Blackfish (2013, Dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite, USA) (Cert: 15/PG-13) ***

 

 

Starring: Tilikum, Samantha Berg, John Jett

 

On the 24th of February 2010, veteran whale trainer, Dawn Brancheau was killed during a show at SeaWorld Orlando by Orca, Tilikum. This is far from an isolated case and this documentary explores the history of keeping whales out of the wild and the devastating and dangerous consequences for both themselves and for humans.

 

SeaWorld declined any of its representatives to be interviewed for Blackfish and the reasons seem obvious as to why. Whilst a documentary about a contemporary problem, Blackfish is far from the most objective documentary, throwing around constant arguments against keeping whales in what are basically theme parks. The arguments are compelling and not without plentiful evidence, but I would've liked a more neutral position even if I doubt anyone except SeaWorld's most die-hard supporters would go back to one of their parks without giving it a second thought first.

 

The film in of itself does follow through on being interesting despite the overt preachiness, showing a fascinating insight on whales and providing a strong personal touch as we learn the backstories of most of the interview subjects (many of whom are former animal trainers at SeaWorld). The film also packs a great impact and has already had consequences in the wider film industry (Pixar's upcoming Finding Nemo sequel, Finding Dory, has just undergone a plot overhaul because, of Blackfish) but more sensitive viewers may want to be aware that the film features a large amount of genuine footage of attacks, some fatal, on both humans and whales. Given that the sequences of whales attacking humans is mostly confined to one specific period of a few minutes within the film, the content can be very distressing.

 

Blackfish isn't interested in neutrality, and the film is let down by an often televisual look and feel, but for those who happen to agree with the film-makers, Blackfish will be informative and provocative viewing.

 

Next time, a special pre-release Sneak Preview of the upcoming time-travel rom-com starring Doomhall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams, About Time.

 

 

Planes (3D) (British-English Dub) (2013, Dir. Klay Hill, USA) (Cert: U/PG) ***

 

 

Starring: Dane Cook, Stacey Keach, Brad Garrett

 

Dusty Crophopper (Cook) is a crop-dusting plane who is tired of his life spraying fertiliser and instead dreams of being a racing plane. Reluctantly, an old military plane, Skipper (Keach) decides to teach Dusty how to race and Dusty eventually earns an unlikely spot on the international Wings Around The World Rally.

 

Planes is a cousin to the films Cars (2006) and Cars 2 (2011). Films that still boast financial success but have been far less popular with the public. With Disney Toons now continuing with this series, it is running serious risk of running some if its stellar reputation into the ground. Planes is not a disaster of a film, but much like its relatives in the Cars films, it is definitely amongst the more flawed films, associated with Pixar. The film largely feels throwaway and plays far too close to the kids demographic. These may be "children's films" but the best films that appeal to younger audiences always have mum, dad and the older siblings in mind too when it comes to entertaining.

 

The humour seems overly-reliant on puns (an aircraft carrier known as the USS Flysenhower being particularly painful) and never really puts in an effort. The one part of the film that always allows for some enjoyment is Carlos Alazraqui as the flamboyant Mexican plane, El Chupacabra, complete with luchador mask and cape but John Cleese, playing the ultra-British plane, Bulldog, seems to be mostly sleepwalking through his performance because he is capable of so much more as an actor. Planes, borrowing the designs from Pixar, still looks great, even if the 3D is a completely pointless exercise. The film also manages some pleasant surprises along the way, including a surprisingly violent and gritty dogfight (odd, given that this is an otherwise juvenile product) but the lustre is starting to wear off. The British-accented voiceovers in the UK version are pretty much unnecessary and bring back memories of Shark Tale (2004). A sequel, Planes: Fire And Rescue seems to be in the works and I, for one, hope for an improvement.

 

Next time, a look into the controversial and dangerous results of keeping a Killer Whale in captivity in documentary, Blackfish.

 

 

2 Guns (2013, Dir. Baltasar Kormákur, USA) (Cert: 15/R) ***

Starring: Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Paula Patton

Down in Mexico, just across from the Mexican border, a gangster by the name of Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos) runs a drug cartel that frequently crosses the border into the US. Two American members of the cartel, Bobby (Washington) and Stig (Wahlberg) commit a bank robbery in Texas, however Bobby is secretly an agent reporting on the cartel for the DEA and the robbery is a set-up to catch Stig, who is really working for the US Navy unbeknownst to Bobby. When Stig takes off with the money to report back to the Navy, the cartel give chase as do the crooked Navy officials,forcing Bobby and Stig to work together.

2 Guns really seems to have a problem with simplicity. Whilst we have two protagonists in Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, the whole tale unfolds various sides to the conflict. Whilst this is supposed to keep the audience on its toes, it really does nothing more than muddy-up and tie-down what should be a pretty solid set-up. Elsewhere, however, the film does the deed of putting together an entertaining action film. Wahlberg and Washington may not seem like a natural but the two have a great chemistry and make for a strong duo. The villains however are less entertaining, with Edward James Olmos not really getting much of a chance to really shine with the material, but Bill Paxton's clearly having the time of his life playing an extremely Texan and corrupt baddie from the CIA; every time he's on screen is just joyous. A lighter touch would've benefitted the film a bit and there's a real issue with the film trying to constantly blindside the audience with another twist, but it's an entertaining noisy action film and the idea of a 2 Guns 2 doesn't seem too bad.

Next time, the world of Pixar's Cars (2006 - 2011) takes to the skies as Dane Cook plays underdog racing plane, Dusty Crophopper in Planes.

Kick-Ass 2 (2013, Dir. Jeff Wadlow, USA/UK) (Cert: 15/R) ***

Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse

Dave Lizewski (Taylor-Johnson) and Mindy MacReady (Moretz) are world-famous, although know one would notice if they walked down the street, because they're both the secret identities of the self-made superheroes, Kick-Ass and Hit Girl, respectively. Having inspired other members of the public to serve as superhero vigilantes for justice, Kick-Ass is invited to join a group of masked crusaders whilst Mindy at the advice of her step-father (Morris Chestnut) puts a stop to her heroism in order to live a normal life as she enters high school. However, Chris D'amico (Mintz-Plasse), formerly superhero Red Mist, is looking to avenge the death of his father at the hands of Kick-Ass and takes on a new name, becoming the first self-made super-villain.

Having been a huge hit back in 2010, Kick Ass, a film based on the Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. comic, is now back with the unimaginatively titled, Kick-Ass 2. The original film's director, Matthew Vaughan, has stepped away from the director's chair (though he still has a producer credit) and in his place sits Mark Wadlow, who also wrote the film's screenplay. However, despite the change in who's directing the picture, Kick-Ass 2 is often just much of the same as the inaugural Kick-Ass. 

This has its weaknesses in that it doesn't really bring anything really fresh to the material, but the overall concept is still strong enough to carry the film along. There are, however, still a few alterations and the film's biggest shift in gear is dealing with Hit Girl, a character more nuanced and entertaining than the at-times rather bland Kick Ass as she deals with adolescence and cliques in high-school (given it's about how an extraordinary girl copes with the strict conformity of high-school, this could be a warm-up for Chloë Moretz's upcoming titular role in Carrie) and whilst this character arc is intriguing and Moretz's performance strong, some parts do falter, such as the introduction of a taser-like weapon hat induces bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea; a plot device you feel should be beneath the writers. The other character arc, that of Kick-Ass's, also works nicely and with some decent support especially from an all-too-seldom-seen Donald Faison (who seemingly disappeared after Scrubs) although Jim Carrey feels under-utilised and hangs very much in the shadow of Nicolas Cage's role in the first Kick-Ass.

The action scenes are initially exciting and at times very inventive, but also have a tendency to become too frantic and chaotic, whilst there's some surprisingly crude blue-screen. Kick-Ass 2 is not the perfect sequel, and there's a feeling a better film could've been made, but fans of the first film will at least be entertained by a still rather decent sequel.

Next time, Mark Wahlberg plays a Special Forces agent and Denzel Washington works for the DEA and both are being hunted down for money when a a drug cartel bust goes awry in 2 Guns.

Cherchez Hortense (Looking For Hortense) (2012, Dir. Pascal Bonitzer, France) (Cert: 12a/TBC) ***

Starring: Jean-Pierre Bacri, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Isabelle Carré

Living in Paris, Damien Hauer (Bacri) spends his day fulfilling various roles. He teaches people about the unique outlook on life that the Chinese have, he spends some time with his hard to reach father (Claude Rich) and his friends, one of whom, Lobatch, (Jackie Berroyer) is suicidally depressed. With his marriage to his theatre director wife (Scott-Thomas) falling apart, Damien takes a vested interest in a casual acquaintance, Aurore (Carré), as well as an immigration case, but a revelation about Aurore's life makes for an extraordinary coincidence in Damien's.

A French-language romantic comedy, Looking For Hortense is pleasing enough, but you can't shake the feeling that something's been lost in translation. The life of our main character, Damien, being so complex, the film touches on numerous themes. Immigration, depression, suicide, homosexuality and infidelity all play there pars in this film and are all fairly well-balanced. The film works fairly well as a piece of drama, but the comedic aspect seems either underplayed or perhaps easier to appreciate from a French perspective, some plot-points (such as when Damien is arrested for refusing to show his ID) seeming very intrinsic to life in France. Most of the broader material comes towards the end of the film, but whilst the film is short on belly laughs, it's interesting and charming even if it lacks universality.

Next time, Chloë Grace Moretz and Aaron Taylor-Johnson put on their custom costumes once more to fight crime as vigilante superheroes in Kick-Ass 2.

Foxfire(:Confessions Of A Girl Gang) (2012, Dir. Laurent Cantet, France/Canada) (Cert: 15/TBC) ***

Starring: Raven Adamson, Katie Coseni, Madeline Bisson

In a small town in mid-1950's upstate New York, a group of middle-school girls watch out for each other; "Legs" (Adamson) an idealist from a broken home, her friend Maddie (Coseni) tomboy Goldie (Claire Mazerolle) and new recruit, Rita (Bisson). The four form a gang known as Foxfire, vandalising property and and attacking those who are abusive or those they see as holding up a chauvinistic society. As the gang grows in notoriety (and Legs serves time in a juvenile detention centre), Foxfire become more politicised, gains in members and starts committing bigger and more dangerous acts.

Not the first time that Kate Oates's 1993 novel, Foxfire: Confessions Of A Girl Gang has been adapted to screen, (there was a film adaptation in 1996) this version of the story has both great strengths and great weaknesses. Centred around a group of young female radicals, Foxfire provides an interesting and oddly appropriate comparison between the infighting that often corrupts political idealism and the squabbling and manipulation that comes with female adolescence. The performances are all strong and the characters are mostly well defined, although a couple of the gang's later additions aren't given quite as much of a chance to shine. A film which bares some comparison with Foxfire is Ridley Scott's Thelma And Louise (1991). An admirable film in its own right, but both films suffer from the idea that being pro-woman is to be anti-man. In both films, most men are portrayed as either selfish, sleazy screw-ups, potential rapists or both with the one token positive influence (Thelma And Louise had Harvey Keitel as a sympathetic cop, Foxfire has an eccentric former Priest and committed socialist as a sort of mentor figure).

The film does work very well on a visual level, evoking the 1950's in an effective manner, even if it is sometimes a little forced and the human story at the heart of it  makes for some really compelling material for a good share of the film. Sadly the film's length (nearly two-and-a-half hours) does it a disservice, devoting too much time to some of the smaller episodes and details that make up the plot. A rather extensive edit of the film would've probably made this film one of the best of the year; but as it is, it's serviceable with a few moments of glory.

Next time, a French rom-com starring Kristin Scott-Thomas in Looking For Hortense.

RED 2 (2013, Dir. Dean Parisot, USA/France/Canada) (Cert: 12a/PG-13) ***

Starring: Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, John Malkovich

On just a normal day put shopping, retired agent Frank Moses (Willis) and his girlfriend Sarah Moss (Parker) are contacted by their reclusive and eccentric assassin friend, Marvin (Malkovich) who informs them that a document implicating Moses in a fictional operation known as Nightshade years ago connected with a genuine portable nuclear bomb. As a result, Frank, Sarah and Marvin have to track down the bomb's imprisoned inventor, Doctor Edward Bailey (Anthony Hopkins) with their friend, MI6 agent Victoria Winslow (Helen Mirren) sent to track them down, aided by Korean hitman, Han Cho-Bai (Byung-hun Lee).

The sequel to 2010's action movie, RED (an acronym for Retired and Extremely Dangerous), RED 2 has a lot of the ingredients for a satisfyingly raucous explosions and car-chases romp even with its maturing cast. Still, it never truly comes together. A large part of this problem is how much time is given to set up the plot, despite it not being particularly complex. By the time the action starts, you already feel worn down be the sheer exposition and dialogue on display. That isn't to say the action set-pieces are disappointing. Byung-yun Lee provides some particularly dynamic fight sequences, even if he's noticeably a lot younger than his co-stars and the noise and chaos does mean that by the end of the film, you still feel like you've seen an action film, but it takes far too long to start. There's also a problem with complacency with some of the actors clearly coasting through and never truly being dynamic, although Anthony Hopkins still makes for an enjoyable performance and sadly not enough is seen of David Thewlis in a minor supporting role. The lone exception is Mary-Louise Parker as the civillian-turned-action.-hero who puts in a noticeably more charismatic and enthusiastic performance. 

Noticeably different on an aesthetic level to the first RED film, RED 2 still feels like a retread of old territory even with the new additions of Thewlis, Lee and Catherine Zeta-Jones as an old flame of Bruce Willis's and the towering Neal McDonough as  a pretty unmemorable villain. There's a feeling that the entire film could be a lot more of a zany caper and would probably benefit from it. As it is, it's pretty straight-forward but fairly entertaining action fare. 

Next time, 50s-set drama about a group of female radical feminists, Raven Adamson  appears in Foxfire.