READY PLAYER ONE (2018)

I'm really struggling to figure out a way to properly start this review without using a string of expletives; I was that caught off-guard by the film. Watching both of the trailers, I had a mild curiosity due to the number of gaming and movie characters present, but otherwise, I felt rather apathetic towards the film. This is a film directed by Steven Spielberg, however, so I decided to give it a chance, and I am incredibly thankful that I did. By far, the best film to come out in 2018 so far. I'm hesitant to talk freely about the film because of a) spoilers, and b) I don't want to overhype the film, as my low expectations potentially could have contributed to my high appraisal of the film.

The premise of the film is simple, the future is a world where real-world experiences have little value, instead, everybody lives their lives online through an avatar, which can be in any form that they wish. These avatars can do whatever they wish, whether it be performing, fighting, relaxing, dating, clubbing, the sky is the limit. This is highly relatable as many generations in our current age use movies and games to escape reality and live vicariously through other characters. To see a world portrayed on a screen where the only real precious commodity is an internet connection is a jarring dystopia that is too close for comfort.

Ready Player One follows the protagonist Wade Watts a.k.a. Parzival as he attempts to decipher a code and unlock items that will grant him immeasurable wealth and control of the online world. The world brimming with avatars, characters, and items from popular franchises, is full of pop culture references from as far back as the 1960s to now. The movie is a treasure trove of characters (e.g. Joker and Harley Quinn, Duke Nukem, Freddy Krueger), vehicles (e.g. A-Team van, Bigfoot monster truck, the Adam West Batmobile, the Back to the Future DeLorean), and weapons (e.g. Halo Assault Rifles, Gears of War Lancer), and the trailer alone has had people pausing and searching frame by frame to discover as many easter eggs as they can. The magnitude of what is involved and the hoops that must have been jumped through to be able to use all of these intellectual properties is immense and incredibly impressive (or is it perhaps a large globally dominant corporate giving themselves a large pat on the back). This is a film best enjoyed on a large screen.

Contemplating how the plot of the film manages to be so engaging, it likely comes down to the source material. The film is based on the 2011 science fiction novel of the same name, written by Ernest Cline. This always helps create more involving and authentic characters in the films, as the actors and actresses have a greater breadth of the character than what is portrayed in the film, thanks to the original material. We also know that the film will remain faithful to the main premises, as the writers for the film are Zak Penn and none other than Ernest Cline himself. Other factors come from the game-like nature of the virtual world, with in-world money, upgrades, character customization, races and fights, there is a level of competitiveness that gets thrust upon the viewer drawing them in.

The cast was well picked, with Tye Sheridan's portrayal of Wade Watts being brilliantly awkward, and Olivia Cooke's Art3mis character delightfully charming and foxy. The remainder of the cast can come across overzealous and at times lack depth of character, but their presence in the film is to fill out the team or providing an antagonist to push back, and in this case, playing on the idea of not knowing who is behind the keyboard is a theme that allows for a diverse cast, even though it is unnecessary to the plot. It is great to see that while appearances may not match, personalities transcend the two worlds.

Graphically speaking, thanks to the style of the avatars it is easy to differentiate between the in-game and real-world scenes, but unlike actual video game movies like Assassin's Creed (which spent far too much time in present-time and not enough in the past "assassin" timeline), Ready Player One has actually struck a perfect balance between virtual and real, showing real-world consequences without getting bogged down in the specifics, allowing the pace of the film to steadily increase.

The overall plot of the film is incredibly basic, but is still incredibly entertaining, and will likely have gamers and movie buffs alike enthralled. Finally, a film not spoiled by the trailers, that delivers a pretty close to a family-friendly performance. A safe bet for a good time.

Originally posted on: http://djin.nz/Kr7909

BETTER WATCH OUT (2016)

Better Watch Out is a psychological thriller/horror. Another film that is based around Christmas time to try to provide the world with alternative choices in Christmas film, this is not a family-friendly wholesome choice by any means. Best described as a dark, twisted home invasion that tips it's hat to Home Alone, Better Watch Out provides a variety of twists that will leave you scratching your head.

Taking place within the confines of a single property, you would expect this Australian-shot 90-minute film to feel claustrophobic, and to an extent, it is (which helps to build suspension and tension), but to an even greater extent, the layout of the house and the camera angles give the illusion of space and connectedness that prevents the film from feeling monotonous and repetitive. 

Going into a horror film, you expect to receive shocks but remain in the dark as to when the horror will begin. So until you know the terror has begun, you find yourself taking note of every quick movement, every loud noise, every "red flag". Director Chris Peckover does a brilliant job stretching this portion of the film out, teasing the audience with false starts leaving you questioning what is relevant or not in respect to the overall plot. 

The initial twist caught me off-guard, and Peckover did a great job working the script to keep me guessing as the film progressed. With a film that only primarily consists of 7 cast members, to keep the direction of the film open for so long is a challenge that is well navigated. The film will leave you questioning the effects of our dependence on technology, and the imbalance between knowledge & intelligence with emotional maturity. 

Cast-wise Olivia de Jonge does a brilliant job as the protagonist, caught between a rock and a hard place, and spending much of the film tied up with her mouth taped, she does an amazing job conveying emotion through her eyes. The young actors Levi Miller and Ed Oxenbould show incredible maturity in their acting while still maintaining the youthfulness necessary for their parts. Their trust in each other is one of the important facets of the film.

There is not much more I can mention without giving away the plot, so I will mention the extras. The DVD only includes one extra; the "Making Of" feature. Now unlike many films that have a two-to-three minute featurette that has already been online for months that was used as a teaser prior to the film's theatrical release, the "Making Of" included in the special features is actually a full blown 50-minute piece looking at the choice in casting, collaborative writing with the cast, shooting winter "snow" scenes in the heat of Australia, and stunts, among other things. It gives a much greater appreciation for the film when you see how much work was put into it. One thing I loved, was learning that Olivia de Jonge did five takes with a real tarantula-sized spider crawling across her face, despite her fear of spiders, to save the studio an exorbitant amount of money to try create CGI spiders.

So this isn't a 90-minute film. It's a 140-minute film+featurette, which is integral to achieving the full attraction of the film. There are so many aspects that you look over in a horror/thriller because your eyes aren't on the details, but there is a definite satisfaction gained by understanding the efforts put in after you have seen the finished product.

Originally posted on: http://djin.nz/Kr7901

TOMB RAIDER (2018)

The film was both highly anticipated and yet still had low expectations. Being another video game movie, there was no way that the film was really looking to garner any high expectations beforehand, and yet the choice of actress really brought some hope. Alicia Vikander brings realism back to the franchise.

From the opening scenes, we get to see a woman, brilliant but not perfect, physically healthy but emotionally hurting. A woman with flaws. Much in the same way that the character of James Bond was rebooted with Daniel Craig to show a grittier more realistic character, Vikander's Lara Croft is tough as nails and has the attitude and determination that we know and love from the video games. Watching her fight, flee, and "out-fox" many opponents, there is a great deal of physicality to the movie.

The movie itself is based on the rebooted game franchise and lives within the same timeline. If you have played through both Tomb Raider (2013) and Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015), you will recognise much of the plot and environment to be similar to that of the first game, with some hints from the second. In itself, it did feel like a bit of a cop-out, to redo the scenes and plot from something that was already released only 5 years ago (and has sold over 11 million copies as of November 2017). But there are some subtle differences, and of course, it feels more realistic and games are far less hampered by physics. There are a few points during the film where the CGI is very noticeable (primarily during falls), but in general, the effects are very well done. 

This is a prequel so there is a fair amount of background to lay down, but even so, I was really hoping for some more challenging puzzles. It is one of the aspects of the games that kept it fun and challenging, but there was only really one puzzle out of three that provided a challenge at all. This also affected the pacing of the film, with a brilliant high energy start to the film, that pushes trying to maintain that flow until the climax, but it feels forced.

Supporting cast Daniel Wu and Walter Goggins did well in their roles, and the chemistry between Wu's character Lu Ren and Lara Croft was palpable despite the characters realistically spending very little time together. Walter Goggin's role as the antagonist was also convincing. His role and his priorities were clear from the get-go, and he was nothing if not committed to the role. 

Certainly not a bad film, one of the best video game films to date. It's captivating at times, and I'm engaged enough with the characters that I really want to see some sequels with these characters. There is plenty of action (even if it is rushed), and it ditches a lot of the supernatural elements, providing a much more grounded film. I would have loved to see the film last another 30 minutes so that we could spend more time exploring the tomb, but as it is only a prequel, it stands as an observation and not a complaint.

Definitely worth the watch.

Originally posted on: http://djin.nz/Kr7882