Tagged: Kyle McGrath

03Apr

[FILM REVIEW] TOM AND JERRY Review (2021)

Posted in Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family/Kids, Film, Film Genre, Home Page | Leave a comment

Summary:  A chaotic battle ensues between Jerry Mouse, who has taken refuge in the Royal Gate Hotel, and Tom Cat, who is hired to drive him away before the day of a big wedding arrives.

Year: 2021

Cinema Release Dates: 1st April 2021 (Australia), 26th February 2021 (USA)

VOD Release Dates: 25th March 2021 (USA)

Country: UK, USA

Director: Tim Story

Screenwriter: Kevin Costello

Cast: Janis Ahern (Mrs. Jacobson), Daniel Adegboyega (Gavin the Doorman), Camilla Arfwedson (Linda Perrybottom), Jordan Bolger (Cameron), Joe Buck (himself), Bobby Cannavale (Spike (voice)), Ajay Chhabra (Mr Mehta), Christina Chong (Lola), Somi De Souza (Mrs Mehta), Rob Delaney (Mr. Dubros), Eleanor Fanyinka (Sadie (voice)), Patsy Ferran (Joy The Bell Girl), Spank Horton (Ash (voice)), Nicky Jam (Butch (voice)), Ken Jeong (Chef Jackie), Colin Jost (Ben), Edward Judge (Leo The Sous Chef), Lil Rel Howery (Angel/Devil (voice)), Na’im Lynn (Meathead (voice)), Chloe Grace Moretz (Kayla), Michael Pena (Terrence), Patrick Poletti (Mr. Jacobson Snr.), Harry Ratchford (Topsy (voice)), Bernardo Santos (Aaron Merritt), Pallavi Sharda (Preeta), Joey Wells (Lightning (voice))

Running Time: 101 mins

Classification: G (Australia), PG (UK), PG (USA)

OUR TOM AND JERRY REVIEWS

David Griffiths’ Tom And Jerry Review:

When I first heard that a new Tom & Jerry movie was on the way, my first thought was – how could this possibly work? Yes the mischievous mouse and cat have been entertaining audiences for over 70 years, but I have come to realise over recent years that what the new generation finds funny compared to what I found funny as a child 30 years ago is vastly different. So, I’ll be completely honest – I thought the chances of this being a Tom & Jerry film that would appeal to all ages was next to zero.

But I am happy to say that I am going to have to eat my words with this one because director/screenwriter Tim Story (Fantastic Four) has created a world for Tom and Jerry that I am sure even their creators, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera would be very proud of.

The key thing to making Story’s version of Tom & Jerry work is that he has made it universal and timeless. As usual Tom chases Jerry right around the city and Jerry finds himself moving into the Royal Gate Hotel just as the world’s most popular couple, Preeta (Pallavi Sharada – Lion) and Ben (Colin Jost – How To Be Single), have arrived at the Hotel in preparation for their wedding.

The approaching wedding has the Hotel’s Events Manager, Terence (Michael Pena – Ant-Man), completely stressed out and he not impressed when his boss, Mr Dubros (Rob Delaney – Deadpool 2), hires the very inexperienced Kayla (Chloe Grace Moretz – Kick-Ass) to help him out.

Adding to Terence’s stress is the fact that suddenly he has the crazy pair of Tom and Jerry running around the hotel and fighting at every opportunity, just when he wants everything to be perfect. Despite him predicting it will end in disaster he can only sit back and watch as Kayla drums up a plan to hire Tom to try and capture Jerry.

There is a tonne of fun and comedy throughout the film but what impressed me the most was how Tim Story managed to mix old with new. The old school animation that brings Tom, Jerry and a cast of other animals including the famous bulldog Spike (Bobby Cannavale – Blue Jasmine), to life is mixed well with the modern day shots – so well in fact that the only film I think I ever seen that has such a seamless animation and real life mix is Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Likewise the story itself. This is a timeless tale, the events that happen at the Hotel could easily have happened in the 1930s and that is one of the reasons why the characters of Tom and Jerry slip so well into this ‘new world’. Even the hotel itself looks like it has been plucked from a 1930s film noir flick so again lends itself to the world of Tom and Jerry perfectly.

As a storyteller Story also comes to the fore with his characters. Dubros and Terence are perfectly over-acted and enhanced while the smart Kayla is written as a strong and caring lead that the audience quickly wants to support. Story has even written Preeta and Ben in such a way that they are likable, move the story along but never over-stay their welcome or over-shadow the characters that are the centre-piece to the plot. The only character I feel Story should have done more with was Chef Jackie who is seriously under-used especially given that he has played by comedic genius Ken Jeong (Community) but still does very little to move the story along.

That is the only blemish though when it comes to the acting. Moretz quickly shows the audience that she can add comedy to the list of things that she excels while Pena again does what he did in Dora The Explorer and brings his A-Game to a family film. It probably doesn’t look like it on paper but Moretz and Pena are the perfect comedy duo here are one of the reasons why the film works so well.

Tom & Jerry goes very close to being the perfect family film – funny throughout and sensitive when it needs to be this is the kind of film that will be loved by any generation of the family. For kids it is something new and fresh and for Mum and Dad (and even Grandpa and Grandma) this is a trip down memory lane with a modern twist. I still can’t believe I am saying this but you will find very few films as enjoyable as Tom & Jerry this year.

Dave’s rating Out Of 5

Kyle McGraths’ Tom And Jerry Review:

Kyle’s Rating Out Of 5:

Average Subculture Rating:

IMDB Rating:

Tom and Jerry (2021) on IMDb

Other Subculture Tom And Jerry Reviews:

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01Feb

[FILM REVIEW] THE MARKSMAN Review (2021)

Posted in Action, Drama, Film, Film Genre, Home Page | Leave a comment

Summary: A rancher finds himself in a vicious war about the cabal after he tries to rescue a mother and her son.

Year: 2021

Cinema Release Dates: 21st January 2021 (Australia), 15th January 2021 (USA)

VOD Release Dates: TBA

Country: USA

Director: Robert Lorenz

Screenwriter: Chris Charles, Danny Kravitz, Robert Lorenz

Cast: Kellen Boyle (Dalton), Christian Hicks (Danny), Roger Jerome (Otto), Dylan Kenin (Randall), Antonio Leyba (Rigo), Jose Mijangos (Emilio), Liam Neeson (Jim), Jacob Perez (Miguel), Yediel Quiles (Jorge), Alfredo Quiroz (Carlos), Juan Pablo Raba (Mauricio), Luce Rains (Everitt), Ann Barrett Richards (Bartender Clara), Sean A. Rosales (Hernando), Teresa Ruiz (Rosa), Jose Vasquez (Isidro), Katheryn Winnick (Sarah)

Running Time: 108 mins

Classification: M (Australia), PG-13 (USA)

THE MARKSMAN REVIEWS

David Griffiths’ The Marksman Review:

If Clint Eastwood watches The Marksman and then says “that Irishman is taking my roles” then you really couldn’t blame him. The Marksman’s hero Jim is almost your stereotypical Eastwood role. A rancher, almost disenfranchised with the world around him who is lost in his sorrow and doesn’t mind a good drink now and then. Also like most Eastwood films this is a film with grit that is certainly a must see in the cinemas.

As you would guess Jim (Liam Neeson – The Grey) is a bit of a loner. He has been that way since the death of his wife a few years earlier. He spends his days working on his hard-hit ranch and occasionally helping out the US Border Forces when he finds illegal aliens who have made the dangerous trip over the Mexico/US border.

Jim is not a snitch though, no it seems like he phones in his reports due to the fact that his step-daughter Sarah (Katheryn Winnick – Vikings) works for the border forces. However Jim sees a different side to the aliens crossing the border when he finds himself helping young Miguel (Jacob Perez – Papa Bear) and his mother Rosa (Teresa Ruiz – Narcos: Mexico) who cross the border with the cartel hot on their tail.

The resulting fire-fight sees Jim shoot dead several of the cartel members including the brother of determined leader Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba – Peppermint) who then uses his corrupt colleagues to find his way into American and look for vengeance.

The plot of The Marksman is pretty simple. An ex-vet drives across country with a young refugee while being pursued by the cartel – it certainly wouldn’t have taken a scriptwriting genius to come up with the pretence. Why the film works is because director Robert Lorenz (Trouble With The Curve) and his other screenwriters steer the film away from the genre’s clichés and continually come up with the creative ways to see Jim and the cartel cross paths.

At times the film’s ‘road-trip’ vibe is a reminder of films like Roadkill and once the audience learns that no character is safe the film takes on a whole new level of suspense. It is that suspense and the great characterisation of Jim and Miguel that hold this film together. Yes, the character of Mauricio is a little stereotypical but at the same time he is so blood-thirsty it makes him a dangerous adversary that you never can predict the nature or actions of.

The real strength of this film though is the acting of Liam Neeson. Whether Neeson had made his mind up about walking away from action films before he made this film I guess we will never know but if this is his finale than at least he can say that he went out on top. So many action heroes turn up to make a film like this and bring nothing to the role – that certainly isn’t the case with Neeson playing rancher Jim.

Neeson puts life into Jim. He makes you care about the character and he can say more with one glance or facial expression that a page full of dialogue could. I recently said that with Honest Thief Neeson looked and showed his age, especially with some laboured chase scenes, but that certainly isn’t the case here. Here Neeson is reminiscent of Clint Eastwood in The Mule or Gran Torino. He is playing his age and it works. Yes this might just be an action drama but Neeson certainly brought his A-Game to the table.

The other strength to The Marksman is the fact that the film shows that every refugee has their own story but it never becomes preachy. There are no ‘up on the box’ moments as Jim launches into a ‘everybody must listen to this’ monologue. No instead the film simply tells the story at hand – a young boy needs the help of an American citizen in order to survive. It is surprising just how more powerful that makes the film.

The Marksman might not be the masterpiece that Let Him Go was but as far as modern day westerns go it is well worth a look. Suspenseful and brought alive by the talents of its leading man this is a film I more than happy to go back and re-visit.

Dave’s rating Out Of 5

Kyle McGrath’s The Marksman Review:

Kyle’s Score Out Of 5:

Average Subculture Rating:

IMDB Rating:

The Marksman (2021) on IMDb

Other Subculture The Marksman Reviews:

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01Feb

[FILM REVIEW] Tenet Review (2020)

Posted in Action, Drama, Film, Film Genre, Home Page, Sci-Fi / Fantasy | Leave a comment

Summary: Armed with only one word, Tenet, and fighting for the survival of the entire world, a Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.

Year: 2020

Cinema Release Dates: 27th August 2020 (Australia), 27th August 2020 (Thailand), 26th August 2020 (UK), 3rd September 2020 (USA)

VOD Release Dates: Out now

Country: USA, UK

Director: Christopher Nolan

Screenwriter: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Kenneth Branagh (Sator), Michael Caine (Crosby), Adam Cropper (Young Sator), Jack Cutmore-Smith (Klaus), Elizabeth Debicki (Kat), Martin Donovan (Fay), Fiona Dourif (Wheeler), Dimple Kapadia (Priya), Yuri Kolokolnikov (Volkov), Mark Krenik (Toby), Anthony Molinari (Rohan), Himesh Patel (Mahir), Robert Pattinson (Neil), Clemence Posey (Barbara), Laurie Shepherd (Max), Denzil Smith (Sanjay), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Ives), Jeremy Theobald (Steward), John David Washington (Protagonist)

Running Time: 150 mins

Classification: M (Australia), G (Thailand), 12-A (UK), PG-13 (USA)

OUR TENET REVIEWS

David Griffiths’ Tenet Review:

Dave’s rating Out Of 5

Kyle McGrath’s Tenet Review:

Kyle McGrath’s Score Out Of 5:

Average Subculture Rating:

IMDB Rating:

Tenet (2020) on IMDb

Other Subculture Tenet Reviews:

Nil.

Trailer:

20Jan

[FILM REVIEW] BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC Review (2020)

Posted in Adventure, Comedy, Film, Film Genre, Home Page | Leave a comment

Summary: Once again it is up to Bill and Ted to save the world – this time they have to travel through time and work out how they wrote the perfect song in the future. With a task so big though this time they may need their daughters to help them.

Year: 2020

Cinema Release Dates: 28th August 2020 (Australia), 16th September 2020 (UK), 28th August 2020 (USA)

VOD Release Dates: 28th August 2020 (Australia), 28th August 2020 (USA)

Country: Bahamas, USA

Director: Dean Parisot

Screenwriter: Chris Matheson, Ed Solomon

Cast: Brigette Nicole Andrews (Cleopatra), Linda Ayliff (Amelia Earhart), Jared Bankins (Jesus/Young Ted), Diana Barnes (Frida), Jillian Bell (Dr. Taylor Wood), Beck Bennett (Deacon), Artis Burney (Buddha), George Carlin (Rufus Hologram), Anthony Carrigan (Dennis Caleb McCoy), Georgia Cohran (Harriet Tubman), Jeremiah Craft (Louis Armstrong), Daniel Dorr (Mozart), Doug Gagnon (Bartholomew), Sharon Gee (Ling Lun),Kallie Glidewell (Flapper), Mickey Gooch Jnr. (Clete), Dave Grohl (himself), William E. Harris (George Washington), Erinn Hayes (Elizabeth), Miles Hendler (Judas), Kid Cudi (himself), Hal Landon Jnr. (Chief Logan), Xavier Leblanc (Phaoroh), Reece Loustalot (Babe Ruth), Jeff Pagano (Noelle Redding), Brigette Lundy-Paine (Billie), Jayma Mays (Joanna), Piotr Michael (Rufus (voice)), Patty Anne Miller (Grom), Kharismisa Morris (Josephine Baker), Keanu Reeves (Ted), Eliana Ruiz (Indira Gandhi), William Sadler (Death), Kristen Schaal (Kelly), Billy Slaughter (Young Bill), DaZMann Still (Jimi Hendrix), Amy Stoch (Missy), Kimberley Stockton (Queen Elizabeth), Holland Taylor (The Great Leader), Samara Weaving (Thea), Peter Wick (Zenny), Alex Winter (Bill), Tommie Wong (Kubla Khan), Ned Yousef (Gandhi)

Running Time: 91 mins

Classification: PG (Australia), PG (UK), PG-13 (USA)

OUR BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC REVIEWS

David Griffiths’ Bill & Ted Face The Music Review:

I can still remember the first time I saw a Bill & Ted film. I was in Primary School and while at my friend’s place he shoved this pink and purple VHS into my hands and said “Dude, we need to watch this.” From that moment I was hooked with these likable idiots. I wanted to be them so much that they are probably one of the reasons why I love hard rock and I’d be lying if I didn’t say I used some of the things I learned from the film when it came to History at High School.

Yes, I wanted to be Bill and Ted but then I grew up. I graduated, went to College, got married and bought a house… like adults do. But according to what we find in the new instalment of the Bill & Ted franchise people don’t change – they are the same forever. Yes, it is ridiculous to think that way but that is what any audience going into this film is expected to think.

Set nearly thirty years after the originals Bill And Ted Face The Music find Bill (Alex Winter – Grand Piano) and Ted (Keanu Reeves – John Wick) completely washed up but the fathers of two daughters – Thea (Samara Weaving – Guns Akimbo) and Billie (Brigette Lundy-Paine – The Glass Castle). The two’s music careers are over and their marriages are in tatters – in general their lives are a mess.

Then out of the blue Kelly (Kristan Schall – The Muppets) turns up from the future to tell them that the world is about to end if Bill and Ted can’t create the perfect song. The two travel through time to try and find how they wrote the perfect song while being pursued by a deadly assassin named Dennis Caleb McCoy (Anthony Carrigan – Gotham). Meanwhile Thea and Billie begin their own journey through time in a bid to build the perfect band for their fathers.

To be honest this was probably one of the most disappointing films I have watched in a long time. I wanted to see the filmmakers, director Dean Parisot (Galaxy Quest) and his screenwriting team, doing something really special with this film; instead I got something that was slightly insulting to my childhood. Not only is the film plain dumb and feature nothing ‘spectacular’ that I was hoping for but the film seems to be ill thought out. I get that Bill and Ted are losers whose lives have never reached the potential that they should have; you know what as a fan of Jay and Silent Bob I can deal with that. What I can’t deal with or even believe is that they are so juvenile that they still speak like stoners so much later in their lives… it is so ridiculous that nobody can comprehend it.

Likewise the film does nothing ‘special.’ Despite a few moments that might make you chuckle Bill and Ted’s journey is this film is lacklustre and nowhere near as exciting as the journey in their original film. I can’t help but wonder why the writers didn’t do more things like the brilliant Dave Grohl cameo – this film needed to be epic not the lacklustre yawn fest that it became.

There are times during this film that the script is so stupid that I swear Keanu Reeves looks uncomfortable. We know what a brilliant actor he is but there are times during the film where his ‘stoner’ language and laugh seem to be ‘forced’ and you can see his mind asking “why did I sign up for this?” Despite the quality of the performers in the film, including Samara Weaving, this is not a film that is going to end up a highlight on anyone’s acting resume.

There will be a lot of people out there who go out and watch Bill And Ted Face The Music simply because of the nostalgia factor. As a fan of the original movies though I have to warn you that you will be sadly disappointed.

Dave’s rating Out Of 5

Kyle McGrath’s Bill & Ted Face The Music Review:

Kyle McGrath’s Rating Out Of 5:

Average Subculture Rating:

IMDB Rating:

Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020) on IMDb

Other Subculture Bill & Ted Face The Music Reviews:

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Trailer: