thekarmicnomad

I was not expecting a lot from this but I was surprised.

I grew up watching Airplane and Naked Gun and I loved it - but looking back they were a little silly and exhausting.

You could watch those movies time and time again (great when there was not much TV) and notice something new but the constant barrage of jokes could get a bit much.

For the remake the number of jokes has been reduced: from say five a minute down to about two.

Liam Neeson is great here as he brings a certain layer of gravitas to the role that makes the jokes land heavier (I think Leslie Neilson was the same before type cast) and Pamela Anderson seemed like a strange choice but she is amazing here and again adds a bit of weight.

The film is, not surprisingly, absolutely ridiculous.

The old jokes of taking chairs and rabbit punching people in the balls are still there but extra layers have been added like nods to the old films and some modern cinema references - the film resolves around something literally called "PLOT device"

This was great fun and didn't out stay its welcome.

If you don't like the originals, you probably won't like this - but will find it more bearable.

I had great fun with this (my wife fell asleep) and I would happily watch it again on a plane or on a rainy Sunday.

I heard great things about this and after Ford vs Ferrari I was excited.

Unfortunately, this film has some things about it I don't like.

Although this is not a cheap film my any means when you stand it next to others it looks a bit shabby.

Every scene is unnaturally bright and clean making every scene look like it was filmed in a studio or inside a computer.

The acting is uneven to say the least and some of the chamoes probably sounded a lot better on paper than on film.

I watched F1 for some years but stopped as the races became progressively more boring, this film emulates that perfectly.

All the main plot points highlight what a flawed sport F1 is:

If it rains too much the racing stops.

If two cars clip each other the racing stops.

If an overtake is judged illegal the judges force it to be given back later in the race.

If a wing is four degrees off kilter or a car has too little fuel the race results are overturned.

Even if you are the best racer, it doesn't mean much: Don't manage your tires: you lose.

Your manager chooses the wrong tires: you lose

Your pit crew drops a spanner: you lose.

Your manager decides your team mate should win: you lose.

I didn't really warm to the characters and Brad Pitt's character is alright but a bit nothing.

He turns up and mooches around winning races and making quips.

His counterpart is more interesting but doesn't come across as a great actor and a lot of his scenes are a bit awkward.

This is not a bad film and I had some fun watching it - but I feel this has a lot of wasted potential.

This is a simple but interesting little film about some people trapped in an apartment building by an ominous steel wall.

The people inside all have their own issues and emotional baggage that spills out as it becomes clear that escape is not easy.

This has some nice characters, and the actors do a pretty good job.

Of course, with any bunch of survivors there is one or two who can't keep it together or have their own ideas and clash with the group.

There is nothing particularly new here, but the setup and execution is well done.

The film doesn't overstay its welcome and you actually get an ending - no one of those ambiguous cop-outs where you are never sue if it was real or a dream or a metaphor or whatever.