JeffTheBadger Reviews

Baby Driver (2017)

May not be a traditional masterpiece but is right up there.

[9/10 · 11 July 2017]

The first thing people are going to mention about this thoroughly entertaining Edgar Wright film is the soundtrack. While this is not in itself a bad thing, because the soundtrack is indeed amazing and plays a large part in both the style and the story, it is not the only thing that is great.

Ansel Elgort and Kevin Spacey give stand out performances against a backdrop of an all-star cast including Jamie Foxx, Lilly James and Jon Hamm, all of whom play their parts with an ease that makes them a pleasure to watch.

The other stars of this film are the often unmentioned stunt teams. The car chases especially feel fresh, new and exciting and when you throw the music that I mentioned earlier into the mix you will feel a real part of it. More than just cool moves to pumping tracks though, the action is actually choreographed to the music and the effect is amazing. Every gunshot, tire screech, car horn and movement works with the beat to give you an exciting scene experience that leaves you breathless and wanting more.

Telling the story of a young man named Baby, who is a professional getaway driver (who needs music in order to complete his jobs), as he navigates through the criminal underworld he is caught up in. you may immediately start to make comparisons with the 2011 film "Drive" but let me stop you straight away, this is a very different film playing a lot less serious and dark. That is not to say that "Baby Driver" does not have its own dark moments but you are going to leave the theatre in a much better mood than you likely did with "Drive"!

The film is not without its flaws of course, you could say the base story seems a little cliché in places and some of the characters are a tad underdeveloped so their motives do not always seem clear and their actions seem to be purely there to move the story to the next scene. To be honest though, these minor issues fade away as soon as you notice them as frankly, you just don't care because the flow of the movie is just so good.

"Baby Driver" may not be a masterpiece in the traditional sense, but for me, and I am sure anyone that appreciates a film that is not just immensely enjoyable, but a film that has clearly had a lot of care and attention put into it. It is right up there.

T2 Trainspotting (2017)

Choose life. Choose T2 Trainspotting

[8/10 · 30 January 2017]

Choose Life. Choose cinema hype for nostalgic films. Choose sequels that you don't expect to be as good as the first but hoping for at least something new. Choose walking into the screen with a mixture of excitement and dread. Choose sitting in your overpriced seat with your giant bank busting popcorn and your toilet trip inducing gallon of drink. Choose all this… and you won't be disappointed

T2 Trainspotting is a continuation of the first film with a 20 year gap in-between. All the boys are here: Renton (Ewan McGregor), Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), Spud (Ewen Bremner) and Begbie (Robert Carlyle), they're back in Edinburgh and ready for the next chapter of their lives. If you have not seen Trainspotting before, watch it. Not just because it is a good film but you need to remember the first one to properly understand this one. Then you need to immediately put it out your mind because this is definitely a sequel, not a re-hash of what was. The characters are older and because of this they are different to how they were, their lives are different, their relationships are different, their motivations, their attachments, everything has changed, you have probably changed too and yet many of the situations and scenes have a very familiar feel to them. Links to the past, little nods here and there to both the first film and real life are strewn throughout but never feel forced.

As you would expect from a Danny Boyle film, the style is great and each scene has a purpose whether it is to remind the viewer of who these people where, or show them where they are heading. It is true the story is not as hard hitting, but then how could it be? And yes, Begbie is a bit of a caricature now and not quite the man he was in the first instalment but you know what? That's OK. Any failings or let downs are immediately made up for by something else. Something good. The story touches on so much it just keeps you engaged. Friendship, love, betrayal, regret, hope, despair, danger – it's all in there, in spades! This is a good film and possibly more importantly, a great sequel. If you loved the first, as I did, then I can't imagine a reason you wouldn't like this one. If however, you did not like the first, it may just be different enough for you still to enjoy.

Choose life. Choose T2 Trainspotting.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

Is the magic of Harry Potter finally fading...?

[6/10 · 3 January 2014]

Having rather enjoyed the films to date I went to the screening with an expectation of magic and wonder… I left with a feeling of disenchantment and disillusionment

As an adult watching; the movie opens well enough with dramatic and visually exciting scenes leading into an involving if a little chaotic storyline, however as the movie continues it does begin to drag, the lack of screen time for the adult actors is a shame as many of the younger cast seem to have had enough of being a part of this franchise and are now just running through the motions, the one saving grace to this is Rupert Grint who is funny and engaging as Ron, Harry's ever present best friend, and delivers some of the best lines of the film with wit and charisma.

For a child watching I would say that it might be a little confusing as to what was happening and then eventually, when no explanation comes, would be a little boring topped off by too scary towards the end (some children had to leave during the showing I was in).

As I am sure many of you will already know, there are many significant scenes that have been omitted from the book but I honestly don't feel that this in itself is a problem. I get the feeling that they were thinking about the upcoming final 2 part instalment the whole time they were making this film and with that in mind I look forward to bigger and better things. Regardless I'm sure fans will flock to see it and will no doubt come away hungry for more. So has Harry Potter lost it's magic, probably not but maybe some of its charm.

Ted (2012)

A party of a film... not for the easily offended

[8/10 · 3 July 2012]

I really should start this with a warning: This film is not for everyone! If you are easily offended (by swearing, sexual references, casual racism and various stereotypes) then you should read no further and give this one a miss. However, if you are a fan of Seth MacFarlane's other projects (Family Guy, American Dad) and maybe you call yourself an "80's child" (so many pop culture references to this time) you are going to love this.

Sure some parts are a little disjointed, the story seems vaguely familiar and the "moral" of it kind of gets lost but quite frankly, it's just so darn funny none of that matters. The script is hilarious, the cameos are fantastic and the soundtrack is perfect.

Ted himself is well animated and Seth (apart from sounding a little like Peter Griffin) voices him with the usual competence. Mark Wahlberg delivers exactly what we have come to expect from him, and the rest of the cast seem to have had fun filming, which comes across in the various performances no matter how big or small. The acceptance and interaction of everyone with a living teddy-bear adds to the simple joy of this film, and you find yourself happy to watch and not question why nobody is fazed by this. TED is a laugh a minute, party of a film and I, for one, can't wait to see it again.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

"The good effort but not amazing spiderman"

[7/10 · 26 June 2012]

To start off I want to say I enjoyed this movie… but even as I type that I do question exactly how much.

People have talked about the CGI not being up to scratch and parts of the 3D being blurry but I don't think that was the problem. The action was great, the characters were good but it seemed to be one "amazing" set piece scene after another with very little connecting them. I often found myself wondering what happened to get from point A to C, B seems to happen off screen for a large portion of the film.

I know the words "gritty" and "dark" seem to crop up every time someone talks about a good superhero film but I don't think that needs to be the case, I like superhero films to be larger than life – that's kind of the point! For the inevitable comparison with the Sam Raimi spiderman film, I would say it is more gritty, a little darker, slightly less fun and a lot less coherent.

An overall enjoyable watch but not sure "amazing" should have been in the title.