The Purge: Anarchy - Review

Director: James DeMonaco Writer: James DeMonaco Studios: Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, Platinum Dunes Cast: Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zach Gilford, Isaiah Pearce, Kiele Sanchez, Michael K. Williams Release Date (UK): 25 June, 2014 Certificate: 15 Runtime: 103 min

The trouble with “The Purge,” director James DeMonaco’s dystopian 2013 thriller, was that it started off with a genuinely scary premise -- in the near future, America is once a year plunged into a government-enforced 12-hour period called the Purge, during which all crime including murder is legal -- and for the following 90 minutes proceeded to flush it down the crapper. Restricting the action to a single location, that location being a locked-down suburban home under attack from masked Purgers, DeMonaco wasted pretty much all the potential of that great premise on what was ultimately the most boringly generic home invasion horror imaginable -- here you have a concept that results in widespread panic and carnage across the entirety of America, and yet here we are, stuck between four walls. It’s no coincidence that the opening titles, in which we’re presented with CCTV footage showing all the anarchic chaos going on outside, are the most interesting and entertaining part of the film -- given the premise, that’s the kind of film you’d expect, not a suburban remake of “The Strangers.”

In that sense, sequel “The Purge: Anarchy” is everything its predecessor could and should have been. Clearly taking criticisms of the first “Purge” to heart, and armed with a bigger budget thanks to the first film’s highly profitable box office takings, DeMonaco removes the action from those restrictive four walls and drops it into the streets of Los Angeles. As the annual Purge commences once again, we follow a group of five individuals who find themselves trapped in downtown L.A.: there’s Shane and Liz (Zach Gilford and Kiele Sanchez), a young couple whose car dies on the highway and who are being relentlessly pursued by a masked gang; there’s Eva and Cali (Carmen Ejogo and Zoe Soul), a waitress and her teenage daughter just trying to make it through the night when they are mysteriously targeted in their home by an armed military force; and then there’s Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo), an ex-cop who willingly sets off on Purge Night, armed to the teeth and driving around in an armored car, for reasons unknown.

Brought together, they battle to survive in a city-wide 12-hour warzone, dodging armed thugs, snipers on rooftops, and family members with a grudge. DeMonaco maintains a gripping air of unease as the group are stalked, hunted and attacked at practically every corner they turn, all the while he recalls images of gangland anarchy from dystopian cult classics “Escape from New York” and “The Warriors:” a city bus racing down the road while fully ablaze, the body of a pension-thieving stockbroker strung up outside a court, and masked maniacs running down the streets wielding machine guns and baseball bats. All haunting images which paint a brutal picture of an America torn apart by violence, and violence not only sanctioned by the US government, but encouraged by it, too.

Grillo, meanwhile, makes a pretty damn convincing argument for him to play Frank Castle in a future “Punisher” movie: protective yet stand-offish, grizzled and commanding, and with an intriguingly tragic undercurrent, he’s got the personality down pat -- not to mention, he’s a certified badass, practically unstoppable either with a gun or his bare mitts. All that’s missing is a skull on his chest. His fellow survivors are a mixed bag: Eva and Cali are quick to gain our sympathy thanks to their believable and touching mother-daughter connection, plus the fact that they’re thrust into this horrible situation despite their best efforts. Shane and Liz, meanwhile, are a boring and rather vacuous couple, without much personality or chemistry. Not to be mean, but giving a hoot about either of them proves difficult, resulting in a supposedly heart-wrenching moment towards the end falling flat on its face.

In the scene before that, DeMonaco sees an opportunity to ram home the film's message and rams pretty damn hard, as we witness the top 1% auctioning off the poor for slaughter. It’s this darkly disturbing scene, along with the earlier depictions of city-wide violence among the poor, which makes “The Purge: Anarchy” not just a solidly diverting b-movie, but one with real satirical bite. If “The Purge” merely nibbled on America’s culture of violence and government-enforced class inequality, “The Purge: Anarchy” takes a big, fat chomp out of it and spits it back out in disgust. Sure, it’s hardly the most subtle of messages -- the point about the inequality gap is repeatedly shoved down our throats, and as if to shove it even harder, a stupendously unnerving rendition of America the Beautiful blares over the closing credits -- but in terms of taking advantage of and exploring the satirical potential of its central concept, it boasts an appreciable thoroughness that was entirely lacking in its predecessor.

Rating: 7/10

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - Review

Director: Matt Reeves Writers: Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver Studios: 20th Century Fox, Chermin Entertainment Cast: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee Release Date (UK): 18 July, 2014 Certificate: 12A Runtime: 131 min 

If “Transformers 4” is a big, dumb gorilla flinging its feces at the audience, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is a hyper-intelligent chimp treating the audience with the respect they deserve. The superior being, it’s what all summer blockbusters aspire to be, or at least should be aspiring to be: a rollercoaster ride not just in action but also in drama and emotion, all three of which director Matt Reeves knocks out of the stadium. Recognising that spectacle without heart or purpose is empty and meaningless, he gives “Dawn” a real emotional weight and a robust narrative pushed along by its characters and their clashing ideals. The result is an all too rare breed: an emotionally charged summer blockbuster whose dazzling spectacle has meaning and purpose, and consequently, real, juicy meat on its computer-generated bones.

On top of all that, the eighth film in the 46-year sci-fi franchise is quite simply a rock-solid piece of old-fashioned storytelling. At the conclusion of the previous “Apes” movie, Rupert Wyatt’s surprisingly terrific prequel/reboot “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” genetically engineered super-chimp Caesar led an ape rebellion against mankind as a deadly man-made virus began its spread across the globe. Now that virus has wiped out most of human civilisation, and Caesar and his apes live in peace away from the few remaining humans. That is, until a chance meeting between human and ape ends violently, sparking a conflict between Caesar’s colony and the humans who survive in a ruined San Francisco.

For the film’s opening 10-15 minutes, we’re with the apes. We watch them as they hunt for food in the woods, look out for each other’s safety, teach their young how to read and write, and bond with their families. This bold, gripping and surprisingly touching opening is like its own little silent film, with the apes communicating not through speech but through sign language, as well as the occasional huffs and grunts. Providing us with an intimate look at their daily activities, it allows us to understand the apes’ way of life and form a strong emotional connection to them. In particular, we form a connection to Caesar and his family: his son Blue Eyes, basically your average stroppy teenager but hairier, we see is still young and learning, and his wife Cornelia we witness giving birth to her and Caesar’s new son. Through their affection and strong sense of family and community, we see that the apes are just like us, if not better -- though common sense tells us these are complex creatures, and this peaceful bliss cannot last forever.

In “Rise,” Caesar shared the lead role with James Franco’s human scientist Dr. Will Rodman; in “Dawn,” he shares it, albeit to a lesser extent, with Jason Clarke’s Malcolm, a human survivor living in San Fran with his new wife Ellie (Keri Russell) and step-son Alexander (Kodi Smit-McPhee). With the human community in need of power, and the only power available requiring the cooperation of the apes, Malcolm bravely enters the ape community to ask for their cooperation. As he and his family stay in the woods and live among the apes, the apes’ initial distrust begins to fade, as ape and human bond like family unseparated by fear, hatred and species. However, Malcolm and his family are joined by one rather nasty human whose hatred of the ape community prevails and soon causes trouble. Here, Reeves shows that the ape vs. human conflict is not simply a battle between good and evil, with the apes good and the humans evil, but one between differing ideals on both sides -- and it’s this complexity which makes it so compelling to watch. In any community, be it ape or human, there’s good, evil and everything in between, something Caesar realises all too late.

Caesar is once again performed by mo-cap whiz Andy Serkis, whose every expression and emotion bursts through the digital effects like they were merely make-up. These effects are so convincing one often feels like one is watching a living, breathing creature -- this is thanks, of course, not just to Serkis’ commanding performance, but also to the painstaking work of the animators at Weta; the sheer level of detail that goes into creating these photorealistic apes is incredible and the results are truly breathtaking. Motion-captured alongside Serkis is Toby Kebbell as Koba, a bonobo chimp whose man-inflicted scars have left him with nothing but burning contempt for the human race. Koba is a frightening beast, his brutish aggression matched with a cunning mind and a thirst for vengeance against mankind.

It’s he whose deception really kicks off the battle between the apes and the humans: unhappy with Caesar’s increasing tolerance and trust of the humans, he takes matters into his own stinking paws. And thus begins an explosively spectacular climax in which we absolutely care about the characters and feel the stakes of the action. Emotionally, we’re fully involved because crucially, the drama at the centre of it all is absolutely working. As a result, this action-packed finale is seriously intense and utterly exhilarating, which ought to be something of a relief for anyone who sat through “Transformers 4.”

If there’s a criticism to be made against the film, it’s that the plot follows a mostly predictable path; most viewers could probably map out the individual story beats in advance with little difficulty. But Reeve’s patient telling of this story is so gripping and involving that knowing what’s inevitably coming doesn’t weaken its impact or raw emotional power. Blockbuster movie-makers would do good to look at how Reeves has made this movie: here’s a blockbuster that’s smart, emotionally resonant and balances spectacle with story in a way that’s both thrilling and utterly compelling. In a year of great blockbusters, with “Godzilla,” “Edge of Tomorrow,” “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” all proving more than worth the price of admission, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is one to really get you pounding your chest in excitement.

Rating: 9/10

Boyhood - Review

Director: Richard Linklater Writer: Richard Linklater Studios: Universal Pictures, IFC Films
Cast: Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater Release Date (UK): 11 July, 2014 Certificate: 15 Runtime: 166 min

Richard Linklater's "Boyhood" is a soaringly epic yet deeply intimate journey through the life of a boy from age 5 to age 18 that is completely immersive and unmistakeably human. Filmed over 12 years with the same actors, it's an extraordinary achievement in movie-making and unlike any film I've ever seen before. Filmmakers the world over aspire to the level of human truth which comes so naturally here, and in such high and heavy abundance; as an ode to human nature, it's simply breathtaking.

Linklater has, in the past, shown an interest in how people change over time; his engrossing "Before" trilogy provided us with glimpses at the evolving relationship between two lovers over the course of almost 20 years. Here, he invites us to watch as young Mason grows through the years, and as he transforms from a watchful young boy into an awkward teenager into a confident young man with his whole future ahead of him. Mason is played by Ellar Coltrane, and he plays him at 5 years old, and he plays him at 18 years old, and he plays him at everything in between. Coltrane gives one of the great child performances, and one of the great teen performances, too; he's completely natural, which makes his 12-year transformation all the more enthralling.

As the film progresses, we watch as Mason goes through the various stages that come naturally with growing up: we watch as he stares at the sky in wonder, as his mother reads Harry Potter to him and his big sister Samantha, as he goes through a long hair phase, as he becomes curious about sex, as his voice changes, as he experiments with drugs and drinking, as he gets his first job washing dishes at a diner, as he has his heart broken for the first time, and as he leaves home to go to college. And we watch as the world changes around him too; not just in terms of technology, politics and culture (though that's definitely in there -- as the years pass by, PS1s turn into Nintendo Wiis, Bush turns into Obama, etc.), but also in terms of his homelife: he moves house three times throughout his childhood; he lives under the roof of three stepfathers of varying fatherly quality; he switches primary schools, goes to high school and then finally is whisked away to college. It's these which shape Mason's character throughout the years, and ultimately shape the man he is to be. And it's all beautifully, but crucially not intrusively, captured by Linklater, who watches this boy's life experiences from his ever-evolving perspective.

It's not just Mason who we watch evolve through the years. His mother Olivia, played by Patricia Arquette, we see raising Mason and Samantha both on her own and with various boyfriends as she puts herself through college. His father Mason Sr., a slacker musician played by Ethan Hawke, we see taking Mason and Samantha bowling, out for a meal and to football games every other weekend, all the while he deals with his own lack of responsibility. And then there's his sister Samantha, played by Linklater's daughter Lorelei, at first a lovable little brat whose mischievous qualities we see fade the more she becomes interested in boys. Along with Mason Jr., these people age, mature and develop before our eyes, and their development tells a story: the story of time, and how things change over time, and more specifically how people change over time -- and it's as riveting, moving and, most importantly, human a story as any you'll see this year.

At 166 minutes, the film is a mere 60 seconds longer than the new "Transformers" movie. But while Michael Bay's vacuous explosion-fest is at the very least a whole hour too long, I would have very happily sat and watched "Boyhood" for another hour or so. If you grew up on the planet Earth, you owe it to yourself to see this movie: somewhere in here is something that will deeply resonate with you, be it through distant memories of your childhood or the one you're experiencing right now. I know that it resonated with me, and I know that it's my favourite film of the year so far. If there's a better film released in 2014, I'll eat my own foot.

Rating: 10/10

Tammy - Review

Director: Ben Falcone Writers: Ben Falcone, Melissa McCarthy Studios: Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Gary Sanchez Productions Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Susan Sarandon, Allison Janney, Toni Collette, Sandra Oh, Mark Duplass, Gary Cole, Dan Aykroyd, Kathy Bates Release Date (UK): 4 July, 2014 Certificate: 15 Runtime: 96 min

“Tammy” is one movie trying to be two movies at once: two movies which don't mesh together very well, nor are much good on their own. Beginning as a wacky, pratfall-heavy, screwball road trip comedy which isn’t very funny, it veers awkwardly into straight-faced, borderline mumblecore territory somewhere around the third act. If there’s a balance to be found between the two, first-time director Ben Falcone (Air Marshall John!) fails to find it: with clashing tones, it’s a film that’s confused about what exactly it is and what it’s supposed to be doing. Towards the end, one feels like one is watching a completely different movie from before. Wanting to be the big, loud comedy hit of the summer as well as a grounded indie dramedy, the film tries to have its cake and eat it, and ends up choking.

For a Melissa McCarthy vehicle, it at least allows McCarthy to show off both the comedic and dramatic chops she’s displayed in the past -- presumably deliberate on her part, considering she co-wrote the script -- but given her talents you do wish the material did her any kind of justice, even if she did write it herself. She plays Tammy, a fast food worker who as the film opens is having an extraordinarily bad day: while driving to work, she accidentally runs over a deer, which totales her car; when she finally arrives at work, she’s fired for showing up late one too many times; when she gets back home, she discovers her hubby’s getting busy with a neighbour and was planning on leaving her. In dire need of a break, she decides to embark on a spontaneous, unplanned road trip using grandma’s car -- thing is, grandma (Susan Sarandon) insists on joining her. Turns out grandma’s a bit rowdy: that is to say, she’s a foul-mouthed, sex-mad drunk. Cue crazy, cross-country shenanigans involving motel rooms, dive bars, dangerous driving and run-ins with the law -- y’know, the kinda stuff you’ve seen in every other road trip movie ever, only here it's even less inspired.

McCarthy and Sarandon are a fun pairing, and what few laughs the film offers come from their knockabout chemistry. Sarandon’s no stranger to the road trip movie, of course, though her casting here is odd; considering their mere 23-year age gap, you do begin to wonder why she was cast as McCarthy’s grandmother and not simply her mother. They’re joined by a mighty fine supporting cast -- among them Kathy Bates, Toni Collette, Sandra Oh, Dan Aykroyd and Allison Janney -- who are sadly wasted in thankless bit-parts. Collette and Oh are especially underused, given almost literally nothing to do but stand around, read a few lines and cash their pay cheque. For a road trip movie, the film has a bizarrely vacant sense of setting, adventure and destination -- as a result, it often feels lost and stranded and like it’s not really going anywhere. There’s an appreciable sincerity to the film’s message about being strong and true to yourself, but considering how unsure the film is of itself, that message is rendered rather ironic.

Rating: 4/10

Transformers: Age of Extinction - Review

Director: Michael Bay Writer: Ehren Kruger Studios: Paramount Pictures, di Bonaventura Pictures, Hasbro, China Movie Channel, Jiaflix Enterprises Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Nicola Peltz, Kelsey Grammer, Jack Reynor, Sophia Myles Release Date (UK): 4 July, 2014 Certificate: 12A Runtime: 165 min

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if audience members emerge from “Transformers: Age of Extinction” like Kyle Reese emerging from the electric time-travel ball at the beginning of “The Terminator,” all sweaty and exhausted and writhing in pain, and asking startled passers by what year it is. This is entertainment in the same sense that getting a prostitute to stomp on your testicles with the heel of her stiletto is a sex act: technically it is, but surely there are other methods of physical pleasure out there that result in far less ball-aching agony.

Lasting a baffling 165 minutes, “Age of Extinction” is the longest of Michael Bay’s “Transformers” films and it absolutely feels like it. Rumours that the franchise had finally hired an editor have been greatly exaggerated: there’s at the very least a whole collective hour that very cleary should not be in here. Rumours that the franchise was getting a fresh new reboot are also of the greatly exaggerated variety: though there is indeed an all-new cast led by Marky Mark Wahlberg, Mr. Bay is just up to his old tricks again: that is to say, the plot is complete gibberish, the storytelling is almost entirely incomprehensible, the pace is akin to that of a glacier, and the product placement is insane, so much so that the film basically amounts to the world’s longest Bud Light commercial. Oh, and if you’re able to tell the good robots apart from the bad robots, you should probably look into joining the X-Men: your radioactive super-sight might come in handy.

What’s new? Well, there’s the Dinobots, which have been widely showcased in all the trailers and TV spots. But if you go into “Transformers 4” all pumped up for some Dinobot action, I’ve got some bad news for you: you’re gonna have to wait over 2 hours and 10 minutes for a single Dinobot to turn up. No, I’m not fucking kidding. Then there’s Stanley Tucci, who does good as a smarmy bad’un trying to build his own Transformers for inevitably incoherent reasons -- as is always the case with Tucci, his performance is the most entertaining thing in the film. As for Wahlberg, he’s given little to do outside of cracking witless one-liners, smoldering in front of sunsets, chugging back those Bud Lights, and worrying about the safety of his daughter. Which he probably should be, ‘cos surprise surprise, Bay’s still filming his female characters like glamour models at a worryingly leery photo shoot. Nicola Peltz, playing Wahlberg’s 17-year-old daughter, is treated as nothing but barely concealed cleavage bouncing up and down atop a hot pair of sunlit legs. Her introduction is literally an upskirt shot as she exits a car. Again, I’m not fucking kidding.

Then again, Bay shoots *everything* like glamour models at a worryingly leery photo shoot. His pornographic visual sensibility extends not just to tussling Transformers but to every object on-screen. I’m sure if you were to turn the camera on him during any given scene, you’d see him grinding up against a couch or a lamppost. This guy shouldn’t be directing movies; he should be directing porn, ‘cos everything to him is a money shot. And while yes, some of those shots sure do look pretty, giving a damn about any of it is an impossibility -- when everything is a money shot, nothing is at stake (well, except maybe your sanity).

And that’s all this is: just 165 pulverising minutes of relentless, showboating shots of exploding, nonsensical junk. About halfway through, you’ll look at your watch and discover to your horror that there’s another 90 minutes to go and your jaw will drop and your heart will sink and you’ll finally realise, if you haven’t realised it already, that Michael Bay fucking hates you -- cos “Transformers 4” is almost three hours long and he knows you’ll sit through every damn minute and you’ll go see “Transformers 5” when it comes out in two years. He’s even said as such: “I don’t care, let them hate: they’re still going to see the movie!” he was quoted as saying in a recent MTV interview. And we will: like a battered wife, we keep going back. But I say this: let’s not go back. Let’s stand up against this vacuous franchise and refuse to buy a ticket for “Transformers 5.” Let’s march on the streets and shout, “No, Michael Bay! Not this time!” Let’s say enough is enough, and that we will not stand for anym-- ooh, Optimus Prime riding *two* Dinobots at the same time?! “Transformers 5” *might* be fun...

Rating: 3/10

How to Train Your Dragon 2 - Review

Director: Dean DeBlois Writer: Dean DeBlois Studios: DreamWorks Animation, 20th Century Fox Cast: Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig, Djimon Hounsou, Kit Harrington Release Date (UK): 27 June, 2014 Certificate: PG Runtime: 102 min

DreamWorks’ gorgeously animated follow-up to their 2010 hit “How to Train Your Dragon” is a soaring success, a sequel which provides the same level of high-flying spectacle, rib-tickling humour and heartfelt poignancy as its marvellous predecessor while taking us on a new and exciting adventure through its mythical land. Of course, with the once-feared dragon community now trained and fully integrated into everyday Viking life, that fantasy world has gotten a whole lot bigger since last we saw it. Riding on the backs of its titular winged beasts, “How to Train Your Dragon 2” further explores the isles surrounding the village of Berk, and in doing so, widens the scope of its fantasy world, expands on the mythos behind its dragon species and throws new, intriguing characters into the mix. Though to give away too many details would be to spoil some of the surprises in store for one-legged hero Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) and his dragon companion Toothless.

They’re a delightful pairing, our two intrepid heroes: Hiccup, the awkward outcast turned plucky and adventurous dragon rider, and Toothless, a handsome Night Fury who’s adorably goofy but also brave and unwaveringly devoted to his human friend and master. Together, they share a loyal bond that’s sweet and endearing, and watching them talk, play and ride through the clouds together is a real joy. In “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” they face a powerful threat, a fearsome “dragon master” with the formidable name of Drago Bludvist (Djimon Hounsou). He’s assembling his own dragon army with the aim of conquering all who oppose him. While searching for new land, Hiccup and Toothless stumble upon his plans for domination and band together with the villagers of Berk to put a stop to his evil ways.

As per the rule of the sequel, “How to Train Your Dragon 2” is bigger than its predecessor: it features, for example, gargantuan, ice-spitting super-dragons so phenomenally huge they’d pick up Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla and gobble him up for breakfast. But as he did with the first film, director Dean DeBlois keeps the breath-catching spectacle grounded in the emotions of his characters, whose relationships he maintains a firm grip on. Hiccup and his remarkably burly father, the fearless warrior Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), again make a fully believable father-son duo, butting heads in the previous movie but brought closer now that Stoick's not all stabby-stabby kill-kill towards dragonkind (he's actually quite enthusiastic about them now -- he even has them race each other!). And there’s some seriously touching stuff in here, surprisingly so for a film aimed primarily at the younger crowd -- it's great to see an animated movie willing to enter really intimate and emotional territory. On two occasions I actually found myself teary eyed: I won’t spoil anything, but there’s a reunion in the film that’s beautifully handled and is one of the most moving things I’ve ever seen in an animated movie -- or, heck, any movie.

And all the way through, DeBlois impressively maintains the first film’s enchanting sense of wonder: John Powell’s score is again a spellbinding treat, and the scenes of Hiccup and Toothless soaring through the skies together have a real graceful beauty to them. The great Roger Deakins is credited as having been a visual consultant on the film; looking at the results, that’s not surprising in the slightest. DreamWorks have shown a knack for sequels over the years, with “Shrek 2” witty and hilarious, “Kung Fu Panda 2” exhilarating fun and “Madagascar 3” pleasingly brisk. Now in swoops “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” the best of the lot: emotionally resonant, properly thrilling and just plain flamin’ gorgeous, it's a triumph in family entertainment, just like its predecessor was. The question remains, however, as to why all the adults in this mythical world speak with a thick Scottish brogue while all the youngsters speak with squeaky clean American accents. Then again, one is very likely to become too swept up in the magic and majesty of the film to dwell on such silly nitpicks.

Rating: 9/10