Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010) – Film Review

08/07/201909/10/2025 / Joe Baker / Leave a comment

One of my all-time favourite films, my favourite Edgar Wright flick, and a film I’d always recommend to any film fan. ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World’ is a super stylised, incredibly fun action-comedy, utilising some great CG effects along with brilliant editing and writing, I honestly can’t see anyone not enjoying this well-crafted piece of filmmaking.

Plot Summary: ‘Scott Pilgrim,’ an unemployed twenty-three-year-old gamer in a going nowhere garage rock band, while dating an underage seventeen-year-old high school girl; ‘Knives Chau,’ he comes across the girl of his dreams. That is, until he discovers that he must defeat her seven evil exes in order to win her heart…

This over-the-top concept for a narrative is taken from the comic book series of the same name, and provides an insanely fun, hilarious and surprisingly emotional story. Edgar Wright truly directs the film with all his creativity and charm, using the ‘comic book nature’ of the story to its full advantage, with every scene usually containing many visual jokes or comic book like effects, mostly inspired by ‘Scott’s eternal love for video games, music and comic books.

Speaking of ‘Scott Pilgrim,’ he is portrayed expertly here by Michael Cera, coming across as awkward, funny and charismatic from beginning to end. The rest of the cast are also fantastic, however, with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Kyle Culkin, Ellen Wong and Jason Schwartzman all being great within their roles. Truly giving life to their characters, and bringing Edgar Wright’s dialogue to another level. I also personally enjoyed Chris Evans as ‘Lucas Lee’ (the second evil ex), as he always manages to get an enormous laugh out of me every watch, but this isn’t to say all of the evil exes aren’t given their own distinct personalities and fighting styles.

The cinematography by Bill Pope is very well done throughout the film’s runtime and greatly adds to the already impressive editing style. Once again similar to the CG effects, the cinematography and editing are also used for comedy many times throughout the film. Many techniques like these really help the film feel fresh and really fit with the tone, ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World’ also has the usual bright colour palette to be expected from this director, this also backs up the tone very well and feels reminiscent of the comic book series in a few shots.

Although the original score by Nigel Godrich is heavily overshadowed by a great choice of songs, very similar to Edgar Wright’s other film; ‘Baby Driver,’ every piece of music whether created by the band within the story or not, always seems to fit the scene very well and fits with ‘Scott’s passion for music.

The action scenes are also extremely well-executed throughout the film, utilising stunts very well mixed in with some nice effects. All alongside the interesting locations used throughout the story, as the film also does a great job of combining music with visuals, both in and out of the various action sequences during the runtime.

If I had to give any criticism of this film it would most likely be the reincorporation throughout the story, as some characters/ideas do sometimes appear and then never appear again within the story, can make the film feel a little jolted at times, this along with the pretty quick pacing, the film can sometimes feel a little overwhelming. However, as the story is based on multiple different comic book issues with a similar story structure, I wouldn’t say it’s an enormous problem and can be overlooked.

In summary, ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World’ is the pinnacle of a stylised film, in my opinion, making great use of all elements of filmmaking to create a truly incredible experience, along with the enjoyable story and likeable developed characters, there really isn’t much to dislike about ‘Scott Pilgrim.’ Personally, I adore this film to pieces and would always recommend giving it a watch. Final Rating: 9/10.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) – Film Review

04/07/201910/10/2025 / Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Serving as a sequel to the 2014 American ‘Godzilla’ remake, as well as standing as another chapter in this new franchise of monster films by Legendary Pictures. ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ delivers more on of the exciting monster action and amazing visuals that the first film somewhat lacked, but the film does cut down on many other aspects to make this possible.

Plot Summary: When the world is threatened with extinction, the crypto-zoological agency; ‘Monarch,’ is forced to face off against a roster of God-sized monsters, including the mighty ‘Godzilla,’ who soon collides with the fearsome; ‘Mothra,’ ‘Rodan,’ and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed titan; ‘King Ghidorah.’

As the runtime goes on, the narrative does go a little deeper, but I personally feel the plot gets a little absurd as it continues, becoming almost too layered at points for a simple monster flick. Of course, it can probably go without saying, that every action scene featuring the creatures is phenomenal as each monster is always given its own unique way to combat the others, and the film always finds time to give each creature at least one or two memorable scenes. The film also features a lot more action than the previous ‘Godzilla’ film, due to the film’s quick pacing and as it jumps from location-to-location constantly, always trying to increase the spectacle with each cut.

The three main members of the cast, that being Kyle M. Chandler, Vera Farmiga and Millie Bobby Brown, portray a broken family, forced apart by various responsibilities as well as the loss of one of their children in the past, and while their performances are decent throughout the film. I was disappointed by the lack of any further development for their characters, as I found the setup for their story very interesting and wish the film went more in depth with this idea rather than indulging in one more fight scene, this same issue unfortunately also applies to Charles Dance’s antagonist; ‘Alan Jonah,’ within the story.

The cinematography by Lawrence Sher is decent, as while there are many beautiful and simply awesome shots with the monsters themselves, many of the shots with human characters are rather bland, as there is definitely an overreliance on hand-held shots every time ‘Godzilla’ (or one of his counterparts) isn’t on-screen, despite the film’s colour palette actually being very ranged and pretty visually appealing. The original score by Bear McCreary is very different, however, as the composer crafts a score which captures the enormous scale of the monsters and their chaotic nature very well, with the soundtrack even going to the extent of giving each one of the creatures their own unique and intimidating theme.

The film’s best aspect, in my opinion, is definitely the creature designs, as each one is always very creatively designed, and is given many unique features to fit with its abilities and make it stand out from the rest of the monsters. Of course, the CG effects throughout the film also add to this, as although the film can sometimes be bombarded with far too many elements on-screen at once (becoming a little overwhelming at points). Despite this, everything visual effects we see is usually incredibly well-detailed and doesn’t feel at all out-of-place.

One element I felt didn’t reach the level of the first film from 2014 was how the film captured the true scale of the creatures, as while director Michael Dougherty clearly puts his all into pleasing fans and creating a fun experience, even having the classic theme for ‘Godzilla’ make a welcomed return. The film simply doesn’t capture the same feeling of being within the real-world as these massive creatures roam quite like the first film did.

In summary, ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ is the definition of a mixed-bag for me, even with its explosive monster fights, some amazing visuals, and a great original score. It’s over-the-top story displayed through it’s extremely fast pacing and weak characterisation simply can’t be ignored, leaving the film a fun creature-feature with some serious flaws. Still, there is some enjoyment to be had with ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters,’ so maybe check this one out if you’re a big fan of the iconic monster. Final Rating: 6/10.

Bumblebee (2018) – Film Review

14/06/201902/10/2025 / Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Serving as both a prequel and a reboot of the ‘Transformers’ series as a whole, 2018’s ‘Bumblebee’ is a fresh take on the sci-fi/action film series. But, going off the back of its outstanding reviews and director Travis Scott’s prior film; ‘Kubo and the Two Strings,’ on my initial watch, I was expecting a little more, both in terms of storytelling and filmmaking.

Plot Summary: On the run from his alien home-world of ‘Cybertron’ in 1987, ‘Bumblebee’ manages to find refuge through a junkyard in a small California beach town. Where ‘Charlie,’ on the edge of turning eighteen and trying to find her place in the world, discovers him, battle-scarred and broken…

Whilst the film is definitely an improvement over Michael Bay’s various attempts at the shape-shifting machines, ‘Bumblebee’ isn’t overall anything outstanding. Mostly been a very comedic sci-fi action-adventure with a few emotional moments thrown in. This version almost seems to be leaning more towards the iconic cartoon series from 1984 to 1987, as many of the ‘Transformer’s designs are ripped straight from the beloved television show, even featuring a few cameos from classic characters.

Hailee Steinfeld and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. both portray young characters who attempt to help ‘Bumblebee’ finish his mission throughout the film, and while their characters of ‘Charlie’ and ‘Memo’ only receive a basic amount of development. They are likeable and serve their purpose within the story. A member of the cast I wasn’t aware of at first, however, was the infamous John Cena. Who, actually portrays one of the main antagonists of the film, aside from the ‘Decepticons’ themselves, and despite his mostly decent performance throughout the film, I simply just couldn’t take seriously, mostly due to his ‘meme’ status and internet reputation.

Luckily, the colourful visuals throughout the film definitely add to the cinematography by Enrique Chediak, as although the cinematography isn’t bad by any means, the cinematography is mostly generic for an action flick like this. But, due to the great lighting and colour palette, ‘Bumblebee’ is easily the most visually appealing entry in the blockbuster franchise, ditching the ugly Michael Bay blue and orange colour palette in exchange for more of a summer-like feel for nearly the entirety of its runtime.

The original score by Dario Marianelli is your generic score for an action flick, with some heroic tones alongside it. The soundtrack isn’t really anything memorable, and despite also not being anything amazing, I think I still prefer the original score for the 2007 ‘Transformers’ film by Steve Jablonsky, which has since been regarded by many as the primary theme for the ‘Transformers’ on-screen.

The action throughout the film is fun for the most part, not simply being another constant barrage of explosions and actually trying to utilise the various ‘Transformers’ abilities in different ways. However, it still doesn’t quite reach the level of fun the original cartoon series had, always feeling a little toned down. One compliment I can give the film, however, is the comedy. As again whilst not landing every joke, the film does have its fair share of funny moments, which did give me a short chuckle at times, and not simply just a sigh or a cringe as many of Michael Bay’s extremely poor attempts at humour did.

In summary, it’s definitely a pleasant surprise to have an entry in the ‘Transformers’ franchise that isn’t just explosions and loud noises from start-to-finish, with a great visual appeal and plenty of humour throughout, I could see most having a lot of fun with this film, especially families. However, it might be that I simply don’t have a huge love for these characters, but I although I found it enjoyable whilst watching, it wasn’t super memorable for me. Final Rating: 6/10.

Deadpool (2016) – Film Review

11/06/201910/10/2025 / Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Extremely meta, violent and hilarious from start-to-finish, ‘Deadpool’s first on-screen appearance is exactly what hardcore fans of the character would want from their favourite potty-mouthed anti-hero. Despite being made on a lower budget than the most superhero blockbusters, ‘Deadpool’ still manages to avoid the variety of issues that may come from this by having a ‘different’ kind of appeal for superhero fans.

Plot Summary: After the wisecracking ex-mercenary; ‘Wade Wilson,’ volunteers for an experiment to save his life from cancer, only to awaken superpowered and immortal… but also very ugly, ‘Wade’ begins to track-down the man who ruined his good-looks, and execute his revenge…

Despite the narrative being very simplistic, the story is actually surprisingly engaging. Giving the audience plenty of exciting action scenes, whilst still delivering on a decent romantic subplot between ‘Deadpool’ and his girlfriend, ‘Venessa,’ even managing to give the anti-hero a decent character arc by the end of the runtime.

Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller and Stefan Kapicic are all decent in their respective roles, with Ryan Reynolds, who, portrays the protagonist; ‘Deadpool,’ extremely well, also having a hand in the production process, being a producer on the film as well as having a large impact on the screenplay, and I definitely feel he is a big reason as to why the film works as well as it does, as it’s clear that Reynolds works very well with director Tim Miller, who, I personally know for his work on Netflix’s sci-fi/horror/action anthology series; ‘Love, Death + Robots.’

The cinematography by Ken Seng is nothing spectacular, but it does have its moments. In a similar way to the editing, the cinematography can even be used for a little gag at various points within the film. The original score by ‘Junkie XL’ or Thomas Holkenborg, best known for his work on ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ and ‘Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice,’ really helps back up the exciting over-the-top tone of the film, combing a rock-like soundtrack with minor, almost dubstep elements, which works perfectly for many of the action scenes throughout the runtime.

The film also delivers on plenty of the meta jokes fans would expect from this character, having many references to Ryan Reynolds past career choices, other characters from the Marvel universe, and even past iterations of ‘Deadpool’ himself, which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, due to the film’s smaller budget, the film can have some distractingly rough visuals. Having many action scenes with tons of CGI, along with plenty of explosions and gore effects. I found myself sometimes be taken out of the film through the overuse of these visual effects. However, on a more positive note, having a smaller budget than most superhero flicks is also often used for short gag by ‘Deadpool’ himself.

Of course, with a character as loud and over-the-top as ‘Deadpool,’ it’s always possible that not everyone would find the character so likeable and funny, as sometimes the constant bombardment of humour can be overwhelming, and in large doses, I could definitely see ‘Deadpool’ becoming very irritating for some. This is really one of the only complaints I have with the film, however, and after watching this film’s underwhelming sequel; ‘Deadpool 2.’ It’s fair to say I found myself missing the original, mostly for its originality and structure.

In summary, ‘Deadpool’ delivers on what everyone would expect to see from a film like this. It’s not perfect of course, but the film does always manage to be funny, gory and exciting throughout. Not landing every joke of course, but making the audience burst into tears with every joke that it does. Overall, a great comedy/comic book flick, and I really hope films, such as ‘Deadpool,’ ‘Logan’ and ‘The New Mutants’ (should it ever be released), continue to greenlit in upcoming years, as with how oversaturated the superhero genre is today, it could really do with some more variety, now and then. Final Rating: 8/10.

Man of Steel (2013) – Film Review

05/05/201930/09/2025 / Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Being one of the most iconic and beloved superheroes of all-time, it was inevitable that ‘Superman’ would come to life on the silver screen once again. This time from director Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, Sucker Punch), a director I’m not particularly fond of due to his weak focus on storytelling and overreliance on action and CG visuals. And, unfortunately, ‘Man of Steel’ is no exception to this.

Plot Summary: ‘Clark Kent,’ an alien who as a child was evacuated from his dying world of ‘Krypton’ and soon arrived on Earth, where he began living as a normal human under his newly found parents. But, when survivors of his alien home-world invade the planet, he must reveal himself to the world…

The main issue that I have with this film is that the filmmakers seem to not understand the character of ‘Superman’ very well, as the entire film is extremely bleak, dull and even somewhat dark. In addition to this, ‘Superman’ himself actually does very little heroic acts throughout the film’s runtime. Almost the complete opposite of the original ‘Superman’ from 1978. This is even seen in the colour palette, as the film mostly uses a dark blue and grey colour palette. But, when your superhero protagonist is supposed to be a symbol of hope and heroism, this is definitely not the direction to go.

Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and Russell Crowe all give decent performances throughout the film, but sadly they never really elevate to anything above acceptable. Henry Cavill is likeable enough as the protagonist but I always found Michael Shannon’s villainous incarnation of ‘Zod’ far more interesting. As he does a great job giving his character a motivation despite how sinister it may seem, as well as making him extremely menacing, very similar to his character in ‘The Shape of Water’ in many ways.

Amir Mokri‘s cinematography throughout the film is mostly very generic cinematography for an action blockbuster, having far too much hand-held camera at points as well as shaking around constantly and utilising many quick cuts during the action scenes, making them even more difficult to follow. The film also uses many artificial zooms when ‘Superman’ is soaring through the sky, which I personally think looks abysmal.

The original score by Hanz Zimmer is easily my personal favourite element of the film, while being nothing new for this composer. Zimmer really brings his ‘A’ game here, and creates an exciting and uplifting score which sometimes really makes-up for the lack of heroism and use of bright colours in the film. I would say this soundtrack is up there as one of my favourite scores by Hans Zimmer, for sure, even playing over my favourite scene in the film when ‘Clark Kent’ learns to fly as ‘Superman’ for the first time.

However, many of the film’s action scenes don’t help the film, as the action within the film ranges from extremely entertaining, as the superpowered characters battle brutally for the fate of the planet. To sometimes being incredibly overwhelming, with constant explosions going off and CG buildings being destroyed left and right. Many of these action scenes don’t even feel very real, due to the enormous barrage of CG effects we get within them, or as ‘real’ as they can be, anyway.

In summary, ‘Man of Steel’ is a mess of a superhero film, as it almost feels like a ‘Batman’ sequel more than a ‘Superman’ film for most of its runtime. Relying very heavily on a dark colour palette and a bleak more ‘realistic’ feel. Alongside the generic cinematography and bland acting. The original score, a few actions set pieces and the occasional attractive visual, are really all the film has to offer to superhero fans. Hopefully, this iconic superhero will have his chance to grace the skies with another outstanding instalment soon. As for ‘Man of Steel,’ though, it’s a disappointing superhero outing. Final Rating: low 4/10.

Chappie (2015) – Film Review

09/04/201910/10/2025 / Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Neill Blomkamp has always been a director I’ve admired, famous mostly for his smash-hit; ‘District 9’ in 2012, shortly then followed by his second film; ‘Elysium,’ which split many sci-fi fans down the middle. He’s always managed to impress me through his incredible use of CGI and explosive action set pieces. However, I’ve always found his narratives to be kind of lacklustre, and this is definitely where the main issue lies with his third film; ‘Chappie.’

Plot Summary: In the near future, crime in the city of Johannesburg is patrolled by a mechanised police force created by the company, ‘Tetravaal.’ But, when one police droid, nicknamed; ‘Chappie,’ is stolen and given new programming, he becomes the first machine ever with the ability to think and feel for himself. Leading ‘Chappie’ to eventually realise the chaotic world he has now become a part of…

I find the initial idea very interesting, coming-off almost as a mixture between ‘RoboCop’ and ‘Short Circuit,’ I personally feel the film could’ve been very entertaining if they would’ve chosen to explore these ideas of synthetic life vs. actual living consciousness. Strangely, however, this is not the direction the film actually goes, as we see ‘Chappie’ enter the world of crime alongside a criminal gang, making the film less of an interesting sci-fi with themes of artificial intelligence and more along the lines of a straight crime thriller, now with a less-likeable protagonist.

Sharlto Copley, Deon Wilson, Hugh Jackman and Sigourney Weaver all give decent performances in the film, and while I would’ve preferred Sigourney Weaver to have a bigger role in the overall narrative. I feel Sharlto Copley as ‘Chappie’ and Hugh Jackman as the antagonist, ‘Vincent Moore,’ were both great in their respective roles. However, in easily one of the worst decisions of the film, members of the hip-hop band; ‘Die Antwoord,’ portray the film’s protagonists (with their real names for some reason) and ignoring from their mostly poor performances, they also come off as very unlikeable characters throughout, ensuring the audience roots for the criminal gang even less than before.

Trent Opaloch handles the cinematography in the film, which is pretty great for the most part, yet similar to the rest of Blomkamp’s films, there is far too much use of hand-held camera techniques. Although this approach is fine when it comes to the action sequences, when the pacing slows-down and the story focuses on more dialogue-heavy scenes or crucial character moments, I find it very distracting. The CG effects, however, are gorgeous throughout the film, as every visual effect has enormous weight to it, truly feeling as if it is part of the scene, this is especially clear with the CG effects on ‘Chappie’ himself, as the character interacts with every location, prop and character flawlessly.

The original score by Hanz Zimmer is phenomenal as per-usual, combing a typical sci-fi soundtrack alongside a more gritty crime score. Fitting the film perfectly, and really adding tension to many of the scenes throughout the runtime. I was also very impressed with the sound design throughout ‘Chappie,’ as although most sci-fi flicks usually have decent sound design, I felt ‘Chappie’ really used its sound design effectively to add to the film’s gritty feel.

More than likely just a personal issue, but I also feel the song choices within the film were very poor, as a large number of songs from ‘Die Antwoord’ are used throughout the film, all of which don’t fit with the pacing or tone of the film whatsoever. In addition to this, the fact that their characters share the real life names as the actors portraying them as already mentioned, just makes the entire thing very confusing.

In summary, I’m still not entirely sure what I think of ‘Chappie,’ as whilst it definitely has many flaws and is easily Blomkamp’s weakest film, in my opinion. The film still has certain elements I really enjoy, as some of the cinematography, action scenes and CG effects still impress me to this day, and all display that this director still has a keen eye for visuals. But, his storytelling really does need to show improvement in the future. Regardless of this, I hope Blomkamp gets another shot at directing again. Final Rating: 4/10.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) – Film Review

25/03/201910/10/2025 / Joe Baker / Leave a comment

A superhero film like no other, ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ is an extremely entertaining animated adventure, filled with plenty of humour, heart and exciting action scenes throughout its runtime. All displayed through some stunning illustration-like animation which looks as if the audience was thrown straight into the colourful pages of a ‘Spider-Man’ comic book, giving every location, character and even movement/action it’s own unique visual flair.

Plot Summary: When Brooklyn teen ‘Miles Morales’ obtains strange new abilities, he soon finds himself in an unusual situation. Encountering the beloved superhero, ‘Spider-Man,’ alongside many other spider-people from multiple different dimensions, as New York City begins to collapse in on itself when a super-collider attempts to merge the other dimensions into its own…

From the opening scene of the film through to its closing credits, it’s very clear that the filmmakers behind ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ have a great love for this character, as the attention to detail throughout the film as well as the sheer amount of references to ‘Spider-Man’s long history and his enormous list of villains. The film feels like it was made for the fans, by the fans, and does a great job at expressing it.

When it comes to the cast, Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld and Mahershala Ali are all fantastic as their respective characters. Whether they are the villainous antagonists, or the iconic heroes we all know and love, they all give very charismatic and ranged performances, with Liev Schreiber personally being true stand out for me, portraying the villain; ‘Kingpin,’ almost as brilliantly as Vincent D’Onofrio did before him in the acclaimed ‘Daredevil’ series. Soon becoming one of the most intimidating antagonists ‘Spider-Man’ has ever faced on film. I also have to give the hilarious ‘Spider-Ham,’ portrayed by John Mulaney, an honourable mention, purely for the cartoonish and over-the-top nature of his character, which always had me laughing many times.

The animated cinematography within the film also helps back-up the incredible animation, as the film is brimming with beautiful shots throughout, many of which contain large amounts of movement as characters soar across New York City. The original score by Daniel Pemberton is also fantastic, as the soundtrack (similar to the film itself) is very unique and filled with style, blending tracks that sound as if they should be from different films entirely into one modern-day superhero flick, which is surprisingly very effective.

Even though the animation style is without a doubt one of the best elements of the film purely through its striking visuals, the action scenes throughout the film are also very impressive. Matching many of the actions scenes you’d see in your standard live-action blockbuster perfectly combined with the film’s varied colour palette and comic book style, creating many memorable and exciting moments. My personal favourite being the action scene in ‘Aunt May’s house, containing a variety of characters all in one singular small room. This is also when it becomes very clear that each version of ‘Spider-Man’ has their own completely distinct design, movements and personality, with the clear example of this being ‘Spider-Man Noir,’ portrayed by Nicolas Cage, as the character is always seen in black and white and delivers all his dialogue intensely, almost like a parody of ‘Batman.’

My only issue with the film is the lack of time some scenes are given within the narrative, as for example, some characters not from ‘Miles’ reality discover that certain people are alive/dead in the universe they have now arrived in, as this could’ve been a really interesting piece of characterisation if done well, as well as adding another emotional scene to the film’s story. Unfortunately, however, most of these moments are skimmed over, mostly due to the film’s very fast pacing.

In summary, ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ is some of the most fun I’ve had in a cinema, an absolute visual treat for the eyes alongside its original story, phenomenal animation and fantastic original score. The film truly becomes an amazing experience for any comic book or film fan. I highly recommend this one, especially if you’re a ‘Spider-Man’ fan like myself, as this is without a doubt the web-head’s best film to date. Final Rating: 9/10.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – Film Review

09/03/201910/10/2025 / Joe Baker / Leave a comment

One of the most insane action blockbusters and best soft-reboots I’ve seen in a cinema for quite some-time, as ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ delivers on nearly every aspect of what you would want from both an action film and a ‘Mad Max’ sequel, as the great cast of Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, alongside talented writer-director George Miller (Mad Max, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Happy Feet), bring us an absolute visual feast which is sure to please any viewer in search of a unique and exciting thrill-ride.

Plot Summary: Set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, Furiosa rebels against her tyrannical ruler in search of her original homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshiper, and a rogue drifter…

From five minutes into the runtime to five minutes after the credits have rolled, ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ is truly a thrilling experience. Utilising incredible stunts, plenty of action scenes and attractive locations/sets throughout the story, the film always manages to feel gritty and real (despite having an incredibly over-the-top tone). Surprisingly, ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ was even confirmed to be a sequel to the original ‘Mad Max’ trilogy, meaning the film actually continues the story (in a way) from ‘Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome,’ and although I’m not a huge fan of the original films, this does make me excited for the future of this franchise if we can expect this kind of quality.

The whole cast of Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Rosie Alice Huntington-Whiteley and Hugh Keays-Byrne are all excellent within their roles, with Nicholas Hoult as ‘Hux’ and Hugh Keays-Byrne as the intimidating antagonist; ‘Immortan Joe,’ being my two personal favourites, as all of the characters are fairly likeable and somewhat interesting despite not being given much characterisation throughout the narrative.

The cinematography by Jon Seale really helps elevate many of the scenes throughout the runtime, however, as the film makes brilliant use of a variety of wide shots, all which look absolutely fantastic. Miller also really pushes the film’s varied and overly bright colour palette, giving each the desert a bright orange and blue look to make it more visually appealing, which later contrasts with the dark blues and blacks of the swamplands or the harsh reds and oranges when the characters are inside a vicious sandstorm.

‘Junkie XL’ (or Thomas Holkenborg) lends his hand to the original score for the film, utilising amazing guitar riffs to sound as if the soundtrack had been ripped straight from a classic rock album. Backing-up many of the fast-paced action scenes perfectly, which was surprising as this composer’s other scores are usually very forgettable. The original score is even given reference within the film, as we later see the character; ‘Coma-Doof Warrior,’ who plays an electric guitar aboard one of the vehicles.

The easiest criticism one can make when it comes to ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ is pointing out its lack of story and developed characters, and although it is true the film definitely does have a fairly simplistic narrative and relativity weak character moments. I’d argue this works to the film’s benefit, as the film does have plenty of great world-building, and fills the majority of it’s runtime with exactly what it’s audience desires to see, which is obviously the main goal of the film, as the film never pretends to be something that it isn’t. Another element of the film I don’t personally like is the editing, as although I understand the need to have quick editing to keep up with the film’s fast pacing and action. Most of the editing throughout the film feels very chaotic and even slightly messy at points, serving as a distraction from what’s on-screen more than anything else.

In summary, I truly adore ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ as although it may not be a masterpiece when it comes to filmmaking. It’s definitely up there with some of the best action flicks of this decade, as some unbelievable action scenes and stunts, a brilliant cast, and some outstanding cinematography, leave ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ a breath of fresh air for the action genre despite the film’s pretty basic story and bizarre editing choices. Now, all we have to do is just wait until George Miller brings us another exciting instalment in this franchise. Final Rating: 8/10.

Baby Driver (2017) – Film Review

05/03/201902/10/2025 / Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Beloved British action-comedy writer-director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) returns to the silver screen for another colourful and exciting masterpiece of filmmaking. As one of my all-time favourite directors, writes and directs another wonderfully crafted story, in this fast-paced and pretty thrilling crime flick.

Plot Summary: A talented young getaway driver (Baby), who uses music to drown-out the criminal world around him. Soon meets the girl of his dreams at a local diner, seeing it as his opportunity to ditch his criminal life and make a clean getaway. But, he must face the music when a doomed heist threatens his life, his love and his freedom…

As the story would imply, we spend a large portion of the film listening to our protagonist’s playlist just as he does, as nearly every scene with the playlist is timed exactly to the music, every tap, bang and screech. Whatever the location or character, the film never fails to make use of the catchy songs within the narrative, this is also where I have to mention the outstanding editing, as the film is always in sync with the songs, even through it’s cuts to other shots or scenes. The editing is always fast, fluid and perfectly on time, every time.

The film never really fails at being engaging for the audience due to the combination of the brilliant writing and acting, with the main cast portrayed well by Ansel Elgort and Kevin Spacey. However, my personal favourite of the cast has to be John Hamm as ‘Buddy,’ who is funny, charming and menacing throughout. This is unfortunately where my one criticisms of the film comes in, however, as Lily James’ character; ‘Debora,’ although likeable, is given little-to-no development throughout the story, and by the end of the film is nothing more than a bland love interest.

Feeling like a classic Edgar Wright project throughout the runtime, the film always uses a bright colour palette alongside the effective cinematography by Bill Pop, allowing the film to really leap-off the screen. This is also in credit to the brilliant stunts within the film however, as most of the driving in the film was done completely practically, with the main protagonist of the film; ‘Baby,’ even listening to the songs we as the audience hear during many of the scenes for the majority of his time on set.

As perfected as the editing felt whilst watching, the sound design was also extremely on-point. Nothing in regards to audio editing ever felt jolted or out-of-place, as each cut matches up perfectly with the last and works extremely well with the chosen songs, each audio effect always fitting into the scene no matter the location. Usually not a thing of note in these reviews, but this film did it so well I had to mention it. In addition to this, despite not using an original score for the majority of the film due to the huge list of iconic songs chosen, the original score by Steven Price is decent, despite not being very memorable.

In usual Edgar Wright fashion, the film is also crammed with various little hidden visual cues and jokes, many of these are just small things such as having the lyrics of the song ‘Baby’ is listening to spray-painted on the walls behind him. This may not seem like much, but the little details throughout clearly display that the director clearly has a deep passion for the film and has a keen-eye for attention to detail.

In summary, while ‘Baby Driver’ has always hit me as a more upbeat version of ‘Drive’ from 2011, Wright’s fast-paced crime flick is still an extremely well-executed film, having the usual creative flair we’ve come to expect from this director, in addition to an engaging story, fantastic editing and some brilliant songs chosen throughout. And with such high-fueled fun on display, how could you not love ‘Baby Driver?’ Final Rating: high 8/10.

Godzilla (2014) – Film Review

24/02/201910/10/2025 / Joe Baker / Leave a comment

‘Godzilla’ has always been an interesting franchise to me, with the Japanese film series spanning over sixty years and introducing new directors, new production teams and new foes for the gigantic lizard to face time after time, with the franchise even devolving into more of a self-parody nearing the end of it’s run, ‘The King of Monsters’ was still (and probably always will be) immensely popular. So, of course, it was only a matter of time until America decided to once again try their hand at the iconic monster franchise.

Plot Summary: When scientists discover a giant ancient spore underneath the Philippines, they decide to preserve it for research for fifteen years until it eventually hatches. Now, with malevolent creatures from the inside threatening the existence of all of mankind, another ancient creature known only as ‘Godzilla,’ rises from the depths of the ocean to restore balance to nature once again…

America first attempted a ‘Godzilla’ film back in 1998, with many feeling the film differed far too much from the original source material. Featuring an awful redesign for the classic monster and no actual antagonist for him to face. Now, returning back to the classic formula but with a more grounded tone and some fresh creature designs, director Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) does a mostly solid job with this remake, even if the film can sometimes focus far too much on the humans and other creatures within the story then ‘Godzilla’ himself.

Although much of the narrative focuses on the ‘Ford’ family, portrayed by Aaron-Taylor Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Carson Bolde, Bryan Cranston, and Juliette Binoche. With all the cast doing a decent job (Cranston being the obvious stand out with a few amazing scenes showcasing his true talent) their characters are given very little development, as although I do believe the human characters are an important element to break up the constant chaos from the massive monsters, the entire family of characters could have definitely used more characterisation when it comes to the writing.

However, in addition to the fantastic use of CGI throughout the film, the cinematography by Seamus McGarvey is actually pretty great, as while there are a few bland shots throughout the film, the majority of the shots involving the giant creatures are used to great effect, with an enormous amount of wide shots showcasing the creature’s true scale. Whilst the original score by Alexandre Desplat is also pretty effective, as although it’s nothing incredibly memorable by itself, it’s still very effective, backing up both the film’s exciting action, as well as some of its more unnerving, eerie and emotional scenes.

My primary issues are in relation to the film’s general pacing and diminutive amount of action set pieces throughout the runtime as although I usually have no issue with story or character moments over action when it comes to your average blockbuster, the film does build up a large amount of excitement towards the final battle between the monsters for a large portion of the narrative. Even cutting away from some action scenes to tease the audience early on in the film, and although the final confrontation is entertaining, I wouldn’t say it makes up for the amount of time it makes its audience wait.

In summary, despite its flaws, I actually quite enjoy ‘Godzilla,’ as although it’s by no means perfect and I do hope the inevitable sequel improves upon many of its flaws. The film is still engaging enough throughout to keep its audience engaged, despite its lack of action and rather weak characterisation. The film’s brilliant visuals and surprising grasp on realism during many scenes are probably enough to elevate this monster flick for most. Final Rating: 7/10.

Joe Baker – Film Reviews

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