The list below isn’t really in any specific order, other than perhaps Limbo which comes first which was truly one of the best crime thrillers I had seen in years. Some that feature on the list may be surprising to some, but for the most part I have a good reason for picking them, and it isn’t all down to the fact that 2022 wasn’t exactly the best year for releases.
Limbo
Not exactly a 2022 movie, as it was made the year previous, but I feel it is valid to include it here due to it only being released recently over here. Not only that, as mentioned, Limbo is truly an outstanding piece of work even if it doesn’t exactly make for a fun viewing experience. Make no mistake, Limbo can be a truly harrowing feature, but those with an appetite for this kind of thing i.e. me, are in for a treat. Any fan of films like Seven (1995) will find a lot to enjoy, although this manages to be an even bleaker piece of work than Fincher’s heralded masterpiece.
After slumming it with kiddie fare like The Monkey King 2 (2016) and its sequel, director Soi Cheang gets back to his roots, with him helming what may just be his finest feature yet, no small feat considering he directed such nihilistic delights as Dog Bite Dog (2006) and Shamo (2007). Working with cinematographer Cheng Siu-Keung, Cheang creates a stunning vision of a dystopian Hong Kong, making even the garbage strewn streets of Hong Jong look disgustingly beautiful. Shooting the entire film in black and white was a masterstroke, making Limbo one of the most strikingly visual Hong Kong films of the last ten years .
It’s not just the visuals that make an impression with Limbo being a gripping detective story, with hard boiled detective Cham Lau (Gordon Lam) finding himself partnered with new partner Will Yam (Mason Lee) as they hunt the mean streets of Hong Kong for a twisted serial killer. There's also reformed drug addict Wong To (Cya Liu) who has a personal connection to Cham which ends up putting her life in peril, not just from the killer but from Cham himself.
While not a full on action movie, Limbo still finds time to include a number of well choreographed action scenes, the best of these being a mid film set piece where Liu is chased by a gang of Triad’s and has to fight for her life.
All the performances are terrific. It was great seeing the underrated Gordon Lam getting a chance to play the lead for a change, with expectedly great results. As great as Lam is, it is Cya Liu that holds one's attention, with her Wong To being put through the ringer. At points I wondered how much more she would be put through, as it has been a long time since I have seen a female character being put through so much punishment.
Limbo is definitely one of the bleakest action thrillers I have seen in some time, but it is also one of the most rewarding.
Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers
Some may think that I'm joking having this on my best of list, but Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers was a breath of fresh air for me, and clearly one of my favourite films of the year. Any fans of Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1989) will be in heaven, with it having very much the same vibe. It also works as one of The Lonely Island’s films, being directed by one of its members Akiva Schaffer and starring another in Andy Samberg.
The film is full of The Lonely Island’s brand of humour as well as taking a satirical swipe at much of Walt Disney’s most famous creations. I was quite surprised what Disney allowed the filmmakers to get away with. I can’t say I was expecting the villain to be a washed up Peter Pan, complete with a beer gut and receding hair, but that's what we get here.
Like the best animated films, this isn’t just for kids. Sure, there is enough here that would keep young ones entertained, but most of the jokes are squared directly towards an adult audience. The self referential plot along with Disney’s willingness to poke fun at its own image is what set’s the film apart from the similarly styled Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021,) and marks it out as one of the most enjoyable animations I have seen in some time.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
When I first heard of Weird, I seriously thought that it was going to be a proper biopic, showing the rise of Weird Al Yankovic. With Weird Al being involved in the production I should have realised that it would be something different, with Weird being a satirical swipe at biopics in general as well as Yankovic’s own life.
Daniel Radcliffe is probably no one's idea of who should play Yankovic in a biopic, and this is what makes the film all the better. Radcliffe once again proves to be one of the most interesting actors currently working in Hollywood, never taking the roles expected of him. This is just another in a long list of weird and wonderful performances from Radcliffe.
He is more than matched by a quality supporting cast, the best amongst them being Raiin Wilson’s Dr. Demento and Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna. I would be interested to know what Madonna makes of her portrayal here, as let's just say, it doesn’t exactly stick to the facts.
Adding to the fun is a host of cameos from the likes of Jack Black, Will Forte, David Dastmalchian as well as Yankovic himself, who plays an unscrupulous record producer who doesn’t think much of Al’s music.
Any fan of the film Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) will find a lot to enjoy here, with both being very similar in tone and nurture and perfectly sending up how much bullshit is usually involved in the musical biopic.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever
In the past, I probably wouldn't have seen myself putting a Zac Efron film on my best of list. But for years now Efron has been doing great work. The likes of Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) is miles away from High School Musical (2006) and showed there's more to Effron than just a handsome face and an okay singing voice.
While Efron is accompanied on his adventures by a quality cast, with a reliably gruff Russell Crowe being a standout, for the most part he has to carry the film on his own.
Based on the true story of John "Chickie" Donahue (Zac Effron) who makes the frankly insane decision to bring all his friends serving in the Vietnam war a can of beer.
The idea of a man wanting to bring his friends a beer during the Vietnam war may not sound all that interesting, but Peter Farrelly gets a lot of mileage out of this true life story. I know it didn’t review as well as his previous solo outing, but it is easily on par with Green Book (2018) and easily surpasses those films he co-directed with his brother, albeit in terms of quality rather than enjoyment. Personally, I’d probably still watch Kingpin (1996). As great as Green Book is, it doesn’t have Woody Harrelson chugging off a bull .Doubt Viggo Mortensen would go to them lengths to entertain us.
I did expect The Greatest Beer Run Ever to be more humorous, mostly to do with the promotional material as well as the involvement of Farrelly. While it certainly has its funny moments, for the most part Farrelly takes a serious approach to the story and doesn't shy away from showing the horrors of war. The most impressive sequence comes in the third act where both Efron and Crowe try to survive the Tet Offensive.
Farrelly also injects a fair amount of tension into the film, mostly coming when Effron's Chickie is witness to some war atrocities carried out by the C.I.A. Let's just say they aren't too fond of the idea of Chickie knowing what they're up to, and go to some lengths to silence him.
It's a shame that the Greatest Beer Run Ever would mostly have been seen on television due to it being released simultaneously on Apple TV+. It is certainly a film that deserved to be seen on the big screen, but even so still works great however you see it.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
I had recently compiled a top ten list of my favourite action films of the year. I had commented that Everything Everywhere All at Once didn’t make the list, mostly because I didn’t see it as a full blown actioner. It’s much more than that.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is actually a hard film to define, as it has influences and pays homage to many different genres. Clearly the directors,Daniels, have a love for martial arts cinema which is fully evident in the handful of perfectly choreographed fight scenes that are peppered throughout the film. It would have been very easy for them to simply make the film a martial arts action film, and to be honest I would have been perfectly fine if they made that decision.
However, amongst the martial arts they also included themes around love, regret, destiny, trauma and identity just to name some, that make this much more than a simple actioner, actually making you think. Perhaps the film is surreal for some audiences, as it definitely does get seriously strange in places, but everything comes together beautifully.
In the same year as Everything Everywhere All at Once, the MCU released Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), itself dealing with the possibilities of their being multiple universes. Although I enjoyed that film and what Sam Raimi brought to the table, Daniels has made a more interesting and exciting film on a fraction of the budget, with there being more creativity in one scene than Multiverse of Madness had through its entirety.
It also helped that I have been an avid fan of Michelle Yeoh for the better part of 3 decades. Being one of the best fighting females in Hong Kong cinema, she has proven countless times she is just as good as the men when dishing out punishment. Yes Madam (1985), Royal Warriors (1986) and Police Story 3: Supercop (1992) all show Yeoh at her fighting best, but based on pure acting performance and taking out the martial arts, I would put this up there with her finest roles.
It’s not all Yeoh’ show, with Ke Huy Quan giving an especially strong performance as Yeoh’s husband and many of his alternates. It was great seeing him back on screen after an absence of two decades. Most audiences will probably know him best as either Short Round from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1985) or The Goonies (1985), and he still manages to bring that youthful enthusiasm to his performance here, although he shows off some drastic chops that weren’t much in evidence in his child performances.
The film is given added quality by the always terrific Jamie Lee Curtis who shows off a range of emotions through the different versions of her character. Best of all is Hollywood royalty James Hong, appearing as Yeoh’s father, who even at the grand age of 93 still brings the goods.
Glass Onion - A Knives Out Mystery
I was slightly apprehensive before viewing Glass Onion. Although I enjoyed the previous Knives Out (2019), I've been burned before with sequels, especially ones directed by Rian Johnson.
Luckily, I shouldn't have worried with Glass Onion being even more enjoyable than its predecessor. I've noted some online not appreciating the increase in humour for this entry, but for me it merely improved what was already a fun mystery. Sure, the mystery is slightly obvious, but there's enough going on here to keep everything interesting, with the hilarious touches such as Jeremy Renner's hot sauce being right up my street.
Like the first film, the cast all get a chance to shine. Daniel Craig's accent is still shite, but he still makes Benoit Blanc a likeable investigator. Like Ana De Armas in the first film, Melissa Benoist works extremely well with Craig, essentially becoming the main focus as the film progresses. Great supporting turns from Ed Norton, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista and many more make this one of the best ensembles of 2022. A handful of surprising cameos is just the icing on the cake.
I never thought after Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) that I'd be hoping that Rian Johnson would get the opportunity to create more sequels, but as long as its further adventures with Benoit Blanc I'll be more than happy.
The Batman
As we watch the current DCU seemingly crash and burn, at least we can look back on The Batman and see they at least got something right. Maybe this is to do with the fact that this wasn’t forming part of their ongoing cinematic universe, with The Batman being its own standalone adventure, and all the better for it.
Having been in development so long that it changed director and star, with it once being planned to feature Ben Affleck’s version of the Caped Crusader. That version would have been very different from what director Matt Reeves ultimately delivered. While I must admit it would have been great to see Affleck get his own solo movie as Batman, Reeves take on the character more than delivered with him directing what I personally think is the second best Batman movie to date, second only to Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008).
Not everyone has been as enthusiastic as myself when it comes to The Batman, with a lot of their complaints being pointed at Robert Pattison, who takes up the cowl for this adventure. This is mainly to do with the sad bastards not able to get the idea out of their heads that he was once in Twilight (2008). News flash for you, your favourite Michael Keaton starred in a fair amount of shite before and after landing the role of Batman, a lot of it worse than Twilight. But sure, let's give him a pass.
Pattison was great in the role, with him being in the suit for the majority of the film. Out of all Batman movies, this is the longest you actually see Bruce Wayne being Batman. He is roughly only out of his suit for around 10 to 15% of the film. Unlike other Batman films, you also see his detective skills on full display for a change. He isn’t just the vigilante as shown in previous films.
Adding to the quality is the quality supporting cast, with the likes of Zoe Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright and especially Colin Farrell all making an impression. Farrell is near unrecognisable under a ton of prosthetics, but even then gives a nuanced performance unlike his contemporary Jared Leto who similarly was covered in prosthetics for House of Gucci (2021) but decided to act like he was doing Panto in the Glasgow Kings.
Banshees of Inisherin
Banshees of Inisherin marks the second Colin Farrell to make my list this year, but it couldn’t be further removed from The Batman, the only similarity being that Farrell is outstanding in both.
Anyone who has seen writer/director Martin McDonagh's earlier In Bruges (2008) will have a fair idea of what to expect, and although both share the same style of humour, Banshees of Inisherin is an altogether different beast with it being a perfectly realised study of depression and loneliness mixed with some shocking violence.
Like in Bruges, the film mainly focuses on the relationship between Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, with the two of them once again working wonderfully together. Some may be turned off by the absence of a real plot, with it essentially being based on the collapse of a long term friendship, the reasoning of which not being instantly evident.
Both the screen veteran’s are as good as they have ever been and are well deserving of any accolades that come their way. I’d include Barry Keoghan into any of these accolades as he gives a hilarious and ultimately heartwarming performance that really should have brought him some awards attention.
Some of the film could be viewed as allegorical, with McDonagh including metaphors to the Irish Civil War, but these aren’t the main point of the film. I also appreciated the ambiguity McDonagh brings to the material, with there even being a possible supernatural involvement with the inclusion of one character who may or may not be an actual Banshee.
Hunt
Fans of Squid Game (2021) will no doubt recognise Hunt leading man Lee Jung-jae. As well as starring Lee makes his directorial debut with the densely plotted Hunt, making an outstanding action thriller that is filled with such excellent performances, fantastic camera work and perfectly realised action scenes that it is hard to believe this is hirst first film behind the camera.
With its labyrinthine plot, the audience is kept in the dark for long periods of time with it never being fully clear where as a viewer your true allegiances should lie. As grey as the characters appear, the performers at least make them feel human and their actions understandable even if not relatable.
As great as his work is behind the lens, Lee Jung-jae is just as commanding in front of the camera. Any fan of his won’t find this surprising, but those only aware of him through Squid Game are in for a treat. He is more than matched by his long term friend Jung Woo-sung, who gives a suitably intense performance.
It would seem that Lee called in a lot of favours from his famous friends, with the film having several big name cameo’s peppered throughout, with the best of these being the awesome Hwang Jung-min. Although it doesn’t add a great deal to the plot, just their appearance ups the production value and puts Hunt above similar releases of 2022.
Top Gun: Maverick
It seemed like we had to wait forever for Top Gung: Maverick. I remember seeing the trailers for it way back in 2019, the same year it was meant to be released. Of course Covid-19 came and screwed up any chance of that happening, with it being a long wait until it was finally released in 2022.
To be honest, I wasn’t that excited about it. As much of a Tom Cruise fan as I am, I was much more looking forward to Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) than his return as Maverick.
It didn’t help that I'm not exactly the biggest fan of the original Top Gun (1986), with me personally thinking it’s one of director Tony Scott’s lesser features. Sure, it’s enjoyable but I wouldn’t put it up alongside the best of Scott’s work such as The Last Boy Scout (1991) and Man on Fire (2004).
Even with all this, I was still curious to see how Top Gun: Maverick would fare. Especially when it was being so well received by critics and audiences alike, with it quickly becoming the highest grossing film of Tom Cruise’s lengthy career. Surely there must be some merits within the film.
Of course, there was. As a film, Top Gun: Maverick more than surpassed my expectations, turning out to be one of my favourite films of the year and becoming quite an emotional experience due to the reappearance of Val Kilmer as “Iceman”.
The scene between Kilmer and Cruise almost brought a tear to my eye, with it not only forming an important part of the film's plot but also how it mirrors Kilmer’s own health battles. While this may be the only scene Kilmer appears in, it is one the most important parts of the film and gives the rest a real emotional punch that I wasn’t expecting.
This marks Cruise’s second film with director Joseph Kosinski after the underrated Oblivion (2013), but it more than surpasses his work there. As well as everyone giving noteworthy performances, the film is full of striking imagery. Parts of the film were even reminiscent of the works of Michael Mann, feeling as if he decided to direct a Hollywood blockbuster.
Top Gun: Maverick may not be the most original of films, but it still manages to be an emotionally exhilarating thrill ride, with some of the best looking arial action put on screen. The majority of the action comes in the third act, and as expected with Cruise is suitably dangerous looking, even if some of it is supported through the use of CGI.
Notable Mentions
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
To get the maximum amount of entertainment out of Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, you really have to be a fan of Nicolas Cage as well as being somewhat aware of his back catalogue of work. That isn’t to say you still can't enjoy the film, as it is still a hilarious comedy adventure with everyone bringing their A game.
Cage must be given credit for his willingness to send up his own image, playing an extremely fictional (or is it) version of himself. Struggling with his career, he takes a desperate offer from his agent to travel to Majorca to be the personal gusset of playboy millionaire Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal). Unbeknownst to Cage, Javi is actually an international drug lord, with Cage finding himself being coerced into working for the C.I.A.
Writer/Director Tom Gormican has terrific fun sending up Cage’s image, playing into the real life actor’s more extreme eccentricities. Cage has said this fictional version is far removed from how he is in real life, but honestly, I’m not convinced. Gormican includes many in-jokes that allude to some of Cage’s most popular movies, my personal favourite being the golden guns from Face/Off (1997) showing up in the films surprisingly well done action scenes.
Cage is more than matched by a scene stealing Pedro Pascal, who makes a suspected drug dealer lovable. The film essentially becomes a buddy movie between him and Cage, and I would like to see them team up again, maybe in their won buddy cop movie.
Amsterdam
I normally find director David O. Russell is very hit or miss. His name doesn’t exactly attract me to a film, mostly down to the fact that he’s a complete arsehole. Honestly I don’t know how this guy is still able to work in Hollywood considering everything that is known about him. Being confrontational with cat members is one thing but admitting to sexual misconduct against your own niece is another.
Still, on occasion O. Russell’s films have managed to impress me, with such films as Three Kings (1999) and The Fighter (2010) being fantastic movies. You can add Amsterdam to this list, with this being one of his most enjoyable films. Maybe I look for different things in a film, as it would seem that Amsterdam is one of O. Russell’s films that wasn’t as well received critically.
I do agree with some of their criticisms such as the plot being overly busy. Yes, this is true, but at the same time it is never boring, with it being loosely based on the Business Plot, a 1933 political conspiracy in the US, with three friends played by Christian Bale, John David Washington and Margot Robbie discovering this conspiracy when investigating the death of their friend, a retired US general.
It's no surprise that Bale is terrific as one of the leads, with him once again going through a physical transformation. Actually, most of the cast go through something of a transformation, with them looking different than their everyday selves. It would seem that O. Russell took pleasure in making normally handsome men look physically damaged, with many of their faces scarred or some other physical deformity. This is especially true of a near unrecognisable Timothy Olyphant. I can guarantee that my mum wouldn’t have been getting all hot and bothered by this version of the usual handsome actor.
Amsterdam has reportedly lost upwards of $97 million, which may get David O. Russell worried. You only seem to get away with his kind of behaviour in Hollywood when you're making the studios money, something he clearly isn’t. I bet he’s shitting himself.
Violent Night
Being something of a Scrooge, Christmas films aren’t really my thing. It’s telling that my favourite Christmas films are the likes of Gremlins (1984) and Die Hard (1988), both films that don’t exactly promote the true meaning of Christmas.
Perhaps this is the reason I enjoyed Violent Night so much, as it’s essentially a fantastical take on Die Hard, with David Harbour’s Santa taking the place of Bruce Willi’ John McClane. I could easily see viewing this film every Christmas becoming a tradition, with Violent Night being one of the better action films of 2022. Director Tommy Wirkola does wonders with a limited budget, filling the film with wonderfully violent action, with several beautifully choreographed fight scenes peppered throughout. It amazes me that Wirkola was able to make such an accomplished film on a reported $15 million budget, where directors can so easily fuck up films with ten times the budget at their disposal.
Stranger Things (2016) fans won’t be surprised to learn that David Harbour is fantastic in the lead role, with him relishing the chance to play Santa in his signature style. It is especially refreshing to see an action hero who isn’t exactly at the peak of physical fitness, something that is hilariously built into the action. As much of a pain in the arse he continues to be on Social Media and the like, John Leguizamo still makes for a worthwhile villain, with him being joined by a roster of memorable henchmen who are taken out in considerably violent style.
Bullet Train
Bullet Train was just another in a list of quality action films to come from director David Leitch. Although he has only directed a handful of movies, each of them have their own merits and prove he is one of the best action directors currently working in Hollywood.
It is true that some of his films are more comedic than others, with Bullet Train having a stronger focus on humour than something like Atomic Blonde (2017) but one thing all of his films have in common is that they are full of well executed action scenes.
Bullet train doesn’t reach the same level of quality as Atomic Blonde, which I personally feel is his most accomplished work to date as a director. However, Leitch doesn’t lazily churn this one out, with Bullet Train’s blend of violently choreographed action and its surplus of humour making it one of the most enjoyable action films of the year. The closest comparison to other Leitch films would probably be Deadpool 2 (2018), which Bullet Train shares many similarities to.
Whilst Brad Pitt is front and centre on the promotional material, Bullet Train was more of an ensemble piece, with everyone getting their own fair share of screen time. Although Brad Pitt is clearly important to the plot, Aaron Taylor Johnson and Bryan Tyree Henry steal the show as assassin brothers, with Henry having a particularly hilarious obsession with Thomas the Tank Engine.
With a supporting cast filled with such heavyweights as Hiroyuki Sanada and Michael Shannon as well as a handful of cheer worthy cameo’s, Bullet Train is a hard film not to enjoy, although I’m sure there are loads of miserable bastards out there who will try.
Death on the Nile
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this new take of Death on the Nile. The John Guillermin version of Death on the Nile (1978) is one of my favourite films of all time. I know that it isn’t perfect, but with its mixture of stunning scenery, fun performances and a fair amount of nostalgia, it’s a hard film to beat.
I had enjoyed Kenneth Branagh’s earlier Hercule Poirot mystery Murder on the Orient Express (2017), so I was at least interested to see what Branagh would bring to his own take on this tale. Branagh does enough here to make this version seem fresh, with there being some changes to the plot although not as painfully as obtrusive as the BBC’s take on the ABC Murders (2018) which was just offensive.
Branagh does as well in front of the camera as he does behind it. His performance wont erase the image of Peter Ustinov or more importantly, David Suchet, arguably the finest take on the character, but he does enough to make his take on the character to stand out. His version of Porot is more sympathetic and emotional than how he is normally portrayed.
Like Guillermin’s version, the film is beautiful to look at, with the costumes and location work clearly showing where the budget was spent. even if it is evident that the quality of some of the locations are due to the assistance of some well placed CGI.
As most Agatha Christie mysteries, the roster of supporting characters are what makes her tales interesting. Death on the Nile is filled with a quality supporting cast, with the likes of Tom Bateman, Annette Bening, Gal Gadot and Emma Mackey all impressing. Even celebrity cannibal Armie Hammer makes for a suitably charming suspect.
Most Disappointing
Halloween Ends
It took 4 writers to come up with this nonsense. I would assume they'd never seen a Halloween film if it wasn't for the fact they worked on the last ones. You have the leads acting totally out of character just to fit round the plot, most of which is stolen from a handful of better horror films.
Mixed with a ton of cliché driven dialogue you have some surprisingly poor performances. For some inexplicable reason the filmmakers also decided to focus the majority of the film on a new character, because that's what the fans want. Fuck seeing fan favourites, no I want to know more about the uncharismatic geeky kid that has plot point written all over him.
Well done to David Gordon Green for making the worst film of the Halloween franchise, and that's saying something. Busta Rhymes and his Kung Fu ain't got shit on this.
Not only is it the worst of the franchise, it's probably the worst film of the year. I thought Halloween Kills (2021) was a low point, but at least it had some good parts. This has nothing. Well it does have one good part. Unfortunately it's a scene from Hard Target (1993). Honestly that 5 second clip was more entertaining than the rest of the film.
Following on from this, David Gordon Green is tackling a sequel to the Exorcist (1973). But not just one. Like this pish, he's making a trilogy. Which by the time he gets to the third part will be so devoid of ideas that it will not even resemble the original.
Hellraiser
Before I viewed the Hellraiser reboot, I had been hearing generally good reviews and word of mouth about it. I should have gone with my gut instincts and took them with a pinch of salt. Some even mentioned that the film was easily on par with the original. I don't know what film they were watching, but it certainly wasn’t the same one I had to force myself through. This new entry to the franchise in fact was worse than some of the franchise's poorest entries which is no mean feat.
Like most modern horror, Hellraiser was filled with characters that are complete arseholes, with you finding yourself counting down the time until their hopeful demise. Out of the roster of cast members you can’t wait to be killed, only the reliable Goran Visnjic makes an impression and even he is sadly wasted in a nothing role that is well beneath him.
The only plus point I can really say was that it had some decent gore effects but a Hellraiser film shouldn't be on for 2 hours. Especially when nothing happens for the first half of its run time.
Black Panther Wakanda Forever
To be honest, I had a strong feeling that I would be disappointed by Black Panther: Wakanda Forever before even viewing the film. Even so, I went in with an open mind, willing and hoping to be proven wrong. Ultimately, this is probably the most disappointed I've been with an MCU film, even more than Eternals (2021) and Black Widow (2021). If anything, I haven't judged them so harshly since viewing Wakanda Forever.
Director Ryan Coogler should be given some slack as it was an impossible position he was placed in, not only having to deal with the death of his friend and colleague, but somehow find a way to continue the franchise. While it is admirable that he chose to honour the life of Chadwick Boseman throughout the film, how he decided to carry the franchise forward leaves a lot to be desired.
Personally, I think the role of T'challa should have been recast, rather than killing him off screen. To me, this is more of a dishonour to the character than what ended up making it to the screen. Some may disagree, but honestly, you can’t tell me that Letitia Wright is a suitable replacement for Boseman, with the Shuri character being strangely unlikeable throughout the majority of the film, the polar opposite of how she was portrayed previously. Sure, she is dealing with the death of her brother, but for most of her screen time she acts like a complete arsehole.
Outside of the performances it didn’t help that the main plot of the film was a slog, with uninspiring action that was so poorly filmed in some scenes that it made it almost impossible to see what was going on.
Wakanda Forever just left me feeling cold, not creating anything in the way of an emotional response, which I found surprising considering the subject matter. I look with interest to see how Marvel plans to use Black Panther moving forward and if the character can recover from the damage that has been done with this supposed blockbuster.
Uncharted
Sony had the makings of a worthwhile adventure series with Uncharted. They already had a critically acclaimed game series as its foundation, so most of the ground work was done. As expected by Hollywood execs, being faithful to the source material would be too easy, instead Sony done their hardest to fuck things up. Forget about that faithful fan base that made the franchise successful, instead let's pander to a bunch of wallopers, a bunch who aren’t even interested in an Uncharted film.
The complete lack of interest in making a worthy film to go alongside the game franchise is evident from the get go. Casting Tom Holland as Nathan Drake was the first sign. While Holland can be great in the right role, Hollywood’s decision to try and shoehorn him into any available role is ridiculous. Even as miscast as Holland is, at least he tries his best with the role and brings a level of much needed physicality.
The miscasting follows with Mark Wahlberg’s Sully. I don’t know who’s decision it was to totally fuck over this character, but it makes me wonder what drugs the studio execs were taking as Wahlberg couldn’t be any further removed from the source if he tried. I am a big fan of Wahlberg, but he shouldn’t have been cast. If anything he would have been better as Drake, a role he was meant to have played about a decade before. There isn’t anything in the film that Wahlberg would have been incapable of doing, even if he is now getting on in years.
I know director Ruben Fleischer has his fans, which is mostly down to him directing the overrated Zombieland (2009). After his lacklustre work on Venom (2018) and Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) it amazes me that he is still getting hired for such high profile work. Saying this, his films still make money as there is a world of people out there who don’t mind mediocre shite like Uncharted, and don’t care how much it strays from the source material.
The Lair
I was somewhat apprehensive going into The Lair, mostly due to the fact that director Neil Marshall's recent output has been frankly shite.
This is mostly to do with his inexplicable decision to only work with his girlfriend Charlotte Kirk. Now this would be okay if the results were good, but going by this and The Reckoning (2020), he really needs to think about what he’s doing.
Clearly Marshall is going through a midlife crisis, willing to derail his career for his girlfriend, who is 22 years his junior. What's more incomprehensible is when looking Kirk up and see the scandal's she is involved in, and you wonder, Neill what the fuck are you thinking.
This trek into Marshall's world of horror was slightly more bearable than his last couple of movies, although that wouldn’t be hard. That isn't to say The Lair was good, but there were at least some effective parts of the film.
The practical effects work was appreciated and somewhat makes up for the awful digital gunfire that is used in the action scenes. The Creatures look good even if it does look like they are an updated monster from the Rutger Hauer film Split Second (a superior film to this in every way).
Kirk's acting didn’t stand out as poorly as in The Reckoning, but that's mostly because everyone was giving a poor performance, even normally reliable cast members like Jamie Bamber.
At this point, I really can't see Marshall getting back into A movies, especially churning out stuff like this. Maybe after the inevitable break up between him and Kirk (only a matter of time) he might be able to drag together the remnants of his once promising career.
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