Movie Review - Sonic the Hedgehog 3

I've said it before and I'll say it again; video games and movies don't often blend well, with even the best of video game franchises resulting in fairly weak cinematic outcomes. However, despite a poorly received debut trailer, the renowned gaming icon Sonic the Hedgehog appeared in a fairly respectable live action film back in 2020, with an equally well received sequel (albeit one I'm not too fond of) in 2022. It's certainly not easy to craft a live action depiction of such a cartoonish video game character, but the end results are nothing to sneeze at, and with this latest sequel now debuting to similar positivity, it's clear a bigger franchise is but among us from here.

The newest cinematic adventure of Sonic the Hedgehog (Ben Schwartz) has him clashing with the mysterious Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves), an ultimate life form hidden away for decades only to finally escape when awoken by mad scientist Gerald Robotnik (Jim Carrey), the equally manic grandfather of Sonic's arch nemesis Ivo Robotonik (also Carrey), which leads to a mission for Sonic, joined by Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba), to save the world from their newest rival's vengeful plans before time runs out.

There's nothing truly groundbreaking in this latest sequel, it must be said; it was clearly written with simple and fairly formulaic ideas in mind, featuring familiar themes of friendship and judiciousness, and it's certainly a film that seeks to priortise action and humour above everything else. There's a lot of fun jokes and corny one liners, and while the leading heroic trio have their fair share of decent humour, it's easily Jim Carrey who carries the majority of the film's comedic weight, providing some of the best jokes in his perfectly performed dual role as the Robotniks, which are also edited together flawlessly to provide a convincing pair of characters depicted by one talented actor. The vocal performances from the leading trio are largely solid, with a notably energetic and funny one by Schwartz, but while Idris Elba is a very talented actor and does a decent job with what he has, I myself never found him to be a fitting voice for the character of Knuckles. Just a personal thought really.

Sonic's human friends Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie Wachowski (Tika Sumpter), who had somewhat greater importance in the previous films, find themselves hardly relevant this time round, to the point where the film would work just as well without them. They contribute very little to the overall plot, and they'll be among the last things you remember when leaving the cinema once the credits roll. It's not a serious issue as their presence was perhaps a little overdone in the previous sequel, and most viewers will of course want the focus to be on the eponymous blue blur; however, shunting them to the sidelines instead of involving them interestingly shows once more that not much thought was put into the film's overall plot and themes, instead focusing more on the action packed (and, to be fair, definitely impressive) visual set pieces and humourous tone.

Finally, there's newcomer Shadow; his backstory doesn't have much depth but is similar to its original basis from his debut appearance in Sonic Adventure 2. His backstory probably provides the film's most emotional moments, but none still tug on the heartstrings an awful lot simply because said scenes come and go and lack much depth. Keanu Reeves does his best with the material he's given, but his performance is far from award winning and at times quite bland, and once again it's mostly Schwart's Sonic and Carrey's Robotniks that demonstrate the best of the film's acting talent. The end result here is a reasonably fun and exciting adventure, with dazzling effects, impressive set pieces and a number of big laughs, but, like the other installments of its series, it's nothing truly memorable or consistently engaging.

Movie Review - Paddington in Peru

The first two Paddington films did great justice to an icon of British children's literature, delivering heartwarming, funny and loveable adventures that could provide entertainment for the entire family despite the younger target audience of the books. Paul King directed two masterpieces of modern British cinema, but steps down from the throne as director this time round, with Dougal Wilson taking over for the strangely named Paddington in Peru; this third addition to the series is arguably the most ambitious one yet, but sadly not in all the ways one would want.

As the title suggests, Paddington in Peru steers away from our traditional setting in London, and sees Paddington Bear (Ben Wishaw) travelling to his homeland of Peru with the Brown family upon learning of issues that are affecting his beloved Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) at the Home for Retired Bears. Upon arrival, they find that Lucy herself has gone missing, and are forced to venture out in the jungles of Peru itself with the aid of explorer Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas) to rescue her based on any clues they can find.

Now while Paddington in Peru is once gain the most ambitious installment of the series, this ambition only really applies to the film's setting, cinematography and level of spectacle when it comes to its set pieces and special effects. Though beautifully filmed and visually resplendent, it's simply disappointing to see that other parts of the film didn't seem to have as much effort injected into them, with the final outcome suffering from many flaws including a forgettable "plot twist" villain who you can predict from the start, and one who can't compare to Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant's villainous roles from the other two films. We also have some strange narrative diversions and weaker performances from the main cast, notably Ben Wishaw, who often sounds bored and lifeless in his eponymous role. Emily Mortimer takes over from Sally Hawkins as Mrs. Brown, but isn't anywhere near as funny or memorable, and in the end its Hugh Bonneville and Antonio Banderas who probably stand out the most, with both delivering a lot of the film's funniest moments and putting a lot of energy into their performances.

Paddington's latest adventure is still a lot of fun and not a bad film by any means, once again holding impressive merits including its dazzling special effects, exciting set pieces, as well as many moments of laugh out loud comedy, but these aren't enough to overpower the unfocused narrative, fairly bland new characters and weaker central performances. It was always going to be hard to rival, let alone top, the incredibly high standards set by the previous two films, and while Paddington in Peru tries hard in many respects, it ultimately comes off as little more than a simple and enjoyable family adventure that just doesn't feel as emotionally engaging or innovative. Those looking for such entertainment will find much to enjoy, but those looking for a story on par with the previous two may walk away a little disappointed. 

Movie Review - Deadpool & Wolverine

The latest installment to the beloved series of Deadpool movies finds itself as the first to be integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and sees the ruthless antihero teaming up with X-Men's iconic Wolverine. Certainly an entertaining concept, but the end result is arguably one of the strangest superhero films ever made in recent years, featuring all the bloody violence and adult humour diehard fans would come to expect, but offering little else to satisfy viewers looking for some more depth.

Now the core plot of Deadpool & Wolverine is confusing, it's fair to say; the film essentially parodies the many timelines Marvel has established with their countless film adaptations across various studios over the years, even those established before the MCU came to be. It sees Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) in a quest to save his own universe from perishing, a fate triggered by the absence of its anchor being Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). The rest is really hard to explain without waffling on for ages or revealing crucial spoilers, but what goes on from there is arguably a jumbled mess that doesn't quite know what to do with its admittedly amusing premise.

It of course goes without saying that Deadpool & Wolverine offers a nice handful of entertaining and unrestrained action sequences, and they for the most part they all deliver a suitable mixture of thrills and humour. However, intertwined with all this is a largely repetitive array of overused jokes, from Deadpool's increasingly cheesy fourth wall breaks to Wolverine's drunken mannerisms. The earlier Deadpool films knew how to use these jokes effectively, and while Deadpool & Wolverine did make me laugh here and there, the overall tone still becomes excessive and samey, and even uses said jokes to quite often lazily cover up plot holes or allow for countless contrivances.

By the time the film's final act arrived, I simply had no idea what was going on; this is essentially an installment to the MCU that's parodying the MCU and Marvel in general, and so it doesn't quite feel like it truly knows what it wants to be. Is this a full on parody? A genuine installment? An awkward mixture of both? The latter is the closest answer I can really think of, and that's why it doesn't quite work most of the time. As a bit of harmless fun for the older crowd, Deadpool & Wolverine largely delivers, once again offering some funny jokes, some gripping action scenes and featuring solid performances from its main cast, but it otherwise has little else to offer and ultimately sticks out of the already degrading MCU like a sore thumb.

Movie Review - Inside Out 2

After a brief slump in their overall quality of films, Pixar's Inside Out was certainly a return to form for the iconic studio following its release in 2015, telling a beautiful story which deftly blended humour and honest emotional depth within a unique premise full of loveable characters. While the film didn't end with any definitive need for a sequel, the idea of one was always welcome considering how much more could be done with the material at hand; new emotions, new hurdles in life, the works. Nearly a decade later, Pixar have of course taken advantage of this and brought us Inside Out 2, an entertaining animated adventure within what many critics deem to be another slump for the historically acclaimed studio. 

Three years after moving to San Francisco, Riley Anderson (Kensington Tallman) faces new challenges in life as she enters her pubescent teenaged years, with her original five emotions of Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale) and Disgust (Liza Lapira) being driven out of headquarters by the overly paranoid Anxiety (Maya Hawke), herself joined by a cluster of teenage struggles including Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (basically boredom, played by Adèle Exarchopoulos) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). Riley's quality of life begins to decline as a result, leading Joy and the other core emotions on a journey to save the girl they helm and love before its too late.

It goes without saying that Inside Out 2 is a visual treat, with animation just as gorgeous as its predecessor. It still boasts the same charming, colourful art style, though is somewhat darker this time to align with the more troubling themes. Said art style is then brought to life with beautifully rendered landscapes and characters, joined by strong vocal performances from the majority of the original cast and several newcomers, notably Hawke and Tallman in their roles as Anxiety and the teenaged Riley respectively. Pretty much everything when it comes to the visual and sound design is spot on, even if Andrea Datzman's score is perhaps less memorable than Michael Giacchino's music from the original.

With Riley entering her teenaged years and thus coping with a new range of emotions that such youths will struggle with when growing up, Inside Out 2 of course explores some strong themes, with Anxiety and her core actions and motives certainly being at the centre of all this. Riley coping with these clashing emotions as she grows up is something audiences of all ages can certainly relate to, with some perhaps even more touched by Riley's struggles and Anxiety's influence depending on their own experience with such emotions, making this a film with a deep core message that's also very flexible with its impact depending on the viewer. That said, this is still a film that knows when to cut back on the drama and embrace humour and charm, offering plenty of laughs approachable for a family audience.

But while Inside Out 2 has an emotional impact, it doesn't quite carry the same powerful tone of its predecessor, which at times left me genuinely tearful. This time round things can be sad, but aren't too heart wrenching, and it's fair to say that Anxiety is really the only one of the new emotions that most will remember; Envy, Ennui and Embarrassment don't have much of a, well, personality, and sometimes serve little purpose beyond being the subject of jokes which parody teenage livelihood. Perhaps the strongest emotional punch, however, comes with the film's ending, which I shan't spoil but will certainly commend for being poignant and thoughtful, and for addressing the influence Riley's emotional personas actually have on her actions and feelings in life in a way the original never even did. With all that said, Inside Out 2 finds itself being a worthy sequel to one of Pixar's best films, and enjoyable watch from start to finish.

Movie Review - The Super Mario Bros. Movie

As I've said many times before, and as most people certainly know, video games and movies don't often blend well; adaptations of even remarkably acclaimed games have led to the birth of some of the worst films ever made, with the original Super Mario Bros. film from 1993 being a notable example. It's clear the zany premise of Mario's universe wasn't apt for grim a live action setting, and so the next attempt at bringing him to the big screen is a colourfully animated affair; the end result is undeniably superior to the aforementioned atrocity from 30 years ago, but that's not saying an awful lot at the end of the day.

The story begins with our iconic protagonists Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) and their attempts to kickstart their own plumbing business within New York City, but things take an unexpected turn when one of their jobs results in them being transported to the magical Mushroom Kingdom, governed by the elegant Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and under threat from the evil Koopa king Bowser (Jack Black), who also captures Luigi and locks him away as one of his many prisoners. Mario consequently finds himself on a mission to save his brother and put an end to Bowser's attempts to seize the kingdom as well as Peach's hand in marriage.

Pratt's casting was of course met with controversy, but in the end he actually does a decent job; let's face it, while Charles Martinet has always pronounced some of Mario's most iconic phrases with an equally iconic voice, it's a voice that works better in small doses, and probably not one you'd want to hear speaking lengthy lines of dialogue across a 90 minute film. Pratt brings Mario to life with a fitting accented voice which occasionally shifts to a higher pitch to resemble Martinet's iconic voice for certain iconic lines; while such moments are slightly crude, they're also fairly amusing. When it comes to the rest of the cast, Charlie Day does a decent job as Luigi, though it's a shame to see the character largely shunted aside for the majority of the film as naught but a cowardly hostage, and Jack Black is not bad as Bowser; however, I didn't find him to be as remarkable as most claimed, though it seems neither he or the majority of the supporting cast had overly rich material to work with due to the film's mediocre script.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie's perks only really stem from its aesthetics and humour; when it comes to storytelling and characters, there's a lot to be desired. Mario himself isn't too memorable and Luigi barely turns up, but the biggest offenders are perhaps Peach and Bowser, with the former merely being a cringeworthy attempt to tick all the feminist protocol boxes: sarcastic and overly badass, whose mighty skills put the men around her to shame. Certainly nothing wrong with trying to flesh out her character a little more, but the writer's attempts at providing her with some backstory come and go with no impact, making her once again just crude role model for insecure young girls. As for Bowser, he's simply there to make endless jokes about how much he loves Peach, and has no threatening appeal whatsoever despite Jack Black's best efforts. When it comes to the likes of Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), they merely adopt a number of generic, overly silly and tired character clichés and consequently feel like parodies of their original selves that most will barely remember.

This isn't a bad film at the end of the day; it once again offers a number of amusing jokes (though also an excessive overuse of slow motion ones), some solid vocal performances, a decent soundtrack and clever references to the video games that inspired it, but such qualities will only garner the interest of younger viewers or Mario diehards. When it comes to people outside of this demographic, there's not much to really keep them hooked, and as the film goes on it ultimately becomes more and more boring and predictable. In the end I thought Sonic did a better job with his movie debut; it was no masterpiece, but certainly a lot funnier and more engaging than this amusing yet repetitive adventure.