After proving himself a competent director and screenwriter with the rather modest (at least in comparison) action/comedy Hit & Run in 2012, Dax Shepard unfortunately fails to pair the aforementioned genres together again with CHiPs, an extremely loose adaptation of the popular 1977 television series, which attempts to blend sordid humour with high-grade action and frustratingly fumbles in the process.... Continue Reading
Tag Archives: Two Stars
SXSW Film Review: The Honor Farm (USA, 2017) struggles with its narrative
Horror films aren’t like they used to be. Gone are the days of chainsaw wielding psychos with mummy issues and hockey mask wearing killers…. with mummy issues (I’ve stumbled upon something here). Indeed, the genre has become less about horny teenagers getting gutted in creative ways and more about utilising tropes to symbolise prevalent issues like coming-of-age. ... Continue Reading
Film Review: Fences (USA, 2016) proves too faithful to the original stageplay to shine as a film
Films adapted from a stageplay have always offered mixed results. While we have classics like Chicago, Glengarry Glen Ross and Sweeney Todd, we often have disasters like Rent and Mamma Mia! The reason for this is either because the stories of these plays or musicals do not have enough cinematic potential to succeed as a film-viewing experience or the director isn’t capable enough to realize that potential.... Continue Reading
Film Review: Red Dog: True Blue (PG) (Australia, 2016) hardly proves a necessary excursion
Just as emotionally manipulative as the 2011 original Red Dog but less successful in its execution, Red Dog: True Blue looks to merely survive on a superficial level as the “aww shucks” cuteness of the titular canine appears to be the sole reasoning behind this sequel/prequel hybrid coming to fruition.... Continue Reading
TV Review: Ash vs Evil Dead Season 2, Episode 4 “DUI” (USA, 2016)
Every now and again, a television series delivers an episode that may not necessarily be bad but it’s just mundane and almost boring. Enter DUI. Despite an important closing minute, Ash vs Evil Dead’s fourth episode of its second season can pretty much be regarded as filler.... Continue Reading
TV Review: The Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 1 “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be”
Before Season 7 of The Walking Dead premiered with the harrowing “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be” (the line Jenner said to Rick in Season 1 after he let the group leave the CDC) Chris Hardwick hosted a special preview edition of The Talking Dead. He closed with something along the lines of “whether you’re coming back, or not coming back, we appreciate you”. While he may not have known who Negan’s victim was at the time, he did know that the reveal would upset some fans so much that they may stop watching the show altogether. He was probably right.... Continue Reading
Film Review: Masterminds (M15+) (USA, 2016) never hits its target sucessfully
When “based on a true story” flashes across the screen in the beginning moments of Masterminds, you can’t help but think that it’s trying to squeeze an easy laugh out of its audience. Somehow, whether you believe it or not, Jared Hess’s comedy adopts its premise from an actual robbery that took place in the late 1990’s where an unlikely employee of an armoured car cash handling service successfully pulled off a robbery to the tune of $17 million dollars. Given the story Hess and writers Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer and Emily Spivey had to work with, not to mention the hoard of comedic acting talent involved, you would think the final filmic adaption would be worthy of your time.... Continue Reading
Film Review: Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) proves a predictable, dry and by-the-numbers sequel
Based on the 18th book in the series by Lee Child and a follow-up to 2012’s Jack Reacher, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back sees the titular brooding anti-hero (Tom Cruise) roll into DC for a date with Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders) only to find her imprisoned on espionage charges. Before long Reacher, Turner and Reacher’s potential daughter (Danika Yarosh) are on the run from the authorities and the paramilitary hitmen of General Harkness (Robert Knepper).... Continue Reading
Film Review: Snowden (USA, 2016) tries too hard to make Edward Snowden look like a hero
The new biopic Snowden – in cinemas today – is a film about one of the world’s most famous political dissidents, Edward Snowden (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt), by a filmmaker (Oliver Stone) who is celebrated for his political dissidence. It should be a match made in cinematic heaven. So why isn’t it?... Continue Reading
DVD Review: The Adderall Diaries (USA, 2015)
The Adderall Diaries comes across as an incomplete and incoherent collision of storylines. While an interesting concept to discover the faults in our memory and recollections, the unfocused execution of the film ultimately leaves you confused and bewildered more than it does captivated.... Continue Reading
