KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD
Warner Bros.
2017 color
126 Mins.
Fantasy/ Action
Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law, Annabelle Wallis, Djimon Honsou and Eric Bana star.
Written and Directed by Guy Ritchie
Rated PG-13 for language, violence and adult themes.
I was lucky enough to catch an advance screening of King Arthur the other night. You may be asking yourself why this review would even appear on a horror blog. But there is without a doubt a lot of horror themes running throughout this gargantuan production. Surprisingly enough this new version of the mythology approaches the material from a darker fantasy angle than any which have proceeded it. The movie starts out with an epic FX heavy battle sequence featuring gigantic, mysterious creatures and lots of magic. Soon after Arthur's parents are murdered and he escapes. Only a young boy he is taken in by a bunch of young women working in a brothel. We see him grow up through a bunch of quick cut flashbacks done in the purest Guy Ritchie style. Of course when reaching his peak he becomes a continuously shirtless, ruggedly charming Charlie Hunnam.
Acting as a sort of security for the household with a group of charismatic friends. Meanwhile the kingdom is being searched when a stone with an immovable sword appears. And I'm sure you can guess what happens from there. There are the expected events such as the pulling of the sword, Guinevere, whose a mage trained by Merlin this time around and a final epic battle.
What you don't expect is some gnarly supernatural creatures, a bunch of cool magic and a very unique take on the material that's never been seen before. The movie is also surprisingly funny and creatively executed. Those expecting a standard issue historical take on the legend will be sadly disappointed. This has more in common with Mortal Kombat than Braveheart. The movie is excessively energetic and confidently entertaining but does feel a bit chaotic at times.
Because of this chaos it's hard to forge any type of emotional connection to the characters or story. It all feels very flashy and awe inspiring. And although there seems to be substance here as well a ton of very cool ideas it all feels like so much and yet doesn't have the girth you would think. As we move towards it's explosive finale it becomes a bit too CGI heavy, that being said it truly is a sight to be seen.
I only wish they would have gone for that R rating so the violence would be a bit more graphic and the gore more apparent. Also although the cinematography is pretty impressive I do wish they pulled back and slowed down to show some of the battle sequences instead of the quick zooms and cuts that left me a little confused at times. And once you buy into the cinematic universe they create it's one hell of a good time. Filled with insane action set pieces a very hunky and likable Hunnam and awe inspiring visuals this "Arthur"leaves quite an inspired impression.
And speaking of those genre bloodlines there's everything from nasty sea creatures to giant snakes and an insanely creepy and hellish Video Game style villain. Enjoy!***.5/5
COLOSSAL
Toy Fight/Bright light
2017 Color
110 Mins.
Horror/Comedy
Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudekis, Austin Stonewall and Tim Blake Nelson star.
Written and Directed by Nacho Vigalondo
Rated R for language, violence and adult themes.
Although technically not a horror film, not a comedy and not a sci-fi film. Colossal is very much a unique and much needed representation of the tired genre. The film centers on a washed up, alcoholic, party girl who returns to her home town after her boyfriend (Dan Stevens-currently the Beast in Disney's Beauty and the Beast and the sexy mofo from The Guest) breaks up with her. Aimless she runs into an old friend who now owns his father's bar played by the talented Jason Sudekis. Coinciding almost immediately with her arrival a Kaiju monster attacks Seoul, Korea. As the movie moves along she discovers that if she enters a certain patch of land at a certain time the monster will appear halfway across the world and mimic anything she does. We also discover that Jason Sudekis, when walking into the same patch of land becomes a Giant Robot as well. I know most of you are probably rolling your eyes but it's all pretty awesome. She of course becomes very aware of the consequences of her actions and Sudekis begins to abuse his newfound power challenging her. It all culminates to a really unique, impressive, unexpected showdown. There are so many things to love about this movie but let's start off with the performances. Both Hathaway and Sudekis are fantastic. It's her best and most likable role in the last few years she gives Gloria a depth of emotion and desperation and still manages to be quite funny.
Sudekis on the other hand is so likable for the film's first half before transforming believably into a sociopathic monster of sorts. Writer/ Director Vigalondo smartly ushers the proceedings with a comedic edge. And even when the film gets really dark it still remains entertaining and relatable. And it's no secret when it comes to the films subtext, symbolism and message. Gloria's actions regarding her life and it's direction have consequences not just for her but all the others around her. The Kaiju portion of the film I don't think should be taken at face value it's symbolic of the destruction someone can do when not paying attention to how it affects others. It's a profound statement delivered in a warped, gargantuan, cinematic way. Colossal of course isn't perfect it could have used a bit more comedy and a bigger finale but in the end it all feels very appropriate. For those reasons it won't branch out to the mainstream audience but it's a remarkable little gem nonetheless and a welcome return for Hathaway as well as a career changer for funny man Sudekis. ****.25/5
THE VOID
Cave/JoBro
2017 Color
90 Mins.
Horror/Sci-Fi
Aaron Poole, Kenneth Welsch, Daniel Fathers and Kathleen Munroe star.
Written and Directed by Jeremy Gillesepie and Steve Konstanski
N/R contains language, violence and gore.
Wow this movie arrived on a tremendous amount of hype within the genre community. So there's absolutely no way that it wouldn't be at least a little disappointing, and it is. Not to say it's not a solid throwback to the practical effects driven creep flicks of yesteryear, but it's just lacking the heart those classics possess. Centering on a group of mostly strangers who find themselves gathered at a run down hospital as they encounter a strange cult and some otherworld dimensional nasties. I really think the hype is what brought me down a few pegs for this one. But let me pull it a part a little for you. First up the performances and characters, all though the leads are pretty good their characters could have been drawn better. Giving them more depth and charisma. The supporting players are all pretty forgettable including the hellraiser esque villain.
The direction and writing is unique in parts and feels confident at times but the film does feel like it was thrown together a bit as they were making it. The pacing and the flow could have used some work and the film never really feels as scary or urgent as it should. The main attraction here are the practical effects which are quite fun and impressive but don't come anywhere near the works of films like The Thing and Slither to name a few. The film is fun and culminates to a unique if underwhelming finale. Conceptually it seems more vast and creative than it's execution and there's no hiding that there's real talent here. Some of the film's twists are quite surprising but it all feels very limited by it's budgetary constraints. Hopefully it does well and we can get a bigger sequel to really cement what they can do with all of this. Definitely worth a watch but don't believe the hype although fun it leaves much to be desired which is oddly representative of the title. ***.25/5
PHOENIX FORGOTTEN
Cinelou/ Scott free
2017 Color
87 Mins.
Sci-Fi/Thriller
Florence Hartigan, Luke Spencer Roberts, Chelsea Lopez, Justin Matthews and Matt Biedel star.
Written and Directed by Justin Barber
Rated PG-13 for adult themes
The Found Footage subgenre has without a doubt been done to the death. But as it neared it's ending a few years ago it began to deliver a lot more than it usually does for better or worse. So it's an odd thing that this film would even hit theaters this weekend. Sure it's a quiet release with a new studio backing it,a combination which has generated some unique experiences in the past such as Blair Witch and House of 1000 Corpses. I mean it just feels like there has to be something special about it if they are putting their asses out there. Well I'm here to tell you, that there's just not. I didn't really have any expectations walking into this thing after it not being screened for critics and the audience reviews landing on the mediocre end but wow there is just really nothing here. It's one of those movies where literally everything is in the trailers. Now it's not the worst movie. They do build a believable atmosphere even if it never generates any real tension. The movie centers on three teens who went missing after they investigated the Phoenix Lights events in the late 90's. The movie doesn't really offer any new insight to the material or the genre. And speaking as someone who is terrified of realistic Alien flicks like The Fourth Kind, Dark Skies and hell even Alien Abduction to an extent I just found myself slightly interested but most underwhelmed and even a little bored by the events unrolling before my eyes. As always they try and develop relationships between the characters and they do for the most part. But there's just not enough depth so that you really know or care about any of the kids. The proceedings also lack a sense of urgency so important in movies like these. At the end of day It's all overly mediocre and although I try and not participate in the usual stereotypes with films like these I will have to say that it does feel very much like a cheaper rip off of the Blair Witch project and despite not being awful it's just not worth anyone's time. Phoenix Forgettable would have been a more appropriate title. **/5
