Tag: Summer of Cinema

2023: Summer of Cinema: Theater Camp

The theatre world has always been an inclusive place for outsiders and people that don’t feel that they fit into society or at least at school to find a home. Making the teachers the focus of the film was something I have not really seen before but it really honed in on the phrase ‘those that can’t do, teach’.

Hello readers,

Despite the sun coming back again for another heatwave, the summer cinema offerings are starting to wind down. Today’s post is the last one in my 2023: Summer of Cinema series and I will be looking at different topics including television and streaming shows together with some larger scale analysis.

For today, I turn my attention to Theater Camp, a funny, dry mockumentary celebrating the theatre camps of America particularly around New York. The camp in this film is run by the much loved Joan and a collection of other eccentric teachers that have not been able to find permanent roles in the theatre world.

Theater Camp (2023)

The film opens with Joan (Amy Sedaris) and Rita (Caroline Aaron) recruiting potential kids for the camp. In true mockumentary style, we get talking heads from the cast telling us their feelings and just giving extra details that they haven’t said in the scene.

When Joan unfortunately is stunned into a coma by a child’s performance in Bye Bye Birdie; her son Troy (Jimmy Tatro) with no experience and little appreciation for the theatre is replaced as camp leader. He quickly starts to make some changes but the teachers and students barrel on with their usual mayhem regardless.

The most closely followed teachers are Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon – also co-director) and Amos (Ben Platt) and their co-dependent dynamic. They were students at the camp and with no success in the business, they have committed their lives to being theatre camp counsellors and nurturing the next generation.

Among the other teachers there is Glenn (Noah Galvin) who covers all things stage management but maybe wants a chance at the spotlight; Clive, a traditionalist with a passion for dance; Gigi with the fashion know-how and Janet (Ayo Edebiri), a new hire with a forged CV trying to bluff her way through stage combat and mask work.

A complication to this little society comes when Troy finds out the financial issues that the camp is facing. He tries several methods of raising money, all more outlandish than the next. There is also the rivalry with another local camp and tension between long-time best friends and co-producers, Rebecca-Diane and Amos as they attempt to write Joan, Still: an original play celebrating the colourful life of their comatose camp director.

I have dabbled myself in musical theatre but the theatre camps of America really take the drama to the next level. This film highlights the great things about camp: making friends for life, learning great skills for future careers, gaining confidence and the delightful chaos of being part of something bigger than yourself. The film also has the ability to poke fun at the sort of personalities that this environment attracts and not just with the teachers.

The child actors were all great, effortlessly playing up to the stereotype that their character was given: the reluctant male star; the one with actual experience; the unexpected talent and the larger than life presence.

This film made me laugh out loud many times. The way they play scenes as serious whilst being highly unusual really made the humour funnier and the improvisational nature of the script meant that you never really knew what someone would say and do.

The theatre world has always been an inclusive place for outsiders and people that don’t feel that they fit into society or at least at school to find a home. Making the teachers the focus of the film was something I have not really seen before but it really honed in on the phrase ‘those that can’t do, teach’.

I thought this film was a fun venture into the land of the theatre camp and it would be great to see more films with this production team as they managed to make the humour look effortless and clearly cultivated a great safe space for the actors to try new things. I give it 4.5/5.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

2023: Summer of Cinema: Gran Turismo

It was amazing to me that this was also a true story as it seems impossible that someone can become a racer without training in real cars and not coming from a wealthy background. Jann learned all the right instincts from playing the video game and used things he has learned to his advantage in the real race such as overtaking. Jack was very doubtful at first but even he came to realise that Jann was born to race. I am pleased that there were women in the Academy too as racing has traditionally been a very male dominated sport with no female equivalent at the top level.

Hello readers,

With Barbenheimer out of the way, you may think Summer of Cinema is over but there are still a few films on my list and today’s one is all about racing. I grew up watching Formula One with my family so I’ve always enjoyed racing and subsequently racing films but the plot of this one was a little more unusual.

Gran Turismo (2023)

The film centres around Jann Mardenborough, a university dropout living at home and playing the video game, Gran Turismo on PlayStation. He has not found much passion for a career and spends all his free time and money towards the game in his room or at the local game centre. His father is not very supportive and as an ex-footballer is more interested in his youngest son’s blossoming football career.

When a unique opportunity comes from Nissan to find a driver with virtual experience rather than racing in real cars, Jann realises that he may have a chance to fulfil his dreams of being a racing driver after all. The team made up of Danny (Orlando Bloom) and ex-racer Jack (David Harbour) find the ten best sim players and put them through their paces. Among the drivers are Matty, Jann’s cocksure rival (Darren Barnet – Never Have I Ever); Antonio; Leah and Klaus (Maximilian Mundt – How to Sell Drugs Online Fast).

Jann has amazing instincts with the car and knowing all its parts which proves to Jack that maybe a sim driver could become a real racer. After winning the competition, Jann signs to Team Nissan and begins his career on the tracks. For me, the first half of the film did not have as much intrigue or emotion, particularly as they dived into the Academy scenes with a montage sequence but it really picked up when Jann started driving in actual races. I thought that Archie Madekwe who played Jann was well cast and in his driving scenes, you could see the emotion on his face. David Harbour was also good, leaning into his protective father figure character that we have seen in Stranger Things and Black Widow.

I thought the effects combined with the stunts made the races thrilling and exciting and they did not weigh them down with explanations of the types of cars or how many laps they did. I have never really seen this type of racing before but I didn’t feel lost or confused and just focused on the drivers.

It was amazing to me that this was also a true story as it seems impossible that someone can become a racer without training in real cars and not coming from a wealthy background. Jann learned all the right instincts from playing the video game and used things he has learned to his advantage in the real race such as overtaking. Jack was very doubtful at first but even he came to realise that Jann was born to race. I am pleased that there were women in the Academy too as racing has traditionally been a very male dominated sport with no female equivalent at the top level.

Racing fans or even Spice Girls fans will be surprised to see Geri Halliwell Horner make an appearance as Jann’s mother, Lesley. Many will know her as Ginger Spice but she is also married to Christian Horner, Team Principle of Red Bull for Formula One.

Overall, I enjoyed the film even though it was a little documentary like at first. Once you got to the racing part, everything started to fall into place. I give it 4/5.

Happy Watching,
Robyn

2023: Summer of Cinema: Oppenheimer

In some of his films that are set in reality, Nolan claims to use no CGI. VFX is used to touch up the shots and are not always used to create computer generated elements but in this case, over 100 visual effects artists (about 80%) were not credited for working on Oppenheimer. As someone working in VFX, I see this often enough but to not credit people is to not support fellow workers in the industry.

Hello readers,

The day has come and gone for ‘Barbenheimer’ to hit the screens and according to Rotten Tomatoes, Oppenheimer is currently pulling ahead in terms of reviews, however Barbie is winning in terms of box office. This could be because Barbie is a 12A meaning children under 12 can attend with an adult and Oppenheimer is a 15 but there are also huge differences in runtimes, directorial style and plot.

I chose to see Oppenheimer second on the Monday and I did see it at an IMAX screening as the director Christopher Nolan intended it. I didn’t quite stretch to a 70mm screening as to tell the truth, it was sold out. I am glad that I did not see both Barbie and Oppenheimer on one day as the 3 hour long film did send me to sleep a little.

Oppenheimer (2023)

I will start off the review by saying that the film was objectively good. The story was something not many people know in depth; the cast were Hollywood A-List: Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh and even the supporting cast of lesser knowns were great. The overall look with the costumes, production design and the inclusion of physics really helped set the stage and the use of lighting, composition and colour made the film look visually appealing.

As a former film student, these facts are all clear to me but personally I did not enjoy the film as much as I had hoped. I found it too long and it did not keep my interest after about one and a half hours. The female characters were only there to serve the male plotlines and even Oppenheimer’s wife, Kitty (Emily Blunt) who was featured in a lot of scenes did not really say or do much apart from seem mentally unstable or supportive of her husband. Along with Jean (Florence Pugh) having a mental breakdown and Oppenheimer’s sister-in-law, Jackie (Emma Dumont) being blacklisted as a communist, there were not any positive depictions of the women in the story.

For a female audience or even a younger audience who have grown up with men and women being more equally represented on screen to enjoy the film, there should have been more depth to the only two leading female characters: Kitty and Jean. Florence was severely underused and every scene she appeared in involved sex. The sex scenes themselves were weirdly portrayed as a conversation and sex was a secondary element which to me shows that no one needed to be naked for the scene to happen. There was a lot of pointless female nudity that was not replicated for the male counterpart.

There was also a lack of female scientists. The only speaking woman who was involved in the Manhattan Project was relegated to secretary and only got that position as a biologist. In real life, there were more women assisting Oppenheimer and his team with creating the Atomic Bomb and that just wasn’t shown in the film which was a shame. Similar stories such as the space race in Hidden Figures (2016) or the building of the Enigma machine in The Imitation Game (2014) did not shy away from including the stories of real women that helped with these scientific/mathematic projects.

In some of his films that are set in reality, Nolan claims to use no CGI. VFX is used to touch up the shots and are not always used to create computer generated elements but in this case, over 100 visual effects artists (about 80%) were not credited for working on Oppenheimer. As someone working in VFX, I see this often enough but to not credit people is to not support fellow workers in the industry.

I will say that for me, Robert Downey Jr was the standout performance of the film and for his first big role since Iron Man’s story ended, he really embodied his character: Admiral Strauss. I liked the beginning of the film where we saw Oppenheimer’s background and how he got selected for the Manhattan Project but I think the film loosened after the actual explosion happened. Moving backwards and forwards through time was also a little confusing as black and white was used for present day and colour used for flashbacks.

The general tone of the film, particularly after the bomb was not of regret for making the bomb and using it on innocent civilians but rather Americans trying to excuse themselves for making and using the bomb. Oppenheimer himself was barely affected with two weak aftermath images and no one else seemed that bothered. There was a whole scene of people cheering after hearing of the bombing which felt like patriotic propaganda. Many American people would not have agreed with its use or war in general; when the Vietnam War started there were a lot of protests.

Part of what held my interest was the appearance of many actors in small cameo roles such as Gary Oldman as President Truman; Casey Affleck; Rami Malek; Jack Quaid; Josh Peck; Devon Bostick and Alex Wolff.

Overall, I think I was not the right audience of the film but I have seen other film critics agree with my thoughts so not everyone enjoyed it. I think Nolan is a good director, I have enjoyed other films of his: Interstellar, Inception, The Prestige, Dunkirk and Memento but on this occasion, the film just didn’t grab me. As always these are just my opinions and I would encourage everyone to see the film for themselves and form their own opinions. I give the film 3/5.

Happy Watching,
Robyn

2023: Summer of Cinema: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

The stunts were really amazing and the motorcycle/parachute jump that has been shared already was a real spectacle. I must say that I thought the story was a little weaker than past films maybe not helped by this being a Part One. It was still an enjoyable film but I think I will need to see Part Two before I fully make up my mind.

Hello readers,

This review is hot off the press as at the time of writing, I saw the latest Mission Impossible film last night and I am here to give my thoughts. First of all I want to say that it was a great film and everyone that worked on it should be proud. It had everything you need for a classic Tom Cruise outing complete with death-defying stunts, some romantic tension and of course bad guys.

This film has had a lot of hype, particularly as it was meant to be released last year. Bringing it forward to clash with Oppenheimer (and Barbie) was probably a decision to boost its box office figures or maybe to tweak those epic fight scenes. This review will be spoiler free for those looking forward to seeing it.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

The film starts with a seemingly irrelevant scene on a submarine but soon we see that it is setting up the main plot. There is a key in two halves that unlocks some unknown item that is the link to stopping the Entity, a sentient AI taking over all of the digital space.

AI has always been a good villain: faceless, nameless and nationless but a distant possibility. With the recent introduction of AI to create images and scripts, that is not so far away. I think it was interesting to go for something threatening the collective secret services rather than a threat to civilian life as it is a more underground but personal mission.

We see Ethan Hunt reunite with his merry band of outcasts: Benji, Luther and Ilsa in a variety of locations but culminating in Rome in an epic car chase featuring a yellow Fiat 500. He also becomes entangled with a new associate, Grace (Hayley Atwell), master thief and someone living a step ahead of the law. They begin with a battle for the key but quickly team up to go against the Entity’s human representative, Gabriel and his henchwoman, Paris (Pom Klementieff).

I won’t say more about the plot but let’s say the train scene really kept my attention. I think the cast were great: Benji was his usual self, always worrying but being dragged along for the ride; Luther was calm and collected and started a side storyline that I hope we see more of in Part 2 and Ilsa was determined but becoming a team player. We see a return from The White Widow (Vanessa Kirby) trying to make a buck like usual by brokering a deal.

The stunts were really amazing and the motorcycle/parachute jump that has been shared already was a real spectacle. I must say that I thought the story was a little weaker than past films maybe not helped by this being a Part One. It was still an enjoyable film but I think I will need to see Part Two before I fully make up my mind.

Overall, I thought that this was a great film and a classic Mission: Impossible offering but the two parts may have weakened it a little. The stunts, car chases and end scene were stand outs. I give the film 3.5/5.

Happy Watching,
Robyn

2023: Summer of Cinema: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

I think what made this film really special was the acknowledgements of the past. It’s not acting as a spinoff or reboot but as a continuation of the archaeology professor’s story. He’s aged but is still the same old guy with a thirst for action and hunger for discovery. He can’t resist getting the hat and whip out for one last ride. As Harrison Ford is now an octogenarian, the action scenes were altered to be entertaining yet believable. We see him riding various vehicles and even a horse. The other characters pick up the action slack but he is by no means side-lined.

Hello readers,

Last week I went to see the new Indiana Jones film and I was not disappointed. It was everything you wanted from an adventure film with Harrison Ford featuring up to date casting and plot. It echoed back to the original films but still was its own thing. Phoebe Waller-Bridge made a great sidekick and female protagonist having a well-developed back story but still making way for Indie’s last hurrah.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

This summer blockbuster kicks off with a great action sequence set in the past where we get to see a digitally altered Harrison Ford fighting the Nazis. So far, pretty standard for this character. We’re introduced to a friend of his, Baz and a scientist that won’t quit despite the war coming to a close.

We jump back into present day, 1969 with knowledge of the Archimedes Dial. Indiana is not in a good place and the hubbub surrounding Moon Day in New York is not helping. Luckily, adventure comes knocking in the form of Helena (Waller-Bridge), his old friend Baz’ daughter and also his goddaughter. With the government and Nazis on their heels they flee to Morocco.

I think what made this film really special was the acknowledgements of the past. It’s not acting as a spinoff or reboot but as a continuation of the archaeology professor’s story. He’s aged but is still the same old guy with a thirst for action and hunger for discovery. He can’t resist getting the hat and whip out for one last ride. As Harrison Ford is now an octogenarian, the action scenes were altered to be entertaining yet believable. We see him riding various vehicles and even a horse. The other characters pick up the action slack but he is by no means side-lined.

The costumes and sets were not modernised too much and look as though they could have been cobbled together in the 1980s when the original films were produced. There were a lot of great actors: Toby Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas and a mention to Ethann Isidore starring as Teddy who really held his own against Harrison and Phoebe. They make a great trio and their personalities gel well together: the grumpy retiree, the money-making historian and the caring yet troublesome wannabe pilot.

The story does take some leaps into the unknown but in typical Indiana fashion, you find yourself rolling with it and taking it all in your stride. I think the plot flowed nicely with enough action to keep younger viewers satisfied and familiar faces for those who are fans of the first films. There was a lot of emotion tied to the film as it is Harrison’s last outing as the character. Paired with Han Solo’s death in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, his career is now coming to a close which feels sad. However, it’s not over yet as season 2 of Shrinking has been announced in which Harrison stars as fellow therapist and begrudging friend of Jason Segel and Jessica Williams.

I enjoyed this film immensely and while some may see if as dredging up the past for a cheque, I think this film perfectly fits in the pentalogy and is just as fun as the original ones with more up to date attitudes. Harrison gave a great performance and graciously shared the stage with Phoebe and Ethann. Everyone involved can be very proud in making a great ending to a much loved adventure and not just another sequel (or fourquel in this case). I give this film 5/5.

Happy Watching,
Robyn

2023: Summer of Cinema: Asteroid City

I think the colours, costumes, props and deadpan delivery are what make a Wes Anderson film so unique and distinctive and while it does not always pay off in my eyes, I think Asteroid City was a great addition to his filmography. The over saturation of characters does not always work but it did for this film, where a whole community is created.

Hello readers,

Today I will be talking through the new Wes Anderson film, Asteroid City. I saw this in a new cinema, closer to the edge than I normally sit but this did not take away from the experience.

Wes Anderson has been back in conversation because of this film but also because of AI. Many creators have been using AI software to create Wes Anderson style photos such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, Avengers and Batman. The director has said that he does not enjoy people using his unique filmmaking methods in this way but it has certainly created a hype for his colourful and symmetric settings.

Asteroid City (2023)

The film starts with a narrative device not revealed in the trailers, a play within a play. While the events at Asteroid City play out in a rich toned desert with picture perfect 50s amenities (gas station, motel, diner); the writer (Edward Norton) and cast are seen on sets while Bryan Cranston narrates their thoughts.

In the desert we are quickly introduced to a cast of characters: Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman) with son, Woodrow (Jake Ryan) and three ‘witchy’ celestial-named daughters; Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson) famous actress and her daughter Dinah; Montana (Rupert Friend) and his band of cowboys along with school teacher June (Maya Hawke) and her class.

The characters have all gathered at Asteroid City to attend the Junior Stargazer’s event in which Woodrow, Dinah and others including Shelley (Sophia Lillis) are participants. In the town, there is a wide and deep crater made by an asteroid after which the town was named.

There are many interesting citizens of the town including the motel owner (Steve Carell); scientist Dr Hickenlooper (Tilda Swinton); General Gibson (Jeffrey Wright) and the mechanic (Matt Dillon). We also get a few cameos by the likes of Margot Robbie, Tom Hanks, Adrien Brody, Jeff Goldblum and Willem Dafoe.

The story focuses mostly on Augie and his family along with Midge. They stay opposite each other in the motel and start up a scintillating friendship. Their children, Woodrow and Dinah also become close along with the other smart kids.

I won’t reveal the catalyst of the film but let’s say that they all end up getting to know each other well. I enjoyed the comedic tone of the film with some real heartbreak in there, tied in with the asides in black and white from the ‘real’ people. Wes Anderson has his favourites that have appeared in many of his films but he always makes room for new faces.

I think the colours, costumes, props and deadpan delivery are what make a Wes Anderson film so unique and distinctive and while it does not always pay off in my eyes, I think Asteroid City was a great addition to his filmography. The over saturation of characters does not always work but it did for this film, where a whole community is created.

The Royal Tenenbaums may still be my favourite but Asteroid City is certainly up there and one of the best films I have seen this year.

If you live in London there is also an exhibition on with the sets from Asteroid City running until 8th July. I will be going there tomorrow myself.

Overall, I think this film had a great structure, didn’t feel too long and kept me engaged from start to finish. I give it 5/5.

Happy Watching,
Robyn

2023: Summer of Cinema: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

I thought this film was a great summer flick; it was cheesy, had heart and some immense action sequences. There were a lot of funny one liners and despite being set in the 1990s, it was more PC and relevant than past ventures. Elena was a strong female character who was not a love interest and we saw some of the hardships of being a poor POC in America.

Hello readers,

The summer is officially underway as is my 2023: Summer of Cinema series. Next on my list is the Transformers film, another sequel/prequel taking place in between Bumblebee and the original films. This one introduces another main character and some new robots – the Maximals.

I was always a big fan of the original films with Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox and then the Mark Wahlberg reboots but in hindsight they were quite sexist and didn’t give the female characters enough of a voice. I think this new one has been served well by having a new director and writers and while it is not the best for female representation, there is a great female side kick and finally a female Transformer, if robots even have genders.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)

The film begins by introducing us to the back story: The Maximals went to Earth 5000 years ago to escape Unicron and the Terrorcons using the Transwarp key. The Maximals are different from other Transformers we have seen as they look like animals. Their leader, Optimus Primal is a gorilla and there is also a rhino, a leopard and a hawk. I thought this was interesting especially as cars didn’t exist then so it would not have made sense for them to disguise as cars.

We flashforward to 1994 and meet Noah Diaz, he’s a Latino living in Brooklyn, trying to get a job and somehow pay for his younger brother’s medical bills. During a car-jacking, he accidentally breaks into Mirage, Transformer in disguise as a Porsche and hears the call from Optimus Prime that the Terrorcons have come to Earth.

He, along with Elena who works at a museum on Ellis Island that Noah ends up infiltrating, band together with the Transformers to save their planet as well as with Cybertron.

I thought this film was a great summer flick; it was cheesy, had heart and some immense action sequences. There were a lot of funny one liners and despite being set in the 1990s, it was more PC and relevant than past ventures. Elena was a strong female character who was not a love interest and we saw some of the hardships of being a poor POC in America.

I really liked the dynamic between Noah and Mirage, they had a bros type relationship with Mirage promising Noah’s brother to keep him safe. Mirage was a lesser character in other films so it was cool to see another Transformer other than Bumblebee and Optimus Prime take centre stage.

I know a few people who worked on the VFX for this film and I thought the effects were really good, all the transformations from car to robot looked very realistic and the battle at the end was the perfect high stakes ending to the film.

The friend I went to the cinema with had the following comments: “It’s a very fun watch if you don’t take it super seriously but even then the characters and funny moments make it enjoyable. The newer ‘Transformers’ do exceed my expectations, a worthy successor to Bumblebee.”

I agree with her comments, this film is not one to be taken at face value but if you roll with it, it’s a fun summer blockbuster with comedy and diversity that perhaps the originals were lacking.

Overall, I think this film is one to watch on the big screen with your friends and popcorn at the ready. Don’t go in expecting deep and meaningful plot but come out with a smile on your face. I give the film 4/5.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

2023: Summer of Cinema: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

What makes this film unique is the colourful and flashy animation. The shots achieved would simply not be possible in a live-action version and the animation gives such a different perspective to the film. Scenes such as Miles’ fight with Spot or the fight in Mumbattan were particularly impressive. There was so much to look at on screen and whilst there was a lot of classic comic moments with the subtitles and recaps, there were also many new elements that I have not seen in an animation or Marvel film previously.

Hello readers,

This post is the start of my other new series 2023: Summer of Cinema. With so many exciting new films coming out, I wanted to give my spin on this year’s blockbusters. Highlights of the summer will be Barbie; Oppenheimer; Mission Impossible 7; Indiana Jones 5 and the new Wes Anderson.

Today I will be reviewing the latest Sony/Marvel venture: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. This is the sequel to the well-received Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse that released back in 2018. It explored the possibilities of multi-verses and the existence of different Spider-Men other than Peter Parker. The film broached this theory before the MCU but with the appearance of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in the last Tom Holland film; the Spider-Verse is now truly alive and well in the Marvel franchise too.

I was a little late to the party on this one but thankfully did not get any spoilers. This will be a spoiler-free post for anyone else who has not had the chance to get to the cinema for this one.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

For anyone like myself who was struggling to recall the finer points of the first film, it starts with a handy little recap. Miles found out that he is not the only Spider-Man out there and with the help of Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker, he saved the multi-verse.

This film picks up about a year later; Miles is living his best spider life, balancing that with homework and making sure his parents don’t find out. However, when Gwen comes back into his universe and a new villain emerges in town, Miles must join his fellow Spider-Men once again to save reality.

There were a lot of new Spider-Variants this film with the return of some familiar faces. Turns out just about anyone and anything can be a Spider-Man. Two of my favourite new characters were Hobie Brown aka Spider-Punk and Pavitr Prabhakar aka Spider-Man in Mumbattan (Mumbai and Manhattan hybrid). It was really interesting to see Spider-Men with different backgrounds, ethnicities and looks as it shows there is really no end to the variations.

What makes this film unique is the colourful and flashy animation. The shots achieved would simply not be possible in a live-action version and the animation gives such a different perspective to the film. Scenes such as Miles’ fight with Spot or the fight in Mumbattan were particularly impressive. There was so much to look at on screen and whilst there was a lot of classic comic moments with the subtitles and recaps, there were also many new elements that I have not seen in an animation or Marvel film previously.

I enjoyed all of the voice acting, each actor bringing their own spin to their characters. Some I recognised the voice right away but others I could only see the character that they were portraying. The script has a lot of humour, more so than the average Marvel film which also makes this something different.

Overall, I really enjoyed this film, maybe even more so than the first and I am definitely looking forward to the next installment being released in March 2024. I give this film 5/5.

Happy Watching,
Robyn

Summer of Cinema: Old

Dear Readers,

I went into this film with not much prior knowledge apart from knowing the director, one actor and the fact that it was set on a tropical island. This was the best way to do it for me personally as watching the trailer afterwards gave away a lot of key details. The screen was pretty busy and I had a good aisle seat. This film eases you in with marriage problems and a family on holiday but after going to the beach, everything falls apart and the story begins to mess with your perception of reality. I have only seen one M. Night Shyamalan film before and it was a long time ago. I knew his films usually had a thriller/horror element and were known for being mind-bending. The screen was semi-packed which gave me confidence in the film, especially as it had already been out for three weeks.

The film title and poster do not give much away other than the ageing element. When I went in I wondered how this would play into things, I imagined the characters being shipwrecked on the island and steadily growing old as we do normally. What did happen was very unexpected. It is hard to talk much about this film without giving away the big idea so I will be talking about the concept of the film and certain plot details.

The film focuses around a family with two young children. They are on holiday from the US but both parents are European from their accents. The trip is one least hurrah before they tell the kids they are divorcing and that the mother has an illness. They check in and are greeted with specially designed cocktails and charming staff. The hotel looks very luxurious and everything seems picture perfect. We meet a few other characters: families on holiday, all Americans so we can assume the Caribbean or somewhere off the US Coast. Nothing big happens until a guest has a seizure and everyone rushes to help. Trent, the youngest of our main family makes friends with another boy his age, Idlib whose uncle runs the resort.

The next day, the manager tells the family of an exclusive beach that is only available to his favourite guests. They are guided to a minibus where the family from the dining hall before have also boarded. They are taken to the beach by a familiar face (M. Night Shyamalan) and told to call if they want to be picked up or the bus will come at 5pm. The group walk through the rocks, armed with deck chairs and heavy picnic baskets and appear on a picturesque, quiet beach. They settle in but notice another man sitting on the sand in the distance.

Things begin to get unnerving when Trent finds a dead body in a shallow rock pool. The man tells the group he was with her and they connected because they both have conditions. While trying to sort out the body, another couple arrive, the woman who had the seizure and her husband. Someone tries to go back through the rocks but ends up blacked-out on the beach. They are trapped.

With all this going on, the parents initially miss their kids ageing up 5 years. The two 6 years, one from each family and Trent’s sister, Maddox who is 11 are all now biologically older. Then the mother of the doctor dies then her dog. Things keep getting weirder and weirder until they work out that they are ageing roughly a year every half an hour. The conditions and illnesses become more prevalent and create problems for the holidaymakers.

I will not give away the ending but it was not one you would expect and had a more logical yet disturbing explanation. There is also a happy ending for some characters so it is not totally doom and gloom.

I liked this film as it had a good concept that was not completely obvious but once it hits, there is little time to find a solution. The characters all had complexities but were easy enough to follow as the concept was enough to hold it together. I also think the casting was great for Trent and Maddox at different ages, especially Trent. I truly believed they were the same person. I related to the characters because I could not see a way out of the situation and any time spent on the problem was wasted periods of their lives.

The diversity was good, it is rare to have two European characters in such prominent roles. There were a few moments that were amped up for shock factor particularly how Crystal and her husband met their ends. Overall, an enjoyable film that makes you cherish the time you have rather than spending that time worrying or not making that change before it’s too late.

I give this film 5/5.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

Summer of Cinema: Escape Room: Tournament of Champions

Dear Readers,

Before watching the first Escape Room, I saw the trailer for the sequel and thought that sounds up my street. My recent foray into the horror thriller world with films such as A Quiet Place Part II, Freaky and now this franchise have given me a taste for something with high energy and twists yet still placing plot over gore level. The escape room element gave a clear structure to the film and while watching the film you can almost play along by spotting clues before the characters and trying to find how they will escape. The cinema was fairly busy for this screening and I had a good seat in the middle back so I was fully immersed and genuinely surprised when it ended. I am looking forward to the third installment after the cliffhanger at the end.

The film kicks off with a quick reminder of what happened in Escape Room, the first outing. We are reminded of the characters being picked off one by one and Zoey and Ben’s survival. They think the key to taking Minos down is in New York City so plan to fly there. Moving to the current film and we see Zoey’s reluctance to get on a plane. She has still not recovered from the trauma of being the sole survivor of a crash that killed her mother and made her a candidate for the first Escape Room.

The pair eventually drive to New York from Chicago with Ben suffering horrible nightmares related to his experience of a room in the game. Ben (Logan Miller) and Zoey (Taylor Russell) find Minos headquarters but it is deserted and almost give up hope until a man snatches Zoey’s beloved necklace and leads them to the subway.

This is when the fun begins. The subway car detaches and peals off to a separate tunnel and becomes the first room of the new Escape Room. There are six passengers in the car, all winners from previous Minos rooms. The game goes on with each room containing different puzzles and accidents. A twist to this time is that familiar motifs crop up in the game such as the name Sonya.

There are many twists to the game as in the first film but bigger and better. There were also a lot of character development and plot used from the first film which I liked as sometimes sequels can distance themselves too much from the development that happened in the first film. Just when you think Zoey and Ben are finally free, callbacks from the beginning of the film and the first one appear on screen and the film ends with a massive cliffhanger.

I was surprised when this happened as I got really into the film and the story and I did not predict that it would end at such a crucial moment. The first film ended with a much calmer scene. I really enjoyed this film and it turned the audience into players of the game as when the end scene happens, you realise that everything has a purpose and no scene was there as a filler but rather as a set-up for later.

I think the rooms were more creative this time, especially as they had a theme that is explained later on but also because the characters have all had experiences before with Minos so are aware that it will be dangerous and potentially life-threatening. We also find out each group had their own connection such as Nate’s being all priests and Brianna’s being influencers.

The film was a bit darker this time with the injuries more obvious and the consequences more fatal. The team felt more at one and they survived longer. I enjoyed the twist at the end and after leaving the screen, I could not help but feel as though everything was a clue and that the world was an escape room.

I would definitely recommend this film but only if you have seen the first one as there are big plot points that won’t make sense. There was a good mix of diversity as in the first one and they avoid usual horror stereotypes.

I rate this film 5/5.

Happy Watching,

Robyn