jackcwelch23

Some clever ideas and a high energy cast makes this a decent if predictably inferior sequel that takes some questionable story turns and relies a bit too much on Amy Adams to brighten up the flat spots. It would've been nice to see her character Giselle as cynical and burnt out from 15 years of real life but instead she's just as chirpy as ever. It just never really felt as satisfying or as worthwhile a journey as it could've been. Some dud songs don't help matters but there are still a lot of things to like. Fast pacing keeps the entertainment value high but Enchanted is still the winner here.

An impressively disciplined first feature from youtuber Darious Britt, who showcases his filmmaking advice in a tightly scripted and edited drama about a good hearted young man whose life begins to suffer due to his determination to assist his deeply troubled mother. The performances by Britt and To-Ree-Nee-Wolf are excellent, subtle and convincing. The supporting performances vary a little as some roles were most likely not played by professional actors but they all hold up and are never distracting. The story is compact and fast paced, lacking the self indulgent long shots and overly moody silences that have become as cliched as any blockbuster formulas. The low budget does show from time to time, as the camera they used, a Canon C300, is not a particularly cinematic image and there's a few too many shots in cramped apartments and undecorated hospitals and offices, but the editing and acting is so good that these are very minor complaints. Arizona is shown as a sparsely populated stretching piece of land that fits the theme of a young man seemingly alone in a desperate situation. The messages are conveyed simply and honestly, and avoid overly manipulative melodrama. The movie has a goal and it achieves it in short. It is a perfect example of story and character trumping budget and scale. A highly recommended watch that is moving and sincere.

Not nearly as ambitious as it could have been. We have Orcs and Elves and magic wands but most of the narrative takes place in poorly lit alleyways, convenience stores and strip joints. Yes David Ayer was attempting to mash two very different worlds together but only clings onto the ladder instead of climbing up it. Little is explored in detail and it just plods along from one boring set piece to another. It would have been cool for the orcs to have more in the ways of weaponry or spells but instead they just wear gangster clothes and cut their hands. Disappointingly, Will Smith is on auto pilot, saying his trademark one liners with about a third as much energy as he used to and looking tired and annoyed despite being around pretty fantastical things. Joel Edgerton does the best acting job here, probably having a gruelling time having that orc stuff applied to his face every day. His character is noble, straightforward and quite likeable, but still one dimensional overall. We get a decent scene of them both opening up to each other somewhat but it's still formulaic and generic.

Anyone who really enjoys fantasy films will be bored with all the shootouts and car chases. Anyone who likes gritty action movies will be bored with the talk of dark lords and prophecies. No audience for this movie will be fully satisfied. It's just not as big and grand as a Netflix blockbuster should be, they have the money in the pot to make something great and they settle for ok. At least the editing wasn't as horrendous as suicide Squad. We can see what's going on, though a lot of it is very dark, literally so. It just feels very small scale for a big budget adventure. If this film does manage to get a sequel at least go to the forest or somewhere where a fantasy movie belongs. They can still bring the shotguns and flak jackets.