Loki: The Nexus Event

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Loki and Sylvie come face to face with the Time Keepers and Mobius slips into an existential crisis regarding who he is.

This was a big episode of Loki. I think this is a strong episode for sure, though again much like with the previous episode I would say it could have done with being about ten minutes longer. A lot happens in this episode, and a slightly longer run time would have really given these reveals proper time to set themselves up and be impactful- as they are they feel rushed.

That aside, this episode has a lot going for it. Owen Wilson’s Mobius is back and better than ever, some of the scenes between Mobius and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki are incredibly well done and the performances from both men are simply terrific. There is a lot unspoken between the two, but the bond does feel real, and they are easily my favourite duo in the MCU. The ending of the episode broke my heart with regard’s to Wilson’s character, I can only hope he will come back at some point in the future as the mid credits scene seems to imply.

Moreover, Sophia DiMartino’s Sylvie really comes into her own this week as we learn more about her origin. As strange as it might be to say I quite like the relationship between the two versions of Loki in the MCU and I would like to see them get a chance to be together in the MCU. I think the end of the episode really leaves Sylvie in a very interesting position and it will be fascinating to see where she goes next.

The Time Keepers reveal, which I won’t spoil here, feels somewhat of an anticlimactic cop out but it also works for the show and points to an even bigger game/mystery afoot. The mid credits scene is definitely worth sitting through the credits for as it changes how you see the whole show once again and flips it on its head.

Overall, fun and exciting but it could have been longer and better set up.

Pros.

Loki and Sylvie

Loki and Mobius

The return of Lady Sif

The mid credits scene

Cons.

It is too short

The Time Keepers reveal is a little underwhelming

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Gods Of Egypt: I Don’t Remember The Egyptian God’s Having Scottish Accents Coming Up In History Class

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

I remember when this came out and instantly joined everyone’s worst of that year lists, I didn’t see it at the time, but now years later I have finally got around to seeing it and it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting.

So firstly lets get this straight off the bat the film is problematic for a number of reasons. All the Egyptian characters with the exception of a few are white, and to be even more insulting these Egyptian gods are also white for the most part; and in one case Scottish. Moreover, one of the few female characters in the film Elodie Yung’s Hathor is trotted around like a piece of meat barely wearing anything at all. The character even comments on what they are wearing, but that does not make it better or the film any less creepy.

That said, if you view this film more as a comedy than an actual action film then this film is passably watchable. It all makes no sense and the characters themselves are all over the place, but if you turn your brain off it is dumb fun.

I found Nikolaj Coster-Waldu to be as entertaining as ever, and I thought he was easily the high point of the film. The other male lead was widely forgettable, and I can barely remember anything about him to put in this review. Yung has good chemistry with everyone on-screen, but you can’t shake the feeling the film wants her to be ogled in the creepiest way. Butler is just playing his usual on-screen persona now just with more fake tan and eye liner.

Furthermore, a final thing to note, I found the decision to have all the God characters be bigger than their mortal counterparts to be oddly jarring to look at especially when both were on screen together. It did not look right and though I think it is a nifty idea it does not work out well in practice.

Overall, mindless popcorn action weighed down with some troubling production decisions.

Pros.

It is dumb fun

Yung and Coster-Waldu are fun and give good performances

Cons.

Yung’s character is objectified

It is whitewashed to hell

Butler is miscast

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The Birthday Cake: What Is In The Box?

4.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This film is the best gangster/crime film I have seen in a while. The pacing of this film is terrific, and it takes you on one hell of a ride. There are scenes in this film where I was on the edge of my seat, I know that is a cliché, but for once it accurately describes the situation.

I enjoyed how this film places so much emphasis on its titular cake, always making sure to feature it in every sequence throughout the film. Moreover, the final reveal involving the cake makes the film, or at least it did for me, it was so perfectly built up to and it truly delivers.

Furthermore, the acting is strong across the board with every actor bringing their A game to this project and being memorable as a result. I would be hard pressed to pick a favourite moment from the film as the whole of it is so good and each actor really has their own moment to shine.

My one criticism of this film would be that it could have better used Ewan McGregor, as he is barely in the film though when he does appear he steals the scene. I would have liked the film to further explore the relationship between his character and Gio as clearly he is somewhat of a mentor to him, but we don’t really see this happen on-screen and can only imply it as an explanation.

Overall, perhaps the best gangster film of the year.

Pros.

The cast is terrific

The cake payoff

The tension

The pacing

Cons.

Under-using McGregor

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Downsizing: Shrink Down To Save The Planet?

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This film is really all over the place. It seems to have a lot to say about various different things, it is ruled by its themes. That sounds like a criticism, but it is not. Though I found the film underwritten in a few areas and points it was trying to make, I actually found the wider piece to be surprisingly soulful and reflective.

The concept of turning people into miniature versions of themselves to stave off an oncoming apocalypse is refreshingly original. The entire film is a comment on climate change and man’s response to it, and in this area the writing for the film and the metaphor that holds it all together works well in communicating that relationship.

I thought the performances from all involved were good, with Christoph Waltz being a particular highlight. Though the film may be sold as a comedy I think it is more than that. Truth be told there are few funny moments in this film, but there are a large amount of smile inducing or thought provoking ones instead.

The film almost reads like a dark comedy, and I think it nails that tone perfectly.

Overall, if you go in expecting a silly comedy about Matt Damon being tiny you will be disappointed, however if you go in ready for more of a quasi-conversation about climate change and human impact on the world you will be more than satisfied.

Overall, surprisingly intelligent though not at all funny.

Pros.

The themes and wider comments

The ending

The genuine emotion and feeling

It is smart

Cons.

It is not funny

It tries to comment on too many issues and real world talking points.

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Ice Age: Thawing Our Hearts

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

I fondly remember the first few Ice Age films from my younger years, and though they are still watchable and entertaining enough, they are nowhere near as good as I remember them being.

Firstly, the voice John Leguizamo does for Sid the sloth feels vaguely offensive and more than a little reminiscent of the voice than accompanies certain Adam Sandler characters. I found the voice to be noticeably jarring throughout.

Secondly, despite not being on for very long this film suffers from pacing issues, particularly in the first half, with their being little of interest beside the Saber-Toothed Tiger attack. Things get better as the trio assemble however.

Once we get all of the main character together and the journey truly begins then the film starts to work. Though I would not say the film soars to the emotional heights of say a Pixar film, it does get close. You feel the bond the characters have with one another and with the little human baby they are protecting, as such when it comes time to see the child reunited with his family and leave the company of our main characters it is deeply effecting.

I think it is in this emotional dimension that this film shines.

Overall, one of the better entries in the series but perhaps not as strong as you remember it being.

Pros.

The emotion

The ending

Our main trio of characters

Cons.

A very slow assembly

Sid’s voice

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Rick And Morty: Mortyplicity

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This episode was a big step back from last weeks’.

Though this episode had a few highlights, it certainly had the most on-screen deaths of the Smith family, it also reflected what I would say is the worst sensibility of the show, the gimmicky intellectual. A few of the weaker episodes of Rick and Morty across its run are not so much bothered about telling a fun story as they are with exploring a deep scientific concept and showing their audience just how intelligent their writers think they are. This is one of those episodes to a tee.

The concept of duplicates and clones of the family being killed off, and then later killing each other off, could work on paper, but as the episode progresses it quickly becomes apparent that their simply isn’t legs to the idea. It is vaguely intriguing for about the first five minutes then it becomes increasingly annoying as it continues.

Though that is not to say the idea is entirely flawed, it did show some imagination and I enjoyed seeing all the various different duplicates, some of which look noticeably different, that was a fun little distraction within the episode itself.

Furthermore, something else I noticed increasingly throughout the episode was how hostile Beth was towards Rick. Now, for the sake of series context, yes I can see why Beth would be upset in this situation as it mirrors something she went through last season and the point of the episode is to have the characters work through these issues seemingly. However, it makes no sense to have this episode be the second episode of the series considering Clone Beth was the previous season finale, it should have been the first. As it stands now, you have the Clone Beth episode, then an episode where Beth is fine to Rick and everything is forgotten about, and then an episode where it is all brought back up and clearly is a festering point of tension between the two, it is out of sequence.

Overall, Rick and Morty is better when it is trying to entertain us rather than prove how smart it’s writers are, sadly that lesson is ignored here.

Pros.

It is nice to see Rick get called out

Jerry has a few funny lines; my favourite was the one about his lemon bars

The imaginative duplicates

Cons.

It is trying too hard to prove how smart it is

The premise becomes tiresome very early on

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The Quake: The Continuing Adventures Of The Most Unlucky Family In The World

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

I know I said in my The Wave review that I was done with disaster films, however here I am doing it again; I have to get my shlock fix somehow.

Anyway ignoring the ridiculous nature of the plot with the same man being at the centre of two separate natural disasters and surviving both, I would argue this is actually better than the first film.

Firstly, as the recurring protagonist is more of a defeated man here he is easier to warm to, whereas in the previously he came across as unlikeable. Moreover, you buy the bond he has with his kids more so here, and the wider emotional soul of the film feels stronger this time around.

I also thought the spectacle and the effect used looked far better this time around. Yes there was a wide gap in-between the two films so of course the effects will look better as they are newer, but I also thought they were used more effectively: the scene in the collapsed skyscraper is proof of what I am talking about it was incredibly tense.

Overall, this is definitely better than the first film though the two do share a lot of the same issues.

Pros.

The lead is more relatable this time around

The emotions of the film connect more

It is more visually impressive

Cons.

It is more of the same

It is incredibly dumb and falls apart the more you think about it

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Tuca And Bertie: Planteau

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

At this point I am starting to question whether the writers of Tuca And Bertie are deliberately drawing from my own life experiences. It is just too specific.

I am of course talking about the depiction of Bertie’s social anxiety and her need to drink on a night out to be able to feel comfortable and accepted. Many, many people feel this way, not just me, but it is nice to see this form of social anxiety be represented and shown on screen. I really do think that this is the biggest pro the show has going for it, it is not afraid to cover and highlight mental illness and in doing so it normalises it and helps to ease the stigma and for that I will always be grateful.

The episode itself takes the duo outside of their usual haunts and to a plant land, yes we see far more plant people in this episode and are also treated to a beautifully animated trip sequence that really works not just in a character arc sense but also visually too.

I would not say I found this episode funny at all, it almost feels more like an animated dramady, in a similar vein to something like F Is For Family, where the goal of the show is to make you feel rather than just to bombard you with jokes. This is nice to see as it shows that adult animation is moving away from simply being edgy humour for teens and is trying to be something more.

Tuca is very much pushed to the side this episode, so there is not much to talk about with her.

Overall, effecting and nicely representation but not funny and also a little uncomfortable to watch at times.

Pros.

The mental health representation

It is very effecting

I enjoyed seeing a new local explored

Cons.

It is not funny

It is hard to watch at times

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Tuca And Bertie: Bird Mechanics

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

I am glad to see that Tuca And Bertie survived being cancelled and has found new life elsewhere. I appreciated this show when it was on Netflix, as though it was not another Bojack as many had expected it to be it was deep and funny in its own way.

I enjoy that the characters in the show feel true, yes in one respect they are larger than life cartoon characters but in another they are deeply flawed individuals just trying to get through. I always found this show to be very relatable when it came to its depiction of anxiety and other mental health conditions. I think it is important for the medium to talk about this topic and to analyse it both to spread awareness as well as to take apart harmful or misguided stereotypes.

In this particular episode I found the scenes with Bertie being unable to cope with and then having a panic attack at the romantic meal with her boyfriend particularly powerful. As someone with anxiety disorder myself I can see how it would get to that level.

Moreover, the Tuca storyline has her surround herself with people in a dating show format, but then just ends up with her pushing them all away because she can’t commit, yet fundamentally she is lonely. The show is as deep if not deeper than anything Bojack ever was, not to belabor the comparison. The nuance of the characters and the emotions really speak to the level of the writing. Additionally it is also quite funny, so it is firing on both barrels.

Overall, it is nice to see the series back.

Pros.

The mental health representation

Bertie’s panic attack storyline

The emotional nuance

A few funny jokes.

Cons.

Not all the jokes land

Tuca needs more exploration

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Fatherhood: From Complaints About Cancel Culture To Possible Awards Season Glory, Kevin Hart Is A Dramatic Actor

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

I never saw this coming. Kevin Hart is more than just a comedian who complains a little too much about cancel culture, clearly he has never heard of the Streisand Effect, he is also a very serious dramatic actor.

This film is being sold to you entirely incorrectly, it is not a light hearted comedy film but rather quite a serious and at times upsetting drama film. There are several things that happen over the course of the film that are deeply upsetting, including Hart’s character having to give his daughter up because it allows her a chance at a better life with her grandparents- this is not a comedy.

When I saw the film going in this serious direction I was at first troubled as I did not know if Hart could carry a film like this, if he could muster the necessary emotional heft, but he more than succeeds. Hart is the lifeblood of this film the father daughter dynamic is so sweetly crafted that it is honestly heart-wrenching. Moreover, during the dramatic scenes Hart plays the character as a real human being and feels the emotion rather than trying to crack a tasteless joke. I appreciated how sparingly this film used its comedy.

Overall, this is a powerful film for a lot of reasons, and it goes to prove that Hart can be a talented dramatic actor when he is not the butt of height jokes.

Pros.

The emotion

Hart

The father- daughter bond

Sparse/ tasteful use of comedy

Cons.

It is not what a lot of people are expecting

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