Flatliners (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

Flatliners (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
The misnomer here is that Flatliners 2017 is a worse film that the star packed original.  It’s not.  That one was pretty rubbish as well. This said there was an opportunity here to do something interesting with the tale of a group of medical students who mess with nature to find out if there really was an ‘afterlife’.  This wasn’t that film.  Look it’s far from terrible (well maybe a few times) but a hokey script, an unconvincing cast and a run time that doesn’t justify itself just makes you realise life is too short to be watching films like this.  Sadly to be labelled with a Do Not Resuscitate.

Best Bit: Dr Sutherland!

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Avoid

If You Liked this Try: Flatliners (1990), A Cure For Wellness, Jacobs Ladder

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Cult of Chucky (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

Cult of Chucky (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Cult of Chucky is a fun 7th entry into the never ending Child’s Play/ Chucky series, working as a direct sequel to 2013’s Curse Of Chucky but revisiting characters from the original Childs Play all those years ago.   Set most in an asylum and focusing on Fiona Dourif’s Nica it’s pretty much more of the same with Chucky offing people one by one.  Tilly is fun, both Dourif’s are great and the gore, whilst not plentiful, does eventually come. Wont make new fans for sure BUT it’s one of the better entry’s.

Best Bit: Dourif once again

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Bride Of Chucky, Child’s Play, Child’s Play 3

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Prevenge (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

Prevenge (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Prevenge is a cracking independent pitch black horror comedy starring, written and directed by the actually pregnant Alice Lowe.  Seeking revenge for something from her past, Lowe’s Ruth brutally slays what at first look sleek a series of unconnected victims. But are they?  To be fair the why is kinda given away early on but the how, when and where?  That’s the best part.  Mixing brutal deaths with dark humour, Prevenge is one of the most unique films I’ve seen in a while and a real must watch.

Best Bit: Disco Dan

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: Sightseers, Raw, Personal Shopper

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Gerald’s Game (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

Gerald’s Game (2017) – A ’31 Films Of Halloween’ Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Gerald’s Game is yet another 2017 Stephen King adaptation.  This one sits between the most excellent I.T and the less than excellent (but still not as bad as everyone says!) The Dark Tower. With some strong central performances, a tight story and a nippy run time it works well, even if the tones and story is a little bit familiar.   Another strong Netflix original…

Best Bit: Netflix Hits again

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream (Netflix)

If You Liked this Try: IT, The Stand, Fifty Shades Of Grey, Misery

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Blade Runner 2049 (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

Blade Runner 2049 (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
So this is a turn up for the books – Blade Runner 2049 (Still a terrible DTV title) ends up being one of the best films of 2017.  Who saw that coming?  To be fair teaming up Reynolds, Deakins and director Villeneuve was a good starting point but still this was a sequel that nobody really wanted to a film that I still feel was a TOUCH overrated.  All this aside at nearly 3 hours in length, sitting in a terribly uncomfortable cinema with the worst audience i’ve shared a film with in a long time STILL didn’t dent my affection for this slow burn sci-fi wonder. Visually stunning, expertly performed and amazing direction.  A must watch. 

Best Bit: Deakins cinematography

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: Blade Runner, Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens, Strange Days

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Atomic Blonde (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

Atomic Blonde (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Atomic Blonde isn’t the film the trailer has you think.  Less knock about 80’s spy romp with a hint of Roger Moore’s Bond, more hardcore spy thriller with sex, violence and action that puts this film on par with the likes of a John Wick (Think 007’s Licence To Kill).  The other thing to note about Atomic Blonde (other than a cracking central performance by Theron and it’s sumptuous hyper stylised 80’s Berlin ) is that it’s also oddly paced.  At times I found myself drifting off a bit, waiting for the next ‘thing’ to happen as the plot searched from one twist to the next.  That said when they do, such as the 7 minute staircase fight, they are often breathtaking with Atomic Blonde delivering some of the best action seen on screen this year.  It’s brutal, at times frustrating, at others exciting and layers in far too many plot turns for you to care by the end.  BUT it’s also unique and well worth a watch.

Best Bit: THAT fight sequence

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: John Wick, La Femme Nikita, Licence To Kill, Mad Max Fury Road

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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47 Meters Down (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

47 Meters Down (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
47 Meters Down is a 2017 survival horror film written and directed by Johannes Roberts, who brings his track record in lower budget independent films to another, mostly enjoyable, lower budget independent film.  It’s nothing new – Open Water, Jaws and a million other films have trodden this path but Roberts does a good job of keeping the tension present during its sub 90 minute run time.  Okay so it runs out of steam a touch by the end and pulls a move that is at best described as ‘well worn’ but there’s enough to enjoy here to recommend as a beer and curry type distraction.

Best Bit: Yup I knew it! 

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Jaws, Open Water, Deep Blue Sea

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Wonder (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

Wonder (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Wonder is a charming, heart warming and well acted drama that never misses an opportunity to twang on your heart strings across it’s somewhat bloated near two hour runtime.  Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson & especially Jacob Tremblay make this film giving a believability to the story but oddly whilst this film is about Auggie it was Izabela Vidovic as Via whose story resinated with me the most.  Yup it’s overlong and starts to repeat itself a touch but regardless Wonder is a joyful film that leaves you smiling.

Best Bit: Science

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Coco, Marley & Me, A Monster Calls

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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War For The Planet Of The Apes (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

War For The Planet Of The Apes (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
WFTPOTA is not your average Summer blockbuster.  Dark, brooding and much smaller scale that the trailer and title would have you believe.  And that for me was the issue.  I wanted a bigger film.  A bolder film. This is much more intimate and small scale.  It’s a good film but it’s not the film that should, for me, be potentially ending Caesar’s story.  There are really interesting elements at play but as the film starts to repeat some motifs from the earlier films, I just wanted things to speed up a little.  Also whilst the ending is satisfying, how they get there isn’t.  The final confrontation and especially it’s conclusion just doesn’t work, playing on convenance  and underplays the cleverness that the series has displayed to date.  So good but not the sequel many would have wanted.

Best Bit: Sirkis is stunning

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, Dawn of The Planet Of The Apes, Planet of The Apes (1968)

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Dunkirk (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

Dunkirk (2017) – A Revisited Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Dunkirk is a good film.  From a Technical point if view it’s actually at times brilliant but for me it falls short of the “Films The Year” accolades that critics are heaping on it.  See  Dunkirk defines both the best and the worst of Christopher Nolan films – a masterclass of filmmaking for sure but with a script that needed more work and characters who barely register five minutes after you leave the screen.  And yup Tom Hardy’s back in full “What did he say” mumble mode. But for every quibble I have, and there are a few for sure, the film is expertly made.  Form the action to the music, the effects to the tension – it’s filmmaking at it’s most innovate.  It’s just a shame Nolan didn’t put as much effort into the characters as then you would have had a true modern day classic.

Best Bit: The structure

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Interstellar, Battle of Britain, Saving Private Ryan 

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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