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BABY DRIVER ■ The Wright kind of ride

BABY DRIVER ■ The Wright kind of ride

If you’re a fan of Edgar Wright’s previous work, BABY DRIVER will undoubtedly already be on your radar. The creative mind behind SHAUN OF THE DEAD, HOT FUZZ, SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, and THE WORLD’S END makes a departure from oddball comedies and drifts into a new dramatic space. There’s still some decent laughs to be had in BABY DRIVER, but nowhere near as many as his previous four movies that are more about the laughs than anything else.

Thankfully, Wright’s idiosyncratic dialogue survives the genre shift and converts what would otherwise be routine discussions into something special. The story follows the plight of talented wheelman Baby (Ansel Elgort) who’s forced to take on dangerous task of playing getaway driver for Doc (Kevin Spacey). Baby’s quirk, though, is he suffers from tinnitus, so he creates mix tapes to suit different moods to block out the ringing in his ears.

It’s the kind of peculiar character quirk that shouldn’t really work on paper, but does (for the most part) in Wright’s hands. There are times when BABY DRIVER leans a little too hard into the musical numbers, and even those feel too odd alongside the rest of the grounded world and storytelling. At other times, though, the simple act of walking down the street to get coffee is complemented by fantastic choreography that turns these scenes into miniature music videos.

The car chases and action set pieces are particularly enjoyable, even if they play second fiddle to the heart of the story, which sees Baby falling for a waitress called Debora (Lily James). This love story is a little creepy if you look at it beyond the surface, but it works as a motivating force for Baby to want more than his current life of crime. There are some rare moments where Baby’s ‘criminal with a heart of gold’ characterisation is sacrificed at the altar of speedy plot progression, but it’s not enough to make you disengage from his plight.

One of the biggest criticisms of BABY DRIVER is likely outside of Wright’s control, though, as it falls victim to the unfortunately frequent problem of trailers that (at the very least, partially) misrepresent the tone of the final product. The trailers lean heavily into the quirky and comedic aspects of BABY DRIVER, which are both secondary to the character-focused drama that makes up most of the movie. It’s not a bad thing, of course, as Wright handles drama with the same deft touch as he does comedy, but if you’re going in to BABY DRIVER looking for a whole lot of laughs, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.

With a killer soundtrack, memorable characters, fantastic dialogue, and awesome car chases, BABY DRIVER is absolutely the kind of movie that’s worth watching on the big screen.

★★★★ STARS  ■  M  ■  113mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING ■ Marvel’s Homecoming King

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING ■ Marvel’s Homecoming King

It’s a strange feeling to watch another rebooted SPIDER-MAN movie so shortly after THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, which only hit cinemas three years ago. For all their faults, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN flicks were enjoyable, especially for cinemagoers (like me) who never really bought into Sam Raimi’s SPIDER-MAN trilogy. Tobey Maguire’s angsty portrayal of Peter Parker didn’t help with that, and Andrew Garfield showcased a lot more of the wisecracking fun that’s an enjoyable part of the comic book character. 

Fast-forward to Tom Holland’s first standalone take on the character, and he brings some key things to the table that neither Maguire or Garfield could. First and foremost, Holland is actually believably a high-schooler, instead of a 30-something-year-old posing as one, because he’s a sprightly 21 (which is a baby in Hollywood years), and he actually looks like a teenager. Holland also brings a welcome physicality to the role, manages to pull off social awkwardness while still being endearing, and nails the dramatic beats.

In short, he’s pretty much the perfect Spider-Man, and that’s coming from someone who never saw the viability of the character growing up. After all, teenage angst spliced with superpowers doesn’t exactly make for the most compelling viewing for comic fans who aren’t teenagers themselves. But I digress.

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING thankfully dodges the radioactive-spider origin story, but still portrays a fledgling Peter Parker who’s more Spider-Boy than Spider-Man. Robert Downey Jr. plays a fantastic surrogate father figure, Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan makes a welcome return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Marisa Tomei as a comparatively young Aunt May Parker makes for a feisty spin on the usually older role. 

Michael Keaton is the real star of the show, though, in his portrayal of a three-dimensional villain whose grounded plight is established from the opening scene. He also gets the right amount of screen time to stop him from becoming the usual moustache-twirling Marvel Cinematic Universe villain, and he’s a fitting first match-up for this new Spider-Man.

Despite the 133-minute running time, HOMECOMING web-slings by at a zippy pace. There’s very little that feels like clutter, and almost every supporting character has their own respective moments to shine, which is a neat touch. Yes, it’s a formulaic movie in terms of hitting the usual beats and action set pieces, but it’s executed so well that this rarely detracts from the experience. If anything, comparisons to the over-the-top bombastic action of the last two Spider-Man series can make some of HOMECOMING’s action sequences feel smaller by comparison, but that’s because the Sony/Marvel brains trust is trying to tell a more intimate story with a less-skilled Spidey.

You don’t need to be particularly well versed in Marvel Cinematic Universe lore to jump in to HOMECOMING and enjoy it out of the gate. There’s enough requisite (and, thankfully, minimal) handholding to ensure cinemagoers that fall on different parts of the nerd spectrum are up to speed, but it does have a lot of fan service for Spidey aficionados who’ll glean greater significance in certain events and character names. If you’re a fan of Spider-Man or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is essential viewing on the big screen.

PS – Hang around after the credits start rolling. SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING has two stingers.

★★★★½ STARS  ■  M  ■  133mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES ■ Dead franchises tell some tales

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES ■ Dead franchises tell some tales

There’s no denying that while the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movies have increased in big-budget spectacle, they’ve declined in quality since the release of the original, THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL. While sequels DEAD MAN’S CHEST and AT WORLD’S END retained some of the magic of the original, ON STRANGER TIDES left a lot to be desired for PIRATES fans.

Fast-forward to the latest sequel, DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES, and Disney has clearly taken this to heart. While it doesn’t always hit the right notes, DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES adapts the formula of what worked for THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL. There’s plenty of action. Some decent humour. An iconic villain. It leans a little too heavily into the darker parts at times, but still doesn’t come close to the implied hanging of children in AT WORLD’S END.

To go into the story would give things away, and if you can avoid the trailers before seeing this one, you’ll be in for some great fan-service surprises. One of the better decisions for DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES is to relegate Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) back to a supporting role. This works better on paper than in execution, but mostly because Sparrow’s dialogue isn’t as quotable, and he comes across more like a sad clown than ever before.

Sparrow’s stake in the story isn’t as tightly entwined as some of the other players, and DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES suffers from too many competing storylines. One in particular could have been cut without it changing the trajectory of the plot, and given that there are around half a dozen storylines at play in the shortest PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movie, to date, it feels unnecessarily convoluted in parts. 

That said, DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES wastes little time sailing forward and the plot moves at a fantastic pace. There are some genuinely clever action set pieces (even if directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg are a little too fond of slow-motion shots), and the villainous Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) effortlessly bests lacklustre baddie Blackbeard (Ian McShane) from ON STRANGER TIDES. Towards the end of the movie, there are some poignant emotional pay-offs, too, which helps to lift DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES above its weaker parts.

DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES isn’t the rousing runaway success that THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL was, but it’s a necessary return to form for a reportedly soft-rebooted franchise that got lost in the Seven Seas with ON STRANGER TIDES. It’s impressive on the big screen, and great in 3D, too.

★★★½ STARS  ■  M  ■  129mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 
ROUGH NIGHT ■ A hen’s night with plenty of clucks

ROUGH NIGHT ■ A hen’s night with plenty of clucks

It’d be easy to relegate ROUGH NIGHT to THE HANGOVER with female leads, but that would be an oversimplification. Director Lucia Aniello (BROAD CITY) has collected a group of funny leading ladies to carry a story that mostly shouldn’t work. If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ll know what I’m talking about in terms of the big plot wrinkle that the girls have to deal with, but if you haven’t, it’s best experienced fresh for the first time, so avoid those trailers if you can.

It’s a twist that’s too dark for the kind of tone for which ROUGH NIGHT is gunning, and it sporadically forces the movie out of frequently hilarious territory into an odd thriller. The conflicting tones don’t play nice together, and you’re basically left waiting for the tone to forge back into full-fledged comedic territory, which is where the cast shines. Interestingly, two of the bigger names play second fiddle in terms of the laughs than the rest of the crew.

Scarlett Johansson and Zoë Kravitz are funny enough, but are often upstaged by the comedic mastery of Kate McKinnon (GHOSTBUSTERS), Ilana Glazer (BROAD CITY), and Jillian Bell (WORKAHOLICS). These respective TV comedians turned big-screen jokesters are clearly masters of ad lib and they consistently garner the biggest laughs. Props to Kate McKinnon for consistently nailing an Aussie accent, too.

The big dramatic sticking point wraps up a little too neatly, but it’s an easy oversight to forgive considering just how many laughs you’ll have between start and simplistic conclusion. There’s plenty of room here for a sequel, too, as you could throw this comedic crew into almost any situation and they’d turn it into laughs. But, if I’m being honest, that’s mostly because I’d love to see the comedic crew get back together for another chance at big laughs.

★★★★ STARS  ■  M  ■  129mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 
BAYWATCH ■ Okay-watch

BAYWATCH ■ Okay-watch

Hollywood loves to chase its own tail in pursuit of the next money-making trend. In terms of superheroes, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has created a standard of (mostly) loosely interconnected storytelling in a shared universe that culminates with an AVENGERS movie every few years. Now every franchisable property is seemingly doing that. When it comes to old-school TV series receiving the contemporary movie-adaptation treatment, 21 JUMP STREET and its just-as-funny-sequel, 22 JUMP STREET, set the gold standard.

CHIPS recently showed how adding foul language and dick jokes isn’t enough to make for compelling adult reimagining of a historically (and comparatively) clean series. And while BAYWATCH drifts closer to 21 JUMP STREET than CHIPS (at least in terms of laugh potentiality), its nowhere near as memorable than the better example. Let’s swim into the bad stuff first. BAYWATCH is too long. There’s no reason why what’s ultimately a comedy should be more than 90 minutes.

BAYWATCH copies the 22 JUMP STREET formula so closely that it adds both action and drama to the mix, but those two don’t work anywhere near as well as the comedy. When BAYWATCH is trying to be dramatic or an action movie, it falls short and plods along. When it tries to be funny, it mostly works. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has proven he has the comedic chops to carry a movie more than once before, as has Zac Efron (most notably in BAD NEIGHBOURS) in a supporting semi-antagonistic role. The leading duo riff well off each other, and there’s a lot to like when they dominate the screen.

The supporting cast don’t fare as well, and there seems to be an odd ensemble of ‘straight man’ characters, which just feel like they’re unnecessarily occupying screen time. The attempted beach cop story is laughably bad, and despite its thinness, it still manages to somehow have holes. There’s no point paying attention to that, though. You’re really watching this movie for the laughs, and while it has its fair share if you’re willing to ignore the other stuff, BAYWATCH still could have been a lot funnier.

PS –Try and ignore the cast credits at the beginning of the movie, because it gives away some of the cameos.

★★★ STARS  ■  MA15+  ■  116mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 
KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD ■ Usurping the legend

KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD ■ Usurping the legend

The legendary fable of King Arthur is no stranger to cinematic reimagining, with the latest most noteworthy attempt being the Antoine Fuqua-helmed Clive Owen-led KING ARTHUR in 2004. Fast-forward 13 years, and director/cowriter Guy Ritchie, of cult-classic SNATCH fame, has had a crack at a much less grounded and much more fantastical take on the Arthurian legend with KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD.

Charlie Hunnam (PACIFIC RIM) dons the mantle of Arthur Pendragon, which this time sees a Moses-like childhood (albeit with a Ritchie spin) lead to a brawling upbringing… for no particular reason at all. It might be to make this more of a Guy Ritchie movie. Actually, the parts where Ritchie leans heavily into the wise-cracking nonlinear storytelling techniques of his legendary gangster movies are where LEGEND OF THE SWORD is at its most fun.

But the rest of it is a whole lot of nonsense. The fantasy elements feel more tacked-on than necessary, and Ritchie is guilty, more often than not, of embracing style over substance. There’s nothing wrong with recooking a familiar legend, but if the new ingredients don’t bring a whole lot to the table, it makes for a hollow experience.

There are some decent laughs, a few solid action sequences, and a surprisingly effective minimalist-yet-experimental soundtrack, but for a movie that leans heavily into its magical themes, it sure is lacking in the most important magic of them all: audience engagement. You can see why Jude Law signed up to play the villainous Vortigern, with some humanising moments that are pretty damn effective. But then those hints of the potential of three-dimensional villainy are thrown to the wind for the bulk of the movie when he descends into moustache-twirling territory.

Still, despite its shortcomings, Vortigern’s character arc has a more obvious trajectory than a mostly cardboard-cut-out Arthur. This is particularly problematic given he’s the namesake of the movie. If you go into KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD with no expectations, there is fun to be had. Go in as a Guy Ritchie fan and you’ll be impressed in parts, and bored in others. If you’re after the next big action-fantasy epic, though, you’re better off watching THE LORD OF THE RINGS.

★★½ STARS  ■  R18+  ■  117mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 
THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE ■ Another entertaining Lego brick in the wall

THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE ■ Another entertaining Lego brick in the wall

THE LEGO MOVIE was better than it had any right to be. It could have just been a cheap cash-in on the popular LEGO construction toys, but it turned out to be so much more. With a talented voice cast led by frequently hilarious writer/director duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, THE LEGO MOVIE proved to be a transcendent triumph that could be enjoyed by cinemagoers young and old.

A sequel was inevitable, but before that hits, the powers that be decided a spin-off was the best first order of follow-up business. Enter THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE. Will Arnett’s take on Batman in THE LEGO MOVIE was fantastic, but with so many gritty BATMAN movies over the years, it was always going to be a challenge to find the right story to tell in this family-friendly space. As it turns out, the solution for director Chris McKay was to make THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE an homage to all things Batman, both the weird and obscure examples from the comics, and all screen iterations.

On this level, it works really well for the older viewers who get the references, while the kids can laugh at the good-natured goofball humour that permeates throughout the movie. In terms of the emotional through-line, though, THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE suffers because of what came before it. Where THE LEGO MOVIE seamlessly blurred multiple realities with different intellectual properties, and consistently entertained while telling a heart-warming story, THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE leans a little too heavily into its exploration of Batman’s self-determined isolation and rejection of familial relationships.

When it’s firing on all cylinders, THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE is a tonne of fun, but it sometimes feels like there’s a stark tone shift between gravitas and comedic moments. It just doesn’t gel together as well as it should. That’s not to say that these tone shifts in THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE are distracting to the point where it resets the fun-o-meter. There’s still absolutely enough entertainment here to justify the price of admission, it’s just missing that magical thread that made THE LEGO MOVIE an instant must-see classic.

★★★½ STARS  ■  PG  ■  104mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 
T2: TRAINSPOTTING ■ A familiar ride

T2: TRAINSPOTTING ■ A familiar ride

For a lot of sequels, particularly those that come years after the preceding movie, there’s a distinct undercurrent of ‘this movie doesn’t need to exist’. T2: TRAINSPOTTING is certainly no exception to this rule, with an ultimately familiar plot and the feeling that very little has been achieved between the dysfunctional friendship group.

Despite the familiarity of the narrative beats, John Hodge’s screenplay adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s novel PORNO, and Danny Boyle’s direction makes for well-executed and engaging storytelling. T2 really shouldn’t work as well as it does, but Boyle’s keen eye for humanising moments amid the returning foursome—Renton (Ewan McGregor), Begbie (Robert Carlyle), Spud (Ewen Bremner) and

Sick Boy (Johnny Lee Miller)—means that T2 is often as poignant as it is entertaining.

They’re still mostly all despicable people that are often hard to root for, except for poor Spud, yet the collective cast’s clear love of these characters shines through in gripping performances. The returning free-frame shots feel a bit overdone this time, but his winking-at-the-audience flashback moments encapsulate the feeling of the nostalgic hit that fans of the original 21-year-old movie are clearly seeking (and getting) in T2.

The plot may not lend itself to the kind of story that absolutely must be told, but the execution of an otherwise by-the-numbers sequel is so close to excellence that it’s hard to not get swept up in the lives of the ageing delinquents. T2 is by no means essential viewing on the big screen, but if you’re a fan of the original movie, you owe it to yourself to see what older and wiser actors do with characters that seem to be perpetually stuck in the past.

★★★★ STARS  ■  R18+  ■  117mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 
DUNKIRK ■ Official Trailer

DUNKIRK ■ Official Trailer

ABOUT DUNKIRK

Christopher Nolan (“Interstellar,” “Inception,” “The Dark Knight” Trilogy) is directing DUNKIRK from his own original screenplay, utilising a mixture of IMAX® and 65mm film to bring the story to the screen.

DUNKIRK opens as hundreds of thousands of British and Allied troops are surrounded by enemy forces. Trapped on the beach with their backs to the sea they face an impossible situation as the enemy closes in.

DUNKIRK features a prestigious cast, including Tom Hardy (“The Revenant,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Inception”), Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies,” “Wolf Hall”), Kenneth Branagh (“My Week with Marilyn,” “Hamlet,” “Henry V”) and Cillian Murphy (“Inception,” “The Dark Knight” Trilogy), as well as newcomer Fionn Whitehead. The ensemble cast also includes Aneurin Barnard, Harry Styles, James D’Arcy, Jack Lowden, Barry Keoghan and Tom Glynn-Carney.

The film is being produced by Nolan and Emma Thomas (“Interstellar,” “Inception,” “The Dark Knight” Trilogy). Jake Myers (“The Revenant,” “Interstellar,” “Jack Reacher”) is serving as executive producer.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Hoyte van Hoytema (“Interstellar,” “Spectre,” “The Fighter”), production designer Nathan Crowley (“Interstellar,” “The Dark Knight” Trilogy), editor Lee Smith (“The Dark Knight” Trilogy, “Elysium”), costume designer Jeffrey Kurland (“Inception,” “Bullets Over Broadway”), and visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson (“Mad Max: Fury Road”).

In Australian Cinemas July 20, 2017  ■  Roadshow Films

#Dunkirk
 
ALLIED ■ The darkness of knight

ALLIED ■ The darkness of knight

Writer Steven Knight is renowned for putting his characters through hell in the pursuit of compelling drama and rich character exploration. You only need look as far as EASTERN PROMISES or TV show PEAKY BLINDERS for evidence of this. Knight clearly believes that leading characters shine best when they’re put through hell, all for an audience’s dramatic entertainment, and ALLIED is no exception to this.

ALLIED plays out like a grim alternative take on MR. AND MRS. SMITH. During World War II, intelligence officer Max Vatan (Brad Pitt) is sent on an assassination mission with the aid of on-the-ground contact Marianne Beauséjour (Marion Cotillard). During the course of their husband-and-wife façade, the spies fall in love and follow their hearts, only to ultimately have their love and trust tested. To say anything more than that would delve into spoiler territory, and it’s worth avoiding the trailers (which are less considerate) if you want to watch how masterfully the twists and turns of the plot play out.

There was a time when expert director Robert Zemeckis avoided live-action movies, but his understanding of how to place human drama in front of his spectacular eye for scope and impactful action is most impressive in ALLIED. The slow-burn pace at which the story plays out will likely deter some viewers. That said, fans of well-executed methodical thrillers who enjoy fantastic dialogue and compelling characters will be too engrossed from start to finish to notice the confidence behind the Knight’s patient script. ALLIED is worth the price of admission for anyone looking for a compelling human drama where the three core elements – writer, director, and cast – are at the top of their game.

★★★★½ STARS  ■  M  ■  124mins

Review by Nathan Lawrence
 

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