.

The post Movie Reviews- May 2021 appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

This year of living dangerously has been sparse in terms of major superheroes gracing the big screen. Ironically, after a golden period of box-office dominance, the one thing DC and Marvel’s greatest heroes couldn’t defeat was a pandemic.
But now, as the gruelling past 12 months close, one comic book character has emerged like a true hero to defy the odds to make it to the big screen and rescue 2020 from total misery: Wonder Woman.
Director Patty Jenkins embraces the same essence of innocence and optimism that she harnessed for the 2017 predecessor, illuminating the DC Extended Universe that was once so mired in morally murky seriousness and visually murky settings.
The sequel fast-forwards Diana several decades to the mid-80s, with the immortal character looking as hale and hearty as ever, but still mourning the loss of Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), who died many years before during the war in which the first movie took place.
But somehow Steve is resurrected, and it all ties in with a magical artifact that is the focus of the story. To reveal more would spoil the movie, but suffice to say it throws up a moral conundrum that is not extrapolated upon.
Nevertheless, combined with the film’s Washington DC setting, there’s a clear allegory and reference to the present day Trumpian regime, with the smarmy villain Maxwell Lord even proclaiming “I’m not a con man… I’m a television personality”.
Undeniably though, the heart and soul of Wonder Woman 1984 is Gal Gadot, whose grace, goodness and femininity still feels refreshing amid a crowded landscape of ripped male heroes.
WW 1984 is far from perfect. But despite some of its shortcomings, it succeeds in delivering the blockbuster thrills that 2020 has sorely missed.
And hokey though the message is, it offers the hope that humanity may just carve out a brighter future for itself.
 

THE BEE GEES: HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART

It’s almost criminal that the Bee Gees continue to be dismissed by self-opinionated critics who consider themselves too cool to be associated with a group whose members had more talent in the tips of their fingers than most humans. This documentary, directed by Frank Marshall, will go some way in casting the Gibbs in a more appreciative light.
Most of us who live in Australia know the basic history of the wonder trio: how they came out here at a young age, cut their teeth on the local scene, and went back to the UK and ensuing superstardom and disco infamy.
The movie heads straight into how success and fame was achieved through raw determination: Hugh Gibb, the father of Barry and twins Robin and Maurice, was a musician who simply believed his sons’ sublime harmonies and knack for songwriting deserved as much or more attention than, say, the Beatles.
He audaciously wrote to and offered up his cheerfully ambitious offspring to Beatles manager Brian Epstein, who then handed them over to a subordinate, Robert Stigwood. The rest is pop music history.
Marshall’s film succeeds by featuring interviews with the musicians and producers associated with the Gibbs, as well as the brothers themselves.
With archival footage and music cues that will invariably lure you out of your chair (or have you choked up during those achingly perfect chord progressions in the band’s ballads), The Bee Gees insists the Gibbs’ musicianship and prolonged success is as impressive as anyone in the rock pantheon.
The documentary features several musicians of note  – Eric Clapton, Coldplay singer Chris Martin, Oasis’ Noel Gallagher, Nick Jonas, Justin Timberlake, to name just a few – all of who share a love and respect for the Gibb heritage and legacy.
The brothers were hurt and confused by the sudden backlash to  Saturday Night Fever and their input to it; record companies started dropping disco acts, and everyone’s gaze was about to turn toward MTV.
But genius doesn’t lie hidden. The brothers reinvented themselves once more, this time as master collaborators and surefire love-song wizards writing for others, including brother Andy (three No 1s), Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, Samantha Sang, Diana Ross, Celine Dion, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.
The doco skims over the deaths of Maurice and Robin all too quickly, yet their occurrence certainly adds to the recurring theme of loss and poignantly wraps up the restrospective.
“I can’t honestly come to terms with the fact that Robin, Maurice and their younger brother Andy are not here anymore. I’ve never been able to do that,” Barry says. “I’d rather have them here and no hits at all.”

The post Movie Reviews – December 2020 appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

BIRDS OF PREY  

Margot Robbie, Ewan McGregor 

RICHARD JEWELL

Paul Michael Hauser, Kathy Bates

BASED on true events, this movie recounts the cautionary tale of Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser), the security guard who made national news in 1996 – first as a hero, when he discovered a satchel of bombs in Atlanta’s Centennial Park during the Summer Olympics and helped lead spectators away from the blast zone, then as a villain, depicted as a frustrated law enforcement wannabe who might have planted the explosives in order to glorify himself as a saviour.

Jewell is a dreamer obsessed with carving out a career in the police force, painstakingly conscientious in his endeavours to maintain law and order, even going beyond his duties to targeting traffic offenders while employed as a college security officer.

As a chunky, solitary and awkward individual still living at home with his mother (Kathy Bates), Jewell became a suspect simply because the FBI believed this profile suited that of a tyro terrorist who wanted his 15 minutes of fame.

The movie takes viewers through the media circus that enveloped Jewell and his small circle of family and friends, including the lawyer he hires to defend him, Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell).

Burly and boyish at the same time, he exudes an aura of naivete and innocence, as he comes to grips with his new-found fame, initially disbelieving that he is seriously being considered a person of interest.

The defining characteristic of Hauser’s performance early on is an earnest eagerness to help in the investigation in any way he can, an attribute that is quickly taken advantage of by FBI agents, who – led by the uncompromising Jon Hamm – believe Jewell of such low intellect that they try to prise a signed declaration of guilt from him.

While initially unfailingly deferential, insisting on the existence of a professional kinship with his persecutors – even as they conceal their snickers at his references to “cop-to-cop” camaraderie – Jewell eventually comes to realise the contempt in which he’s held, an epiphany that is emotionally heartfelt and poignant.

Thanks to the resilience of the prickly Bryant, though, Jewell gradually gains a semblance of self-worth, while losing faith in the religion of authority.

Hauser’s portrayal of the child-like titular character is wonderful, and viewers cannot help but warm to the only son who just wanted to serve on the side of the law and make his mama proud.

The movie ends on a melancholy note when, several years later, Bryant tells an exonerated Jewell – who has made his way back into a police desk job – that the real bomber has confessed to the crime.

But Jewell doesn’t show any satisfaction, his capacity to participate in the system forever disturbed.

Gone is the ambitious swagger of the campus cop, now disaffected to the point of simple self-reflection, and questioning himself if he really is content to wear the badge.

The movie opens in Australia on February 13.

The post Movie Reviews – February 2020 appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

Dwayne Johnson, DannyDeVito

THIS sequel to the well-received Welcome To The Jungle reunites the cast of young friends Spencer, Martha, Fridge and Bethany, who previously entered the mystical video game world of Jumanji by accident and barely escaped alive.

The meek and mild Spencer is unhappy ever since leaving Jumanji the first time, having moved to a dead end job in New York and missing his friends. To make matters worse, he’s broken up with Bethany.

So he uses the broken Jumanji console from the previous movie and  finds a way to go back in, hoping to resume the life of the hulkish and heroic Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), the avatar he was landed with the last time he entered the fantasy setting.

His friends eventually discover what he’s done and decide to go in after him, but, because the console was damaged, things don’t go quite to plan.

The machine sucks in Spencer’s grandpa Eddie (Danny DeVito) and his old partner Milo (Danny Glover) as well, leaving Bethany in the real world.

Of all them, only Martha is in the same avatar as before — the martial arts expert Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan). Grandpa Eddie takes over Dr Bravestone’s body, with Johnson producing a devasting impression of DeVito in mannerisms and speech.

Milo, meanwhile, ends up in Mouse Finbar, the identity Fridge assumed the last time, but who now ends up as Professor Shelly Oberon (Jack Black), Bravestone’s weapon valet whose weaknesses include cake.

The tenor in this movie hits a new level indeed when Bravestone and Mouse interact as two grumpy old men, adding a fresh dimension to what could have been a jaded more-of-the-same adventure.

This time around they once again have to get back a stone from an evil villain, Jurgen the Brutal (played by Game of Thrones’ Rory McCann). Spencer, meanwhile, has turned up as Ming, a burglar who also happens to be an Asian woman (Awkwafina). Eventually Bethany finds her way back to Jumanji as well, though in an unexpected guise.

The action scenes in each game level are particularly ingenious and impressive, interlaced with quips and humour that endear and entertain.

Interestingly, the very first Jumanji instalment, back in 1995, featured Robin Williams’ character entering a board game and then years later escaping, but pursued by various jungle critters and deadly denizens.

The mid-credits scene of The Next Level touches on this aspect,  setting up the possible premise for the fourth chapter.

CATS

Francesca Hayward, Judi Dench

THE movie version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long-running musical (based of course on TS Eliot’s poetry) has finally made it to the screen, after much-publicised negative reaction to advance trailers.

Using “digital fur” technology, the film turns its star-studded cast into singing, dancing kitties, a “weirdness” factor that caused most of the early uproar.

But if viewers can somehow overcome this unnatural countenance, they may actually find themselves enjoying the adventures of the tribe of cats called the Jellicles, who gather together for a (fur)ball and celebration.

If you’re not familiar with the story, the felines include the feisty Bombalurina (Taylor Swift), upper-class “fat cat” Bustopher Jones (James Corden), old Gus the theatre cat (Ian McKellen), lazy but agile Jennyanydots (Rebel Wilson), flashy Rum Tum Tugger (Jason Derulo), and formerly glamorous outsider Grizabella (Jennifer Hudson). Idris Elba adds some spice as the villainous Macavity, while Francesca Hayward plays the abandoned small white kitten Victoria, a newly-created character.

Many of the Jellicles are vying to be selected by their matriarch, Old Deuteronomy (Judi Dench), to rise up to the Heaviside Layer, which is essentially what the cats consider heaven. To be considered, they participate in an Idol style competition, an annual ritual which provides the platform for the many song-and-dance routines.

The most well-loved composition of course is the beautiful Memory, which Hudson screams out throughout the alleys as if she’s trying to hack out a hairball, begging to be brought back into the clan and wet-nosing it profusely like a pampered puss in director Tom Hooper’s preferred one-take-only style.

The actors generally don’t disappoint, although they have to make do with what they’re given. It’s hard to keep a serious face when a decorated thespian as McKellen starts to meow and laps at milk. Dame Judi proves she can carry a tune (and indeed had been cast as both Grizabella and Jennyanydots in the initial stage version).

Wilson, meanwhile, does her acting resume no favours as she remains typecast as a plus-size, goofy, happy-go-lucky character. But she does feature in the movie’s most disturbing moments: treating rodents with human faces as her own pets, and choreographing goose-stepping cockroaches, some of whom she actually eats.

Mind you, the dancers’ sensuous movements, throbbing tails and furry cat butts can create curious stirrings in the mind. The male dancers are for all intents and purposes naked, but have been digitally spayed, leaving nothing but flat nether regions. And, in trying too hard to emulate pussy proclivities, the actors gracelessly stick their legs into the air, thankfully not proceeding to rear-end sniffing and worse.

Some observers believe that a Pixar-like animated version of Cats would have done the musical better justice than this experimental anthropomorphic exercise, yet bizarrely, this live-action interpretation is just so bewilderingly out of the ordinary that it has an allurement of its own

Not quite the cat’s meow and far from purr-fect … but five paws out of ten for its sheer outlandishness.

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley

IT’S almost hard to believe that now, more than 40 years later after the Star Wars saga graced the silver screen, the ninth instalment of the franchise brings closure as the Skywalker arc comes to an end, while new chapters unfold on TV streaming services, Baby Yoda and all.

Even more than the last two entries, this one feels made specifically for the Star Wars diehards, who have long chided the use of complex plot twists to confuse and compound proceedings (as in the poorly-received prequels).

Heeding their requests, director and Lucas protege JJ Abrams directs with tunnel vision, never wishing to experiment beyond what’s expected in a Star Wars story and running the risk of infuriating the fan boys.

The result is a nostalgic and sentimental production that isn’t concerned with breaking new ground as much as it is with bidding farewell. It coasts along without portent nor provocation, keeping its eye on the prize, tying up loose ends and giving followers one last chance to say goodbye.

You know how it begins: a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. The galactic rebels, in this case the Resistance, are evading the evil forces of the First Order, marshalled by self-declared Supreme Leader Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).

Leading our heroes are General Leia (the late Carrie Fisher) and commander Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), who’s given more screen time this time round than his compatriot Finn (John Boyega), who seems to have been shunted into the background.

Meanwhile Rey (Daisy Ridley) has been secluded and continuing her training in the ways of the Force, on her journey to become a Jedi knight. But she’s pulled back into action by Poe, after a mysterious message of revenge is broadcast by a surprisingly resurrected Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), who also threaten’s Ren’s hold on power.

For most of the time, this latest chapter does little to expand the story. Oddly, despite running for two hours and 22 minutes, it still has the feeling of being cramped, with Abrams rushing along to finalise destinies, giving us long foreshadowed showdowns and bringing back some cherished favourites who we know we will never see again.

Many of the plot details are basically updates of old Star Wars elements. Indeed, the opening half-hour is an unapologetic mash-up of previous setpieces, characters and plotlines (the Millennium Falcon at light speed; dogfights around gorges; cute droids; banter over chess; military superiors with hands clasped behind their backs; giant subterranean worms).

The special effects are fittingly stellar, CGI bombardment notwithstanding, including a lightsabre duel between Rey and Ren on the wreckage of a familiar landmark as enormous waves of water loom in the background.

Like many a final sequel, the last act of The Rise of Skywalker is a mad rush to shut up shop, with a climax comprised of yet another gargantuan space battle, but Abrams finds space to include some hints of romance and drama, including a kiss that is the film’s great shocker.

On the whole, the movie delivers spectacular sights and moments that will delight those who dearly love this world according to Lucas. And capping off the trip down memory lane is the return of composer-conductor John Williams, to score yet another Star Wars instalment.

All in all, it’s been a helluva ride, as this chapter concludes on an emotional high. But while it definitely ends with more than a whimper, it also begs the question of whether further episodes are needed.

The book is finished. We really don’t have to visit this odyssey again. Although, cynically, when the box-office count comes in, these nine parts of the roster might well be extended to 12.

THE GOOD LIAR

Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen

WHEN a movie is titled The Good Liar, we already suspect from the start that things are not going to be quite what they seem.

And within the first 10 minutes, it does seem pretty predictable how things might eventually wind up.

Indeed, critics might even point out that the plot suffers from the way developments appear to be telegraphed, but ultimately there is really a more sinister side to the story, which unfolds like a set of Babushka dolls.

The film starts with two strangers of senior years, Betty McLeish (Mirren) and Roy Courtnay (McKellen), out on a dinner date.

Roy is in fact a con artist, and despite his charm, it’s quite clear that even while he claims piously that he “despises dishonesty above all else,” his life is one big lie.

The genial, trusting Betty appears to be besotted by Roy, so much so that within days she’s let him move into the guest room of her suburban home.

Agreeing to go on a holiday with Roy, she strangely expresses a preference for Berlin, and it’s on this trip to Germany that things start to get complicated, and the mood darkens so much it almost becomes another film.

Ultimately, what makes the movie click despite its story shortfalls is the consummate and seemingly effortless performance of the two main leads, who are an enormous pleasure to watch.

Indeed, they’re the best kind of liars: actors playing actors pretending not to be actors, and doing it with panache and professionalism.

KNIVES OUT

Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis

RENOWNED crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead under suspicious circumstances, after a family gathering to celebrate his 85th birthday.

Everyone present, including Harlan’s personal carer and nurse Marta (Arna de Armas), are possible suspects, with local police officers joined on the case by famed sleuth Benoit Blanc (Craig), who, as it turns out, was hired by an anonymous client to solve the crime, just to add more mystery to proceedings.

The incredible ensemble of respectable actors inhabit their characters snugly, who all have a motive for murder and something to hide.

The most interesting personality is immigrant Marta, who has a condition which causes her to throw up whenever she tells a lie, a virtue appreciated by Blanc, who enlists her to help lead the hunt for the evildoer.

In the end, the main enjoyment from the movie is being part of the case and wondering how to solve it. It’s not about the ending, it’s about the journey and soaking up every little detail, every foible, every clue and red herring.

Director Rian Johnson has made no secret of his admiration of Agatha Christie-esque murder mysteries, and his script is almost a tribute to the traditions and elements that make up this genre.

This unpredictable briskly-paced 130 minutes serves as a nicely-constructed modern reinvention of the whodunnit, and is by far the sharpest movie puzzle of the year.

The post Movie Reviews – January 2020 appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott

The newest revival of Charlie’s Angels seems an unnecessary commodity, one no-one really asked for.

That being said, the movie pleasantly surprises and entertains, and is notable for being directed by a woman, Elizabeth Banks, who stars as one of the agency’s management team of Bosleys.

The plot, unfortunately, is a trite hackneyed, involving once again some eager scientist developing modern technology which will be used against humanity. But we can forgive that for the rollicking romp that follows.

Lead scientist of The Calisto project, Elena Houghlin (Scott), has serious concerns about a flaw that could weaponise the self-contained energy source that was aimed at revolutionising clean energy.

After being disappointed that her superiors are more interested in profits than caution, she contacts the Charlie Townsend Spy Agency, soon realising the severity of the situation as she becomes the target of assassination.

With former MI-6 Angel Jane Kano and deadly ditz Sabina Wilson (Stewart) assigned for her protection, and introduced to a world of secret weapons and spies with elite combat skills, Elena soon moves from fear to fascination as she joins the duo in tracking down the now-missing Calisto device in an attempt to recover and disarm, before sinister hands take hold.

Overall, Charlie’s Angels is relentless in its effort to enjoy itself, as Banks injects the entire film with playfulness: the situations are absurd, the characters are over the top, the action scenes ludicrous (for example shooting upside down while hanging off a wildly careering vehicle) while the costumes are mostly fabulous.

Watching Balinska and Stewart dance effortlessly to Donna Summer’s Bad Girls or goof around in a photo booth is uproarious fun, and even Banks rocks her pair of oversized sunglasses.

This movie rates a D: for being delightful yet derivative, but definitely one that delivers.

DOCTOR SLEEP

Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson

THE sequel to The Shining focuses on Dan Torrance (McGregor), a 30-something alcoholic who remains traumatised by the sinister events that occurred at the Overlook Hotel when he was a child.

Dan can communicate with ghosts, an ability referred to as the Shine.
We’re now in 2011, when Dan gets a job at a hospice where he uses his psychic abilities to comfort dying patients, who give him the nickname “Doctor Sleep”.

Meanwhile, a psychopath known as Rose the Hat (Ferguson) and her macabre mob of devoted followers have deduced that they can become immortal by murdering children gifted with the Shine, and feeding on the psychic steam exhaled at the moment of death.

After killing several such youngsters, Rose and her thorns are especially interested in a teenage girl named Abra, who they have discovered possesses a more powerful dose of the ability than anyone.

She makes telepathic contact with Dan, and together they try to overcome the psychic vampires, a struggle which leads them to the long-abandoned Overlook, where Dan hopes to harness the powers of its mystic inhabitants.

The result is a more supernatural offering than Kubrick’s picture, which was arguably a psychological thriller focusing on Dan’s father Jack’s descent into homicidal madness as the main event.

TERMINATOR: DARK FATE

Linda Hamilton, Arnold Shwarzenegger

The classic Terminator franchise graces our screens once again, bringing along with it the premise from the first chapter, in which sentient, almost invulnerable machines take over the Earth but find resistance in the human rebellion that is led effectively by an enigmatic leader.

The solution the robots devise is for them to send a Rev-9 ‘terminator’ back in time to ensure the saviour is never born.

Not to be undone, the humans have their secret weapon in the form of the mechanically enhanced Grace, who is also dispatched to the present day to keep Dani alive.

In trying to avoid capture, they encounter legendary Terminator-eliminator Sarah Connor (Hamilton), no longer a damsel in distress; she’s now older and irritable, greyer and grimmer, but just as kick-ass fantastic.

The tenacious trooper even appropriates – and owns – Arnold Schwarzenegger’s immortal line, “I’ll be back”.

And speaking of Arnie, he IS back: as a model T-800 Terminator who has surprisingly developed a human conscience, been living a normal life with a family, and started a drapery business.

The sheer absurdity of such a scenario ensures that Arnie gets most of the good lines and provides unexpected comic value amidst all the bloodletting of the first hour.

Cal, as he is named, teams up with the female triumvirate to hunt down the Rev-9, despite Connor’s revulsion at working with the enemy.

Of course, all-out battle between the opposing forces has been a staple of all Terminator films, and in that regard, Dark Fate‘s action scenes don’t disappoint. In this age of CGI though, you’d expect nothing less.

Ultimately though, it really is all about Hamilton, reprising the role that helped make her career, and who delivers a grizzled action movie heroine unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.

This contrasts perfectly with Schwarzenegger, who brings a warmth and oddball charm to his T-800 persona.

The post Movie Reviews – December 2019 appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, Emma Stone

IT’S hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since the original Zombieland broke new ground with a hilarious jaunt through the undead apocalypse.

Remarkably, the four principal cast members return for the sequel looking hardly worse for wear, but they’re certainly wiser, having accrued either Oscar nominations or, in Stone’s case, winning the coveted award itself in the intervening decade.

Thankfully, you don’t need to have seen the first chapter – or if you’ve forgotten what transpired – to understand the basic premise of Eisenberg’s nerdy Columbus, Harrelson’s redneck Tallahasee and Stone (Wichita) and Breslin (Little Rock)’s sister act banding together in a world infected with zombies.

The movie focuses on the group’s cross-country trip to find Little Rock, who ventures out on her own after meeting guitar-playing, Kumbaya-singing Berkeley.

The climax takes place in a hippie peace-loving commune called Babylon, where weapons and survival skills are traded in for drum circles, patchouli, and bags of weed, and where Little Rock and Berkeley have escaped to.

When the enclave is attacked on by hordes of zombies, there’s no paucity of carnage in the ensuing free-for-all – nor in fact, throughout the entire movie – with plenty of Matrix-esque slo-mo gunplay, rotting dead walkers and multiple exploding heads aimed at raising the mirth level.

And therein lies perhaps a moral conundrum: is it right to so blatantly slam the peaceniks while glorifying, and enjoying, the violence championed by Tallahassee? Can society just passively sit back and accept an attitude that makes light of such extreme aggression?

But then again, people who don’t get the over-the-top scenes of brutality and bloodshed for the exaggerated caricatures that they are, probably won’t see this movie anyway.

JOKER

Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro

THE movie delves into the making of the madman who will become the arch nemesis of everyone’s favourite pointy-eared caped crusader.

Arthur Fleck is a struggling comedian beset by some inner demons and a Tourette’s-level compulsion to laugh at random moments, and who lives with his infirm mother in a Gotham City wracked by crime, class warfare and increasing dissatisfaction with the law.

During the day, Arthur ekes out a living as a rent-a-clown at an agency where one of his peers loans him a handgun for protection.

When he is assaulted by a group of drunk men on the subway, the firearm is used to full effect, empowering him and enabling his dark alter ego to emerge.

The rage is fuelled as misfortune upon misfortune falls upon him through no fault of his own, including discovering that he may be the illegitimate, abandoned son of wealthy businessman Thomas Wayne (who, of course, is father of Bruce, AKA Batman himself).

The metamorphosis into madman is complete after Arthur is invited onto late night TV host Murray Franklin’s show as a guest, during which he liberates his pent-up frustrations of the system to full effect, making him a champion of protesting and angry disenfrachised communities.

It’s no exaggeration to claim Joaquin’s performance as a career-defining one. The actor never flinches, as he brings Arthur to life via contortions and convulsions in a nuanced dance that hovers through humanity  to a state of virtuoso insanity.

This is not a happy movie. But any discomfort or objections to the film will derive from the uncomfortable realisation, that most people, under provocation, are capable of some pretty terrible things.

GEMINI MAN

Will Smith x2

THE movie casts Will Smith as two characters: retired hitman Henry Brogan, and a younger clone of himself who has been tasked with killing him after his assassin agency turns against him.

The whole novelty of the film revolves round the two versions of the same actor, who are so equally matched that their fight scenes together end up being brutal stalemates.

The current special effects repository available to director Ang Lee ensures that the clone looks truly like a genuine fresh prince from Bel-Aire, while the high frame rates employed make the action scenes shine in all their glory.

Everything is clear and incandescent, whether it’s a rooftop shootout, spectacularly choreographed parkour ballets or a motorcycle chase in broad daylight, or a savage brawl in skull-lined catacombs lit only by the flashlight on a gun.

The let-down is the script in general, which is composed of oft-risible dialogue, cursory characterisation, and tired international espionage plots: while the premise may have been fresh in the 90s, it’s now weary to see yet another adventure of a once-decorated hero pursued by his former government employers.

Still, it’s a fun bit of popcorn entertainment, and the tricks and tech make this movie worth the price of admission alone, even if the substance doesn’t quite approach the grandeur of the style.

The post Movie Reviews – November 2019 appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman

THE third in the ‘Fallen” franchise has hit the screens, indicating there’s an audience out there for the adventures of a White House president constantly trying to avoid assassination.

The “angel” in the title refers to the American leader’s guardian angel, Secret Service agent Mike Banning, played as always by Scottish slugger Gerard Butler, with his best American accent.

This time around, the plot concerns an attack on Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman), who’s become POTUS after serving as speaker and vice-pres in the first two chapters.

After a well-staged hit kills off an entire presidential defence team except Banning, he is charged with the attempted murder of Turnbull, who is left in a coma.

If anything, the movie suffers from predictability: it seems as if the identities of the people who have framed Banning have been telegraphed from the start, and it comes as no real surprise when they are revealed.

Based on the strength of this film though, we can expect more in the series — at least until the box office has fallen, of course.

ONCE UPON A TIME … IN HOLLYWOOD

Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt

ACCLAIMED director Quentin Tarantino’s latest offering recounts the days in the life of a fading TV star in the flower power era of 1969, half a century ago.

But while some have chosen the occasion to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing or commemorate Woodstock, Tarantino chooses to spend the summer of 2019 revisiting the Charles Manson killings, a crime that shook the show business community in Los Angeles.

Indeed, the theme of violence recurs throughout, with many of the sundry characters glorifying bloodshed and brutality, and allying it to the free-killing culture in which they were brought up.

In the movie, Tarantino ratchets up impending carnage and then releases the tension in a gorefest of stabbing, shooting, chomping, bashing, and even charbroiling.

The central characters are actor Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt), who have to contend with washed-up careers, while the spotlight also shines on the sweet and innocent starlet Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), who in real life was a Manson victim.

All in all, as the film’s title implies, the movie functions as a fairy tale, as a wistful tribute to a bygone era and an analysis of a time in which guys like Rick and Cliff are about to be swept aside by a future they can’t comprehend.

LATE NIGHT

Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling

PLAYING a haughty British late night host who scoffs at lesser mortals from her podium of privilege, Emma Thompson is Katherine Newbury, a woman whose show is a television fixture that has been on the decline for a decade, and the poor ratings show it, forcing the network to consider a replacement.

Blindly led by an apathetic assortment of white male writers on autopilot, Katherine caves in to criticism that there are no women staff members, demanding that a female is employed to inject new life.

Cue Molly Patel (Mindy Kaling), a young Indian-American chemical plant worker with aspirations to be a comedienne but without experience in network television, who gets fortuitously hired because the indolent chief writer can’t be bothered to interview anyone else.

Somewhat predictably, Molly imbues fresh ideas which succeed, including getting Katherine to become more social-media savvy, and forcing the peremptory presenter to get over her dislike of leaving the studio.

There are many other twists and turns to the story, of course, but the winning factor here is the chemistry between Thompson and Kaling, which makes them a lovable pair as they conspire, clash and come together to help restore Katherine’s popularity.

While her co-star supplies the kindling, it’s the veteran actress, flitting between arrogance and affection, who bellows the flames of the movie into something that’s slightly more than just an average sitcom.

The post Movie Reviews – August 2019 appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

Chiwetel Ejiofor, James Earl Jones, Donald Glover

IF this photorealistic version of The Lion King had been the original, replete with all its beautiful songs, it would surely have been lauded as one of the most innovative movies ever made, a David Attenborough documentary set to music with a cluster of crooning critters.

As it is though, it’s essentially an almost direct copy of the animated classic, retelling the film and making it look as lifelike as possible while keeping the story and soundtrack relatively the same.

The movie starts off magnificently. Little Simba is such an adorable cuddly cub that audiences will surely warm to him, and the visual spectacle of all the jungle inhabitants congregating in tribute is gloriously breathtaking, taking the viewers from “Aww” to awe in a matter of moments.

From there though, there is a distinct dissonance that makes the film difficult to relate to. The problem is that the facial expressions of “real” animals don’t convey emotions as much as cartoons do, and the end result is that some might feel that they’d be better off just watching the original.

SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME

Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal

PETER Parker goes on a European class trip with his peers from Midtown High, but inevitably, danger beckons, and he ends up donning his costume to battle colossal elemental monsters and a new super hero who is literally not all that he seems.

The movie is packed with genuine laughs yet takes it seriously when it needs to, remaining faithful to the coming-of-age humour that made its predecessor so enjoyable.

As the film winds down, audiences will be sitting back in their seats smiling from this less exacting, wonderfully entertaining ride.

But then, in keeping with the smoke and mirrors theme, the clouds concealing the apparent happy ending dispel. Make sure you stay to the absolute end for two of the best and most exciting post-credit cliffhangers from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in quite some time.

YESTERDAY

Himesh Patel, Lily James

A GLOBAL electrical power outage, lasting a matter of seconds, stealthily rewires everything, and for Jack Malik, a struggling singer-songwriter, it changes his life.

Jack finds he’s somehow in a world which has never been exposed to cultural icons like Harry Potter and the best band of all time, The Beatles.

But he remembers the tunes, ensconced as they are in his memory. When Jack plays the lilting Yesterday to his friends, who are suitably impressed by the words and melody, the lightbulb flashes. With one of the finest music back catalogues at his fingertips, he lands a global contract, and widespread fame ensues.

However, Jack agonises over his musical plagiarism while still holding a torch for a girl named Ellie, who has committed herself to someone else.

All the while, some viewers might be wondering about how the movie pans out across this universe, and whether Jack can get back to where he once belonged, now that his life has changed in oh so many ways. And is Ellie in fact merely a girl with kaleidoscope eyes?

Ultimately, the movie succeeds more as a commercial for the songs of the fab four, rather than as the uplifting, humorous rom-com with a difference it set out to be.

BRIGHTBURN

Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn

WHAT if an alien boy who crash lands on Earth turns out to be evil instead of fighting for truth, justice and the American way?

In this movie, the baby in a rocketship, first seen as a godsend to a couple who have been trying for years to conceive a child, begins to manifest a mission for death, destruction, and world domination as he nears puberty.

And he doesn’t hold back. Indeed, the movie leans into blood and gore to accentuate just how powerful this being becomes. Make no mistake, this is more a horror offering than a stock super-hero feature, with much of the film spent on the carnage, and in pretty grisly detail.

In an era where horror movies can appear to be jaded, Brightburn literally burns bright as an homage to how the genre can still get the adrenaline flowing with a clever mix of jump scares and truly frightening effects.

If the very concept of an evil version of Superman excites you, and you get a boost from bloodshed and butchery, Brightburn will entertain in a big way.

Remember the smaller scale that it’s playing on and don’t watch it expecting a blockbuster. With that in mind, there’s a good chance you’ll find a substantial amount of fun here.

The post Movie Reviews – July 2019 appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.