DARKMATTERS - The Mind of Matt

You met me at a very strange time in my life...

Read my novel: Complete Darkness

Listen to the PODCAST I co-host: Hosts in the Shell

Friday, July 27, 2018

Matt goes on a Mission Impossible: Fallout



Mission Impossible: Fallout (12a)

Dir. Christopher McQuarrie

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)

“The end you've always feared is coming. And the blood will be on your hands. The fallout of all your good intentions…”

Here we go then for the sixth instalment of the Mission Impossible franchise which has banked almost $3billion so far. And the good news is that director McQuarrie (who helmed the last MI film too) smashes it here and delivers possibly the strongest Mission yet.

"easy rider"

Following on from the events of Rogue Nation, we find Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise – who I am strongly starting to suspect is lying about his age because he is just incredible for ‘56’) and his team up to their necks in strife. It seems that a botched mission leaves nuclear materials about to fall into the hands of an evil genius looking to bring suffering to the world. So the fearless IMF agents who include Simon Pegg’s comedy sidekick Benji and Ving Rhames’ Luther must face try to track down and acquire the warhead before millions die.

Along on the mission, at the insistence of the CIA, is agent August Walker (Henry ‘Man of Steel Cavill) – a one-man wrecking machine who oozes threat. Then there is also disavowed MI6 operative Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) who returns with a personal objective that could put her in conflict with Hunt.

"argument over the paper towels in the men's room got a bit out of hand"

From the second the pre-credits action starts this movie grips and thrills in equal measure – the stunts and set pieces are jaw-dropping and the adrenalin rush that it takes you on is liable to leave you exhausted after this 147 mins ride.

Boasting possibly not only one of the best car chases ever but also the best helicopter action sequence and a crunching fight in a men’s bathroom that must push the 12a rating. It’s high praise though the director manages to deliver such high octane and ‘just brutal enough’ thrills without having to resort to graphic violence.

"helicopter hi-jinks"

Everything is machine tooled and slick and refreshingly free of shoddy CGI. The chemistry is enhanced with a richness and intensity that comes from the characterisations, if you’ve been following the film series you’ll already be invested in many of these folks so the jeopardy feels real.

Fallout is the film of the franchise that stands as an almost perfect state-of-the-art espionage masterpiece – out ‘Bond-ing’ James Bond and kicking Bourne into touch.
Action blockbusters really don’t come much better than this!!

"this is going to hurt"

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööööö

(5 - High octane Impossible Mission creep that needs to be witnessed!)

Awesomeness ööööö – Off-the-scale-cool action scenes

Laughs ööö – Pegg brings quality fun

Horror öö –  crunching but not overly violence

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - one life is still worth saving



Darkmatters review of Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation




Monday, July 23, 2018

Matt Checks in to Hotel Artemis


Hotel Artemis (15)

Dir. Drew Pearce

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)


“Work with what you got, not what you hope for…”

Welcome to the near future and things have got a little bleak. Water has been privatised which means only the well-off can afford drinking water. Cue riots that threaten to encompass the whole of this dystopian Los Angeles as angry, thirsty people air their anger by wrecking everything. Taking advantage of the distraction the riot provides, a four-man crew, led by brothers Waikiki (Sterling K Brow) and Honolulu (Brian Tyree Henry), try to rob a bank.

"first aid kits at the ready"

Things go wrong, and the brothers end up in need of medical attention – luckily there is Hotel Artemis – a secret hospital that exists to patch up bad guys. Run by The Nurse (Jodie Foster who is on incredible form here) backed up by muscle-with-a-heart Everest (Dave Bautista).

So far so mildly interesting but writer/director Drew Pearce (who wrote Iron Man 3) ups the ante by adding a weird and wonderful mix of wounded criminals to the mix. Also in the Artemis is unlikeable arms dealer Acapulco (Charlie Day) and Nice (Sofia Boutella) an unstoppable assassin.

"Nice by name, naughty by nature"

Tensions arise between the guests and it transpires one of them is there with the express intent to break the first rule of the hotel: ‘no killing the other guests’. It all builds up nicely to when owner of the Artemis - who glories in the nickname ‘The Wolf King’ (Jeff Goldblum) requires urgent treatment himself and arrives with a small army of goons.

The ambience of the film is very John Wick and the hotel itself is an incredible place designed by Ramsey Avery who makes the cyberpunk art deco hotel virtually a character in its own right.

"what big eyes you have Wolf King"

Star of this show is two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster who is the emotional beating heart of the film. Eschewing the action, The Nurse is rather a troubled woman almost crippled by anxiety and guilt – it’s an incredible performance which you might not expect in an action/thriller like this.

When the violence kicks off it is strong and satisfying with one absolutely jaw-dropping scene involving Boutella’s Nice who surely deserves her own spin-off film (or a cameo crossover with a certain Mr Wick perhaps?).

"boo"

Director Pierce delivers a fun and thoughtful thriller/caper that invests in its characters rather than non-stop action and is stronger as a result.

Out of a potential 5, you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö

(4 - Heavy duty think-em-up with super stylish visuals)

Awesomeness öööö  – Rocks some iconic scenes

Laughs öö  – Small doses of dark humour

Horror ööö – Gets violent

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - Honour among thieves? Who's have thought?