Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Make no mistake, The First Shadow is most definitely a cash in. That would be fine except it's also a cash in that arrived during the waning in popularity of the show, meaning the vibes that it wanted to catch just wasn't enough to keep its head above water.

The First Shadow was fine. It did the job, but was far from essential. We learned a few things (which to be fair may have been compelling when this was first released before season five of the TV show), while also being confused by a others. The slickness and integration shown by other prequels just wasn't quite here.

The production was decent. The stage was set well, with props and setting helping the adequate acting to move along. I did wish that there was more music, but this wasn't that kind of show I suppose. Two set pieces were above average, with one still lingering in my mind, but unfortunately that alone was not enough to elevate the whole thing above merely being passable.

If you're a die hard completionist fan, then you'll enjoy this. For everyone else it's a little difficult to recommend.

Film: Hope

If Hope was a chart, it would be an exponential curve. That makes it hard to talk about since the escalation is the point - but to give you an idea: the film starts with a mutilated cow and a theory of it's demise starting with a bear and ending with a tiger, for us only to be told that both theories were made up. And that's just the first 4 minutes.

That may also give an insight regarding the pace of the movie. To describe it as erratic is an understatement as it zigzags from genre to genre, action to dialogue and - importantly - all so effortlessly I was left wondering how it all managed to hang together.

The escalation mixed with the pull and push of the progression made for a frustrating experience - but one I think I enjoyed after leaving the cinema. If that was by design then I can't help but see it as genius: the countless payoffs were all definitely worth it, even though there was plenty of things that had been held back.

Otherwise Hope may just be one of my favourite films of the year. Recommended. 

Film: Resident Evil

Resident Evil is not a film for Resident Evil fans per se. That's not to say it wasn't great - brought to us by the same folk who made Barbarian and Weapons, it manages to also tread that line between quality horror, humour and a non vacuous storyline. Just don't expect Leon or Jill levels of bravado or adventure.

All that aside, it is a Resident Evil film, both in setting and fanservice - part of the fun here was catching all the Easter eggs and being familiar with Racoon City et al - I guess a good way to describe the film would be as a story about someone who happened to have been there at the time of disaster.

As for it's scare credentials: well let's just say it's the only film I can remember that has made me scream out loud like a little child. Great stuff, recommended. 

Film: The Transformers: The Movie

First off, has it really been 40 years? Well spoilers: yes, and I know this because TF86 (as the cool people will call it) really hasn't aged well. Blasphemy I know, but the film has serious issues ranging from the plot, to the quality.

One place it still triumphs is with its audio. Both in that soundtrack and the pretty astonishing voice acting. If I was being unkind I'd claim that the whole movie rides on its audio, and might even go as far as to say its worth revisiting for that alone.

I think what really torpedoes the film for me is the dreadful second act. If you ignore the quality issues, the first act is iconic, with the third extremely satisfying and redeeming (if over a bit too quick). Unfortunately it's the second act that makes the meat of the film and so contributes to its overall failing disproportionally. 

Add to that the adult viewing of seeing what the film was for (ie selling toys) and I couldn't help but leaving a little jaded. And yet... I'm glad I went to watch both for nostalgia and memory and I can't quite bring myself to tell fans not to watch it for themselves.

And of course it remains the best Transformers movie since it was released, so there is that.

Film: Fall 2: Deadpoint

Progression is a strange thing because although in theory it's good, in practice it can be less than that. The first Fall film was a great indie (-feeling?) movie set almost entirely in one location with a limited cast. With such little they managed to portray a sense of vertigo and dread and it all just worked.

Fall 2 takes things further, and not just in setting, ambition or cast. It adds a story, providing thrills on an axis orthogonal (but not replacing) to that of the original. And while the plot on its own is pretty good, and the fearmongering on its own pretty good, these thrills get in the way of each other in a way that kind of diminishes both. And that's a bit of a shame.

Add to that the presence of one of the most dislikable protagonists in a film in recent times and you have a film that, although does it's job, doesn't quite make a recommendation. But hey, judging by the stinger at least we have a developing Fall Universe to look forward to.