Mini Reviews From 2018
- Matt Quill
- Jul 1, 2023
- 8 min read
From The Past: This article has been imported from one of my past blog sites, written in 2018.
Title: Bumblebee
Run Time. 1h 54min. Age Rating. PG Released: 24th December 2018.
Plot: Bumblebee is sent to Earth after the Autobot resistance flees their home world on Cybertron. After suffering memory loss, an eighteen-year-old girl named Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld) discovers the robot, leading to the pair forming a friendship on Earth whilst pursing Decepticons are tracking him down.
For me, it almost feels like a lifetime ago since the live-action Transformers movie was released back in 2007. I've grown up with the robots in disguise, through their live-action movies, better animated TV shows, as well as some rather stellar video games. Over the years, Bay’s movies have just gotten bigger, more bombastic & continually worse (No, seriously, Age of Extinction ruined me for a few weeks). After 12 long years, a new director has been given the reins & after finally seeing this juiced-up 80’s prequel, we can safely say this is the best the bots have been… by a long shot.
Bumblebee wastes no time with its battling bots epic as we’re treated to a phenomenal war-ravaging Cybertron battle, that showcases everything we’ve ever wanted in the franchise. Great character designs & metal crunching action, shot. It wasn’t only exciting, but for the first time, I sat in awe with childlike glee, finally seeing the Autobots stave off a Decepticon onslaught. From there, Bumblebee, alongside fellow Autobots, flee the planet for safety. Upon landing on Earth, he meets Hailee Steinfeld’s outcast Charlie & thus the film transforms into its entertaining Iron Giant-like tale.
Whilst the film’s action is undeniably great, thanks to much better framing and a distinctive bot colour palette that highlights who’s who when the throw downs happen. Yet despite the vast improvement on the franchise action set pieces, they aren’t the star of the show & director Travis Knight knows it. The real strength of Bumblebee is the central relationship of Charlie & a memory-wiped Bumblebee as the pair begin to bond with each other. It’s these sequences that deliver the biggest laughs & drive up the film's emotional stakes, whether their listening to 80’s classics or trying to TP a local bully's house. Those are the moments that’ll stand out in your memory long after the film’s done and dusted. There’s also a commendable performance from John Cena as a tough but jokey military commander, delivering lines such as, “Why are we trusting them? Their names are literally Decepticons!” An addition that only adds to the film’s great comedy aspect.
Bumblebee is a great movie. Just saying that ‘it’s the best in the franchise’ feels like we’d be doing the film a big injustice. There’s great action for sure, especially with that spectacular opening, but the real hook is the well-developed relationship of Bumblebee & Charlie. It’s an 80s-fueled smash hit, & better yet, it’s an adventure you’ll want to journey through again & again.
Title: Ralph Breaks The Internet
Run Time. 1h 52min. Age Rating. PG Released: 30th November 2018.
Plot: When the steering wheel for Sugar Rush breaks, Ralph (John C. Reilly) & Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) head to the internet to find a replacement & save Vanellope’s game before it’s unplugged.
Back in 2012, Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph hit us with an arcade tale, filled with great humour, even better characters and a strong central story to boot. So when news about this pair's sequel broke, I, amongst many others, felt the hype as we learned Ralph & Vanellope would break free from the confines of the arcade, to explore the World Wide Web!
The result, however, is an uncoordinated adventure. One that lacks the heart & charm of the first. It’ll come as no surprise that Ralph & Vanellope’s strong friendship is still the sturdy foundation at this sequel's core, and the movie flourishes when the Meta humour about Internet culture & Disney’s properties is unleashed. the unfortunate truth is that everything else falls plenty short. Suffering from an overlong first act, loose narrative structure & a story arc that seems to undo all the character building of the first feature. Ralph Breaks the Internet still has moments of enjoyment, especially in the film’s 2nd act, plus Gal Gadot’s tough racer Shank is a solid addition to the film’s universe as she forms an endearing relationship with Vanellope. Despite its strong leads & big laughs, the overall package falls short as a worthy sequel. Ralph Breaks the Internet feels like a better Emoji Movie (Though that doesn’t say much), where its world is nothing more than a showcase for internet icons rather than a truly engrossing world like Litwak’s arcade.
Maybe that’s down to the story’s long set-up for a glorified fetch quest? Or how it lacks the spark that made the first outing such a heart-warming tale. As an animated short, Ralph Breaks the Internet may have excelled as an entertaining detour, but as a fully fledged feature, it feels overstretched & loosely strung together. It’s still probably worth a watch for the film’s great middle act comedy & central heroes, but if you were after another lovingly crafted arcade tale, sadly, this isn’t it.
Title: Aquaman
Run Time. 2h 23min. Age Rating. 12A Released: 12th December 2018.
Plot: When the ruler of Atlantis threatens to wage war on the surface world, Aquaman (Jason Momoa) is called on by Mera (Amber Heard) to claim his birth right as King of Atlantis & put an end to impending war.
Forever the butt of superhero jokes, Aquaman had a lofty task ahead of it. Not only did the titular hero have to stake his claim as a hero to be reckoned, but also bounce back stronger from DC’s lacklustre Justice League.
Thankfully Momoa’s ‘Aquabro’ charm and James Wan’s eye for the spectacular turned out to be a match made in oceanic heaven. Momoa kills it as the likable heir shunning his royal blood, and bounces playfully off of Amber Heard’s strong willed Mera. Though all of the cast deliver great performances in their respected roles. That includes both of the film’s threatening villains when they’re on screen, but it’s slightly disappointing that their development falls to the wayside in favour of more action & cheesy dialogue. To be fair, that is what Aquaman aimed for; with a breakneck pace, Jaw dropping set pieces & dialogue ripped straight out of an 80’s action movie that Momoa hams up to perfection.
In short Aquaman is an Tidal wave of joy, packed with never ending spectacles, monstrous action sequences, and a compelling enough hero that makes its overlong run time fly by. It may lack the emotional heights of Wonder Woman, but Aquaman more than makes up for it in bombastic action and unashamed fun.
Title: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
Run Time. 1h 57min. Age Rating. PG Released: 12th December 2018.
Plot: Soon after Miles (Shameik Moore) begins to develop superhuman powers he’ll meet multiple Spider-Men thrust into his reality after one of Kingpin’s (Liev Schreiber) experiments goes wrong. The alternate Spider-Men team up to help train Miles & get back to their realities before Kingpin destroys them all.
By now, you’ve probably seen enough Spider-Man movies to quote his origin by heart, but Into the Spider-Verse is anything but another Spidey origin story. The Sony animated feature carves its own path, thanks to the unique comic book come to life animation, a new central lead of Miles Morales, & the inclusion of not just one but FIVE additional Spider-people!
The thing is, the additional Spider-folk aren’t even Into the Spider-verse‘s biggest draw. Oh no, that honour goes to its jaw-dropping animation. Styled as a comic book, every part of the movie is breathtaking, as each moment seems to pop off the screen as if you were flicking through the pages at home. Couple that with one of this year’s best soundtracks & you know that you’re in for one hell of a good time.
At the forefront is an incredibly likeable Miles Morales, whose path from new kid at school to web zipping superhero is filled to the brim with clever humour, pulse pounding action & genuine emotion. Into the Spider-Verse truly has it all, and better yet, it does everything to perfection. the care given to Miles’ relationships is great, and just as engrossing as the central story. Whether he’s spending time with his father or Uncle, or learning how to use his powers with the laid-back Peter. B. Parker. you’ll be enjoying every moment.
The thing is, I could rave about Into the Spider-Verse all night. The visuals are stunning, the soundtrack’s killer & better yet, the central story of Miles & fellow Spider-folk is one of, if not the best we’ve seen this year.
Title: Bohemian Rhapsody
Run Time. 2h 14min. Age Rating. 12A Released: 24th October 2018.
Plot: The story of how Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek) & fellow Queen band members met and rose to success until their legendary Live Aid performance.
I’ll be honest, before heading into Bohemian Rhapsody, I hadn’t much clue about Queen’s journey, I knew their music and the odd fact about Freddie Mercury… but that’s it. Now I’m not a huge Queen fan, but what songs I know & the effective trailer had me curious. Thankfully, Bohemian Rhapsody turned out to be a great time.
There’s the obvious mention about the film’s incredible musical moments (but it’s made up of Queen songs, so how could it not?). Rami Malek delivers an incredible performance as Freddie Mercury, as does much of the supporting cast, but much like the real Freddie, Malek stole the show. There’s genuine love for the biopic pulsing throughout the film, and as a result, you’ll likely find it difficult not to get swept away as Freddie & fellow Queen members take the world by storm. Not all’s perfect as pacing issues start to make themselves known around the ending of the film’s 2nd act, as it starts to lose the euphoric momentum with less compelling story beats. Thankfully, the euphoria isn’t gone for too long as it’s brought back and cranked to the max with a Live Aid performance to deliver one hell of a finale.
Bohemian Rhapsody is a blast just to be a part of. It’s an entertaining movie upheld by a standout lead performance, great music and of course a mostly engrossing story. So if you’re ever so slightly interested in Queen, or just fancy a great time at the movies, we’d highly recommend giving Rhapsody a shot.
Title: The Grinch (2018)
Run Time. 1h 26min. Age Rating. U Released: 9th November 2018.
Plot: Every year Whoville celebrates Christmas & every year, The Grinch (Benedict Cumberbatch) detests it. In an attempt to put an end to the holiday once and for all, he devises a plan to steal Christmas from the town.
Whether you loved it. Hated it. Or just thought it was okay. There’s no denying that Jim Carrey’s Grinch holds a special place in many people's hearts and Christmas watch list. So, with the rather delightful success of Illumination’s The Lorax, an attempt at The Grinch was always going to grab our attention.
As it turns out, Illumination’s The Grinch is a rather joyous Christmas movie to get on board with. Cumberbatch imbues the Grinch with an understanding glumness that makes it easy to sympathise with the green-furred anti-hero, even when he’s being deviously mean to the over-generous residents of the town. The story is still very much what you remember (with a few alterations here and there), and as a result, keeps true to delivering that heartfelt Christmas tale you remember. Yet some thanks is owed to the slightly tweaked tale, as many of the supporting cast now get a chance to make their mark, especially with Max (Grinch’s dog) & Fred (the ‘Reindeer’) respectively getting their fair share of comedic moments.
Is it destined to become a new Christmas classic for the ages? Probably not. Nevertheless, the film is packed full with enough slapstick humour, adult aimed jokes to make The Grinch a charming family movie to watch this Christmas, and likely enjoyed again for a good few Christmases after that.
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