So
here we are. Six months of films have passed us by, and whilst I
haven't been able to see all the films that have been released, I'm
quite certain of the best and worst five films that I have seen so
far this year. Without any ado, let's get to the fifth worst film of
the year.
5. The
Incredible Burt Wonderstone
The
premise of Steve Carell playing a flamboyant Las Vegas magician had
some potential for laughs, and the inclusion of solid comic actors
such as Steve Buscemi and Jim Carrey only increased the likelihood of
this doing the trick. But somehow, they managed to pull a stinker
out of the hat. The film ditches original story-lines and character
arcs for the fish-out-of-water awkward comedy, twinned with emotional
retribution schlock. Carrey and Buscemi are wasted as
two-dimensional bit players, whilst the film focuses on Wonderstone's
frankly infeasible relationship with the also underused Olivia Wilde. Film-makers! Never put words like 'Incredible' in your film's title,
it only makes it easier for us critics.
4. Olympus
Has Fallen
Ahh
the film that was pitched to the audiences, and most likely, the
studio executives as “Die Hard in The White House”. If only
Gerard Butler carried an ounce of John McClane's charm, swagger or
personality. North Korea take over The White House and hold the
American President hostage. Loud noises. Bullet battles. Lots of
innocent casualites. I fell asleep. Just endless action sequences
which quickly became stupid and pointless, twinned with bad lip-syncing,
editing and special effects. Let's just hope White House Down does a better job since it is the exact same storyline except for the
President's ethnicity.
3. 21
And Over
Sigh,
this film. Billed as 'a teenage Hangover' (which to me was just the
original Dude, Where's My Car?) and written by those that scripted The Hangover, the film follows two idiotic college freshmen who try to
get their Asian friend home after he passes out celebrating his 21st
birthday. But, oops, they don't know where he lives! Cue endless
montages of American frat parties, filled with mindless stereotypical
jocks, nerds and stoners. Oh and the minorities! Can't forget them! The several
stereotyped minorities that are strewn throughout this shambolic
film make you feel like it's trying to acerbic and satirical, like the Harold and Kumar films, but instead they're just offensive.
2. The
Hangover Part III
And from the imitation Hangover film to the
sequel that no one expected, wanted, or asked for. Except movie
studios, of course, trying to squeeze the last possible dollar out of a franchise. Now I liked the original Hangover film. The solitary night through Las Vegas
did have some unbelievable features, such as Mike Tyson's tiger, but
Part III simply becomes ludicrous and insulting. Doing away with the
'lost-memory' format of the previous two instalments, the film fails
to even feel like a part of it's own franchise. Both the cast and
crew seemed to be coasting through it, even embarrassed by some of
the stuff they are putting together and no-one on screen seems to be
having a good time, character or actor. I will genuinely weep if The
Hangover Part IV is greenlit. Don't break me, Hollywood!
And the Worst Film of 2013 So Far...
1. Scary
Movie V
Good
God, I honestly sat through this movie. I deserve a medal for that
alone. I can't believe I did. It was just horrendously bad. It is
a comedy, without jokes. A pastiche of horror/scary movies, where
the main films parodied are Black Swan, Inception and Rise of the
Planet of the Apes? So that's a trio of dramatic thrillers? Topical. Scary Movie V has people getting hit on the head by frying
pans, people getting hit by buses, people farting; all the classic
comic standards, and I loathed every single thing in this film. I
cannot say anything more than this. Avoid this dross like the
plague, it'll make you dumber for the experience. Plus it'll give
Hollywood the hint that movies such as these earn so little money,
that they will stop churning them out like production-line fake
vomit.
Sigh.
That vent was needed. Yet, a horrible reminder of some of the
most boring and tedious times I've had to endure this year. I need to
cheer myself up and remind myself of how fantastic this year has been
too. So let's go through my top five films of the year so far.
An
almost-Greek tragedy drama following the lives of Ryan Gosling's
amateur bank-robber, police officer-turned-politician Bradley Cooper
and their impact on their families. I was a big fan of the director,
Derek Cianfrance's previous film, Blue Valentine, and so was eager to
see the next instalment of his and Gosling collaboration. Gosling is fast
becoming one of my favourite low-key actors, where he manages to
convey a lot of emotion by doing very little. Cooper also flexes his
dramatic muscle, continuing to slowly become more than "That Handsome
Hangover Guy". I did start to lose interest in the final third, but
that shouldn't overshadow the fantastic preceding drama. A must-see.
4. Hitchcock
I
had a small amount of hesitation before watching the Alfred
Hitchcock loose biopic, mainly due to films such as The Birds and
Rear Window holding a special place in my memory. The initial images
of Anthony Hopkins in a fat suit made me feel uneasy as I worried it
would stumble into pastiche and mockery. But my fears were
unfounded, as the film was a splendid mixture of black comedy and
drama, all against the backdrop of Psycho's construction. Hopkins is
superb playing Hitchcock, slowly morphing into the man before your
eyes. It did stumble sometimes into melodrama, with Hitchcock's
relationship with his wife slightly corny at times, but overall it is
a must for film fans, as well as being easily enjoyable for normal
non-nerds too.
3. Wreck-It
Ralph
Disney's
52nd
animated feature saw John C. Reilly voice the video-game villain
Wreck-It Ralph, who simply wants to be the good guy for once. An
honest, heartfelt comedy, reference-heavy with hundreds of video game
jokes to keep the nerds (like me) entertained. Even though I felt
that the film could have had a larger variety of video game worlds to
explore, the relationships between the characters made up for it.
Ralph begins a fatherly friendship with an outcast from a different
video game, with that being the core of the film, and it successfully
suited Disney's heart-tugging methods. Much more impressive than
last year's Pixar film Brave. In my opinion, Pixar would have
contributed much more gravitas and humour into the film, but Disney's
version is more than enough exciting adventure for the family to
enjoy.
Now
I know I have already reviewed this film earlier this year, but I
couldn't have my Top Five films of 2013 without mentioning it. It is
rare with Hollywood's current releases to find a film that not only
is fantastic, but an improvement on it's predecessor! The 2009
reboot of the Star Trek franchise was a commercial and, surprisingly,
critical hit that Into Darkness helped solidify. Kirk and his loyal
crew return to face a home-grown threat, found in the amazing and
terrifying Benedict Cumberbatch. With J.J. Abrams at the helm,
inspired by greats such as Spielberg, my hopes are high for the Star
Wars sequel that is next on Abrams' schedule.
And my favourite film of 2013 so far...
1. Stoker
Stoker
recently had the reputation of being “one of the best unproduced
screenplays going in Hollywood”. Written by Wentworth Miller
(Michael Schofield from Prison Break fame), the film centres on the
coming-of-age of a girl played by Mia Wasikowska. Her father
tragically dies, bringing the sudden appearance of her charismatic
Uncle Charlie. His arrival upsets the family balance, creating havoc
in their once-peaceful world, as something is suspicious about Uncle
Charlie.
This
relatively-small independent film almost passed me by if it weren't
for the director, Park Chan-wook. Chan-wook is a South Korean
director, most famous for his 'Vengeance film trilogy' and is a
personal favourite of mine. Stoker is his first English-language
film and he certainly brings his stylistic eye to the visuals
throughout the film. I was literally speechless at the end of
Stoker; convinced I had seen a work of art, one I perhaps didn't
fully understand. The film holds your attention throughout the film,
with a sense of tension and intrigue that you cannot shake. You are
captivated by the way Chan-wook utilises every aspect of the film,
with plot-twists, gore, sexuality, humour and underlying dread
throughout and I was just entranced from beginning to end. I cannot
wait to watch this film again, and highly recommend you search it
out. If it is not at the top of my list come December 31st,
I will be impressed.
So
there we have it! My favourite five films released this year so far,
and those that I hope I never see again. Obviously there are
hundreds of films to released in the coming months, so expect a lot
to change on both lists before December ends. But do I have it
wrong? Is there an awful movie that I missed out, or a classic that
should be seen by everyone? Let me know and comment below.
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