Tag: Disney

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Movie Reviews

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Lucasfilm, 2022

10 years after the fall of the Jedi, former master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) is forced out of exile to stage a desperate rescue attempt of a kidnapped young Princess Leia (Viven Lyra Blair). With the menacing Jedi hunter Reva (Moses Ingram) hot on his heels and the looming shadow of Ob-Wan’s former pupil Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) growing larger, Kenobi is forced to rely on all his wits and help from the growing uprising within the galaxy to save the Princess and make it back to Tatooine alive.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Moses Ingram, Vivien Lyra Blair, Rupert Friend, Joel Edgerton & Jimmy Smits

Watch it now in on Disney+

Lucasfilm, 2022

Like so much of the gap-filling approach Disney has taken to recent Star Wars fare – setting stories in unexplored time periods between films – Obi-Wan Kenobi’s toughest challenge is justifying its own existence. In a universe this expansive do we really need to be following the same familiar characters yet again? Fortunately the series has a huge leg-up over others in the return of fan-favourite Ewan McGregor, easily the best part of the prequel films and iconic in the role. He’s equally fantastic here, picking up right where he left, with an understated, meditative performance as an Obi-Wan wracked with guilt and without hope.

Series director Deborah Chow frames her narrative as an exploration of hope and guilt within a galaxy filled with dread, positioning Kenobi as a kind of helpful Liam Neeson Taken type – his very particular set of skills can help a lot of people – whose spark gradually returns to his eyes as he recognises the impact he brings to the people around him. Running parallel to that is the story of Moses Ingram’s Reva; the formidable presence of the imposing Inquisitor tasked with hunting down surviving force users rivalling the titular Jedi himself in terms of screen-time. Ingram does what she is given exceedingly well, but the role is rarely written to expand the character beyond silently seething or bursting with rage. The finale manages to add some more context to her character, drawing parallels with Obi-Wan’s own journey, but does so whilst condemning Ingram to a lacklustre mission, ending her story with a whimper rather than a bang.

Lucasfilm, 2022

Where the show falls short isn’t in its themes or McGregor’s performance, but rather the narrative itself: an unfortunately dull and cliched buddy film that drags more than it excites on the way to a thrilling finale. Chow clearly intends the show to be more of a character study than previous Star Wars media, consistently honing in on Kenobi’s mental state throughout his journey, but doesn’t bring enough interesting characters or inventive set-pieces into the mix to create a consistently entertaining show. Kumail Nanjiani’s Haja, a con-man posing as a Jedi, brings a few much-needed laughs and O’Shea Jackson Jr. is clearly relishing being a part of the Star Wars universe but neither is given much to do outside of unloading exposition.

The action, when compared to Lucas’ prequel films, is similarly lacklustre. Gone are the intricately choreographed lighsaber fights of the early 2000’s, replaced by what feels like the same retooled blaster shootouts and space standoffs we’ve seen since Disney took over the franchise. The final big action sequence aims to rectify this – a lightsaber battled overflowing with raw emotional weight and featuring some visually genius use of the vibrant blue and red lights of the blades – but is hampered by choppy, rapid-cut editing. It’s a suitably epic end to this adventure but one that proves Chow doesn’t have Lucas’ eye for the dance of the battle.

Lucasfilm, 2022

We’re living in an age where audiences expect a certain level of surprise in their big-budget entertainment and Obi-Wan Kenobi doesn’t disappoint in that regard, delivering plenty of fan-service moments for eagle eyed fans to dissect and obsess over. While these are fun to see, they don’t do enough to overcome how inessential the story feels. It’s great to see Hayden Christensen back in a galaxy far, far away and he does a great deal to show just how much Anakin has given himself over to his hatred in the intervening years, but only a handful of scenes really reinforce the loss Obi-Wan feels over Anakin and the desire for vengeance Vader has.

It’s hard not to wonder how a smaller scale story would have landed; perhaps the previously scrapped adventure featuring Darth Maul or something set during the Clone Wars to showcase the brotherly bond between McGregor and Christensen in live-action. There’s a certain element of cheesiness in seeing a young Leia running around as Bounty Hunters stumble over themselves trying to catch her that works against the more poignant story of Kenobi. That isn’t to say that what is here is awful, but it could have been so much more potent had the narrative been more focused.

Lucasfilm, 2022

Obi-Wan Kenobi is further proof that Ewan McGregor’s interpretation of the Jedi master is just as iconic as Alex McGuiness’. Buried within too much filler is a powerful performance of a man struggling to come to terms with the loss of a dear friend and the idea of moving forward without him. Deborah Chow clearly understands the character and the personal story she wants to tell here, but struggles to balance it with the other Star Wars elements fans expect – thrilling action, memorable side characters and investing larger narratives – on the way to a finale that features some of the best pieces of Star Wars content produced since Disney took over. The force might not always be with Kenobi, but it will always be with Ewan McGregor.

7.5 / 10

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Articles & News

Burn Notice & the Legacy of Comfort TV

Almost 10 years on and I have a confession, my favourite spy in Miami is still Michael Weston.

Times have changed a little since the late 2000’s. You can now choose from thousands of things to watch at the press of a button, with new releases springing up weekly to compete for your attention. This wasn’t always the case though, and back when Burn Notice was on the free-to-air lineup, I was all in. I blame my love back then on youth – something about mid-budget action scenes, car chases and cheesy one-liners just struck a chord in high school. So why do I find myself dipping into it now, a full decade later? Is it that same nostalgic hook that Hollywood has come to rely on for the past few years? Probably. But there’s something else to it, something familiar in its design, structure and vibe that makes it so easy to slip back into. For the lack of a better term, there’s something I find comfortable about the action-heavy, spy drama that is Burn Notice.

For those unfamiliar with Michael Weston (Jason Donovan), he used to be a spy. After being ‘burned’ (fired) from the CIA, he’s dumped back in his hometown of Miami to pick up the pieces. Regrouping with ex-girlfriend and gun-runner Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), ex-Navy Seal Sam (Bruce Campbell) and former spy Jesse (Coby Bell), Michael spends 7 seasons and 111 episodes getting to the bottom of who burnt him and why. This is the main plot thread, but it is rarely the focus. Each episode devotes a small amount of time to pushing the wider story forward, but the majority of the runtime is devoted to an involved, if somewhat predictable, side hustle of local hero work. Someone from the core group comes across some trouble, which leads Michael and the gang to assume identities, stage gunfights, run cars off the road and essentially blow holes across the better half of Florida.

20th Television, 2007 – 2013

Therein lies the magic formula: a problem arises and the heroes arrive with a solution. A spanner is thrown into the works, and the heroes must make a last-minute comeback to save the day. It’s this grade-school story structure that served as the backbone of classics such as Magnum P.I. and The A-Team, and it continues to work here. Granted it doesn’t always make sense, some of the dialogue isn’t great and it jumps the shark on more than one occasion, but the episodes are consistent, the characters are endearing and it knows exactly what it is. You could watch an episode from the second season followed by another from the fifth, and you’d still be getting a solid hour of action without all the strings that would regularly be attached to episodes between.

I think this is the main reason I slip into shows like Burn Notice now and then. The biggest programs at the moment are cinematic, evolving stories that are so enormous that they become episodic by necessity, rather than by design. Something like Stranger Things is engrossing, intricate, surprising and emotional all at once, and it’s inarguably fantastic. However it’s also something that you need to completely invest in to enjoy at its fullest. Missing a reference or scene in an early episode can deteriorate your understanding of events later, and you constantly need to keep on top of a range of plotlines, characters and conflicts during each season for everything to piece together.

20th Television, 2007 – 2013

When all of this is a bit much for a mid-week watch after work, you can find me deep in a rerun of Burn Notice. It could be something different for you – Friends, Grey’s Anatomy, The Blacklist, Supernatural, even Law and Order – anything that gives you that engaging hour or so without demanding more. ‘Comfort TV’ still doesn’t quite have a nice ring to it for me, but I think we all have a show or two we turn to when something simple and familiar is on the docket. For me, this zen state involves Miami spies driving nice cars and blowing things up – and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Burn Notice stars Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell, Sharon Gless and Coby Bell. Watch it now on Disney +.

20th Television, 2007 – 2013
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Movie Reviews

Jungle Cruise

Walt Disney Pictures, 2021

Give a raise to the studio exec who came up with the idea of combining Disneyland’s most relaxing, mellow (some might even say boring) ride with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, two of Hollywood’s biggest stars. The resulting film plays like a combination of all the best action adventure films – from Brendan Fraser’s Mummy films to Disney’s own Pirates of the Caribbean franchise – with breakneck pacing, non-stop action and two absolutely electric lead performances that will have you rolling in the aisles and punching the air with excitement. While it may get a little long in the tooth and doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to the genre, Jungle Cruise does exactly what it sets out to do and takes you on a ride far more wild than the real thing.

When driven scientist Lily Houghton (Blunt) arrives in Brazil with timid brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall) in tow, she enlists the services of local Amazon tour guide Frank Wolff (Johnson) to help her locate the Tears of the Moon – petals of an ancient tree with curative properties that could change medicine forever. As the unlikely group venture deeper and deeper into the jungle they must contend with German Prince Joachim (Jesse Plemons), hot on their heels in his own search for the Tears as well as the ancient explorer Aguirre (Edgar Ramírez), who has been cursed to live out his days endlessly in the jungle. With nothing but their wits and Frank’s knowledge of the Amazon to guide them, the trio battle against the odds only to discover that the thing they were searching for might not be as important as the bonds they make along the way.

Walt Disney Pictures, 2021

If you’ve ever been on the actual Jungle Cruise ride, you know it to be an avalanche of godawful yet great puns delivered by your “guide” as you cruise along the river eyeballing all sorts of animal-induced craziness. The film does its best to show respect to that original 1955 ride, with Frank throwing out many of the rides’ best puns in a corny introduction to his character; a charming shyster who tricks and scares his tourist clientele to bigger tips by steering them through a gauntlet of fake traps and costumed trickery. It also establishes that fun and light tone that remains a mainstay throughout even the darkest of scenes before Lily arrives in the jungle; bringing with her an army of pursuers hot on her tail that creates chaos for the coming adventure.

From here it is as classic action-adventure as you can get. Sure, the key dynamic between the gruff guide and his two untested sibling charges is pulled straight out of The Mummy – but it works. Johnson, Blunt and Whitehall are all fantastically funny and endearing leads, with great interplay and comedic chemistry between them (even if the romantic chemistry between Johnson and Blunt isn’t as believable). The best parts of the film aren’t the crazy, over-the-top action sequences but the quieter moments on the boat where the trio trade jabs and learn about each other’s pasts and problems. Johnson’s character has a fair amount of depth to him, as opposed to a lot of his other roles where he is reduced to the infallible muscle, and he has fun with the image of himself as the action hero. He still gets those heroic moments, but he stumbles along the way: a refreshing, self-deprecating turn for one of the action genre’s biggest (literally) stars.

Walt Disney Pictures, 2021

And there is a lot of action. German submarines destroying villages, cursed conquistadors chasing our heroes through native villages and one particularly playful Jaguar destroying everything in sight in a bar brawl. Again it’s all done with a light, playful tone and Lily and Frank’s constant bickering throughout does a lot to alleviate the boredom that could have set in with endless CGI explosions. For the most part, the action is fun and exciting but there is the occasional sequence that almost seems to exist simply for the sake of having an action set-piece to shake things up.

Edgar Ramírez’ cursed conquistador is essentially a duplicate of Barbosa from Pirates of the Caribbean, right down to his relationship with Frank, but unlike Geoffrey Rush’s classic character – who still managed to be fun whilst menacing – never comes across as anything other than another CGI baddie to take down. A meaningless obstacle rather than the truly terrifying threat the film would have you believe. Thankfully Jesse Plemon’s German prince of a villain is an absolute riot with his almost intentionally bad accent and strange idiosyncrasies. It is a performance that is a mish-mash of inspirations – from Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained to the stereotypical villains of classic cinema – as Joachim breaks into song before unleashing a machine gun salvo and offers meaningless pleasantries before every evildoing. Out of place in almost any other modern film, but a perfect fit for the lighthearted, early 1900’s set shenanigans of Jungle Cruise.

Walt Disney Pictures, 2021

Free from the complex lore of its other Disney ride contemporary Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise is able to just have fun with its characters and Amazonian setting, throwing audiences into the thick of things instead of floating past like the ride it is based on. The chemistry of Blunt, Johnson and Whitehall is without a doubt the film’s greatest strength, carrying you through all the CGI action and over-the-top craziness with genuinely endearing and layered characters. Some lacklustre villains and shaky CGI might distract at times, but it is never enough to throw things truly off course. All aboard, next stop Thunder Mountain.

1Walt Disney Pictures, 202

Jungle Cruise stars Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, Paul Giamatti, Veronica Falcón & Edgar Ramírez – In cinemas and streaming on Disney+ with Premier Access now.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

8/10

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Movie Reviews Reviews

Luca

Pixar Animation Studios, 2021

The Disney Pixar combination has been responsible for some of the most charming, heartwarming and genre-defining films for as far back as many of their fans can likely remember. Many of their poignant, coming-of-age stories are designed to shine a spotlight on what are often real-world social or personal issues that we have all likely faced at some point or another. These themes are then unpacked and resolved across bright and colourful worlds by larger-than-life characters who often carrying flaws all too familiar to us as an audience. It’s a formula that continues to delight audiences of all ages, and one that Enrico Casarosa’s Luca delivers on beautifully. It’s not one of the most complex or layered examples to join the catalogue of other Pixar films, but instead it’s a story that seems to revel in its freedom and simplicity. By focusing on just a few key themes, Luca manages to explore each of them deeply – ultimately crafting one of the brightest and most charming adventures you’ll find on screen this year.

A quick opening act introduces the audience to titular character Luca (Jacob Tremblay), a young ‘sea monster’ who has grown tired of tedious days spent farming alongside his protective family and combing the sea floor for relics of the world on the surface. Things suddenly take a turn when he meets Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), another young monster who takes Luca under his wing and introduces him to life above the water. After discovering that his form changes to that of a human when on dry land, Luca decides to join Alberto on an adventure to the local seaside town where they intend to begin a life of freedom on the road. Things become complicated when the pair discovers that their dream may not be as easy to achieve as first expected, and that the local humans have pretty strong feelings about Luca’s kind.

Pixar Animation Studios, 2021

It’s a plot that hits many familiar beats, but Luca manages to put enough of an original spin on things to keep the story fresh and exciting. You’ve seen other films explore the challenges of friendship, growing up and being different, but have you seen them delivered by colourful Italian sea creatures? It also keeps things fairly lighthearted for the most part, steering clear of some of the more dramatic plot twists or dire villains that similar films play to really turn the emotional screws. Casarosa hits a specific tone with the film, drawing on his childhood life and friendships to craft a world that somehow feels both foreign while also as welcoming as a long overdue trip home.

This general vibe comes largely from the characters of Luca, who collectively go a long way to create a lively community while showcasing the Italian culture. Both Tremblay and Grazer bring a youthful energy and passion to Luca and Alberto respectively, helping their on-screen bond to be as strong as the story demands. Luca’s mother Daniela (Maya Rudolph) and father and Lorenzo (Jim Gaffigan) fill the roles of anxious, overprotective parents that will be familiar to fans of similar films, however they hit their key moments effectively without dragging on the adventure’s momentum too much. One of the most influential characters comes in the form of young human girl Giulia (Emma Berman), who meets the boys as they arrive in town while she struggles with her own identity issues and obnoxious local bully Ercole (Saverio Raimondo). Berman brings an infectious positivity to her character, which immediately endears her to the audience and injects enough energy into the story to keep things flying high until the credits roll. Special mention also goes out to Giulia’s father Massimo (Marco Barricelli) and cat Machiavelli, who both play strong, silent types until it’s time to deliver some of Luca’s more touching and lighthearted moments.

Pixar Animation Studios, 2021

All of these characters and the world around them are brought to life even more by Luca‘s stunning visuals both above and below the sea. As expected from a Disney Pixar film, no corner has been cut when it comes to creating a colourful and vibrant cast of characters and backdrops. The crystal clear sea and rolling hills surrounding the idyllic Italian town deliver what most of us would dream a European seaside looks like on the edge of summer. Similarly, each of the characters have personality traits and stories woven into them simply through their appearance, with the famous animation studio working their usual magic to make each character come alive with colour and emotion. Its particularly hard to refer to Luca and Alberto as ‘sea monsters’ when their water forms are made up of beautifully coloured, coral-like scales that flow on the water as the two glide along from one picturesque spot to another.

These strengths all help Luca secure a spot among Disney Pixar’s huge catalogue of poignant, thoughtful and visually impressive successes. It may not revolutionise the genre or take any of its themes to strange, new places, but it still manages to deliver a mesmerising tale that should strike a chord with audiences of all ages, featuring an inventive plot that is enough to set it apart from much of the rest. With a gorgeous Italian setting full of charismatic characters, Luca is like a breath of warm summer air among the darker, more intense films doing the rounds at the moment. Let it brighten up your winter this year, unless you really have something against pasta, sunshine or harmless, bicycle-riding sea creatures.

Pixar Animation Studios, 2021

Luca stars Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Saverio Raimondo, Maya Rudolph, Jim Gaffigan & Marco Barricelli – streaming now on Disney+.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

8.5/10

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Movie Reviews

Cruella

Walt Disney Pictures, 2021

Ask anybody who their favourite Disney villain is and odds are eventually you’ll get to that one wild card who thinks 101 Dalmatians Cruella De Vil reigns supreme above all the Ursulas and Scars. The puppy-killing monster certainly does make an impression within her own film but, as with almost all of Disney’s endless live-action films, the question remains: is this story necessary to tell? The answer is more mixed than you might expect. Cruella is easily the most original offering from the Mouse House in a long while; with a focus on a hyper-stylised world of fashion and a darker, revenge-driven plot. It often feels like director Craig Gillespie tries a bit of everything throughout the film – often all at once – leaving you overwhelmed and confused at times, but the performances from the whole cast, particularly Emma Stone and Emma Thompson, are top-notch and ultimately serve to carry you through this very bumpy ride.

Born Estella (Stone), the eventual villainess is turned onto a life of crime as a young girl when she witnesses her mother plummet to her death at the mansion of The Baroness (Thompson), a fashion tycoon with a penchant for narcissism who harbors more than a few dark secrets. Now an orphan, Estella escapes to London and takes up with local street thieves Horace (Paul Walter Hauser) and Jasper (Joel Fry), quickly becoming the leader of their gang as they scam and grift their way through life. When Jasper lands Estella a job at the Baroness’ fashion house years later, her chaotic alter-ego Cruella threatens to ruin the life she has created for herself, launching a vicious fashion war with the Baroness. As tensions heat up between the pair, long-buried secrets bubble to the surface, threatening to permanently warp Estella into the demented, dog-despising menace as we know her.

Walt Disney Pictures, 2021

Cruella is a strange film to pin down tonally. The melodramatic, almost Dickensian opening gives way to what appears to be a heist film, as we follow Cruella and the gang pull off a series of low-level cons. In retrospect, this might be the most enjoyable part of Cruella, free from the complicated world-building that comes in the second half. Once Estella comes to work for Thompson’s Baroness the film essentially becomes Disney’s take on The Devil Wears Prada, with Estella idolising the Baroness and her place within the fashion world she has long wished to be a part of. Emma Thompson is pitch perfect casting here outside of Meryl Streep herself, with a gleefully vicious performance skewering everything and everyone around her. The definition of a true narcissist, she cares for no one but herself and Thompson rules the screen, with some terrific costuming adding to the intimidating air she carries herself with. Some dark late game revelations rob her character of some of the fun factor – going where very few Disney films dare – ultimately to the detriment of the story, prioritising wrapping things up in a hurry over solid character work.

While the tone may shift the one thing that manages to stay consistent is the incessant use of popular 1970’s punk and pop songs. It isn’t understating things to say that the opening 90 minutes don’t contain a single scene that isn’t soundtracked by a song you’ve heard, from The Clash all the way to The Rolling Stones. Whilst it does give the film a certain madcap energy, it becomes incredibly tiresome as you begin to feel as if scenes have been plotted out around the song rather than their place in the story. One such scene involves Cruella arriving at a fashion gala in a truly punk rock fashion, with her posse performing The Stooges “I Wanna Be Your Dog” live as she steps out to the red carpet before… the scene ends. That’s it. In the context of the film Cruella’s arrival serves to upset the uptight Baroness but the scene also plays after a montage of her doing precisely that in a variety of other ways, so why did we need this scene? Thankfully things settle down in the second half of the film as Gillespie realises he can’t score every emotional scene with a loud rock song but it comes as too little too late after all the time wasted flashy music videos that could have been spent on meaningful character development.

Walt Disney Pictures, 2021

Then there’s Cruella herself, who starts things off as something of an anti-hero; a Robin Hood swindling the rich to fund her poor self. In a bizarre but interesting take on the character, she actually becomes more unlikeable as the film progresses, hinting at her eventual turn into full-tilt, Dalmatian-skinning madness. That madness takes the form of a type of split-personality syndrome, with the normal, fundamentally good-hearted Estella constantly at war with the mean-spirited Cruella inside of her. As far as metaphors between good and evil go, it isn’t exactly subtle; especially when the film makes a point of highlighting the warring colours in her hair as some kind of high-concept exploration of that metaphor. Nevertheless Emma Stone commits entirely, giving a ridiculously over-the-top performance in the best way, right down to a somewhat ludicrous British accent that somehow just… works. The schtick may get tiring at times, Stone herself is never boring, constantly making strange choices that lend themselves to the unhinged nature of the character.

There is no doubt that Cruella is the strangest of the live-action Disney films to date; with a distinctive style all its own as Craig Gillespie and Emma Stone delve deep into the psyche of one of the most iconic Disney villains. The breakneck pace and quality performances all around help to keep the film together despite the myriad of forces trying to tear it apart; be it the barrage of music, jarring tonal shifts and a need to conform to the Disney formula in the moments where it should be embracing Cruella’s punk spirit and dissenting. Those who have grown tired of the same old retread of classic animated fare (and who hasn’t at this point?) will likely enjoy a somewhat refreshing take on a now ancient property which will, if nothing else, keep you entertained for its monstrous two hour runtime, even if it never quite answers the question: why do we need this?

Walt Disney Pictures, 2021

Cruella stars Emma Stone, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Mark Strong, John McCrea, Emily Beecham, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Kayvan Novak & Emma Thompson – In cinemas and streaming on Disney+ with Premier Access now.

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Movie Reviews

Raya and the Last Dragon

Walt Disney Animation Studios, 2021

Disney films are like comfort food. Those classic tales like Aladdin or The Jungle Book that instantly take you back to childhood with epic, sweeping adventures that transport you into a fairytale world. 84 years on and Walt Disney Animation Studios shows no signs of slowing down, constantly innovating and changing with the times to deliver new stories to generation after generation. Their latest film Raya and the Last Dragon is a delightful throw-back to the lauded classics of Mulan and Hercules, a traditionally structured, if somewhat predictable story of a young woman destined to bring together the warring clans of her heavily South-East Asian influenced homeland Kumandra. With a swift pace aided by constant additions to Raya’s band of loveable brigands and an emotional centre that will warm and break your hearts multiple times, Raya is a film that respects the studio’s past and evolves it, with an authentic representation of Asian culture.

Set in the ancient land of Kumandra, we follow Raya (Kelly Marie-Tran) who, 6 years after a catastrophic mistake, has set out on a mission to unite the 5 pieces of the ancient Dragon Gem, created by Sisu (Awkwafina) – the last of the dragons – in a last-ditch attempt to thwart the ancient evil of the Druun. The locations of these pieces are all known to Raya thanks to her extensive knowledge of the history of the dragons and the once united land. What stands in her way are the different tribes – each named after a section of the dragon – that lay claim to a piece: Fang, Heart, Spine, Talon and Tail. Teaming up with a recently resurrected Sisu, Raya journeys through the vastly different areas, encountering myriads of enemies and traps, and collecting more than a few friends along the way including faithful Armadillo-like steed Tuk Tuk (Alan Tudyk), kid shrimp salesman Boun (Izaac Wong), the hulking but friendly warrior Tong (Benedict Wong) and Noi (Thalia Tran), a seemingly helpless baby who moonlights as a con artist with her three monkey companions, the Ongis. The already dangerous journey is hampered further by Namaari (Gemma Chan), a fearsome warrior and childhood rival to Raya from Fang, who is in constant pursuit of the group as they try to unite the pieces and vanquish the Druun once and for all.

Walt Disney Animation Studios, 2021

What is instantly striking about Raya is the vibrancy of the world of Kumandra. The standard of animation on display is nothing short of stunning, filling each land with their own vivid colour palettes and distinct detailing. Tail is a vast wasteland of desert, an arid climate reminiscent of an Indiana Jones style adventure with ancient stone temples filled with booby traps. Talon is the complete opposite; a bustling, water bound marketplace – inspired by the floating markets of Thailand – lit by vibrant hues of orange and red from lamps that line the busy streets. Spine is a more traditional wooden village within a sprawling snowy forest of towering trees and bright crimson leaves, befitting the old-school warrior types that inhabit it. Everywhere you look is seeped in Asian culture, from the design of buildings and structures to the tiniest markings on swords and tapestries. Objects and traditions are pulled from Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and more to create a unique melting pot and celebration of Asian heritage, giving Raya a fully realised world that feels both familiar and foreign.

While the story within that world will feel familiar to anyone who has seen a Disney animated classic before, the updates that Raya makes bring it into a modern climate without losing any of that sense of fun and adventure. Raya herself is the ideal Disney heroine, strong and in command of herself and the situations around her, but without the need for any romantic entanglement to fill in the blanks. She has flaws, as does any character, but overcomes them and the challenges presented to her through perseverance, trust and sheer force of will. You don’t need to give Raya a man to pine over when you establish an emotional bond as strong as the one she has with her father. This acts as all the motivation needed to propel you through two hours of movie, and her father Benja’s (Daniel Dae Kim) teachings of trust and accountability are a wonderful message that is accessible for younger audiences to grasp onto. If we trust one another and work together, as Raya does with her varied compatriots from wildly different areas of Kumandra, then you can achieve the impossible. It’s a simple but important message that isn’t thrust in your face but rather woven into the fabric of the narrative, naturally presenting itself as the only option for success.

Walt Disney Animation Studios, 2021

Terrific voice acting round out the package, with a stellar lineup of Asian and Asian-American talent lending their vocals to the animated spectacle. Kelly Marie Tran is phenomenal as Raya, imbuing her with a fierce determination to overcome all obstacles in her way. In the quieter moments when this veneer of confidence drops and we see the young girl who has turned her back on the prospect of unity is when the emotion shines through, as we see the toll her past mistakes have had on Raya and the pain she carries with her. Awkafina proves a perfect pairing to Tran, as Sisu possesses the exact opposite qualities to Raya. Bright and bumblingly confident at the prospect of uniting Kumandra and working together in harmony, Sisu shies away from the thought that she herself possesses an innate power, similar to her siblings, whose sacrifice led to the creation of the Dragon Gem. The pair’s chemistry instantly hits, forging a leading duo that has the audience onside right up to the very end, making those emotional gut punches the Mouse House likes to pull all the more potent. Benedict Wong, Izaac Wang and Gemma Chan all bring something different and unique to their characters, rounding out a diverse and endlessly fun central group of heroes and villains.

Applying a fresh coat of paint to a classic formula proves to be Raya and the Last Dragon’s biggest strength, combining the tried and tested Disney story of a heroine overcoming all of the formidable odds laid before her with a rich and deeply layered South East Asian inspired world, in a narrative that places character and its messages of trust and unity over male pining or other old tropes. With sumptuous animation and excellent voice-work, Raya is filled with delightful characters and a world that you will want to return to again and again. Unlike the dragon, let’s hope this isn’t the last time we see Raya.

Walt Disney Animation Studios, 2021

Raya and the Last Dragon stars Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Izaac Wang, Daniel Dae Kim, Sandra Oh, Alan Tudyk, Lucille Soong & Benedict Wong – In cinemas and streaming on Disney+ with Premier Access now.

Categories
Movie Reviews

Godmothered

Walt Disney Pictures, 2020

A classic staple of the Disney formula; the fairy godmother, is the subject of Godmothered, the latest film from Bridget Jones’ Diary director Sharon Maguire. What should be a subversive, inventive twist on a genre staple generally cast as a side character unfortunately descends into tedium in one of the most aggressively bland Disney features in recent memory. Squandering a solid cast led by Jillian Bell and Isla Fisher, there isn’t much magic to be found here with a jumbled narrative, poor special effects and some seriously underdeveloped characters that serve less purpose than the spaghetti from Lady and the Tramp.

Bell gamely steps into the role of Eleanor, a fairy godmother who dreams of delivering happily ever afters to those in need in the human world, studying the code of her people day and night in preparation. The other fairies, led by Moira (Jane Curtin), do not share Eleanor’s optimism, as human’s belief in the fairy world and happiness in general has been steadily on the decline (2020, am I right?), threatening the entire occupation of Eleanor’s people and forcing them to consider lives as tooth fairies. Once Eleanor discovers this, she commits herself to a daring journey to the human world, determined to bring a happily ever after to Mackenzie (Isla Fisher), who dreamed of a Prince Charming as a child but who now finds herself stuck in a difficult grind as a single mother to Jane (Jillian Shea Spaeder) and Mia (Willa Skye).

Walt Disney Pictures, 2020

By far the best part of the film is Jillian Bell’s portrayal of Eleanor. She brings such an infectious enthusiasm and positivity to the role that it is hard not to get caught up in it at first. Her eyes light up with childlike wonder at every turn as she experiences this whole new world for the first time and Bell almost oversells it at times, going all in on that giddy Disney optimism. Unfortunately the same can’t be said for Isla Fisher. She plays the straight woman to Bell’s over-exuberance as well as she can, but there just isn’t anything to her character. There are attempts to draw a sympathetic response from the audience by implying that she missed out on her happily ever after when her husband died and comments are made about the stress of her job cutting into her relationship with her children, but the film doesn’t really commit to pulling on any of these threads in much depth, leading to a whole mess of tonal shifts and plot realignments. Let’s explore shall we?

We’ll start with Eleanor’s mission. It is never established what a “happily ever after” encompasses and so the film relies on those classic Disney staples we all know. Find your Prince Charming. Have him sweep you off your feet. It’s a choice seemingly at odds with the film’s “girls can do anything” message. You have Eleanor aiming to do her best and save the day. You have Mackenzie working tirelessly to support her children and keep a roof over their heads. Jane, the eldest daughter of Mackenzie, is struggling with her own confidence issues in leading the school choir and gaining her mother’s support. Yet their problems can be solved by Mackenzie finding a man, specifically co-worker Hugh (Santiago Cabrera)? The film likes to tell you these girls can do anything and it is an excellent message to instill in young women, but it never really enforces the message by actually showing you. We have some fun bigger moments and some mopey, “looking at old photos forlornly” moments designed to give the impression of a story but nothing that really shows you these girls kicking ass until the very last few scenes. The big finale attempts to counter the whole Prince Charming can solve everything argument but it rings a little hollow after you’ve spent the preceding hour and 40 minutes following Eleanor clumsily attempting to set Mackenzie and Hugh up.

Walt Disney Pictures, 2020

Then there are the gags themselves. The film is incredibly poorly paced, stretching on for what seems like an eternity between the many big set pieces. Some of these are better than others, from a magical mishap at a football match to a snowy misadventure that should end in more carnage than it does. The lesser ones are painfully blunt (Eleanor transforming the house to look like a Disney castle, complete with racoon and piglet helpers) or preachy to a point where you’re just beyond caring (a school concert which quickly turns into a self-help seminar). The elongated run-time full of filler also makes the incredibly choppy editing stand out that much more, with random cuts of the same character moving between two places with no connective tissue leaving scenes feeling inorganic and disjointed. The land in which the fairies live should be a highlight, a cross between that iconic opening credits Disney castle and the land of Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent films, but the visual effects on display make it all look a hazy mess and it is quite clear that the budget simply wasn’t enough to accommodate the scale of this world. This would also explain why majority of the fairy plot is left in the dust after the opening, with a haphazard attempt at reconciling these loose ends raising more questions than it answers.

Godmothered fails in a lot of different ways, most notably poor plotting, the colossal waste of Jillian Bell’s talents, bad visual effects and jokes that land with a deafening thud. Its greatest failure, however, comes in the lack of that trademark Disney magic. This is a film that should feel fresh, the rare film from the mouse house that isn’t a sequel or remake of a beloved classic. Yet the potential of the fascinating, previously untold story is never reached, and director Sharon Maguire seems content to simply check fundamental movie boxes rather than infuse any life or wonder into the proceedings. While younger children may find some enjoyment in some of the more slapstick moments and the fairy world, everyone else will likely have changed the channel or be suffering from severe neck pain from checking their watches during this overlong bore-fest. Fairy tale? More like Fairy fail.

Walt Disney Pictures, 2020

Godmothered stars Jillian Bell, Isla Fisher, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Santiago Cabrera, June Squibb, Jillian Shea Spaeder, Willa Skye & Jane Curtin – Streaming on Disney+ now.

Categories
Movie Reviews

Artemis Fowl

Disney, 2020

It’s a weird time to be a movie fan right now. With the closure of cinemas due to the current pandemic new films have become a rare thing, with Netflix reveling in its constant supply of original content, most of which seems to hit their target market quite nicely. Netflix is so far ahead of the pack in this regard and is totally dominating the streaming market during the pandemic, to the point where you would be forgiven for forgetting that Disney+ was even a thing, having seemingly not released anything worth mentioning since The Mandalorian. With a brand name like Disney it is hard to believe that their first big budget, highly publicised release on the platform in months is as bad as Artemis Fowl unfortunately is. Indeed the film, directed by long-time Disney collaborator Kenneth Branagh, is an almost incomprehensible mish-mash of genres and tones; in addition to being one of the most corniest things I’ve seen in years. People throw the word “cringeworthy” around a lot these days, but I can think of no better word to describe Artemis Fowl, a monumental misfire that almost has to be seen to be believed.

Based on the young adult novels of the same name by Irish author Eoin Colfer, the film centres around boy genius Artemis Fowl Jr (Ferdia Shaw), a charismatic young man seemingly burdened with great intelligence, spending his days arguing with schoolteachers about his attitude towards the work he considers beneath him. His nights, however are spent alongside his father (Colin Farrell), a renowned billionaire art dealer and entrepreneur who secretly schools his son in all manner of Irish fairytales and folklore. When his father mysteriously disappears, Artemis begins to realise that the world of goblins and sprites that his father has described is real and finds himself in a race against time to recover the Aculos, an ancient artefact whose powers are never really quantified and which simply cannot fall into the wrong hands as it will destroy the worlds, both fairy and human. You know, the usual stuff. Teaming up with bodyguard Domovoi (Nonso Anozie), fugitive dwarf and expert safe cracker Mulch Diggums (Josh Gad) and fairy police officer Holly Short (Lara McDonnell), Artemis must comb through his father’s studies in order to search for the Aculos and prevent certain doom.

Disney, 2020

Sounds like a lot of cliched exposition-heavy hooey doesn’t it? That’s because it is. Artemis Fowl’s chief problem is that it is so bogged down with exposition and needless world building that it forgets to give the story strong enough characters for the audience to latch onto. Everyone is so woefully underwritten that you never really get a grasp of who anyone really is. Sure, they all get a scene highlighting their defining attributes; Domovoi is the cranky butler who specialises in martial arts, Mulch is the wise-cracking bandit who can dig under buildings and Holly has a troubled past and wings. That’s about as far as it goes, depth-wise. Even Artemis himself, the so called “criminal mastermind” has been so toned down from the book, devoid of any personality, criminal or otherwise. He’s simply an annoyingly arrogant little twerp, who constantly corrects people and thinks he is outsmarting them only to get one-upped every time. Then there’s the story, or lack thereof. The pacing of it all is such that by the time the first proper action scene rolls around and you think you’re getting to the good stuff, the credits roll. I’m not kidding. The film literally has one scene that you could pass off as an action scene and even that is pretty poor by today’s standards. There are a few attempts to innovate by playing with time and warping characters around the joint and this is where Artemis Fowl is at its best, when nobody is speaking and the story isn’t being discussed. Outside of these small pieces however, the action is largely pretty terrible, lacking the CGI polish of similar Disney tentpoles.

It’s not even worth mentioning here that the film is set in Ireland, because the film needlessly beats you over the head with the fact so often that the phrase “Shut the four-leaf clover up” is actually uttered. Again, I’m not kidding. It’s a pity that the cast themselves didn’t get the Irish memo, as every character that attempts the accent invariably decides to abandon it in spots, particularly Fowl himself Ferdia Shaw. He is a young talent and still learning, so it can be forgiven but it is a jarring shift to go from an Irish accent to high class British as often as the shot changes, but that isn’t the worst offender. Josh Gad and Judi Dench, yes the esteemed Dame Judi Dench, have seemingly been given the direction to talk as if they have both a chest infection and a mouth full of marbles, as an excuse for gruff, world weary characters. The paycheck must have been good for Dench, who seems to despise every corny, nonsensical line she is forced to utter as the Head of Fairy Police and Holly Short’s mentor. Her presence brings a certain prestige to the picture, but it is clear that she is well past these CGI heavy roles and her tiredness shows in the performance. To his credit Josh Gad is the standout here, clearly going for something as the charmingly offbeat Mulch Diggums, a portly combination of Gimli from Lord of the Rings and Chris Pratt’s Star Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy. He is clearly having fun experimenting with the comedy here and whilst not all the choices pay off, his presence is a welcome distraction from the tedium of Artemis’ storyline.

Disney, 2020

What baffles me most about Artemis Fowl is the involvement of Kenneth Branagh in the directing duties. The film seemed robbed of all his sensibilities and style, an incredibly bland journey through a world begging to be a mash-up between Star Wars and Harry Potter and coming nowhere near the greatness of either of them. Branagh has said that he made numerous changes from the book and the finished product just doesn’t do anything to justify that decision, as we are forced to listen to huge chunks of exposition and fairy history at a time. He seems so preoccupied with the sheer scale and intricacies of the world that he has forgotten to actually adapt the book. Despite Josh Gad’s best efforts, Artemis Fowl is ultimately an incredibly boring and corny film that completely squanders the rich property it is based on and does nothing to bolster Disney+’s already scarce original content offerings. Do yourself a favour and avoid this one at all costs, unless you feel like a good 90 minute nap, of course.

Disney, 2020

Artemis Fowl stars Ferdia Shaw, Josh Gad, Judi Dench, Lara McDonnell, Nonso Anozie & Colin Farrell – Streaming on Disney+ now.

Categories
Movie Reviews

Onward

Disney, 2020

I get excited for a new Pixar movie. Almost everyone I know does. There’s something special about the studio that has created some of the best animated all movies of all time, something magic. Magic is certainly the name of the game with the studio’s latest release Onward – the story of two elf brothers living in a society where reality lives in harmony with fantasy, embarking on a cross-country road trip to retrieve a spell which can revive their father – and for the most part it succeeds, even if the story gets lost in some tropes and drags in the middle. Whilst it may not sit at the top of the pedestal of the studio’s releases, Pixar and director Dan Scanlon manage to bring enough heart and emotion to the story to carry you through the gorgeously animated environments. Combined with the terrific voice-work led by Chris Pratt and Tom Holland, clever pop-culture riffing jokes and that Pixar charm, Onward is a film more than worth your time; a solid addition to the Pixar canon, even if you won’t see yourself going back to it as often as some of their other classics.

Onward tells the story of Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (Chris Pratt), elf brothers who could not be more different in their personalities. Where Ian is shy and cautious in his approach to life, struggling to make friends and really stand out in his world, Barley is loud and bombastic, constantly getting into trouble as he crusades for the conservation of magical artefacts left over from ancient times, believing that magic could still be as prominent as it once was if people just believed again. On Ian’s 16th birthday, the boy’s mother Laurel (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) presents them with a gift from their father Wilden (Kyle Bornheimer), who died shortly before Ian was born: a magical staff from yesteryear. Powered by the Phoenix Gem Wilden has entrusted his sons, Ian discovers he has the ability to wield the staff, attempting to perform a spell of his father’s own design which will resurrect him for 24 hours to spend with his family. When Ian’s inexperience causes the spell to malfunction and the gem to shatter, the boy’s are left with a pair of sentient legs belonging to their father, and a quest to recover a long hidden Phoenix Gem in order to finish the spell and see their fully fleshed father.

Disney, 2020

A huge strength for Onward lies in the world building. Within the opening 10 minutes you have a complete understanding and appreciation for this extremely original concept: the melding of reality with fantasy. Trolls and Elves live in Mushroom houses on suburban streets, driving cars and playing video games just like the rest of us. Raccoons raiding garbage cans are replaced with rabid Unicorns and children attend school in a castle, learning everyday subjects like Maths and Sociology. It’s a clever device that adds a ton of charm to an otherwise fairly clichéd road trip buddy movie. You’ve seen the story enough to know that the boys will encounter troubles along the way and their relationship will be tested but you don’t care because everything around that story visually is just so delightful and jaw-dropping to look at. This extends to the jokes too, which for the most part, play off the unexpected, such as dangerous bikers in the form of 3 inch tall Pixies. One joke that doesn’t pay off so much however, is the character of Wilden, the boys father, or rather his legs, as he is seen as throughout the film. There’s something inherently stupid about seeing a pair of disembodied legs flailing around the place that elicits a giggle, but it gets old quickly for the older members of the audience, who admittedly, the film isn’t for, but Pixar adds enough jokes in for the adults to keep a smile on everyone’s faces.

The story is a different, more complicated beast. The central relationship between Ian and Barley is amazing, a true highlight that will leave you weeping openly in your seat in true Pixar fashion. Based on Dan Scanlon’s own family dynamic, there is a real focus on brotherly love and the lengths we go to as a family to stick together and that relationship works here in large part thanks to the casting of Pratt and Holland. The two Marvel superheroes have tremendous chemistry, really selling the brotherly bond and love between them, as well as the insecurities that go along with growing up without a father figure. As Ian struggles to find his path he looks up to his big brother, who is also struggling to move ahead without his father to guide him. Both actors deliver top notch performances, giving the story a lot of emotional weight and proving that their on-screen chops can easily translate to the animated space. This extends to the supporting cast too with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Octavia Spencer turning in solid work as the boy’s mother and a fearsome restaurant owning Manticore respectively. While they are good in the film, the storyline they are given isn’t as high quality. Acting as a kind-of dull side quest to the boy’s mission, Laurel and the Manticore attempt to track the brothers to stop them from unleashing an ancient curse. There’s some good banter between the two and an attempt at fleshing out the mother’s devotion to her children but the storyline really just detracts more than it entertains, cutting away from the boys and causing the whole film to lose momentum as a result.

Disney, 2020

Onward isn’t a particularly original film for Pixar. It follows the studio’s tried and tested formula of encasing a familial bond within an engaging story and world and letting the lessons and emotion come organically. We’ve seen it done before with Woody and Buzz in Toy Story and Mike and Sully in Monsters Inc. and for good reason: it works. Whilst Onward doesn’t reach the levels of those films, what makes it stand on its own is the packaging of a realistic world merged with the fantastical. It is the film’s greatest strength outside of Pratt and Holland, disguising the shortcomings of the narrative with sheer charm and jaw-dropping visuals. When the time comes to hit the audience with emotional punches, Onward lands them, bringing the journey to a satisfying close and making you happy you stuck through the sometimes unevenly paced story. It’s a ride well worth taking and whilst the plot may fade from your memory, the emotions you felt and the Pixar magic never will.

Disney, 2020

Onward stars Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus & Octavia Spencer – Available to purchase digitally worldwide and streaming on Disney + in America now and in Australia on April 24.

Categories
Movie Reviews

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Disney, 2019

The original Maleficent was a gamble for Disney back in 2014, being one of the first of what would become a seemingly endless stream of modern updates to animated classics. Based on the familiar tale of Sleeping Beauty, the film shook up the source’s story and characters to create an entirely new tale – one that became a template for several future Disney films in the following years. While the core plot itself was fairly standard, Maleficent found success with its darker tone, stunning visuals and a defining performance by Angelina Jolie as the titular sorceress. It’s been five years since the original, and we now find ourselves presented with its follow up fantasy sequel: Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. Aiming to build upon the foundations of its first chapter, the film certainly manages to go bigger and bolder the second time around. However, while it may be a longer and more brutal adventure than the original, the sequel suffers from a standard plot and pacing issues throughout – saved only by some amazing sights and the efforts of its three immensely talented leads.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil picks up several years after the events of the first film, with a grown Aurora (Elle Fanning) ruling over the enchanted woods and its creatures as the Moors’ human queen. When she’s asked for her hand in marriage by the neighbouring kingdom’s Prince Philip (a recasted Harris Dickinson), she quickly accepts. This doesn’t sit too well with Aurora’s godmother Maleficent (Angelina Jolie), who despises and distrusts all humans following some rough dealings with them in the past. This hatred is only fuelled upon meeting Philip’s mother, Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer), who seems intent on driving a wedge between Aurora and her adoptive mother. What follows these opening minutes is a lengthy adventure that never strays too far from this base concept. Where the film does attempt to move away from expectations or present something new, it often leads to drawn out and unnecessary world building – most of which amounts to very little in the grand scheme of things. It feels as if much of the story and plot devices were pulled together from a range of ideas and narratives, rather than developed as one cohesive tale that flows from beginning to end. The first film also covered almost all of the lore and events of the original Sleeping Beauty, and this has forced the sequel to get creative in places – albeit to mixed results.

Disney, 2019

Thankfully the original duo of Fanning and Jolie return to reprise their respective roles, and continue to do a fantastic job of carrying the audience through the adventure. Aurora becomes a fish-out-of-water for much of the film, struggling to balance the expectations of her new life, those she is charged with ruling over in her woodland home and the fury of her protective guardian. Fanning conveys these conflicts perfectly, bringing maturity and strength to her former role while also maintaining the charm of a young girl raised in an enchanted forest. Then comes Jolie, who once again appears to have been born to play the dark sorceress Maleficent. Stealing just about all of the film’s biggest scenes, her character commands every major conflict and challenge that the tale throws out. She’s the titular character for a reason, and her one of a kind performance is easily the film’s biggest redeeming feature.

Rising up to challenge Maleficent this time around is Michelle Pfeiffer’s Ingrith, queen of the kingdom bordering the Moors and Aurora’s soon to be mother-in-law. As expected, Pfeiffer brings an incredible amount of experience and pedigree to the powerful queen, creating a villain that does well to rival Jolie throughout the film. However Queen Ingrith is often a bit too heavy handed with the villainy, with some late attempts at explaining her behaviour doing little to justify how evil she eventually becomes. From the moment she steps on screen, she’s been written to be completely loathed by audiences at every turn. To be honest; Maleficent really didn’t need a second chapter, and creating one sees Pfeiffer’s character suffer from having to go from a complete unknown to a remorseless villain in a very short space of time.

Rounding out the cast is the Queen’s son Philip, who plays the typical Disney prince in search of his princess. Despite being re-casted following the first film, the switch to Harris Dickinson doesn’t hurt things too much and he does well to bring some life to his character’s limited scenes. Another returning character is Diaval (Sam Riley), who continues to act as Maleficent’s right hand and confidant. Riley’s screentime is as limited as it was in the first chapter, however he injects the film with a bit of charm and wit while also shedding light on Maleficent’s more guarded emotions. With so many characters already sharing the screen, it’s hard to imagine being able to expand the roster any further – however the film also manages to introduce two new faces in Conall (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Borra (Ed Skrein). For reasons I won’t spoil, the two share close ties to Maleficent herself and both attempt to make an ally of her for their own means. While the two actors do well in their respective roles, the characters themselves ultimately just exist to extend the plot further than it ever needed to be – again feeling like another product of a needless sequel. There’s also a significant amount of time given to developing these characters and their connection to Maleficent around the halfway point, which is at odds with an eventual conclusion that feels rushed and disjointed by comparison.

Disney, 2019

Yet while the extended runtime might not always be spot-on from a narrative perspective, it does give audiences more time to take in what is admittedly a beautiful looking film. The effects on display are some of the most vivid and realistic visuals seen in any recent fantasy epic, with lush green forests and grand castles completely capturing the Disney fairytale vibe. The woodland creatures are all intricately detailed and brought to life, and Jolie’s imposing black wings are so well done and perfectly woven into her movements, you’d swear she was born with them. These sights are in addition to the huge amount of costume and design work that has also gone into every piece of the film – many of which outdoing the already amazing work from the original. Maleficent’s horns and gowns are insanely well done, and are offset by Aurora’s floral numbers and Queen Ingrith’s outrageous pearl and jewel encrusted sets. While the excellent visual work doesn’t completely save the plot here, it certainly goes a long way in creating a sight worth seeing on the big screen.

All in all, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a fine attempt at a sequel that had no real reason to exist. Its three strong leads and beautiful world create a real spectacle alive with action and colour, however it’s unable to escape the basic plot and needlessly drawn out world building lying beneath it all. Fans of Jolie, Pfeiffer or Fanning and those who enjoyed the original will be the ones who stand to enjoy this the most, as the film doesn’t quite stand tall amongst some of the other strong stories that have been told in cinemas this year. Yet while it may not reach the starry heights that it was aiming for on its second outing, when Maleficent: Mistress of Evil does shine – it shines bright.

Disney, 2019

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil stars Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Harris Dickinson, Sam Riley, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Ed Skrein – In cinemas now.