Previews: Mission: Impossible – Fallout Featurette, More!

Plenty in this week’s preview of coming attractions, including the new Mission: Impossible – Fallout featurette, plus Mortal Engines, Mile 22, and more…

Mission: Impossible – Fallout Featurette

Here is the brand new Mission: Impossible – Fallout featurette. Producer and star Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie discuss the upcoming film, the sixth in the franchise. What is interesting about the series is that rather than starting off strong, and getting progressively weaker, the films have got better generally (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is a particular highlight). Mission: Impossible – Fallout will hit UK screens on 25th July 2018.

Mile 22 Trailer

Here is the latest trailer for Mile 22. The action thriller is about an American intelligence officer who must smuggle an informant out of the country. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Ronda Rousey, John Malkovich, and Iko Uwais. Directed by Peter Berg, Mile 22 is coming soon to UK cinemas.

Black KkKlansman Poster

Above is the latest poster for Spike Lee’s Black KkKlansman. The film is based on the true story of first African-American detective on the Colorado Springs Police Department, who infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan. The film stars John David Washington and Adam Driver. Black KkKlansman is out at UK cinemas on 24th August 2018.

The House with a Clock in its Walls Trailer

The House with a Clock in its Walls is a new fantasy adventure from director Eli Roth. The film is about a young boy who goes to live with his mysterious uncle in a peculiar house. The film stars Jack Black and Cate Blanchett. The House with a Clock in its Walls will be released in cinemas on 21st September 2018.

Mortal Engines Featurette

Here is a new look at the upcoming Mortal Engines. The film is directed by Christian Rivers, and co-written and produced by Peter Jackson. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the film is about giant cities that roam the Earth, enveloping smaller towns. Starring Hugo Weaving, Mortal Instruments will hit UK screens on 14th December 2018.

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Film Review: Unlocked

Director Michael Apted’s Unlocked is a by the numbers spy thriller that will entertain but not enthral.

Alice Racine is working undercover in London. The CIA agent is asked to step in to interrogate a terror suspect. Time is not on her side, however, as London is at risk of a biological attack…

Directed by Michael Apted and written by Peter O’Brien, Unlocked boasts an enviable cast and a suitable enough premise. Nevertheless, the film fails to engage fully because of an increasingly implausible narrative and a lack of character development.

The premise of Unlocked sounds pretty typical of the genre. And the movie very much matches this. The film offers plenty of twists as the narrative progresses. Some of these are more predictable than others. In a sense, the countdown to the terrorist attack becomes secondary to the mystery of who is really trying to stop Alice. When the film returns to this attack strand, the excitement is missing. The film suffers from a lacklustre ending.

Character development in the film is barely existent. As the protagonist, Alice is given a small backstory but this does not give her much depth. Her colleagues are given even less development. Elsewhere, the London-based helpers are disposable. Action sequences are decent overall, as are the production values.

Unlocked features a stellar cast. Noomi Rapace makes a good action hero, but is limited by the script. Michael Douglas, Toni Collette, and John Malkovich are underused in their supporting roles. Orlando Bloom has more to do, but is not entirely convincing.

The film attempts to turn pre-conceived ideas on their head with its twisting plot. Yet the script is a letdown, as is the narrative progression. Added to this is the minimal plot development. Unlocked is unlikely to bore viewers, but will not satisfy either.

Previews: Detroit Trailer, 6 Days, More!

Lots to see in this week’s preview of coming attractions, including the new Detroit trailer, Transformers: The Last Knight, 6 Days, and more…

Detroit Trailer

Here is the Detroit trailer. Kathryn Bigelow’s latest film is about the civil unrest that rocked the city in 1967. The film stars John Boyega, Will Poulter, Anthony Mackie, and Jack Reynor. Detroit will be released in UK cinemas later this year.

Transformers: The Last Knight Trailer

Here is the latest Transformers: The Last Knight trailer. The film sees Mark Wahlberg and Josh Duhamel return from the last instalment. They are joined by Anthony Hopkins this time around. From the above trailer, it seems that the world this film is set in is rather different to previous incarnations. Transformers: The Last Knight will hit UK screens on 23rd June 2017.

Atomic Blonde Trailer

So far, all the Atomic Blonde promotion seems to be delivering style in spades. The film stars Charlize Theron as an MI6 agent sent to deliver a priceless dossier. Theron is joined by James McAvoy, John Goodman, and Eddie Marsan. Atomic Blonde will be released in UK cinemas on 11th August 2017.

The Mummy Poster

The Mummy is intended as a reboot of the Universal Monsters series of films which were successful in the 1930s. This film is meant to kick off the series, which will also see the return of famed creatures in a shared universe. This new version of The Mummy certainly has star power; Tom Cruise heads up a cast which includes Sofia Boutella, Courtney B. Vance, and Russell Crowe. The Mummy hits UK screens on 9th June 2017.

6 Days Trailer

6 Days is a new action thriller based on true events. The film focuses on the Iranian Embassy siege that took place in London in 1980. The film stars Jamie Bell, Mark Strong, and Abbie Cornish. 6 Days is out at UK cinemas on 4th August 2017.

My Cousin Rachel Trailer

My Cousin Rachel is an adaption of the Daphne du Maurier novel. The film is about a young man who plots revenge against his mysterious cousin, who he believes murdered his guardian. Starring Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin, and Holliday Grainger, My Cousin Rachel will be released on UK screens on 9th June 2017.

Unlocked Clip

Here is a clip from upcoming thriller Unlocked. The film is about a CIA agent who must stop a biological attack in London. Noomi Rapace heads up the cast, and is joined by Orlando Bloom, Michael Douglas, Toni Collette, and John Malkovich. Unlocked hits UK cinemas on 5th May 2017.

Previews: Unlocked Trailer, Power Rangers, More!

Plenty in this week’s preview of coming attractions, including the new Unlocked trailer, The Beguiled, Power Rangers and more…

Unlocked Trailer

Here is the first Unlocked trailer. Noomi Rapace heads a stellar cast that includes Orlando Bloom, Toni Collette, Michael Douglas and John Malkovich. The action-thriller is about a CIA agent who must prevent a biological attack on London. It’s always London. Unlocked hits UK screens on 5th May 2017.

The Beguiled Trailer

Sofia Coppola’s latest film looks thrilling. The Beguiled is set during the Civil War, with a girls’ school in Virginia taking in a wounded Union soldier. The film Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, Elle Fanning, and Kirsten Dunst. The Beguiled is set for release in UK cinemas on 23rd June 2017.

Headshot Trailer

Headshot is revenge thriller which is all about the action sequences. Starring The Raid‘s Iko Uwais, it’s clear that these scenes are going to be good. Uwais plays an amnesiac struggling to recall his identity before a crime lord murders the only person he trusts. Headshot will be released in UK cinemas and VOD on 3rd March 2017.

Power Rangers Poster

Here is the latest poster for upcoming movie Power Rangers. Based on the television franchise of the same name, the film stars Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Banks. From this poster, it is clear the film is hoping to tap into nostalgia. Power Rangers will be out on UK screens on 24th March 2017.

Personal Shopper Trailer

Kristen Stewart plays the lead in Personal Shopper. Directed by Olivier Assayas, the film is about a personal shopper to the stars, who is hoping for a message from her deceased twin brother. Personal Shopper is out in UK cinemas on 17th March 2017.

The LEGO Ninjago Movie Trailer

Those watching The LEGO Batman Movie this weekend will see a short for this upcoming The LEGO Ninjago Movie. Based on the toy line, the film features the voices of Jackie Chan, Justin Theroux and Dave Franco. The LEGO Ninjago Movie is set for release on 13th October 2017.

Finding Fatimah Trailer

Finding Fatimah is a new comedy about Shahid, a young Muslim who longs to find a partner.  The only problem is that he is divorced, a big no-no for all the young women he encounters. The film stars Danny Ashok, Asmara Gabrielle, and Nina Wadia. Finding Fatimah is out in UK cinemas on 21st April 2017.

Film Review: Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is pretty much the quintessential Michael Bay movie. Whether this is a good thing or not depends on your predilection for the director’s work.

Since the last war with the Decepticons, the Autobots have been living on Earth peacefully and helping the humans with their conflict problems. When the Autobots hear about a Cybertronian spacecraft that was found on the moon by humans, they race to get hold of it. The Autobots and humans must ensure its cargo does not get into the hands of the Decepticons…

Transformers: Dark of the Moon suffers from the same ailments as its predecessor, Revenge of the Fallen. It may look and sound great, but there is very little substance to the film beyond this. The narrative leaves a lot to be desired. Although the initial premise sounds quite adequate for a second sequel, its execution lets the movie down.

Lessons were not learnt from the last film. The pacing in Dark of the Moon is off; too much time is spent building up to the ending action. As a result, the ending is anticlimactic. It feels protracted; there are too many lulls before the big fight. Any momentum that had been building is offset but a lack of strong direction. The film goes on for far too long. There are plenty of scenes that could have been trimmed significantly, or even omitted altogether.

Screenwriter Ehren Kruger’s dialogue is terrible at times, especially from the machines. There is humour to be found in the film, particularly around the central character of Sam. However, the film relies on crude national stereotypes in its depictions of the Autobots and Decepticons. The cartoon series has much greater character development than this film. Elsewhere, the lack of attention to detail is just as palpable. New characters are introduced, yet some of them just disappear before the final third of the film.

The effects are superb, and the entire film has a glossy sheen. Dark of the Moon is also one of the rare cases where it is worth seeing a live-action movie in 3D. The sound is bombastic, pulsating through the action sequences. However, Steve Jablonsky’s score is sometimes reminiscent of Hans Zimmer’s The Dark Knight soundtrack. This is compounded by a set piece where the action and location are strikingly similar to one in Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film.

Performances vary throughout the film. Shia LaBeouf is amusing as ever as Sam. John Malkovich is good, but underused in his role. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, however, is atrocious. Although the role of Carly requires her to do little but look attractive and be rescued, she is incredibly inauthentic.

So much energy was expended in the special effects for Dark of the Moon, and it really shows in the end product. It is a pity not even a small percentage of this effort was put into the screenplay.

Film Review: Red

Bruce Willis proves he is still a bona fide hero in this enjoyable action romp. Red provides enough high-octane sequences and amusing interactions to entertain throughout, but there is nothing that hasn’t been done before.

Retired CIA agent Frank Moses is enjoying his free time when he is the target of an assassination attempt. Moses decides to track down his own team to discover who is out to get him. As the group are attacked, they prove they can still hold their own, despite their advancing years…

Red keeps a steady pace; there is never a real lull in proceedings. There is nothing remarkable about the film, however. Robert Schwentke’s movie features actions and explosions, humorous banter, and the obligatory love story. None of this is particularly original; the action scenes are reminiscent of numerous films in the genre, and the humour seems to hinge almost entirely on the age of the protagonists.

Bruce Willis calls in his performance; there is nothing showcased in Red that we haven’t seen from him before. In the actors defense, however, the script does not really call for him to be stretched. Frank Moses is typical of many of the characters Willis has played before; a tough guy that overcomes despite being outnumbered, and protects those he cares about. In this case, his love interest is Mary-Louise Parker’s Sarah, who provides humour as the unwitting civilian caught up in the action because of her association with Moses.

John Malkovich is great as Marvin, Moses’ paranoid former colleague. His eccentricity is the perfect antidote for the conventional action hero Moses. Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren add some weight to the action, with Mirren playing up the refined English lady persona with her choice of vocation. Elsewhere, Brian Cox gives a robust performance as Russian agent Ivan, adding lightness to some of the film’s more tense moments.

Red‘s action set pieces are slick, and combine well with the thumping sound to produce enjoyable spectacles. The film is rated 12A, and most of the violence is in keeping with this certification. Nevertheless, Red features images of humans exploding. Although these shots are more cartoon-like than realistic, they may be quite shocking for younger viewers.

Red is an entertaining affair, but ultimately disappoints with its lack of imagination. Enjoyable enough, but not indelible in the slightest.