A 300 Film Challenge: Film #8

 The Raid (2011) 101mins

NEW TO ME COUNT: 6

SEEN IT COUNT: 2

Another one for the 'Seen It' count, I first watched The Raid around 10 years ago not long after its original release, but haven't revisited it since. This Indonesian language film follows Rama, a rookie cop who is part of a special forces team tasked with raiding an apartment block housing notorious crime lord Tama Riyadi. The film is well regarded for its fast pace and relentless action scenes which showcase the Indonesian martial art of Pencak Silat, and all directed somewhat surprisingly by Welshman Gareth Evans. As events progress we soon learn that the raid hasn't actually been officially sanctioned, and that there may be ulterior motives in play not just for the Lieutenant in command, but also for Rama himself...

It was fun to go back to The Raid after so long as the film truly is an almost non-stop thrill ride, packed with outrageous fights utilising all manner of weapons as well as some killer bare fist fighting. The choreography is exquisite and often leaves you genuinely stunned, mesmerised by the timing and precision involved to pull it all off. There are a few breaks in the action peppered throughout to allow us to catch our breath briefly, particularly when a kind hearted resident of the block provides some shelter and a few choice words of advice to Rama and the team. 

Ultimately though the story here is fairly slight and does take a backseat to the action. There are some rather extreme moments that had me wincing slightly; viewer discretion is definitely advised here and not for the faint of heart! The film knows the audience it is targeting and is not afraid to throw everything at the wall to provide the ultimate version of what it wants to be. The sequel, which I haven't seen, is on my list!

8/10

A 300 Film Challenge: Film #7

Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) (1980) 76mins

NEW TO ME COUNT: 6

SEEN IT COUNT: 1

I think it's fair to say that Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the Peanuts gang have never quite had the same mainstream resonance with us over here in the UK as they have enjoyed for many years in the United States. I remember seeing the cartoon on TV only very rarely when I was young, and that was on the Satellite channels, which were available in far fewer households than they are today (showing my age there!) As I understand it, even now, the Peanuts holiday specials are still shown every year in America, as a tradition akin to our obsession with The Snowman, I suppose. Nevertheless, Snoopy himself is undoubtedly one of the most immediately recognisable cartoon characters ever created. Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown was the fourth and final theatrically released Peanuts movie in the classic line, and perhaps the most ambitious.

Bon Voyage sees Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Peppermint Patty, and Marcie all travel to France in a foreign exchange programme, with a quick stop over in London along the way. This provides plenty of fun opportunities for Snoopy and Woodstock's usual slapstick exploits, which are always a joy and certainly the highlight here for me. The scope of this particular film actually forced the production team to finally show (and put real voices to!) the adult characters for the first time, which certainly feels odd but there are some nice gags as a result, particularly with every single figure of authority treating Snoopy with higher regard than they do any of the kids.

It's a shame in some ways that the film takes so long to get to where it wants to go; by the time the gang have had their misadventures in London and actually reach their destination the runtime is already at the halfway mark. There is a wider story here, with Charlie Brown invited to stay at a French Chateau which appears deserted once he arrives, but there's not a whole lot of opportunity to dive fully into that plot once it is introduced. Still, the appeal of Peanuts has always been its philosophical and matter-of-fact humour, and this had me smiling all the way through. Maybe it's about time I start my own annual Peanuts tradition!

7/10

A 300 Film Challenge: Film #5

 Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) 88mins

NEW TO ME COUNT: 5

SEEN IT COUNT: 0

Another franchise I'm jumping into right in the middle of with these reviews, I've been working through the Halloween series as I'd only ever seen the original masterpiece. This is the sixth installment, and whilst there have been some definite highs within the Halloween sequels I think it's fair to say that this is the lowest of the lows so far.

Ostensibly made to follow up and deliver on plot threads vaguely teased in the previous two films (even though Halloween V had been released SIX YEARS beforehand) and relate them back to the original, this actually feels so disconnected to anything that has come before that you genuinely find it difficult to accept the killer here as the same Michael Myers we know and love. An attempt to explain Michael's annual killing sprees introduces the Cult of Thorn, who have supposedly cursed Michael since childhood to sacrifice his next of kin every year on the night of the traditional Gaelic festival of Samhain, which coincides with the modern Halloween. It's an uneeded step in my opinion, and makes the whole scenario less scary than if you just present Michael as an unhinged killer.

There are a few redeeming elements to the film, namely the series now signature glimpses of Michael watching events from the background, which is very artfully done in some instances and is rather creepy on occasion. The performance of Donald Pleasance as Dr. Loomis, the only actor to remain with the series since the original, is excellent and is notable as the final performance before his sad death. The presentation of the film as a whole though is sorely lacking, with a confused story that panders to continuity in some instances whilst trying to reinvent it at the same time. The series has lost its identity, becoming more bloody and gory than it ever was under John Carpenter, and to think this came just one year before the genre revolutionising release of Scream beggars belief. Tellingly, the series as a whole would get rebooted with the next film, and I'm sure we will see the results of that here on the blog soon enough...

3/10

A 300 Film Challenge: Film #6

 Cape Fear (1991) 128mins

NEW TO ME COUNT: 5

SEEN IT COUNT: 1

The first film to go on the 'Seen It' count! I first saw this film around 15 years ago and it made a great impression on me at the time, though I hadn't rewatched it since. It's a film that gets referenced in various media very often, from The Simpsons to, most recently, Chucky, the new TV series based on the Child's Play films. Being a remake of a 1962 film of the same name, which was itself based on a novel from the 1950s, Cape Fear marks the seventh collaboration between director Martin Scorsese and its main star, Robert De Niro.

De Niro portrays Max Cady, a convicted rapist, who blames his defence lawyer, Sam Bowden, for the 14 years he spent in jail. Bowden did in fact cover up evidence that may have reduced the sentence against Cady, an action that he ends up paying a price for when Cady makes it his mission to seek revenge upon his release from jail. De Niro is absolutely fantastic here, imbuing Cady with an effortless charm in an horrific scheme to seduce Bowdens 15 year old daughter, whilst being equally effective in showing Cady's lust for violence. The film score is also well worth noting; adapted from the original film, the bellowing chords of Max Cady's theme fill the audience with a real sense of dread over what we could be about to witness.

What results is a deeply haunting yet fascinating psychological thriller, a film that is made and presented in a recognisably classic Hollywood style which Scorsese has said was very much influenced by Hitchcock. It's a film that is not easily forgotten once seen, for better or for worse, but the way it creeps under your skin is truly masterful. 

9/10

A 300 Film Challenge: Film #4

 Fighting With My Family (2019) 108mins

NEW TO ME COUNT: 4

SEEN IT COUNT: 0

So, as a rather big follower of wrestling in general, I really should have seen this one before now. The beauty of this challenge is I'm forcing myself to watch these films that I just kept putting off for so long, and so far I am very happy to be doing so as Fighting With My Family was quite a joy. It's rather an odd package; written and directed by comedian Stephen Merchant of all people it tells the story of  the Knight family, a real life family of wrestlers from Norwich whose youngest daughter Saraya, with the ring name of Paige, achieved great success after being signed by big American players the WWE.

There's a great cast in place here, with Nick Frost and Lena Headey portraying Paige's parents, a strong turn by Vince Vaughn as a WWE recruiter and coach, and even Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson himself playing...well...himself. The undeniable star though is Florence Pugh as Paige. For any wrestling fan watching the movie and familiar with Paige as a performer, it is very easy to suspend your disbelief and accept that you ARE watching the real Saraya on her journey through the system. Pugh encapsulates the role brilliantly and it is no surprise she has gone on to bigger things now in the MCU.

The script is both funny and full of heart, though I definitely felt it leant far too much into trying to portray Paige as a weird outsider, being a pale goth girl from England. It plays down a lot of what the real life Paige achieved BEFORE the big climax of the film, her WWE RAW debut and championship win, and instead makes out that she was still a nobody even by that point. It creates a good narrative, and it's exactly what all biopics do for the sake of storytelling, but it still jars a bit when you are familiar with the true events. Nevertheless, a very enjoyable journey to follow.

7/10

A 300 Film Challenge: Film #3

 The Invisible Man (2020) 124mins

NEW TO ME COUNT: 3

SEEN IT COUNT: 0

Now, this is how you update a story for the modern world. Originally a novel by H.G. Wells, The Invisible Man became a tent pole film in Universal's Classic Monsters range and, alongside Dracula, Frankenstein and The Wolf Man, launched a series of films throughout the 1930s and 40s based on the character and its concepts. After an abysmal failure in trying to relaunch the Monsters franchise as a connected universe à la the MCU with the release of The Mummy in 2017, Universal abandoned the approach and decided to put individual stories first and foremost. For this, we can all be supremely thankful.

Eschewing the traditional take on the Invisible Man as a bandaged lunatic, here we are presented with an altogether different, yet equally horrific, monster. Adrian Griffin is a controlling and abusive partner, who appears by all accounts to commit suicide when his girlfriend Cecila manages to escape his torment. However it soon becomes apparent that all is not as it seems...

Re-imagining this classic franchise as a psychological sci-fi horror is a stroke of genius, with a first act that leaves you questioning whether the strange events are even really happening or if they are all a figment of a scarred and damaged mind. Multiple extreme long shots are effective in placing the viewer as a fly on the wall, spying on the characters and giving us a sense of unease as to who or what could be watching. The tension builds throughout and as things escalate the true horror is slowly revealed, with some genuine shocks and a hugely satisfying ending. If Universal can reinvent some of their other Monsters in equally dynamic ways, we would certainly be in for a treat. This is a gripping and thrilling watch.

8/10

A 300 Film Challenge: Film #2

 Tom & Jerry (2021) 101mins

NEW TO ME COUNT: 2

SEEN IT COUNT: 0

Had this on my watch list for a little while now, being a big fan of the original cartoons since I was a (smaller!) kid. The latest attempt to bring iconic cartoon characters into the real world with a mixture of animation and live-action filming sees Tom and Jerry placed alongside Chloë Grace Moretz, Rob Delaney and Michael Peña for a comedic romp.

The animation style is much more cartoony than other contemporary examples such as Paddington or The Smurfs, with 3D/CGI modelling that endeavours to maintain a classic, silky, pen and ink 2D look. As such, the personalities of Tom and Jerry absolutely transition over to this film; pleasingly, they look and feel exactly like the characters we all remember, and some great homages to classic moments and gags from the original cartoons show the love that has gone into recreating the duo.

Unfortunately the novelty does wear off before the halfway mark. Tom and Jerry wisely remain silent characters but the story seems rather confused, with the main human protagonist teaming up with Tom to get rid of Jerry, meaning the viewer seemingly is asked to root for Tom whilst knowing he is the traditional villain of the two. By the time everyone puts their differences aside to resolve the plot (a wedding between two celebrity influencers), I had grown weary of caring about the outcome. There's some fun to be had here, but it does overstay its welcome.

4/10