Tag: 2017

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Movie Review

Life (2017) Movie Review

Life – Movie Review

Life is a tense sci-fi thriller about scientists battling a deadly Martian life form that threatens Earth. Strong performances and design enhance the experience.

First Reaction – Life is a tense scientific alien thriller.

Watch Life here.

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ABC Film Challenge – Alien Movies – L

Director: Daniel Espinosa

Writer: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A team of scientists aboard the International Space Station discover a rapidly evolving life form that caused extinction on Mars and now threatens all life on Earth.

Runtime: 1 Hour 44 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Life starts when a team of specialist scientists, David (Gyllenhaal), Miranda (Ferguson), Rory (Reynolds), Sho (Sanada), Ekaterina (Dykhovichnaya), and Hugh (Bakare), make a discovery. They have found a life form from Mars and are studying it in the International Space Station.

However, the life force they named Calvin has a much deadlier side. It begins to evolve and adapt to the space station, showing how much more advance the life force is. The scientists must figure out a way to stop the creature before it reaches Earth.

Verdict on Life

Recap

The movie follows a group of scientists who discover a life form in space. They begin to study it only to learn they are fighting a deadly force from another planet. It forces them to figure out how to stop the creature before it gets to Earth.

Best Parts

The more scientific approach helps bring the movie to life. It’s not a wild alien hunting movie, it’s a slow evolving process. This side of the movie is great to watch and plays into the strengths of the characters. The performances are great and the set design in flawless. It becomes a quality sci-fi movie which never wastes a minute to bring the story to life.

Final Thoughts –Life is a tense, smart and enjoyable sci-fi movie.

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Movie Review

Rabbit (2017) Movie Review

Rabbit – Movie Review

Discover the suspenseful Rabbit movie review. Dive into this gripping horror film and unravel the mystery of a missing twin sister.

ABC Film Challenge – Horror – R

Director: Luke Shanahan

Writer: Luke Shanahan (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: After a vivid dream, Maude Ashton returns to Adelaide, certain she now knows the whereabouts of her missing twin sister.

Runtime: 1 Hour 43 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Rabbit starts when Maude (Clemens) has a vivid dream about her missing twin sister Cleo. They have become so vivid she decides to return to her home town in Adelaide to see how the investigation is going. Maude teams up with Ralph (Russell) and Detective Henry (Pasvolsky) to follow the lead from Maude’s dream.

However, as Maude dives deeper into trying to uncover the truth, she finds herself facing an uncomfortable world. Each path presents a different danger and one she isn’t prepared for.

Verdict on Rabbit

Rabbit is a mystery horror following a woman who starts having dreams about her missing twin. She returns home to investigate only to find herself drawn into a strange world that she isn’t prepared for.

This movie takes us down a strange journey as Maude must deal with searching for the truth. It goes down a path which becomes something you never expected. However, certain choices can become overly complicated and not everything seems to click in the world expect. It ends up becoming a movie we could have seen a lot more from, to give a more rounded story.

Final Thoughts – Rabbit is a strange film that doesn’t quite connect.

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Movie Review

Fist Fight (2017) Movie Review

Fist Fight – Movie Review

Discover the hilarious comedy film Fist Fight, starring Ice Cube and Charlie Day. Read our review and find out if the after-school fight is worth watching!

ABC Film Challenge – Comedy – I (Ice Cube)

Director: Richie Keen (Bust Down)

Writer: Van Robichaux, Evan Susser (Screenplay)

Writer: Van Robichaux, Evan Susser, Max Greenfield (Story)

Cast

Plot: When one school teacher unwittingly causes another teacher’s dismissal, he is challenged to an after-school fight.

Runtime: 1 Hour 31 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Fist Fight starts on the final day of school when the seniors conduct prank day (for some reason). English teacher Andy Campbell (Day) tries to shake off the problems, while stricter teacher Strickland (Cube) challenges the students.

However, when the students push Strickland too far, he snaps and Andy is the only teacher witness. The Principal (Norris) threatens to fire them both leading to Andy revealing the truth. However, Strickland challenges Andy to a fight, which goes viral. Andy races to clean up the mess before knowing he will get destroyed and wants to protect himself.

Verdict on Fist Fight

Fist Fight is a comedy that follows two teachers who react differently to the pranks at the school. It leads to one getting fired and challenging the other to a fight. One spends the rest of the day trying to get out of it pulling out a host of strings.

This movie does get laughs even if everything is completely over-the-top and hard to believe. The kids are nightmares and believing they act like this on the final day of school is difficult to understand. This takes place on one day, which can play into a real-time feeling of their lives unfolding because of the chaos involved. However, the overall story is difficult to believe in anyway.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Fist Fight does have laughs to bring to life the unbelievable story.

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Movie Review

The Ash Lad (2017) Movie Review

The Ash Lad – Movie Review

The Ash Lad is an entertaining fantasy adventure about a farmer’s son rescuing a princess from a troll to save his family.

First Reaction – The Ash Lad is a fun fantasy adventure.

Watch The Ash Lad on Tubi.

Director: Mikkel Braenne Sandemose

Writer: Aleksander Kirkwood Brown, Aspen Enger (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Vebjorn Enger (Penthouse)
  • Mads Sjogard Pettersen
  • Elias Holmen Sorensen
  • Eili Harboe (The Wave)
  • Allan Hyde

Plot: Espen “Ash Lad”, a poor farmer’s son, embarks on a dangerous quest with his brothers to save the princess from a vile troll known as the Mountain King – in order to collect a reward and save his family’s farm from ruin.

Runtime: 1 Hour 44 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Ash Lad starts when Prinsesse Kristin (Harboe) runs away from home on the eve of her 18th birthday. She refuses to marry the desired king, which could release the troll mountain king. Elsewhere, Espen (Enger) runs into her before his bumbling ways cause problems in his home.

Espen begins to head down a path to find the prinsesse before the king’s guards. However, the adventure he takes puts him through a series of fantasy nightmares.

Verdict on The Ash Lad

Recap

The movie follows a poor farmer who goes on a rescue mission to save a runaway prinsesse. However, it takes him through a fantasy-filled journey with enemies and a determined prince to save her. Can he rescue her before the curse takes over the kingdom?

Best Parts

The movie creates an entertaining Norwegian mythological fantasy world, featuring the beauty of its landscapes. It has different creatures which are excellently brought to life. The performances are strong throughout.

Worst Parts

It does feel like the overall world is much bigger, but it doesn’t do enough to make it feel like a bigger world. This felt contained to only the humans we meet.

Final Thoughts –The Ash Lad is a fun fantasy world.

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Movie Review

The Resistance (2017) Movie Review

The Resistance – Movie Review

Discover the gripping true stories of survival during Nazi-occupied Germany in 'The Resistance' documentary drama.

ABC Film Challenge – World Cinema – R

Director: Claus Rafle

Writer: Claus Rafle, Alejandra Lopez (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: While Joseph Goebbels infamously declared Berlin “free of Jews” in 1943, 1,700 managed to survive in the Nazi capital through the end of WWII. The Invisibles traces the stories of four young people who learned to hide in plain sight.

Runtime: 1 Hour 50 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict on The Resistance

The Resistance is a documentary drama following four Jews who hid in plain sight during Nazi-occupied Germany. It follows their stories of survival and making lives for themselves to help others. We get a mix of dramatic retelling and interviews from the real survivors.

This tells their incredible stories, which showed how they adapted to survive the situation they face. It proved that people can always adjust, and the horrendous mindset of the Nazis was causing them to lose friends and loved ones.

This is an interesting addition to the already vast number of amazing stories of survival. However, deciding to mix it into a documentary and drama makes things less engaging. It could have been even stronger if it had committed to a full drama or documentary, and the stories would have had even more time to shine.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – The Resistance is an interesting series of stories.

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Movie Review

Lu Over the Wall (2017) Movie Review

Lu Over the Wall – Movie Review

Discover the enchanting world of Lu Over the Wall. Join Kai on a journey filled with friendship, music, and the unexpected appearance of a mermaid.

ABC Film Challenge – World Cinema – L

Director: Masaaki Yuasa

Writer: Reiko Yoshida, Masaaki Yuasa (Screenplay)

Cast (Voice Talents)

  • Kanon Tani
  • Shota Shimoda
  • Minako Kotobuki
  • Sima Saito

Plot: The story centers on Kai, a gloomy middle school student whose life changes after meeting Lu, a mermaid.

Runtime: 1 Hour 52 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Lu Over the Wall starts as an outsider middle school student Kai is getting convinced to join a band. Yuho and Kunio want to make a band together, but he doesn’t want to put the spotlight on himself. However, a practice session leads to Kai meeting a fabled mermaid, Lu.

As the four become friends, the town starts reacting to the new appearance of a mermaid. It causes ripple effects throughout the town as the residents worry about what Lu could do.  Kai must decide what is best for Lu and everyone he cares about.

Verdict on Lu Over the Wall

Lu Over the Wall is an animated adventure following three teenage friends who befriend a mermaid. However, the legend of the town believes they are evil, but the friends use music to bring everyone together.

This movie shows the power of friendship mixed with the power of belief in curses. It shows how everyone involved does what they think is right but only ends up causing chaos. The story sets out to prove people can change and learn more about themselves and help others learn more about what the world has to offer. It is all told in a sweet way that makes the message clear for everyone watching.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Lu Over the Wall is a sweet animated adventure.

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Movie Review

The Evil Within (2017) Movie Review

The Evil Within – Movie Review

The Evil Within explores a mentally handicapped man's terrorizing nightmares and isolation but misrepresents mental illness, causing discomfort.

First Reaction – The Evil Within is creepy but struggles with the sensitivity of mental illness.

Watch The Evil Within on Tubi.

Director: Andrew Getty

Writer: Andrew Getty (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A lonely, mentally handicapped boy befriends his reflection in an antique mirror. This demonic creature orders him to go on a murderous rampage to kill the people he loves most.

Runtime: 1 Hour 38 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Evil Within starts when a mentally handicapped man Dennis (Koehler) befriends his reflection in an antique mirror. He has lived with nightmares his whole life, with a demonic presence (Berryman) stepping into his body.

His older brother John (Flannery) tries to support him through life, but his attempts cause him problems too. Dennis finds himself dealing with a lot of isolation, letting his nightmares consume him, before the demonic force sends him on a murderous rampage.

Verdict on The Evil Within

Recap

The movie follows a mentally handicapped man whose nightmares begin to consume him. He starts becoming isolated leading to him getting consumed by a demonic presence leading to him going on a deranged rampage.

Best Parts

The nightmares are terrifying and the sequence when the presence enters Dennis could be one of the most disturbing in any horror.

Worst Parts

The way Dennis is portrayed and treated is bad. It felt more of an insult to anyone with mental disabilities. There is language used to describe Dennis which isn’t acceptable anymore and everything around his portray is uncomfortable.

Final Thoughts –The Evil Within has some terrifying moments to cover up in the insulting portrayal.

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Movie Review

Bushwick (2017) Movie Review

Bushwick – Movie Review

Discover the intense and thrilling movie, Bushwick. Join Lucy and Stupe as they fight to survive in their besieged Brooklyn neighborhood.

ABC Film Challenge – Favourites – B

Director: Jonathan Milott, Cary Murnion

Writer: Nick Damici, Graham Reznick (Screenplay)

Writer: Jonathan Milott, Cary Murnion (Story)

Cast

Plot: When a U.S. based military force invades their Brooklyn neighborhood, 20-year-old Lucy and war veteran Stupe must depend on each other to survive.

Runtime: 1 Hour 32 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Bushwick starts when Lucy (Snow) is travelling home with her boyfriend. However, their journey gets interrupted by an attack in the area, leaving Lucy on her own. She faces danger around every corner until she meets Stupe (Bautista) who reluctantly agrees to help her get out of the danger.

The two travel through the chaos hoping to get to their loved ones, as they discover what is happening. However, they face countless armed military units prepared for an attack from within.

Verdict on Bushwick

Bushwick is an action thriller following two strangers who must work together to escape a military invasion. They must use their knowledge of their neighbourhood to elude capture and make it to safety. However, the military presence is growing and the numbers make the escape much more difficult.

This movie uses the idea of civil unrest and lets us see what could happen if a country like America turned on itself. We follow just two people trying to escape the chaos, which reflects perfectly on people being unaware of the military action that could happen suddenly. Most of the movie is shot in a single take, which adds plenty of intensity to the journey. It never gets a proper chance to rest, as the danger is constantly increasing and the threats are everywhere. This is an intense movie, that came out before ‘Civil War’ and could easily be seen as a movie which inspired it.

Where to Watch

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Final Thoughts –Bushwick is pure intensity and never relents.

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Movie Review

Icarus (2017) Movie Review

Icarus – Movie Review

"Icarus" is a revealing documentary directed by Bryan Fogel. It explores the pervasiveness of doping in professional sports

ABC Film Challenge – Oscar Nominations – I

Director: Bryan Fogel (The Dissident)

Plot: When Bryan sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller.

Runtime: 2 Hours

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict on Icarus

Icarus is a documentary following professional cyclist Bruan Fogel exploring how doping took over professional sport. He works with a scientist who has helped professionals through the years, to prove how easily it can be to get away with it.

However, what he ended up discovering changed everything about how the sport was noticed. It exposed a much bigger conspiracy going on improving Russian athletes. Right on the announcement of them winning the right to host the Olympics.

This highlights how easily sports get infected with this behaviour. Along with proving how so many people didn’t want to expose the cover-up. It exposes a massive cover-up and shows how the operation worked. However, it proves how politics can come into play to make something bigger out of the truth.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Icarus is an interesting look at the corruption in sport.