Insidious: Chapter 2

Pumping out two movies in one year is no mean feat for a director but James Wan has somehow managed it. Following the critical and commercial success of The Conjuring earlier this year, we are now being treated to a follow up to his 2011 horror, Insidious. The first Insidious was genuinely creepy with some memorable scares, great performances and an original plot involving astral projection.

Having saved his son from the spirit world at the end of the first movie, Josh (Patrick Wilson) has returned but has seemingly brought something back with him and his family continues to be haunted by a malevolent presence. Wilson delivers a fantastically twitchy performance, reminiscent of Jack Nicholson in the Shining, getting more and more aggressive as it becomes clear he is not quite himself.

Despite being a sequel to a horror film, Insidious: Chapter 2 eschews the typical jump scares for a supernatural mystery style. The mysterious old lady in black from the first Insidious serves as the main antagonist this time around, her motives and past providing the drive for the narrative. There are a few scary moments but these are few and far between, none of which recall the bone chilling moments of the first film. Fans of the first and horror fans in general are likely to be frustrated and disappointed by the lack of actual horror. Those wanting to be scared will be slightly confused by odd change in tone, especially given the number of comedic scenes in the sequel. While they are mostly funny, some fall flat and it creates some awkward shifts in tone, sometimes during tense scenes.

Visually this film feels less polished than the first Insidious, the fantastic lighting and cinematography missing this time around and replaced by an oddly low budget look. The scenes set in the spirit realm were enveloped in pitch black in the first film, creating a unique atmosphere and tension, but it seems brighter and less daunting this time around. Make up and costumes seem cheaper and less frightening. The clever camera work and editing Wan used in The Conjuring is also missing here.

However, for a horror film that isn’t scary and has so many other shortcomings, Insidious: Chapter 2 still manages to be very entertaining. While most horror sequels amount to nothing more than rehashes of the first film with different characters, this feels like a genuine continuation and a step in a different direction. The characters that were developed so well in the first film are able to deal with the consequence of what has happened and are presented with a very different challenge. The horror and tension doesn’t come from ghosts, but from an increasingly unstable husband.  There are some grace notes to horror classics, most notable Psycho. The mystery is presented in a pleasingly non-linear fashion, as the plot device of astral projection is extended to time travel and multiple plot threads converge to a tense climax. What results is a mixed bag of tongue in cheek comedy and few scares, but an undoubtedly original and interesting storyline.

Is it scary? No. Is it goofy? Yes. Is it fun? Absolutely. 

 If you like this try: Ghostbusters II (1989), Evil Dead II (1987)

Man of Steel

Superman has always been a tough nut to crack. How do you make a man who is indestructible, who’s not even a man, relatable? How do you make a character that has been around since the 30s relevant to a modern audience? The title, Man of Steel, gives a clue as to this movies approach. Ditch the Super, focus on the Man. Having successfully utilised this approach with the 2005 film Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan produces this film, with a script penned by his partner in crime on the Dark Knight movies David Goyer. Directing duty is taken up by Zack Snyder who has brought has films like 300, Watchmen and the much less enjoyable Sucker Punch. Often praised for his fleet handling of action scenes but criticised for his poor handling of character, (Nolan often being praised for the strength of his characters but seen to struggle directing action) the studio was obviously hoping to combine the strengths of both.

Man of Steel opens big; the lengthy first act is set on Superman’s doomed home planet, Krypton. We are introduced to the hero’s biological parents; Russell Crowe gives a fantastic performance as his father Jor-El. Also introduced is the villain of the piece Zod, played with an understated menace by Michael Shannon, as well as a whole host of other Kryptonians and an impressive array of technology. This part of the film is probably the most original and visually arresting with some fantastic visuals and action. There’s a brilliant fight, a robotic butler, an ancient council of elders, an attempted coup and Russell Crowe riding a giant dragonfly. What’s not to enjoy?

The next part feels very reminiscent of Batman Begins as we see a bearded Clark Kent roaming around as a drifter and are treated to flashbacks from his younger years. This part of the film is simultaneously its strongest and weakest. The adult Clark, searching for answers about his heritage is fairly uninteresting. The story moves ahead slowly and there’s nothing to help us connect to him. A big part of this is down to Henry Cavill’s performance, who seems to be unable to portray anything other than anger convincingly. The dialogue is similarly wooden and big moments like the introduction of Lois Lane, her first meeting with Clark, Clark learning of his roots and the reveal of the iconic costume all feel rushed and lack any emotional impact. Where this section does shine is in the flashbacks. This is helped is no small way by fantastic performances from Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as Martha and Jonathan Kent, Clark’s adoptive parents. There are some fantastic moments, including Martha consoling a young teary eyed Clark, and Jonathan urging Clark to keep his gifts hidden from the world. This is where Man of Steel shines.

The final part of the movie is a similarly mixed bag. The reintroduction of Zod and his followers as the protagonists is handled well and the threat the Kryptonians pose feels menacing and ominous, their giant ship looming over Metropolis as Zod delivers a chilling ultimatum to the people of Earth. This is shown best in a super powered brawl in Smallville, where Superman gets his ass handed to him by Zod’s right hand woman Faora (Antje Traue who also kicked all kinds of ass in Pandorum). It’s a shame then the movie gets other things wrong, most notably the relationship between Clark and Lois which feels awkward and forced, despite Amy Adam’s best efforts as Lois. Her Lois feels flat and this is not down to her acting, rather some poor dialogue and handling of the character. Other characters suffer too, such as Perry White (Laurence Fishburne) and most of the other characters end up being forgettable. The finale is an unoriginal CGI fest, culminating in a drawn out slug fest between Superman and Zod.

While action packed and visually impressive, Man of Steel lacks originality and a sense of humour. You’ll be entertained, but there’s not enough character development for you to really invest. Lacking the warmth that made the original Superman movies so beloved, fans and general viewers are likely to leave Man of Steel feeling cold.

Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3 blasts onto the screen to the sounds of cheesy pop hit Blue (Da Ba Dee). You know this is gonna be fun. Shane Black, whose last work with Robert Downey Jr. Brought us the brilliant Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, takes over directing duty from Jon Favreau. Thankfully he brings his humour, creativity and talent for subverting genre clichés to Iron Man 3. This is the first of Marvel’s ‘Phase Two’ movies, in the wake of the wildly successful team-up movie, The Avengers. Next on the cards is Thor 2 this year and Captain America 2 next year, building towards The Avengers 2 which should be released by 2015. The challenge of making and Iron Man movie in a post Avengers world are met with enthusiasm by Black, opting for an admirably scaled down and more personal story. What we get is the simultaneously darkest and funniest Iron Man outing and easily the best of his solo movies.

This time around, Tony is plagued by insomnia, bad dreams and anxiety attacks after his experience with ‘Gods, aliens and other dimensions’ in the Avengers and has been obsessively building new suits. The most prominent of these is the Mark 42, which can attach itself him piece-by-piece and can be remote controlled by thought.  New threats arrive in the shape of terrorist leader The Mandarin, an army of genetically modified super soldiers and the man who created them, Aldrich Killian.

Robert Downey Jr. has always been excellent as Tony Stark movies and Iron Man 3 does more with the character than any other movie has so far. Gone is his brash bravado as we see him vulnerable and afraid for the first time. We finally get to see him tested and pushed and to see a quieter, more likable side to him (his arrogance while his defining characteristic could get grating at times). For a large part of the film, he has to manage without his armour or high tech gadgets and the stakes are more personal and far tenser. That’s not to say this movie resorts to naval gazing, as there’s plenty of fun and humour, delivered mainly through one liners and Tony’s back and forth exchanges with Rhodes. The scenes with the two of them together will delight any fans of the buddy cop humour of the Lethal Weapon movies (which Black wrote). There is also a bucketful of creative actions scenes which more than deliver the required adrenaline expected in a film like this. The most impressive of these is the ‘Barrel of Monkeys’ sequence involving Iron Man saving people falling from a plane, done impressively by a stunt skydiving team rather than CGI. Gwyneth Paltrow has far more to do as Pepper Potts in this film as does Don Cheadle as Rhodes and both are solid in their roles. Ben Kingsley is the stand out of the cast, with a fantastic performance as the super villain, The Mandarin. The movie makes a smart decision on how to handle the character and his chameleonic acting goes hand in hand with his mischievous character development.

Like our hero, the movie has its flaws. The biggest of these is the pacing, as the films sometimes lingers on scenes that are unimportant and frustratingly speeds through scenes which are vital to the story. This leads to the movie sagging in parts, particularly the second act which also includes an annoying child character. It also leads to some characters feeling underdeveloped and motivations left  unclear. This is particularly the case with Guy Pearce’s character, Aldrich Killian, and Maya Hansen played by Rebecca Hall, both of whom are incredibly important to the story. The super powered henchmen get no character development at all. The third act is quite rushed, evidenced in the late inclusion of the Vice President, who again is important to the story but barely talked about.

Overall though, the flaws aren’t enough to detract from the great fun that’s to be had here. While people who weren’t fans of the previous Iron Man movies are unlikely to be swayed, there’s plenty of humour, action and drama to keep fans entertained and it will surely go down as the best Iron Man movie. If this is the last solo outing for the ol’ shellhead, then it’s a fitting ending.

If you like this try: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), Lethal Weapon (1987)

Les Miserables (2013)

Tom Hooper made a name for himself with lavish historical drama The King’s Speech and continues with this emotionally charged adaptation of the stage musical inspired by Victor Hugo’s historical novel, Les Miserables. The story centres on Jean Valjean, (Hugh Jackman sporting mutton chops that would make Wolverine jealous), an ex-con who is pursued relentlessly police official Javert (Russell Crowe) after skipping parole. He is joined by a host of other miserable characters, most notably Fantine (Anne Hathaway) and Cosette (Amanda Seyfried). The story, which spans 17 years, is played out against the backdrop of the French Revolution and is told entirely through song.

Some may be put off by the continuous singing, but the songs and music are the films strongest points. The singing is almost uniformly brilliant, perhaps with the exception of Russell Crowe. The actors all sing live in front of the camera, rather than miming to recorded tracks and this adds to the visceral emotion of each performance. You can hear every breath and sigh as voices break and tears fall naturally which really adds to the impact of each song. Anne Hathaway’s short supporting role is fantastic and her rendition of ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ will shake you to your core and forever banish memories of Susan Boyle.

The first half of the movie, where we introduced to Valjean, Javert, Fantine and her daughter Cosette moves forward at a fast pace and is completely engaging as we Hugh Jackman’s character transform from a bitter man to a kind soul who agrees to care for Fantines daughter, Cosette. The second half of the movie is the weak part, as it starts to drag under the weight of its two hour and forty minute run-time. Here the characters take back seat to some historical warfare as the revolution becomes the focus, with only a paltry love triangle involving Cosette, a young revolutionary and his childhood friend provide the drama (of which there is sadly little to be had. Even what should be a heart wrenching scene lacks much emotional impact and the battles which should be grand and epic, feel sadly as though you are watching them unfold on stage rather than on film.

There’s excellent supporting turns from Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter (who always seems to play bad women with bad hair) as a dastardly innkeeper and his conniving wife who provide the only comedy in an otherwise dour affair. Anne Hathaway gives the stand out performance of the movie and Hugh Jackman is solid and believable as salt of the earth good guy Jean Valjean, selfless to the last. Russell Crowe even does a good job of making heartless bastard Javert somewhat likeable.

Overall, Les Miserables is a thoroughly downbeat and depressing tale, worthy of its title. The film adaptation is sure to delight fans of the stage musical and ensnare those who have never seen it as well. 

If you like this try: The Phantom of the Opera (2004), Anna Karenina (2012)