FILM: Star Wars - The Rise Of Skywalker (dir: JJ Abrams, 2019)

"Some things are stronger than blood."

Thank you, JJ - this final ninth chapter in the 42-year-long cinematic saga puts the series firmly back on track after a slight faltering with the erratic The Last Jedi and ably sends off the series.  It delivers fan-service in spades - and let's face it, that is exactly what the fans who have been there from the beginning deserve.  Rounding off the saga independently of Lucas's original vision for the nine films, interestingly this entry returns the strength of  narrative of A New Hope by using classic motifs and structures in the strongest way since perhaps that 1977 first film and probably also feeling most akin to those 1930s serials since then as well.  It hits the ground running, with an opening crawl that clearly sets out this movie's stall and a breathless rush of scenes that demand the viewer's attention, but its length also allows moments to breathe.  It holds a couple of surprises, a couple of breath-intaking moments, truly stunning visuals and one of John Williams' best scores, with plenty of throwbacks to previous films and characters that please, and - a rarity in moden blockbuster cinema - a proper ending.  Although the incorporation of previously-filmed scenes with the great Carrie Fisher to give real closure and emotional impactfulness is nothing short of miraculous, this is the new trilogy characters' last gasp, with Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley giving terrific performances in particular and, by avoiding the penultimate film's mis-step of keeping the core characters apart for the most part, The Rise Of Skywalker is so much more enjoyable with the return to the 'gang on a mission' vibe.  So, as nine films come full circle, we bid a fond farewell to this incarnation of the Star Wars universe after all this time - and what a great way to end.

VOD: Hell Fest (dir: Gregory Plotkin, 2018)

"Seriously, it's not funny!"

Hell Fest does pretty much everything expected and does it reasonably well, as a masked killer stalks and slashes his way through a group of friends visiting a horror-themed park event.  It is an unashamed throwback to the late 70s and early 80s horror movies but in a contemporary setting (where even mobile phones are actually used effectively as part of the narrative), with an ending that holds absolutely no surprises and is completely true to conventions but is handled well.  There are a couple of surprisingly strong on-screen gore gags to be found here, the cast is at best adequate and Idiot Plot runs riot, but if you are in the mood for an old-school horror that generally delivers without cynicism or surprises, Hell Fest will entertain reasonably.

VOD: Boy Erased (dir: Joel Edgerton, 2019)

"You say that you're angry, but, quite frankly, I don't really see it."

Based on a biography about a young man going through gay-conversion therapy, the touchstone for this type of family drama again goes back to Redford's Ordinary People - beautifully shot, very carefully and deliberately directed, terrific performances but with an overall feel of clinical dissection rather than depth of emotion.  Lucas Hedges again knocks it out of the park and proves to be an exceptionally capable young actor in the lead role, Nicole Kidman does great character work with a mother role that does not feel fully written, and Russell Crowe gives a nuanced performance in limited screen time as the initially stereotypical pastor father character whose conflicts play well towards the end of the film.  This is a well-made and well-played film but it is quite unsubtle in its messages and is hard to engage with emotionally.

VOD: John Wick Chapter 3 Parabellum (dir: Chad Stahelski, 2019)

"Consequences."
"Yeah...consequences...."

If you enjoyed the first two John Wick movies and action movies in general, the third entry will delight.  Picking up where Chapter 2 left off, Wick now has a (growing) bounty on his head, creating almost a two-hour-plus chase movie, with only a minor picturesque desert-set detour sag in the middle, but also with plenty of character and story moments that make this a cut well above a standard actioner.  The mythos is simple and effortlessly employed again here, creating its own little almost-believable world.  Of the set pieces themselves, Stahelski continues to push the bar in breathtaking fashion, and particular excels in staging fights in confined settings, my favourite being a museum corridor in which Wick and opponents basically end up flinging knives at each other with reckless abandon.  The film has enough humour, tension and seriousness to give it weight and some levity, Halle Berry makes a welcome addition doing what she does best and more, and just when you think you are in action heaven, along come the legendary Mark Dacascos for a barnstorming final smackdown.  There is a very clear set-up for another instalment, which would be very welcome if it can maintain the high standard of the three films so far.

VOD: The Secret Of Marrowbone (dir: Sergio G. Sanchez, 2018)

"Our story begins here."

Boosted by its retro-rural setting, The Secret Of Marrowbone offers little more than a standard creaky old ghost story, taken very seriously.  The actual 'secret' or twist is painfully easily to work out very early on, especially if you have seen any recent ghost movies that use a similar narrative trope.  George MacKay shines in the lead role as the older brother looking after his siblings in the isolated house and is engaging to watch as his situation unravels, but there is little else of note here.

FILM: Spider-Man Far From Home (dir: Jon Watts, 2019)

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF MY BLOG!

REVIEW No. 1,000!

"This is so much fun!"

Whereas Avengers Endgame would have ended the MCU's Phase Three on a reflective and sombre note, instead Marvel opted for this Spider-Man sequel, which is a far more optimistic, bright , breezy and fun movie.  Again, Tom Holland's infectious glee and energy leaps out of the screen, together with the occasional emotional moment (mostly tied in to Endgame) that he can handle with ease and sincerity.  The Europe-hopping story is enjoyable and visually entertaining, and Giacchino's knowing score is terrific in combination with a delightful retro-styled blast of continental pop hits. The rest of the cast also delivers - Jackson, Gyllenhaal, Zendaya, Tomei and Favreau are all excellent value here - and Jon Watts directs with even more zip and flair than in  Homecoming.  In spite of the new locations, Far From Home still feels comfortably Marvel, and it shows that there is still life in the movie brand yet.  With Spider-Man out of the MCU and back to Sony for the foreseeable future, it will be interesting to see if - and how - well - Sony runs with the interesting end-point of this absolutely enjoyable blast of entertainment.

DVD: Avengers Endgame (dirs: Joe and Anthony Russo, 2019)

"Let's go get this son of a bitch!"

Not one for casual filmgoers, if you have not seen the last decade's worth of Marvel movies then Endgame will make little sense.  However, it is not by accident that this film has become the biggest box-office champion of all time (at time of writing), with its incredible scale of story and action, superlative effects and closure for the original core Avengers team.  For the fans, the ramifications of the genuinely shocking ending of Infinity War are dealt with maturely and surprisingly sensitively, the emotional beats really have impact throughout the film, and the re-building of the team over the course of the film is skilfully handled, with a huge and apt finale that is both rousing and convincing.   It will be interesting to see how audiences respond to the next wave of characters to be introduced, but for now Marvel is to be applauded for its achievement, ambition and quality over the series of mostly-linked and very entertaining films.

FILM: IT Chapter Two 4DX (dir: Andy Muschietti, 2019)

"I hope it's a puppy…"

Put into production quickly after the huge success of the 2017 adaptation of the first half of Stephen King's novel, this film is very much a Part Two of two, and it complements the first film extremely well.  A lot of what was so right about the first part still applies, in particular Muschietti's impressive control of what is presented on screen.  The adult cast is simply terrific, both as individuals and as an ensemble, and there are some great scenes where the older cast interact with their younger versions.  A marked difference from the very start is the harsher tone and adult themes, with a darker feel, and the lengthy running time allows the adult characters to be established properly and to breathe.  Minor niggles would be that the nightmarish visions look somewhat generic, and deliberately evoke the Elm Street films, and the ending is little more than a bigger budget version of the first film' ending (although it looks considerably better than the TV movie's finale!), but It Chapter Two is still superior horror film-making, it delivers the goods, and King/horror fans can have fun spotting the references (some blatant, some subtle).  With rumours of a 'super cut' of both movies together a possibility, that would offer a great way to see this incarnation of the whole story.

VOD: Can You Ever Forgive Me? (dir: Marielle Heller, 2019)

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"Jack, this was not unpleasant."

The story of literary forger Lee Israel here plays like an anti-Woody Allen in its bitter-sweet portrayal of the New York artistic community, but still set against a filmic backdrop of the city.   The script is intelligent, the direction is carefully controlled and the tone is wonderfully sombre.  It is always a pleasure to see Melissa McCarthy swap broad-strokes comedy for understated finely-detailed dramatic performance, and her pairing with Richard E. Grant as her partner-in-crime here works superbly.  This is not a showy or attention-grabbing film, but it is engaging and pleasingly presented.

VOD: One Cut Of The Dead (dir: Shin'ichirô Ueda, 2019)

"This is a TV show, not art!"

This horror festival favourite is a classic case of patience being rewarded, with the entire third act being a huge pay-off  that is great fun.  The first half-hour is what appears to be a particularly bad one-take micro-budget zombie TV show, but then we veer off into what turns out to be an enthusiastically cheeky take on Truffaut's La Nuit Americaine (Day For Night) filtered through cheap Japanese zombie-horror that not only puts that first act in a whole new context but also serves as a love-letter to film-making.  It is far from perfect, and the seemingly 'bad' bits can be a chore to sit through, but it is clearly a labour of love and all is forgiven for the smart and hugely enjoyable final half-hour.