PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN TELL NO TALES REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Since the release of the first film in 2003, the Pirates Of The Caribbean films have gone on to become one of the most successful franchises. Despite this, the films themselves have received a lot of criticism. The first film, The Curse Of The Black Pearl, received a lot of praise for its originality and fast-paced adventure and the humour that came from Johnny Depp's performance as Captain Jack Sparrow. Unfortunately, the sequels have been criticised, mainly for the plot and length of the film. However, for me, personally, I love the Pirates films, especially the first three. I recently re-watched them and I can't understand the criticism they received. Both Dead Man's Chest and At World's End featured a compelling story full of twists and turns and it featured a lot of interesting character developments, especially in Keira Knightley's Elizabeth Swann, the Governor's daughter who wants to be a pirate. The final battle sequence that took place in At World's End was thrilling and dramatic. I think that the reason why the first three were really good was because of the director, Gore Verbinski, who is best known for directing The Ring. In all three of the Pirates films, he captures the dark tone and scary atmosphere of the world that the titular pirates live in. Unfortunately, he didn't return for the fourth film, On Stranger Tides, and was replaced by Rob Marshall who, at first, didn't seem the most likely director as he'd previously directed the musical, Chicago. However, while On Stranger Tides wasn't as good as the first three, it wasn't that bad. To be honest, I think that the series should've ended with the fourth one, however, the film left on a cliffhanger, indicating that there was going to be a fifth film. And, six years later, Dead Man Tell No Tales (also known as Salazar's Revenge) has finally been released. 

Dead Man Tell No Tales finds down-on-his-luck Captain Jack feeling the winds of ill-fortune blowing strongly his way when deadly ghost sailors, led by the terrifying Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil's Triangle bent on killing every pirate at sea-notably Jack. Jack's only hope of survival lies in the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it he must forge an uneasy alliance with Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), a brilliant and beautiful astronomer, and Henry (Brenton Thwaites), a headstrong young sailor in the Royal Navy. At the helm of the Dying Gull, his pitifully small and shabby ship, Captain Jack seeks not only to reverse his recent spate of ill fortune, but to save his very life from the most formidable and malicious foe he has ever faced.

Unfortunately, Dead Man Tell No Tales doesn't feel like a Pirates Of The Caribbean film because, for one, it's not even set in the titular Caribbean. The tone is different to the first four and it, at times, feels like a parody with all the slapstick comedy. I think this is mainly down to the fact the film has two directors, Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, directing their first Hollywood film. There are many sequences that are intended for comic relief but look too ridiculous to be funny. I think that if Rønning and Sandberg had focused more on telling a compelling story that is just as good as its predecessors, they could've toned down the humour. That's what I liked about the previous films. They had moments of comic relief but it wasn't necessarily a comedy as the films focused more on the narrative rather than making people laugh. 

One of the best things about the Pirates films was Depp's performance as Captain Jack Sparrow. He brought humour to the role and improvised most of his dialogue which made him even more of an unpredictable character. Unfortunately, because of the controversy surrounding his relationship with Amber Heard in 2015 and last year, his performance isn't as good as what it once was. 

One of the newcomers include Bardem as the villain, Salazar, who is an improvement on On Stranger Tides' Captain Blackbeard, played by Ian McShane. Bardem is best known for his villainous roles including Silva in the 2012 James Bond film, Skyfall, and his Oscar-winning performance as Anton Chigurh in the 2007 film, No Country For Old Men. While Salazar isn't as scary or unpredictable as the two aforementioned characters, he still poses a threat to Jack and, like Anton Chigurh, kills a lot of innocent people in order to achieve his plan of getting revenge on Jack. 

As Will Turner's (Orlando Bloom) son, Thwaites captures his on-screen father's charm and determination. Like Will with his father in Dead Man's Chest and At World's End, Henry wants to free his father from the curse of the Flying Dutchman. Scodelario is fierce and feisty as Carina and, despite judgments from other people, she remains headstrong throughout and leads the pirate to finding the Trident of Poseidon. Both Thwaites and Scodelario have more chemistry than the two love interests, Philip (Sam Claflin) and Syrena (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey), from On Stranger Tides. 

For those hoping to see a lot of Bloom and Knightley in this latest installment, you'll be disappointed as Bloom is only seen in the opening sequence and doesn't appear again until he's reunited with Knightley in the film's climax. For me, I loved seeing both Will and Elizabeth reunite as their love story was effectively written throughout the three films. 

While Dead Man Tell No Tales doesn't feel like a Pirates Of The Caribbean film, it's still fairly entertaining and is never boring. To those argued that the running length of the previous films was too long will be happy to know that this latest installment only runs at 129 minutes. This means that the action runs at a fast pace and features a lot of adventurous sequences. 

It's a shame that the quality of the Pirates films have decreased since On Stranger Tides. The Pirates film have the potential to tell creative and imaginative narratives with interesting characters. 

A sixth film has been announced and, if this latest installment is as successful as its predecessors as the box office, it'll be released within the next few years. I just hope that the next film can improve on Dead Man Tell No Tales' flaws. 

7/10 

COLOSSAL REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

When I was a child growing up, Anne Hathaway was one of the actresses I admired as she appeared in family films such as The Princess Diaries (which was her feature film debut) and Ella Enchanted. However, she soon grew out of that family-friendly image and appeared in films that were aimed at older viewers such as Brokeback Mountain, The Devil Wears Prada and Rachel Getting Married. In 2013, Hathaway won her first Academy Award for her moving performance as Fantine in the musical, Les Miserables. Despite having screentime, Hathaway gave an emotional performance as the poverty-stricken Fantine and I don't think anyone had a dry eye whilst she performed 'I Dreamed A Dream'.  Now, in her latest film, Colossal, she turns to comedy and gives an entertaining performance as the lead character, Gloria.

Gloria is an out-of-work party girl who, after getting kicked out of her apartment by her boyfriend, Tim (Dan Stevens), is forced to leave her life in New York and move back to her hometown. When news reports surface that a giant creature is destroying Seoul, South Korea, Gloria gradually comes to the realization that she is somehow connected to this far-off phenomenon. As events begin to spin out of control, Gloria must determine why her seemingly insignificant existence has such a colossal effect on the fate of the world.

Like her character in Rachel Getting Married, Gloria suffers from addiction and, in this case, it's alcohol. Throughout the film, we learn that she simply cannot refuse a bottle of beer. It doesn't help that her former friend from school, Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), owns a bar which she soon gets a job at. Director Nacho Vigalondo shows Gloria's struggles with alcoholism effectively well and this is where most of the dramatic moments comes from. When someone offers her a drink, we can see her trying to resist but it's something she can't do. Despite these dramatic moments, there's still a lot of comedy to make it entertaining. These all come from Gloria's hilarious reactions to the disasters in Seoul. After discovering she might have a connection to the giant monster that's attacking the city, Gloria immediately goes back to the playground and does funny gestures with her arms and rushes back to her house to watch the news. To her horror, the monster does the exact same gestures. Hathaway gives a likable performance as Gloria and proves she's capable of handling both dramatic and humorous scenes really well. She's one of the most diverse actresses working today and it's because of her performance that this film is really entertaining.

Anyone who suffers from addiction of any kind will understand that, whilst struggling to control that addiction, they feel like they become a monster and this metaphor works really well in Colossal. It's not stating outright that Gloria is a monster just because she drinks a lot, it's just showing her how she feels. Seeing the monster destroying Seoul helps her overcome her addiction as she knows that, when she drinks, the monster will appear again and kill more innocent people. However, she's not the only character with a drinking problem. When we first meet Oscar, he comes across as a kind-hearted guy who gives her furniture for her house including a sofa and a giant TV and hires her at his bar. Despite the kind gestures, we soon see a darker side to him halfway through the film. This leads to Gloria developing into a brave individual who isn't afraid to defend herself, even against her closest friends. Sudeikis shows he can give a dramatic performance as Oscar struggles to overcome his self-hatred and jealousy. In the beginning, we warm to him but, towards the end of the film, his shocking actions turn him into a evil character.

In the midst of all the remakes and sequels, it's really refreshing to see an original film full of unpredictability. Because of Hathaway's performance, Colossal feels emotionally authentic. It's high concept but not at the sacrifice of its themes or characters. Colossal is profound, funny, thrilling and original and deserves to be seen at the big screen. 

7/10

PERSONAL SHOPPER REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Since appearing in the infamous 'Twilight Saga' between 2008 and 2012, Kristen Stewart has, unfairly, been branded a bad actress. While I do agree that her performance in the 'Twilight' films certainly wasn't one of her best, I think it was more because of the thin writing of her character and bad directing. Stewart did what she could with the character and, unfortunately, her future performances will always revert to the Young Adult series. Before Stewart appeared in the first Twilight film in 2008, she had made supporting roles in films such as Panic Room in 2002 and Zathura: A Space Adventure in 2005, both of which were very good considering she was only 12 in the former. In Panic Room, Stewart played Jodie Foster's daughter who suffered from diabetes and her performance was impressive as the film focused on the pair who, after finding robbers in their house, hide out in the titular room. In Zathura, she played the older sister of Josh Hutcherson and Jonah Bobo's characters and, while her appearance was limited, she still gave a solid performance. This is why I think that it's unfair to state that Stewart is a bad actress after her appearances in the 'Twilight' films. Stewart's performance in Personal Shopper is captivating and proves that she's capable of handling a dramatic role effectively. 

Personal Shopper takes place three months after the death of Maureen's (Stewart) twin brother, Lewis, who died from a genetic heart condition they both share. Before he died, the two made a pact that, if one of them dies, they would communicate from the afterlife. This leads to Maureen looking for a sign from her brother, however, she soon starts receiving mysterious texts from an 'Unknown' number which turn from personal questions to requests to threats.

Maureen lives and works in France as a personal shopper to Kyra (Nora von Waldstätten) who is a famous celebrity and doesn't have time to buy her own clothes. Despite hating both her job and Kyra, Maureen earns a lot of money from it and allows her to spend as much time in France as she wants until she finds a sign from her brother. Unfortunately, this leads to a conflict in her relationship with her boyfriend, Gary, and the two only communicate via Skype where she complains about her job and opens up about her struggles at finding a sign from her brother. These scenes are effective as we find out about how Maureen truly feels, her honest emotions are revealed and we connect with her. 

Personal Shopper can be described as both a suspenseful thriller and character study. I'm not familiar with director Olivier Assayas' previous work so I had no idea what to expect. The unpredictability of the film makes it an effective thriller and Stewart's captivating performance makes it a compelling watch. From the moment Maureen starts receiving texts from the unknown number, the intensity increases and we learn more about Maureen as a person as she reveals her true thoughts to this mysterious stranger. Because she's unhappy with her job, the anonymous texter convinces her to break one of the rules, which is trying on Kyra's dresses. However, the texts soon become dark and threatening and we can see that Maureen is scared as she shakes whilst she texts. For a while, the film focuses on the texts between her and the stranger, which is where most of the suspense comes from, until Maureen makes a shocking discovery.

Because I didn't recognise any of the French actors, I had no problem accepting them as their characters and they all give solid performances. However, none of them can live up to Stewart's portrayal of Maureen. Personal Shopper revolves around her and her life which makes for a film that never loses the viewer's focus. 

Despite being described as a 'ghost story', it's smarter and more mature than most films associated with that description. There are hardly any jump scares and no 'boo!' moments. It's not a horror film, either, as Assayas wasn't interested in making a dark and scary film. His intention was to focus on the central character as she tries to figure out who the mysterious texter is and if she can make a connection to her brother via the afterlife and he has successfully crafted a film that features suspense and thrills. 

Towards the end, the film switches its focus on the mysterious texts to Maureen wanting to find out more about her brother and whether he can make a connection or not. This leads to one chilling moment that takes place in her friend's garden and, in the background inside the house, a man is seen faintly walking inside the house before a glass drops. It's not clear whether this is her brother or not as he never makes an appearance in the film. The ending is ambiguous and ends the film on a though provoking note. 

Personal Shopper was successful at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016, with Assayas winning an award for Best Director. Stewart was also recognised with an award for Best Actress as the Oaxaca Film Festival in Mexico. It's also been popular with critics and has a 79% 'Certified Fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes with over 150 critics giving it a positive review. It's been less successful with audiences, however, and was given a limited release in March earlier this year. I do think that Personal Shopper is worth watching though, mainly for Kristen Stewart's captivating performance as the leading character.

7/10

ALIEN: COVENANT REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

In 1979, director Ridley Scott shocked audiences when his second feature film, Alien, was released. I don't think anyone was prepared for the level of horror that awaited them as they sat down to watch an alien invasion movie. The film surrounded a crew aboard a spaceship and are hit with disaster after an alien bursts out of one of the crew member's chest and starts killing the entire crew. Almost four decades later, Alien is regarded as a sci-fi/horror classic and it shows one of Sigourney Weaver's career defining performances as Ellen Ripley. Because it was a box office success, James Cameron's 1986 sequel, Aliens, was released with Weaver reprising her role as the brave and fierce Ripley. Despite both films proving to be a hit with both audiences and critics, the following sequels, Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection were not best received. After the release of the latter, people assumed that that was the end of the Alien films. Fortunately, they were wrong and Scott began developing a prequel to Alien in the early 2000s. In 2012, Scott's prequel, Prometheus, was released and, whilst it lacked in the alien department, it was still full of thrills and dark and tense moments. It also explained the origins of the human race and began to explain where the xenomorphs came from. Prometheus ended with archaeologist, Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and android, David (Michael Fassbender), on their way to find out why the Engineers created them and then tried to destroy them. Now, five years later, the follow-up, Alien: Covenant has been released and it gives more background on the xenomorphs.

Alien: Covenant is set in the year 2104, a decade after the events of Prometheus and opens on board the titular ship which is in the middle of journeying to a new remote planet, Origae-6, with about 2,000 colonists and a 1,000 embryos, which is monitored by the android, Walter (Fassbender) who resembles David but is an improvement on the latter. Unfortunately, disaster strikes, waking the crew up early and resulting the death of its captain (James Franco). As the crew repairs the damages, a transmission is intercepted from a nearby planet. Oram (Billy Crudup), who is second in command, makes the decision to visit the planet, despite Daniels' (Katherine Waterston) objections. When the crew lands, the planet seems perfect but it doesn't take long for things to take a dark and violent turn. 

Despite Prometheus receiving a mostly positive reception from both critics and audiences, most complains were about the lack of aliens. Those who complained will not be disappointed here. Within hours of landing on the planet, two members of the crew are inadvertently infected with an alien spore that kills them, after one bursts out of the back of one crew member while the other escapes through the mouth of another. Alien: Covenant has a high level of violence and gore so those with a weak stomach may want to give this film a miss. The intensity increases and, just when you think everything is okay, Scott shocks us by using unpredictable twists and jump scares. Like in most of the films in the franchise, no one is safe and people die in shockingly violent ways. Once again, Scott has succeeded in crafting a horror film.

Unfortunately, where he is less successful is the characters. In my opinion, in Prometheus, I think that the characters were more memorable because of the actors portraying them and their performances. The stand-outs for me were Rapace, Fassbender and Charlize Theron as Meredith Vickers, who monitored the situation. Of the three, Fassbender is the only one to return, however, Rapace's character, Dr. Shaw, is frequently mentioned. Waterston gives a strong performance as Daniels who, despite her initial fears, remains brave and doesn't stop at trying to kill the monstrous neomorphs (which are forerunners to the xenomorph). Waterston previously appeared in Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them and proves her ability to play two completely different characters. Hopefully, these roles will get her more recognition as I think that she's an underrated actress. Solid supporting roles come from Crudup as Oram and Danny McBride as Tennessee, who is the chief pilot. For those seeing Alien: Covenant for James Franco, you're going to be disappointed.

Fassbender made David an interesting and mysterious individual, however, in this sequel, we see a different side to his character. We learn that he is manipulative and, ironically, has more human emotions than the humans themselves as he almost tears up when he talks about Shaw. He is unpredictable and we never know what he is going to do next. Fassbender also successfully achieves the task of portraying two different characters at the same time. Walter is a more mature, friendlier version of David. The relationship between the two androids is interesting to watch. David's evil actions leads to a brilliantly choreographed fight that results in a surprising twist.

Much like Prometheus, Alien: Covenant features some impressive visuals. When the crew arrive on the planet, the dark and grey setting implies that it's far from the paradise they had hoped for. As the intensity increases, the setting becomes darker, 

At the time of Alien: Covenant's release, Scott announced that there will be a sequel that'll lead into Alien. I won't reveal anything but Alien: Covenant does end on a cliffhanger, indicating there is still more to come. 

While I don't think it's as good as Alien, Aliens or Prometheus (which I enjoyed more than most), Alien: Covenant isn't as bad as Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection. It's a welcome return to the 'Alien' franchise and is full of thrills and dark and intense moments. 

7/10

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Superhero films are becoming more and more frequent these days. However, that doesn't stop them from being one of the highest grossing films of the year. Despite being released the same year as another Marvel Studios film, X-Men: Days Of Future Past, Guardians Of The Galaxy went on to receive over $773 million at the box office and was the third highest grossing film of 2014. This proves that superhero films are still really popular today. I think that people love seeing their favourite comic books being brought to life on the big screen. However, if it doesn't meet their expectations, the results can be a disaster. Just look at the Fantastic Four films. There has been three films yet all of them were criticised by both critics and fans. Fortunately, Guardians Of The Galaxy didn't follow that same path and, not only did it impress fans, it won over a new audience too. This was because, despite it being a superhero film, it felt different in comparison to similar films such as Fantastic Four and The Avengers. Unlike the two aforementioned films, Guardians never took itself too seriously and made for a highly entertaining watch. The first installment shows how the titular Guardians met and became the team they are now known as today. Now its sequel, which has been released after three years, follows the group on another adventure in space. However, there can be a lot of pressure for a sequel to be as good as its predecessor, does it meet people's expectations?
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 has one of the best openings to any film I've ever seen. The Guardians are fighting off a large behemoth, however, the film decides to focus on Baby Groot (Vin Diesel) who, despite all the background action, is busy dancing to ELO's 'Mr Blue Sky'. Here, the film sets the audience up for what's to come which is a lot of action and humour. After this, the Guardians receive a prisoner in exchange for killing the behemoth, however, that prisoner is Nebula (Karen Gillian) who is Gamora's (Zoe Saldana) sister. Due to the events of the previous film, their relationship is very strained. After Rocket (voice of Bradley Cooper) steals some batteries from the Sovereign race, the Guardians' ship crash lands on a distant plant where Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) meets his father, Ego (Kurt Russell). Despite Gamora's concerns, Quill is ecstatic to finally meet his father. This leads to a tense relationship between the Guardians who believes Ego is using Quill for his own good as he seduces him with his powers.
Apart from the opening, the Guardians spend most of the film separated with Quill, Gamora and Drax (Dave Bautista) on Ego's home planet and Rocket, Baby Groot and Quill's adoptive father, Yondu (Michael Rooker), being held captive by the leader of the Ravagers, Taserface (Chris Sullivan). In the scenes with Quill and his father, we find out why Ego left Quill's mother and gives more background to Quill's character. In the first film, Quill came across as a cocky yet charming pilot, however, we see a softer side to him here. Pratt's portrayal of the leading protagonist proves why he's one of Hollywood's biggest stars working today. Despite appearing in Jurassic World and, most recently, Passengers, Pratt returns to the role of Quill and it's like he never left the role. When the first Guardians film was in production, actors such as Joel Edgerton, Jim Sturgess, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Eddie Redmayne were considered for the part of Quill. However, Pratt won the role and it was a good choice as he fully personifies Quill. I don't think any of the aforementioned actors would've been right for this role.
One of the biggest themes in this film is family. It is played throughout the film as we see Gamora and Nebula making amends. Despite being raised by Yondo, Quill believes that, because they're biologically related, his true father is Ego. However, the film shows that family doesn't necessarily  mean the people who are your blood relatives, it can mean the people who love you unconditionally. It's a message that works in this film as we see the Guardians become closer.
After its release in 2014, the first Guardians film went on to receive two Academy Award nominations including Best Achievement in Visual Effects which is unsurprising considering that the visual effects were one of the most impressive aspects of the film. The same can be said for the sequel as it's just as visually stunning as its predecessor. The visual effects department team have clearly put a lot of effort into making this a film that stands out in term of its overall look. Compared to the first Guardians film, this sequel features a lot more brighter colours and a fresh, unique look. This is a film that deserves to be seen on the big screen as the visuals may lose their impact once released on DVD and watched on a smaller screen.
Guardian's soundtrack was a big highlight of the film as it featured classic and well-known songs which made the scenes a lot more entertaining to watch. Quill, as a character, can be defined by his love of music which he plays on his Walkman, which he owned as a child and kept with him when he was taken into space. His love for music hasn't changed here with songs such as Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain' and Jay and the Americans' 'Come a Little Bit Closer' making appearances throughout the film.
Performances-wise, the standouts are Pratt as Quill and Saldana as Gamora, who is portrayed as a fierce and strong-minded individual. Despite her concerns about Quill and his relationship with his father, she knows her relationship with Nebula is more important. In the first film, Drax was seen as a angry individual who wanted revenge for the death of his wife and child. However, because of Bautista's performance, we see he has a funny side too which is shown in the banter between the Guardians. Cooper's voice is unrecognisable as the foul-mouthed Rocket who isn't afraid to speak his mind. Newcomers include Russell who, like Pratt's Quill, brings a certain charm to his role as Ego and Pom Klementieff as Mantis who looks after Ego and can reveal the feelings of others by touching them.
Before Guardians Vol. 2's release, director James Gunn announced that there was going to be an extra five scenes that were going to be shown during and after the credits. However, these scenes are mainly there to set up the upcoming Marvel Studios film, Thor: Ragnarok, which is being released later this year.
For those who enjoyed the first Guardians, you will not be disappointed here. It's just as entertaining as its predecessor and features a lot of the humour that made its predecessor so popular. For those new to the superhero genre, you should find lots to enjoy here, whether it's the characters, visuals or high-energy narrative. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 beat my initial expectations and I honestly can't wait for the release of Vol. 3.
7.5/10