Blimplarg

This is a (very) dark comedy. This is a very entertaining film. This is a surprise.

As you might expect from the above, I didn't have high expectations going in to see this - I'd seen the trailer, and wasn't convinced. However, it turned out I was wrong.

The cast really gave this film some welly. It almost seems wrong to single out anyone, but Butler, King, Kravitz, and Smith, clearly enjoyed their roles. Some of the other characters, notably Kukushkin, gave the film both an edge and humour.

The Director kept the movie pacing along, for what turned out to be a highly entertaining and fun film. The plot was vaguely bonkers, but worked well, and had some really tense, and some very funny moments; not always an easy juxtaposition to get right. The script was sparing, and well balanced.

It's nice to be proved wrong occasionally. This is a film well worth seeing.

This film didn't work for me. I think it tries too hard to capture an essence of magic and whimsy but, for me, fails to do so. In trying to aspire to something that it fails to reach, it fractures the balance and narrative. The scenes all seem to last a beat too long - which is where any chance of magic dissipates. The ideas, and basic story, are all there - very much a Stephen King tale - but this is not Stand By Me, it doesn't have the personality.

The cast are all decent. The script feels "ish" in terms of the story but, I think, something is lost in either the Directing or Editing. It's a disjointed film (and I don't mind the plot device of gaps between scenes - they make sense), and whilst I think the pace was fine, there were moments of boredom. It also tried to introduce moments of awe and wonder, which also fell just short - so were not effective.

I really wanted to enjoy this movie but, rather than uplifting, it felt deflating. Nope.

This film went from dull, to irritating, to just plain daft.

The acting, mainly France and Brie, is fine. The actors plainly went with the flow. I think, also, the Direction seemed ok - there were a couple of jump scares, a bit of tension, and some "yuk" moments. The script was ok - nothing terrible or, indeed, memorable. The special effects were.....effective.

So, given the above, why didn't the film work?

The plot meandered too much, and didn't keep the tension going. The basic premise was ok, but there was absolutely no depth to the story, so it almost felt like a partial telling - a skim of the surface. Akin to having a teaspoon of a nice looking desert, but not being able to eat the rest. The other problem, I think, was in the clunky editing - this felt like a film version of hiccoughs.

It was a mildly diverting film, but bordered on the terrible.