jackman-74739 Reviews

Jaws (1975)

'You're gonna need a bigger boat'

[8/10 · 9 August 2021]

I forgot just how damn good this film is. An absolute masterclass in tension building which kept me on the edge of my seat, the same way it did the very first time I saw it.

It's been said many times but it really is true. The films biggest weakness is its biggest strength. From not being able to properly see the shark, it allows this chaotic mystery to build up to the finale, keeping this very real feeling of danger because the viewer is equally as clueless to the scope of the beast as the characters in the film.

A film that has well and truly stood the ages, an obvious must see for anyone even remotely interested in film.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

Deliciously dark and musically macabre!

[8/10 · 19 January 2021]

While being extremely Burton, this film is not like anything you'll ever see! I recommend a watch for depp hamming it up alone.

Apocalypse Now (1979)

War bad, war very bad

[9/10 · 4 May 2020]

What a film. It's one of those films that leaves you speechless at the end because your still trying to process what the hell just happened. Defiantly the best war film I have ever seen. It was both a spectacle and a horror. It's fucking haunting, seeing all this destruction. What coplla manages extremely well is creating chaos that we experience through the eyes of the protagonist. There's incredible set prices like the bridge and the city that play with light and fog to create this dreadful atmosphere and a visually striking picture that left me completely flabbergasted as to how they achieved this all in 1979. It's impossible to talk about this film without mentioning marlon Brando. He may be a crazy method actor but by god does it work here. He's shrouded min mystery both literally and figuratively, lit by shadows and shrouded in fog after the nearly 2 hour build up to his character and so after all this hardship and trauma they face getting to him, this performance is built up and resolved perfectly. I realise I watched the shorter version and there's a three hour version out there but one of my only criticisms is that he's only in it for around 10 minutes. Even so, it leaves a massive impression on the viewer which is what makes it so iconic. Another massive contributor to this errie and haunting atmosphere is the soundtrack, splicing classical music to rock to the main oppressive synth score creates this mismatch of tones and styles that runs throughout. Despite being surreal and horrific in places, it never stops feeling realistic, keeping this tangible horror of the story. Speaking of, this is a prime example of how to adapt a classic book to a different time period, taking the novel heart of darkness into the Vietnam war shows that this idea of savages and humans, ya and them still relates to this day, the vietnam war ending only around ten years from when the film was made. All in all, war bad- war very bad

Tron (1982)

A lovely time capsule of a neon blue era

[7/10 · 27 April 2020]

The first time I watched this film, I was around 9 years old. I rented it from a library and watched it at a friends house, and being honest, it's somehow exactly how I remembered it. It's quite surreal, having a plot take place inside a computer and it's clear there are places where it's being pulled out of nowhere, using computer buzz words like 'ram' and 'programs' to be cool and fit into the universe, which kinda adds to the weird charm of the film. I cannot tell whether it takes its self seriously or not at all because there are places where it tries to pull at your heart strings or create a serious moment but there are other moments where you just zone out from some of the imagery on screen. Major credit to Jeff bridges who just seems like he's having a whale of a time. He and the bad guy carry this film by fully embracing this idea and doing the best job they can, although it's clear they have no idea what's going on and that's just brilliant to me. The main thing I love about this film is the visuals. They are straight out of a tame impala album cover. I can't tell if it's matte paintings or early digital imaging but either way it looks like it was intedned to; it's so dated to the point where it's come back around and looks impressive. I need to see how they did all this stuff in the early 80s, must have blown people's minds. Although, they never really explain things though. I kinda could maybe tell what was going on because I've seen the film already but half the things they just don't explain, which did get confusing in places. But generally this films more a delightful time capsule for an era on the dawn of computer special effects, and for that I really liked it.

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

Cracking monster flick

[7/10 · 27 April 2020]

The script was tight (if a little dated), the set pieces were good and the soundtrack was on point, using pop songs about the moon for, well I'm sure you can see why. The main draw to this film though is the special effects, being very heavy in some parts. There is the iconic transforms scenes which though I've seen before, remain really uncomfortable, as it combines the sudden shock of it and the jolly backing music, with the really graphic and clear effects that still hold up to this day. But the effects I liked best were the ones on jack, how he was decomposing throughout the film, shown in all its gooey detail. The acting, while a bit stilted, felt like it fit, as the film felt like a pastiche to these old monster flicks. Also it all felt like what an American would think England is like after spending a weekend in London and watching an episode of dads army, but again this kinda fits in with the story, so doesn't get grating. However one complaint is that the film is a little too short, and I have no idea weather I love or hate the ending, closing abruptly with him dead on the ground, causing me to burst out laughing from the sudden black screen. But this film wears its campiness on its sleeve and is very enjoyable, if a bit dodgy in places. Now I can add werewolves and fearsome dart players to my list of why I shouldn't visit the north.

Coco (I) (2017)

Pixar has done it again

[8/10 · 27 April 2020]

Pixar have done it again. An absolute artistic masterpiece that plays your heartstrings like a guitar. This film is absolutely gorgeous, with some shots leaving me absolutely stunned. Everything about this film is brilliant, the acting the music, the writing all were on point. I especially loved the design and the fluidity of the character, and how they flow and move really satisfyingly, or how accurate the playing of the guitar is. The story hits all the highs and lows you'd expect from a Pixar film, with twists and turns and highly enotional moments that make it handy to keep a box of tissues near.

The Godfather Part II (1974)

A little dated but still holds up

[8/10 · 27 April 2020]

You can see why this is hailed as one of the greatest films of all time. The story, the script, the directing and the acting is on point. It's almost poetic in the way it carries itself. It's a very good character study of Michal corleone and creates this comparison between him and his father Vito as one built the family and the other is trying to maintain it. Filmmaking has changed very much from the 70s and that is clear in this film, as it's slow paced to the point of stopping entirely at moments. Most of the time it worked but some of the time it dragged a little. Furthermore it's a very dialogue heavy film, meaning you need to pay close attention to everything, which in a three hour film is a little different at times. Despite this, it's clear why this is hailed as such a good film, as it's one of the best examples of the continuation of a story from its predecessor. It very effectively shows the struggles this man has with both maintaining g his reputation and his personal life and both performances by De niro and pachino show this struggle between the cold calculating side and the emational side. Would recommend a watch, that is if you have the time.

Goodfellas (1990)

Scorsese at the top of his game

[8/10 · 27 April 2020]

A Scorsese classic. It ticks all the boxes. Italians, gangsters, lots of fbombs, the lot. It's very well directed and the style changes throughout the film which compliments the narrative, e.g. romanticised and flowing at the beginning to jerky and unrhythmic at the end. The acting was also fantastic with everyone pretty much becoming a stereotype, especially joe Pesci. The script was tight as well, with a great twist at the ending. however I felt like his downfall cane a little too quickly and it ended quite abruptly. Other than that it made gangster life seem kinda appealing... Other than all the killing stuff

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Hasn't Aged A Day

[8/10 · 27 April 2020]

This film greatly exceeded my expectations. I've heard that it's a technical milestone in films but I did not expect it to stand up and still look amazing over 30 years on. I can't even believe the amount of work that's gone into creating this film, even the tiny details like paper moving when a toon sits on a stack or even the shadows cast on them to make them go from looking like a novelty to something that not only looks impressive but real within the world. Furthermore, the script and the directing was very much on point, with tiny details in the background or clever puns that take a second to realise, leading to some genuine belly laughs at points. Furthermore it is a very good mystery, with clues red hearings and a satisfying reveal at the end, which was all masterfully directed by Zemeckis. Defiantly recommend a watch, it's worth seeing Bob Hoskins sing and dance alone.

Shrek 2 (2004)

Holds up but lacks in some areas

[6/10 · 7 April 2020]

Haven't watched this film for a good number of years and coming back to it it holds up well. The animation still looks good and there's no uncanny valley stuff with the mocap. The moral seems good carrying over from the first film but generally the films decent. There's some character building but far less than the original and in places some of the characters are just unlike but these moments are small. There were some jokes that made me belly laugh but most of them were just kinda there, with one or two cringe moments. But it's a fun film to have on in the background. Gingy's still the best character and will always be, FIGHT ME.