By Harlly A Lewis

Cats, directed by Tom Hooper is an adaptation of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1981 stage musical of the same name, which itself was inspired by T.S Eliot’s 1939 poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. Cats is the story of Victoria (Francesca Haywood), a abandoned cat who gets swept up in the events leading up to the Jellicle Ball, and the all important Jellicle Choice in which a cat is chosen to ascend to the Heaviside layer and receive a different life, all the while a dark force works to be only one left to choose.

Cats is not a musical that I have ever been particularly fond of. The music is bombastic, the lyrics are often confusing and pretentious, and the story is so threadbare that a cursory look dismantles it.

But this is also true regarding much of musical theatre, which is a genre I truly adore. None of the things I have listed above are necessarily bad things, oftentimes they are the entire point of the production.

But Cats is a bit different for me. There was one huge barrier that prevented me from seeking out Cats in the past. It was the visual elements. The leotards, make up and cat like physicality has always creeped me out. The complete unabashed and unashamed nature of the show has always been intimidating in a way that shows like Phantom of the Opera and Wicked are not.

So when I heard that Cats was receiving a film adaptation by Tom Hooper, who had previously directed Les Misérables and The Kings Speech, two films I am a fan of, I thought that his grounded yet grand direction would be what finally breaks through my fear and finally makes the film approachable for me.

After watching the film, I felt weird, not bad weird, or good weird for that matter, just weird. I didn’t, and still don’t hate it as much as the internet does, because the degree of vitriol that this film has received is honestly ridiculous. So WHY did I feel so strange and still do days later?

Voyeurism.

Voyeurism is defined as the act of observing unaware people for one’s own gratification.

The cinematography, mostly the use of hand held cameras, puts you into the position of a hidden watcher, observing the Jellicles at their movements and moments of cultural intimacy, for example, the arrival of Old Deuteronomy (Judi Dench), is a very significant moment for the Jellicles present as she is both the oldest of their kind, and also acts as the one who chooses who will get to ascend. Her arrival says that the choice is imminent and that we will be privy to a happening that only appears in their culture.

The film seems to aim to turn you into a voyeur, or at least an unwilling interloper observing events best left private, like some sort of bizarre anthropologist forced to spy on a hidden subculture and record its rituals and habits for the enjoyment of others.

Like I said, it makes me feel weird.

On that note, the music is actually pretty catchy with songs such as Mr Mistofelees and Magical Gus becoming personal favourites, performed fantastically by Laurie Davidson and the unapparelled Ian McKellen alongside Beautiful Ghosts, a collaboration between Webber and Taylor Swift, who also plays Bombalurina, a henchperson of the evil Macavity (Idris Elba) written specifically for this film, and will hopefully appear in all future productions,.

The show stopping number however is, and always has been Memory, sung by the character Grizabella (Jennifer Hudson), a cat shunned by the others over her history with Macavity. Jennifer Hudson, who plays Grizabella, does what is unmistakably an emotional and heartfelt performance. She cries, she collapses and throughs her whole soul into the large moments of emotion. But this also works to the song’s detriment. There is an old saying that was relayed to me about how to spot good acting. All performance is based around tension, mainly the tension held at the edge of an emotional breakdown, a delicate balancing act where the character is about to cry but holds onto the cusp of letting go. Hudson crosses the emotional peak too early for the songs crescendo. It’s a great performance for sure, but its not meant to feel like a performance.

The production also includes Hooper’s borderline insane insistence to record all the music live on set. This worked for me with Les Misérables , as the story was inherently grounded to begin with making the choice perfectly logical if not a bit silly. For Cats its use is fine, but the songs would have been served being recorded the traditional method.

I suppose that I have skipped around this point for too long. The CGI is creepy. I would have much preferred if they kept to the original costuming as this both places the performers more solidly in the legitimately amazing practical sets that were constructed and completely avoids the off chance that an incomplete SFX cut hits cinemas, or god forbid the premiere.

Which is exactly what happened.

This was the last thing that the movie needed, having been already mercilessly battered by those online that love to hop aboard the hate train. I’m sure that the fixed version for a home release will be less creepy, but that will be futures Harlly’s cross to bear.

Cats is ultimately a musical about, funnily enough, Cats in all their absurdly egotistical and proud nature. It is in no way one of the worst films of all time, maybe just one of the most misguided. The original musical is so inherently niche even within the musical theatre crowd that to make it a big budget studio film was always a gamble. A gamble that seems, at the moment, to not have worked out.

Perhaps on home video it can try for a different life, but only time will tell.

By Harlly A Lewis

Knives Out, written and directed by Rian Johnson, whose previous work includes Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi and Looper, is a Whodunnit starring a star studded cast including Ana De Armas, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer and many more.

The film starts with the death of widely renowned crime fiction author Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), which is quickly ruled as self-inflicted. However, an anonymous party has hired famous private detective and genius Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to uncover the circumstances of Harlan’s death. Assisted by Harlan’s nurse and friend Marta Cabrera (Ana De Armas), whose inability to lie sheds light on the families many secrets and shames, Blanc soon finds out that things are more than they appear to be as Harlan’s dysfunctional and greedy family shows their ugly side.

The performances in Knives Out are all fantastic, with my favourites being Daniel Craig as Blanc, Ana De Armas as Marta and Christopher Plummer as Harlan Thrombey.

Since Skyfall in 2012 it feels as though Craig has been bored of the role of James Bond, but there is no sign of boredom in his performance as master detective Benoit Blanc in this film. With a near convincing southern drawl, which has been compared to what one could imagine Colonel Sanders sounding like, Blanc provides Craig with a much more erudite and wordy role than his often silent and almost thuggish turn as Bond, and you can see him relishing it.

De Armas was fantastic in this film, playing a character that deviates from a great deal of her previous action-oriented roles. De Armas really sells the honest and trustworthy character of Marta and plays off the energy of all the other performers very well.

Plummer is fantastic in the scenes he is in as on old man, aware that he is near the end of his life as he attempts to set things right for the betterment of all those around him.

Chris Evans is also fantastic as black sheep of the family and general layabout Ransom Drysdale. The film takes advantage of Evans prior stint as Captain America in MCU by utilising Evans natural charm to both distance himself from the rest of the family as well as endearing you to his character.

The cinematography and pacing are top notch as it avoids the pitfall of many stories set around a mystery, where they can be predictable as well as insulting to one’s intelligence. Johnson’s whip smart and often hilarious script treats you as another detective along for the ride and rewards the audience members who are experienced armchair sleuths who are used to solving mysteries alongside cinematic detectives such as Poirot, Holmes and countless others.

I personally cannot wait for Johnson take his knives out again and present another slice out of the career of Blanc and experience some more of his clever, biting and donut shaped mysteries.

By Harlly and Jeaun Lewis

Spider-Man: Far from Home, directed by Jon Watts, is the twenty third film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a co-production between Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios. The film stars tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Zendaya Coleman as Michelle Jones, also referred to as MJ, Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury and Jake Gyllenhaal as the enigmatic Quentin Beck/Mysterio.

Continuing on from the events of Avengers Endgame, Peter Parker just wants a holiday, a chance to recover and tell MJ that he likes her, ultimately, a chance to be normal for a change. But while on a school trip to Europe, Peter is dragged into a fight against a threat from another dimension in the form of the Elementals, beings of destruction that symbolise fundamental elements of creation. Joining him on this fight is Quentin Beck, who claims to be a warrior from a destroyed earth that wants to save this world from the same fate.

The performances in the film are top notch with the standout performances coming from Holland, Colman and Gyllenhaal. The relationship between Peter and MJ is very believable as a relationship at its start, full of awkward looks and insecurity. The believability of the relationship comes down to the great chemistry of Holland and Colman. Outside of that it was good to see a more developed side to MJ’s personality apart from the snarky loner. I for one prefer this version of the character as she has more agency and a rebellious streak. This is probably Holland’s best outing as Spider-Man as you can feel through his performance that he is more comfortable as the character, which translates to Peter seeming more comfortable as Spider-Man. He still has doubts, but he knows who he is. Gyllenhaal as Mysterio was an inspired choice, he embodies everything that audiences could want from Mysterio. Other great performances came from the supporting cast, that most obvious being the teachers that are on the school trip as well. These two characters are the source of much of the comedy in the film, from Julius Dell, a science teacher paranoid about witchcraft played by comedian JB Smoove, to Roger Harrington, a perpetual punchline hilariously set upon by an indifferent universe played to perfection by Martin Starr.

The movie is visually stunning and goes to great lengths to show off the on-location shoots in Venice, Prague and London. The cinematography and action have also improved since Spider-Man Homecoming. The costume design is where the film shines with all of Peters Spider-Man costumes showing up in some form and with the design of Mysterio. It was great to see Mysterio with the full fishbowl shaped head. If there is anything that I can compare this to it is the design choice for Black Manta in Aquaman. Hopefully in future filmmakers continue to embrace the more outlandish design choices stemming from the comic book source material. The CGI in the movie, as it’s the case with most films in the MCU, was very polished with the final scene of the second act being a remarkable showcase of CGI and design.

The score for Spider-Man: Far from Home by Michael Giacchino shows a growth from Homecoming with the theme becoming more confident and embodying more purpose, reflecting Peters own confidence. The use of more rock instrumentation such as electric guitars and synthesizers adding extra texture to returning themes and providing more diverse instrumentation to new leitmotifs. The score acts like an encapsulation of the variety of sounds found in other Spider-Man scores with the use of electronics and precise percussion which create a subconscious link to Han Zimmer and Danny Elfman’s previous themes. The two most significant new themes are Mysterio’s theme as heard in “High and Flighty”, “Multiple realities” and “And now this”. Mysterio’s theme, much like Vulture’s in the previous film, is twisted and turned to signify different mindsets for the characters and the shifting line between villain and hero. The other major leitmotif that has been added is a romance theme for Peter and MJ that can be found in “Its Perfect”, “Personal Hijinks” and “Bridge and Love’s Burning”. The theme has characteristics of a European waltz with flutes, chamber strings and a piano and is indicative of Giacchino’s work on films such as Up and Inside Out.

How is it that the second Spider-Man films are always the best ones? From Sam Rami’s magnum opus Spider-Man 2, to the severely underrated Amazing Spider-Man 2, Far from Home carries on this trend with, dare I say it, a spectacular second solo outing for Holland’s Spider-Man.

By Harlly A Lewis

Toy Story 4 directed by Josh Cooley in his feature directorial debut is the fourth feature film in the toy story franchise. The film follows on from the end of the third with Bonnie’s (the little girl that Andy gave the toys to at the end of the 3^rd film) first day at preschool where she creates a new toy, Forky, a toy made out of stick on googly eyes, popsicle sticks, a pipe cleaner and a spork. Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) must find him when he runs away during a road trip that Bonnies family has gone on. During this adventure Woody is reunited with his old friend Bo Peep (Annie Potts) and must wrestle with a life without Andy.

Going into this movie I was concerned. The third film ended so perfectly that I was convinced that to do another film would be ridiculous. How wrong I was. This film was not only an important step for the characters but also for the audience. Like with Woody, we all must learn that there is always a next step. Another opportunity to learn and grow. Another life transition. The story puts Woody to task and by extension the audience when he is confronted with his resistance to change, his inability to embrace the future in fear that he will be letting go of his past.

The animation in this film was top notch. I have come to never doubt the animators at Pixar or Disney as they consistently bring their A games to each film, and Toy Story 4 is no different. The animation was so good at times that some elements looked real. But the film never lets it cross the line into looking completely real, which would place the film in the uncanny valley, especially with the Ventriloquist Dummies, which were creepy and illustrated how they would move without the support of a human arm. The film is also quite funny with actors such as Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele appearing as carnival prizes that have major issues regarding people and the internet’s current favourite person Keanu Reeves as Canadian toy Duke Kaboom.  

The music written once again by Randy Newman for the film is also great with many returning songs and character themes such as the song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” playing over an opening montage. Newman has created two new songs for the film “The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy” performed by Chris Stapleton which is a country song about embracing friendship and seeking others to spend time with, and “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” which is a jaunty number about never giving up on a friend that plays during a montage of Woody preventing Forky from throwing himself in the garbage where he believe he belongs as he was made from trash.

Toy Story 4 is a great film. It is perhaps the funniest of a series that has never had a bad feature length entry. I would say that this would be a great place to end the series, but to be fair, I have been wrong before.

By Jeaun Lewis

Dark Phoenix is a 2019 superhero film written and directed by long time X-Men film writer and producer Simon Kinberg based on the “Dark Phoenix” comics run, and stars Sophie Turner as Jean Grey/Phoenix, Tye Sheridan as Scott Summers/Cyclops, James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier, Jennifer Lawrence as Raven/Mystique and Jessica Chastain as Vuk, the leader of a shape shifting race of aliens called the D’Bari. The film follows the X-Men after a rescue mission in space goes wrong, leading to Jean Grey being inhabited by an intergalactic energy called the “Phoenix Force”. The X-Men are then forced to decide whether she can be saved or needs to be destroyed to protect the fate of the world, all while Jean is being manipulated by Vuk.

The most striking thing about the film is that it does not have many moments of levity. We live in a time where many films have a mixed tone, where tragedy can occur before and after some amazingly funny moments, just think of Avengers Infinity War and how many jokes still land after Gamora dies. Dark Phoenix has moments where some fans of the franchise will get excited by characters using their powers in new very brutal ways, but it isn’t necessarily a movie that gives off a good feeling. Dark moments follow dark moments, and even happy moments, such as a cameo from the marvel character Dazzler. Moments which should be happy do not feel at all at peace, with an air of menace being apparent through the score and the cinematography. On the topic of cinematography, the way the film is shot appeals to me greatly, with many close ups, well composed shots and sometimes the opposite being used to great effect. Overall it is a great looking film, with colour being utilised to great effect with reds, blues and oranges being very apparent.  

The acting in Dark Phoenix is a point of criticism from many people who watched the film, arguing that it looked like some of them didn’t care about the film. I cannot fully understand these complaints, as the main actors brought out fantastic, nuanced turns as there characters, with particular praise being deserved by Sophie Turner, who puts on the best performance of her career, creating a character that you still care about, even after the terrible acts they commit under the influence of the phoenix force. Even smaller roles like Nightcrawler are still given a lot to do, as they also have to wrangle with the questions of whether they can trust people who they have known for years.

The score, created by Hans Zimmer, is interesting in the fact that it really does feel like an amalgamation of many of Zimmer’s previous works, with inspiration seemingly taken from Blade Runner 2049, Angels and Demons, and even a little bit of Dunkirk, which leads to a grim score that almost becomes horrific in its beauty at points. There is no use of the previous X-Men themes, which I feel is appropriate, as the story isn’t really about them. The music follows Jean Greys arc, being overwhelmed by a tense and foreboding theme for the Phoenix, that can be heard all throughout the first song, titled “Gap”. 

I enjoyed Dark Phoenix. As an ending point for the X-Men franchise within this messy continuity it feels weird, with the ending of Days of Future Past feeling like a better send off for the series, even though I have enjoyed all of the X-Men films since then. Despite this I feel that the movie was well put together, even if behind the scenes dramas and reshoots pretty much guaranteed a poor reception from some people. I believe that if you watch this movie in the right frame of mind and expect something darker and grimmer than usual, then you may have a good time with this film.

By Harlly Lewis

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a 2019 monster movie directed by Michael Dougherty and is the third film in Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse, alongside 2015’s Godzilla and 2017’s Kong Skull Island. The film stars Vera Farmiga as Paleobiologist Dr Emma Russell, Kyle Chandler as Dr Mark Russell, animal behaviour specialist and ex-husband to Emma, Millie Bobby Brown as Madison Russell the child of the pair who is scientifically gifted in her own right and Charles Dance as misanthropic Eco terrorist Alan Jonah.

Godzilla: King of Monsters (Also known as Godzilla 2) takes place five years after the events of Godzilla as the existence of monsters is now causing chaos on earth. With the organisation formed to study and contain these “Titans”, known as Monarch, under investigation by the US government, other less savoury organisations have gained an interest in waking the remaining 16 dormant Titans, including classic Toho monsters like King Gidorah, Rodan and Mothra, to set the world back to a state of ecological balance, it just so happens that balance means the destruction of the world we know.

This is a very loud movie, both in terms of the amount of noise and the amount of stuff happening on screen at one time. But loud, in this case does not mean bad, but it is important to address this as some will feel overwhelmed by how much this film does in its 2 hour and 20-minute run time. However, when the movie slows down and gives the audience a good look at the monsters, particularly Mothra, the film is gorgeous, with images that would be really awesome screensavers. The action is as thrilling and inventive as I have come to expect from the MonsterVerse and I hope this creativity continues in the future films.

The actors perform their roles well, with everyone really pulling their weight. While none of the performances stand out apart from the others, the human story does take a bit of a back seat to the war between the monsters and the greater societal effect of their existence. This is truly an ensemble film with no one performer really taking a central role with perspectives being evenly spread across the film. Farmiga and Brown have a very believable mother and daughter dynamic and it is good to see Brown getting more dialogue driven roles as opposed to her breakout role as Eleven in the Netflix show Stranger Things, which is ironically also a show about monsters. Charles Dance seems to coast through the film as his villainous role takes a back seat to that of King Gidorah, but he still plays his role well when he is there. 

The score composed by Bear McCreary, who some may remember composed the music for TV shows such as Black Sails and The Walking Dead, and films such as 10 Cloverfield Lane, contains updated versions of many of the classic Akira Ifukube themes for Toho monsters like Godzilla, Rodan, Gidorah and Mothra and this helps this film feel like a true love letter to the older films. To me the stand out Leitmotifs were that of Rodan and Mothra because these themes are distinct from the other music that seems much more homogeneous, with the song “Rodan” feeling like the panic that falls after a volcanic eruption, with the rhythmic beating of the drums feeling like a pyroclastic surge symbolising his role as the one born of fire, and “Mothra’s Song” written by Yūji Koseki having a regal yet benevolent tone symbolising her role as queen of the monsters. As the sound effects of the film are quite loud it tends to drown the music out at parts which is a real shame, but when the music can be clearly heard it is incredible, utilising Japanese choirs, Buddhist chanting for King Gidorah and Taiko drumming. The score also contains an amazing cover of the classic song “Godzilla” by Blue Oyster Cult performed by Serj Tankian and composed by McCreary which plays over the credits cementing the film as a celebration of the legacy of Godzilla.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a very loud, very visually exciting and celebratory film that will be followed by Godzilla vs Kong in 2020. The message of the film illustrates that humankind has very little control over nature, no matter what theories we come up with to give it order. As best said in the song Godzilla from the soundtrack “History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men”.

by Jeaun Lewis

Rocketman is a 2019 fantasy/musical biopic directed by Dexter Fletcher based on the life of singer and piano player Elton John starring Taron Egerton as the man himself. The story of the film follows John recounting his life’s story to a rehab support group, explaining the ups, the downs, and the reasons he dove so deep into addiction. This includes visiting his childhood, meeting Bernie Taupin (who wrote many of Johns biggest hits and is played by Jamie Bell), beginning a tumultuous relationship with record producer John Reid (Played by Richard Madden), and his decent into addiction while his relationships break down around him.

First, it has to be said that Rocketman is an amazing looking movie. The use of colour, framing and lighting are incredible, creating a sense that we are seeing the events through John’s eyes. The incredible look of the film also transfers to the costuming, with many of Johns most famous costumes getting adapted, with particular highlights being the outfit from “I’m Still Standing”, and the devil outfit that the movie begins with. Fletcher also directed parts of last year’s Bohemian Rhapsody, and it really shows, with many of the more standout moments being just as vibrant, specifically when John is performing on stage, but also being able to bring moments to a personal place, such as when characters are breaking down or having intimate moments.  

The acting in the movie is exceptional, with Egerton creating an evocation of John that is sometimes spooky in its accuracy, while also adding his own vibe to the character. Other actors who do well include Richard Madden, pulling off a despicable, slightly villainous but also nuanced turn as rock manager John Reid, and while there are conflicting reports as to whether the relationship between John and Reid was this tumultuous, no one can deny that the performance was good. Funnily enough Maddens depiction of John Reid is more villainous that Aiden Gillian’s depiction of him in Bohemian Rhapsody, where he was depicted more as just a manager doing his job. Overall the film does give moments to the actors portraying the more negative influences on Johns life to flesh out their characters and explore why they were the way they were.

The choice of making the story more like a musical is a stroke of genius, as there is really no better way to tell the story of a musician then through their music. As such the movies songs are all sung by the cast, with Egerton being given the unenviable task of performing what many musicians believe are quite difficult songs to sing. Egerton, however, pulls it off with style, both sounding like John and adding his own spin to the songs. The real MVPs when it comes to the music are Matthew Margeson and Giles Martin, who take songs from throughout John’s catalogue, and reconstruct them from the ground up, changing their tones, their contexts and even some of the lyrics to better fit specific scenes, such as “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, which swaps lyrics from the first and second verses to turn it into a duet between John and Taupin and “Honky Cat” which becomes a duet between John and Reid.

Overall, I would suggest Rocketman to any Elton John fans, or any rock fans who want to see how some of the greatest songs were created, and who want to see the negative aspects of fame when it comes to people with a propensity towards addiction. Rocketman is at times distressing, as John tries to live the life that others believe he should be living, and as he attempts to take back control by attempting to kill himself, but it is also a joyous exploration of the highlights of John’s career and how loving yourself is the first step to learning how to truly love others.

by Harlly Lewis

Brightburn is a 2019 superhero horror film directed by David Yarovesky, written by Brian and Mark Gunn and produced by Super and Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn. The film stars Elizabeth Banks as Tori Breyer, David Denman as Kyle Breyer and Jackson A. Dunn as Brandon Breyer.

Brightburn is a story that we all know well. An alien baby in a spacecraft lands in a small town in Kansas and is taken in by a kindly couple that have no children of their own but have wished for the chance to raise a child. The child grows up different and soon discovers his powers and uses them to change the world. This is the origin story of both Clark Kent/Superman and Brandon Breyer. Brightburn illustrates what would occur if the reason that the child was sent was far more sinister.

Something that I was made aware of from the trailers of the film were the similarities that it has to Man of Steel, the 2013 Zack Snyder Superman film that kickstarted the DCEU. The films visual language is very indicative of Man of Steel down to not only similarities in cinematography, but also elements like Brandon’s heat vision looking identical to that of Superman. While it does share similarities to superhero films, it is first and foremost a horror movie, with the image of a red caped figure turning from comforting, to terrifying. The two standout performances in the movie are those of Elisabeth Banks and Jackson A. Dunn, although the other actors do a very good job.  

Banks plays a mother who is caught between fear and love, who knows that there is something wrong with her son but cannot see him as anything but her son, and the performance is captivating and much of her dialogue draws parallels to Martha and Jonathan Kent in her belief that Brandon was sent to earth for a reason. Even when the evidence all points to Brandon, she hopes against hope that she can appeal to the “good” in him. David Denman as Kyle Breyer straddles the line of loving his son, wanting to teach him how to be a man and fearing what his increasingly disturbed adopted son has done and can do. The fear that they feel is comparable to parents who realise their child is a psychopath, but with the added stress of knowing that he could destroy a city if he wanted to.

Dunn’s performance is compelling as we are first introduced to him as a normal, albeit a bit weird kid, this ramps up to eleven when he discovers his powers and begins to indulge in them. The growth of his powers and the presence of commanding voices in his head, mixed with the pains and stresses of adolescence lead him to commit more and more horrific acts, starting with stalking, then moving to far darker fare when he takes his first life. It is surprising how afraid of Brandon you become when he unflinchingly causes horrific pain to the town of Brightburn. In the moments of vulnerability when he is still unsure about his purpose you start to see what a life spent invincible would do to a kid.

The score by Timothy Williams is very evocative and at times cleverly mirrors the music from Man of Steel, note the similarities between a song like “Breyer Family” from Brightburn and “Sent Here for a Reason” from Man of Steel. The music is very present in the audio mix and really adds to the uncomfortable nature of what you are witnessing and treats events with the appropriate gravitas. Even in songs meant to show the tranquillity of the Breyer farm and the family is underscored by discordant strings adding layer of menace to the peaceful scenes.

Brightburn is what would happen if as a child Clark Kent just decided to take the world instead of defending it, much like Ultraman or Superboy Prime in DC comics. The movie acts as a what if scenario and does a very good job at that, even implying more characters with abilities being present in their world. The film has quite a bit of gore and the way that Brandon uses his powers are quite brutal so if that is something that you don’t want to see that’s fair, but these moments of brutality are the expected result of the use of Superman’s powers without any of his restraint. The world is made of paper in comparison to him, and Brandon is willing to burn it down.

By Jeaun Lewis

Aladdin (2019) is a remake of Disney’s Aladdin and is directed and co-written by Guy Ritchie, with a score by Alan Menken and several songs by Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice. If you don’t already know, Aladdin is the story of street urchin Aladdin (Mena Massoud) who is smitten by Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) of Agrabah, in this version a port city and link to the silk road for the rest of the world. Aladdin’s attempts to be with the princess are thwarted by the vizier Jafar, played with a soft creepy menace by Marwan Kenzari and his surprisingly evil and threatening pet Iago, voiced by Disney alumnus Alan Tudyk (which marks the first time Gilbert Gottfried hasn’t played the character). Being tricked by Jafar into retrieving a magic lamp from the Cave of Wonders, Aladdin comes across not only a magic carpet, but also the Genie of the Lamp, played fantastically by an exuberant Will Smith, who promises him three wishes.

The first thing that come to people’s minds when they hear the name Guy Ritchie may not be Disney films or love stories, being that many of his previous films focus on the grungy underbelly or characters on the wrong side of the law. This in fact makes him perfect to tell the story of a street rat attempting to be someone he is not, which can be seen in the way he handles not only the story of Aladdin, but also contributes to many of the funnier scenes full of fast talking from the Genie, a feature present in many of Ritchie’s more popular films like Sherlock Holmes and The Man from U.N.C.L.E . His directing and editing choices do not always gel however, with certain scenes featuring bizarrely sped up action (for example scenes in which characters are dancing), and sometime bizarrely slowed down moments that make the scene feel too slow in contrast to the music (such as during the “One Jump Ahead” segment).

The actors were cast amazingly, with blockbuster newcomers Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott playing the romance expertly, with moments of back and forth feeling natural and earned, while also excelling at their scenes with the more experienced performers. Naomi Scott in particular plays Jasmine with more autonomy and intelligence, showing her interest in running Agrabah and becoming Sultana after her father steps down. Other actors such as Marwan Kenzari perform their roles brilliantly, with Kenzari creating a softer spoken and three dimensional Jafar that can go from cool and collected to paranoid, raving and screaming with one wrong word. Navid Negahban is another surprise, knowing him from his turn as the evil Shadow King in Legion, he brings a sense of tenderness and intelligence that the original Sultan did not have, being more a joke than anything. The best performance in the film is unsurprisingly by Will Smith, bringing, in his own words, “a sense of hip hop” to Disney with his performance of the Genie. He tows the line between an evocation of certain aspect of the performance by the legendary Robin Williams, while also adding his own energy to the role.

The music has taken a leap from the original versions, sounding beefier, and more middle eastern, giving the film an almost Bollywood feeling when it comes to certain songs. Examples of this can be found in “One Jump Ahead” and “A Whole New World”, with added emphasis on using Mixolydian strings and instruments from the region, specifically percussion to add to the texture created by the set designers. Others songs have and added flair of jazzy hip hop such as the expertly produced “Friend Like Me” which features pure Will Smith brilliance and a beat that carries the song with a sense of braggadocios joy that is completely earned, with added lyrics and a beatboxed section that gave me chills and the speaker rumbling and triumphant “Prince Ali” that features another funky beat that just works. Many of the songs have some moments where the autotuning can definitely be heard if your ears are quite sensitive to it like mine are, but the one actor who I don’t believe got hit with the autotune stick was definitely Naomi Scott, who absolutely nails each song she sings, especially “Speechless”, a new song written by Menken and song writing duo Pasek and Paul, who you might remember from The Greatest Showmen.

Overall the presentation of the film is nothing to sneeze at, with much of the CGI looking perfectly acceptable, despite a few moments where certain aspects look a little floaty. The world design of Agrabah is brilliant, with the city being so full of colour, that even at night you can see so many different shades draped over the wall of the city and being worn by the denizens, as can be expected by Game of Thrones production designer Gemma Jackson, who continues to prove why she has won Emmys. The costumes are also all immaculate, with details that I am sure with pop off the screen when the eventual 4K release of the film occurs, with colours from sky blues to dark blacks and blood reds all being found throughout the costuming and the colour palette of the film.

Aladdin was a great time, and while it cannot replace the original in the eyes of many, it is another example, alongside Bill Condon’s Beauty and the Beast and Jon Favreau’s Jungle Book, as to why Disney are remaking many of their older films in live action. Yes, they want to make money off of people’s nostalgia, but they also want to update, adapt and expand upon many of their films in a way that celebrates the films that many people, including myself, grew up watching.  In a world that seems bent on dragging people down and being grim, what could be wrong about wanting to add a little bit of wonder, and dare I say it, a little bit of magic back into people’s lives.

By Harlly A Lewis

Captain Marvel, directed and written by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck is the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Ben Mendelsohn as Talos and Jude Law as Yon Rogg.

Captain Marvel is the story of Carol Danvers, also known as Vers, a Kree super-soldier who lands on Earth (landing right in a Blockbuster video store) after a run in with the Kree’s sworn enemies, the Skrull. Finding Earth more and more familiar, she begins to uncover her connection to the planet and its people and a conspiracy hiding the truth of an intergalactic war, while also coming into contact with a young Nick Fury and Phil Coulson.

The first thing I noticed is the visual language of the film. The MCU has, for lack of a better term, a very homogenised cinematographic style. Captain Marvel is a thankful break from this with several moments of very creative camerawork and editing thanks to the artful eyes of Boden, Fleck and their cinematographer, Ben Davies who also worked as a cinematographer on Doctor Strange and was nominated for a BAFTA for his work on Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The film is very much a story about finding oneself not only in terms of regaining ones memory but also standing up for yourself and coming into your own and finding the power within. 

The standout performances include Brie Larson, who plays Carol as not only strong with a urge to fight against her limits (or rather the limits put on her) but with a real caring side and likeable sense of humour. Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury is another great performance showcasing a younger, less jaded and less paranoid version of the man who will one day form a team of The Worlds Mightiest Heroes. The person who steals the show however is Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, but I can’t get into his performance without mentioning spoilers. But trust me it’s worth the watch for his performance alone, not to mention the great work of everyone else.

The score by Pinar Toprak is, like much of the MCU music, pretty standard stuff. The score and soundtrack (the film is set in the 90’s so expect to sing along to some catchy tunes you thought you forgot) fit the movie perfectly, but it’s not a score that I would listen to by itself. My favourite moment regarding the music is the use of the song Just a Girl by No Doubt, it took me right back to my childhood and really fit the scene, with Captain marvel kicking serious ass.

The CGI was top notch, especially on the de-aged Jackson, with only a few moments where it looked strange. Yet again, like in Justice League, the upper lip is a hard part to do right with CGI. The action was amazing and really showed off how powerful Captain Marvel is when she really cuts loose. They also managed to combine several designs of her character from the comics in a very clever, practical in world way.

Captain Marvel is a very good film and a great second step into a more diverse MCU, which is a very good thing. The film also contains probably the greatest Stan Lee cameo so far and it will definitely bring some to tears. Not me though, someone was just cutting onions next to me, yeah, definitely didn’t cry.