The Commuter (2018)

There was a time when I loved watching action flicks, especially those starring Liam Neeson. I don’t know why but I just loved the man. I no longer am a fan of those movies and I think Neeson is at his best when he is far away from the action —Schindler’s List, Love, Actually— but I decided to check out The Commuter anyway as it looked like a silly movie to enjoy during the holidays. Silly, it is. Enjoyable, not so much.

The film follows Michael MacCauley (Liam Neeson), a former cop turned insurance salesman. He goes through the same routine every day, a routine that includes taking the same commuter train and interacting with the other commuters. One day he’s fired from his job and, on his way home, he is approached by a woman (Vera Farmiga) who offers him £ 100,000 to identify which passenger does not belong.

In other words, it’s basically the plot to Non-Stop, only it takes place on a train instead of a plane. It is utterly ridiculous, clichéd and beyond predictable —I knew that twist would come right from the start because you don’t use that actor for a few minutes only. Unless you have the people who are watching your film for that actor. It’s got so many holes, it could beat Swiss cheese in a holes competition if there was such a thing.

The worst part is the main character though. At the beginning, Michael MacCauley is established as an average, ordinary guy who has commuted to work on the same train every working day for 10 years. So when he finds himself in that situation, I was intrigued. Unfortunately, we learn pretty soon that he is a former cop and he ends up being the same, uninteresting character Liam Neeson has been playing for the past 10 years, the one-dimensional badass. The problem? Neeson is 66-year-old —he plays a 60-year-old dude here though— and he is just not believable as someone who beats the shit out of a fit 45-year-old man. 

StudioCanal UK, Lionsgate

As for the supporting characters, they are forgettable to say the least as they have no development nor characterization whatsoever. The performances are just as forgettable. Also, why waste Jonathan Banks and Elizabeth McGovern with characters that are barely in the film?

The action isn't that good either. Actually, The Commuter would have done better without the action sequences since they are pretty dull and unexciting. As for the visuals, they are pretty dreadful. Overall, the film is just a huge disappointment, as it's not nearly as enjoyable and entertaining as a Collet-Serra/Neeson action flick usually is.

Aquaman (2018)

I love superhero flicks but usually, I'm more excited about MCU than DCEU as the latter often turn out to be not so good while the first, while pretty much all identical, are entertaining. It's different with Aquaman. I was over-the-top excited about it —entirely because of Jason Momoa at first; also because of James Wan after watching some of his horror flicks. 

The story follows Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), the son of a lighthouse keeper, Thomas Curry (Temuera Morrison), and the princess of Atlantis, Atlanna (Nicole Kidman). When he learns that his half-brother, Orm Marius (Patrick Wilson), seeks to unite the seven underwater kingdoms to declare war to the surface world, Arthur must step forward and fulfil his destiny of becoming king.

The plot is rather thin and predictable —aren’t most of superhero origin stories, though?—, it doesn’t always make sense —actually, it’s straight stupid at times, like when Arthur lifts a church’s wall to free a man and then the guy runs away like nothing had happened—, it isn’t always consistent with the events of the other DCEU movies and some things are left unexplained —what’s the story behind Arthur’s tattoos?— and yet it manages to be an engaging and compelling story that, unlike most if not all superhero flicks, addresses, even if in a shallow way —it’s still a superhero movie—, a real-life issue, ocean pollution.

Unlike the story, which is very easy to follow, the characters can be a little confusing at times as they are poorly introduced and it isn't always easy to understand what's the connection between them, especially if you are not familiar with the Aquaman comic books. Also, they feel rushed and because of it, I didn't care much about the romance between Arthur and Mera as there isn't much of an emotional connection between them. The main villain, however, Arthur's half-brother, is such a good one as he is moved by actual motives—he blames Arthur for their death of their mother and wants to declare war to humans because they are destroying his home, the oceans.

The cast really elevates the film. Because of Jason Momoa who brings to the character tons of charisma, Arthur is a very compelling and likeable lead. He is not a guy to make fun of which often happens in pop culture; he is strong and brave and he can beautifully pull off a cocky attitude while still remaining very likeable, a character you care about and root for. Nicole Kidman does a wonderful job as Atlanna and her serious approach to the character, along with her chemistry with Momoa, delivers the a sweet, heartwarming and kind of moving moment. Patrick Wilson does a nice job as the entitled King Orm and makes it even harder to root against him. Amber Heard, on the other hand, gives a pretty weak performance as Mera.

Warner Bros. Pictures

It's visually though that Aquaman truly blew me away. The cinematography is gorgeous —some underwater shots are breathtakingly beautiful—, the special effects are solid —the underwater hair looks goddamn awful though— and the editing is top notch. The visuals don't lose a beat not even when it comes to the action, which is always exciting and entertaining. The soundtrack is also pretty beautiful and, fight me, I dare you, Pitbull's Ocean to Ocean is great.

Sure, it's not perfect but it's easily the best, funnier and most entertaining superhero flick of 2018. Again, fight me, I dare you.

The Switch (2010)

I wanted to watch The Switch about a month ago but somehow —I blame Patrick Wilson and the short title—I ended up watching The Ledge instead, which was quite the opposite of the light romantic comedy I was expecting to see. I double-checked this time and I was finally able to watch it. 

The film revolves around Wally (Jason Bateman), a neurotic man who has a hard time finding his soulmate, and his best friend Kassie (Jennifer Aniston), who decides to get artificially inseminated. Wally doesn't like the idea, mainly because he's in love with her though he hasn't realised it yet. At Kassie's insemination party, he gets drunk, he accidentally dumps the donor's (Patrick Wilson) sperm in the sink and decides to replace it with his own. He forgets completely about it, and Kassie leaves New York as she doesn't feel like it's the right place to raise a child. Seven years later, she comes back with her son Sebastian (Thomas Robinson) and Wally starts to notice striking resemblances between the boy and himself. In the meantime, Kassie becomes intimate with Roland, the sperm donor. 

Yes, the plot is lame and predictable, it's filled with holes and nonsense —my biggest issue, how are Wally and Kassie not together in the first place? It's clear right from the beginning that they are perfect for each other—, and the hurried ending is lazy writing at its best, the proof the writer was so done with it, he tried to end it as soon as he could. Or maybe he's just not a good writer. Either way, the story is quite engaging and I did end up rooting for Wally.

That may have something to do with the fact that I love Jason Bateman though. He yet again proves himself to be a wonderful leading man as he is oddly charming and has impeccable timing. The chemistry he has with Jennifer Aniston is great, which is why it doesn't make sense for them to not be together, but the chemistry he has with Thomas Robinson is even greater and makes their interaction very pleasant to watch. Aniston, on the other hand, isn't that good as she gives yet another bland, uncompelling comedic performance. Good thing the film focuses more on Bateman's character as opposed to hers.

Miramax Films

As for the comedy part, don't expect The Switch to make you laugh your ass off because it won't. It does, on the other hand, have that light and kind of heartwarming humour that puts a smile on your face from most of the film's running time. There still are a few laughs here and there —basically whenever Jeff Goldblum is on screen. Seriously, every single word that comes out of that man's mouth is funny.

Ultimately, while the writing is a mess, the film is fun to watch as it's humorous and occasionally touching. It's not the best romantic comedy out there, but it isn't the worst either, and it's definitely worth watching if you like Bateman or Goldblum.

The Ledge (2011)

I must be retarded or something because I wanted to watch The Switch, yep, the romantic comedy starring Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston, but I ended up watching The Ledge, a thriller starring three very bangable actors instead. Or perhaps it's because Patrick Wilson is in both and the short titles confused me. 

Either way, the film is about two men who intersect each other on the ledge of a skyscraper: one man, Gavin (Charlie Hunnam), is about to jump, the other man, Hollis (Terrence Howard), is the detective trying to talk him out of it. At first, it looks like a regular suicide attempt but it quickly relieves to be way more complex than that as Gavin starts telling his story and explains to Hollis why he has no other choice than to jump. 

I don't want to spoil it for you so I won't add anything else about the plot. Although there's really nothing to ruin here as the potentially compelling and thrilling story is poorly executed and filled with pretty needless subplots —Howard's character finding out that he's been sterile his entire life and yet having two kids with his wife; and the drama with Gavin's gay roomate— that aren't nearly as compelling as the main storyline, which isn't the most compelling of stories either. 

The problem is that Matthew Chapman —director and writer— made a movie about faith and morals, provided a Christianity vs Atheism argument without really exploring it, only presenting pretty common arguments. I'm an atheist like Chapman but I would fairly represent both sides. There's no point in making a philosophical film like this one and then categorize all religious people as homophobic, small-minded bigots —whether it's Christianity or Judaism, all the religions get an unfair treatment here. Instead of saying that people can do good or bad things regardless of their philosophical orientation —something I firmly believe in—, it says that Atheists do good things, religious people do bad things. This film delivers one of the most biased messages ever.

IFC Films, OMC

The characters are another problem. They have very little development and they backstories are pretty contrived and unconvincing —they are too extreme to fit with the rest of the script and this takes away from the film's realism. The villain, however, Joe the Christian is quite a compelling and sympathetic one and the credits go to Patrick Wilson for his solid performance. As for the other leads, Charlie Hunnam is not believable in the role of the sweet and emotional guy; Terrence Howard gives a somewhat empty performance, if that makes any sense; Liv Tyler isn't that great either —you get to see her boobs though if you're interested— and her chemistry with Hunnam is nearly non-existent as they send this awkward and uncomfortable vibe when they are together.

Summing it all up, The Ledge is a boring, non-tense thriller that isn't really worth watching unless you love, like insanely love one of the actors, or are one of those Atheists people, myself included, hates.

Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)

I think we can all agree Insidious is no horror masterpiece. Despite this and the fact that sequels are usually disappointing, I was expecting Insidious: Chapter 2 to be a solid horror. You know, it's still directed by James Wan, the same guy, Upgrade's Leigh Whannell, wrote it,  and the cast is pretty much the same. And I couldn't have been more wrong. 

The film picks up where the previous left, with Renai (Rose Byrne) being interrogated by a police detective (Michael Beach) about the death of Elise (Lin Shaye). While the police continue their investigation, the Lamberts move in with Josh's (Patrick Wilson) mother, Lorraine (Barbara Hershey), and try to put everything behind them. However, the spirit world isn't done with them yet. 

And we, the audience, have to sit through an incredibly painful film whose plot is complicated, filled with holes and completely ridiculous. In fact, it makes absolutely no sense (I'm still trying to swallow the whole time-travelling ghosts thing). There are some twists, one of which is quite interesting, but unfortunately, they raise more questions than they answer from the first film.

The characters are pretty much the same of the first film, and they are just as bad. They have no development, they say and do the dumbest things, and those two paranormal specialists, Leigh Whannell's Specs and Angus Sampson's Tucker, couldn't get any more annoying than this as they provide the perfect amount of comic relief to kill the atmosphere in any horror movie. 

Unlike in the first time, when the cast somehow managed to do a good job despite the poor script, here the actors are barely decent. While Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson still do a nice job as Renai and Josh Lambert, especially the latter as he does creepy/psycho very well, the rest of them is meh. 

FilmDistrict

At least the direction from James Wan is still good. Despite the annoying comedy I mentioned above, there's a creepy, eerie atmosphere for a nice amount of the running time and there's a decent amount of tension throughout the film; the camera work has improved; and the scares, although some are so cheesy and over the top, decently work. And the make-up is pretty good. The special effects, on the other hand, are kinda cheap. 

Insidious (2010)

I almost watched Insidious many years ago when I mistook it for Ingenious, a dramedy starring Jeremy Renner which was awful by the way. As soon as I realised it was the wrong movie, a horror moreover, I put it off. Today, since I enjoyed James Wan's Conjuring movies, I decided to check out this series. 

This first film follows the Lambert family, Josh (Patrick Wilson), his wife Renai (Rose Byrne) and their three children, two boys, Dalton (Ty Simpkins) and Foster (Andrew Astor), and a little girl, Cali, after they move into a new home. One night, while exploring the attic, Dalton falls from the ladder and hits the head on the floor. The next morning, he is in a comatose state. Three months later, horrible things start happening in the house, Renai believes the house is haunted and asks the help of Elise Rainer (Lin Shaye), a medium and paranormal investigator. 

It basically starts off as your typical haunted house story; actually, it's your typical, simple and rather predictable haunted house story there are several elements of it that don't quite make sense and yet it still manages to pull off some interesting twists and turns, specifically at the end, and keep you interested as the story unfolds the characters explain the plot to you.

As for the characters, they are quite a mess aka your typical horror movie characters. They lack development and personality, and couldn't possibly get any more generic than this: the possessed kid, the mother/wife who can see the demons, the clueless father/husband who stays away from home as much as possible for God only knows what reason --does he have an affair with a student? Or is he just fed up with it all?--, the creepy/menacing mother-in-law and the, of course, the medium.

The cast does exactly what one would expect them to do with such a poor script, they struggle but they somehow manage to stay afloat. Rose Byrne gives a sympathetic and believable performance as the mother, and Patrick Wilson expresses his character's feelings pretty well. Lin Shaye has a great screen presence which gets her the work done.

FilmDistrict

James Wan's direction is what elevates Insidious, what makes it a little bit better than your average horror. Although The Conjuring has a way more interesting and stylish camera work that did wonders for it, the atmosphere Wan has created here is still pretty creepy. The tension and suspense throughout the film are more than decent and they deliver genuine chills and scares. Also, there's absolutely no blood and gore, and there's very little violence.

Ultimately, Insidious is not as good as The Conjuring but at least this time having a sequel makes sense. Three sequels though? You'll know in the next few days.

The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

I have mixed feelings about Joel Schumacher as I loved Phone Booth and Tigerland, but I hated Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. Ergo, although Katy said very nice things about it in her Against the Crowd blogathon entry, I didn't know what to expect from The Phantom of the Opera.

The film tells the story of a disfigured man known only as the Phantom (Gerard Butler) who lives beneath the Paris Opera House. He falls deeply in love with Christine Daae (Emmy Rossum), a talented and young chorus singer, and starts tutoring her while terrorizing the rest of the opera house and demanding leading roles to be always given to her. When Christine meets back up with her childhood friend, Viscount Raoul de Chagny (Patrick Wilson), and they fall in love, the Phantom, insane with jealousy, kidnaps her.

I never saw the original stage musical nor read the French novel upon which it's based on so I wasn't very familiar with the story whose execution turned out to be a huge disappointment. I don't know who is to be blamed for it, but it doesn't make a lot of sense, especially the ending --if the opera house burned down, how come there's no sign of a fire at the beginning of the film as it start in 1919 and then goes back to 1870?--, it is cheesy and predictable, simply not compelling enough to keep me interested. It is pretty much a boring love triangle story with a little bit of insanity.

I found the characters to be just as uncompelling. They are just a bunch of stereotypes with no depth, not even a personality --Minnie Driver's Carlotta, the opera house diva, is the only with some and she was fun-ish to watch. There isn't a single sympathetic character and because of that, I didn't care about any of them at all.

And the performances, oh boy they are bad. Emmy Rossum has such a lovely singing voice and her acting isn't terrible as she manages to convey the character's fragility, but she is not entirely believable as she often does things that don't make a lot of sense --surely, the blame is on Schumacher. Gerard Butler is absolutely terrible. His singing sounds like that from a drunk on karaoke night --he should have taken some singing lessons; his acting is bad as always. Patrick Wilson's performance is nothing short of bland. Miranda Richardson as Madame Giry is the only who gives a decent performance and for some unknown reason, the only with a French accent. Dear Schumacher, if you do accents, then everyone has them, not only one person.

Warner Bros. Pictures, Odyssey Entertainment

However, Schumacher's The Phantom of the Opera isn't a complete misfire. The songs, although some feel forced and the lip sync is off, are pretty good, both lyric and singing wise, and I really appreciate that the cast, with the only exception of Minnie Driver, does their own singing. 

At last, the visual aspect is nothing short of great. The cinematography is unique and charming. The colours are vibrant and the use of colour and black and white is interesting --the present, 1919, is in black an white; the past, 1870, is in colour. And the sets, scenery and costumes are gorgeous.

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

If you have read yesterday's review then you already know that The Conjuring blew me away. I don't remember the last time a movie scared me that much. Actually, I don't believe it ever happened. That, the recurring cast, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, and the recurring director, James Wan, set my hopes pretty high for The Conjuring 2.

Just like the previous film, this one too is based on true events and follows Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) as they travel to London, England, where a single mother, Peggy Hodgson (Frances O'Connor), and her four children are being haunted by an unknown, evil entity who eventually posses the second oldest daughter, Janet (Madison Wolfe).

And just like in The Conjuring, the plot is a chaotic mess. Once again we have the typical haunted house storyline, and then a subplot involving another demonic presence --the nun tormenting the Warrens as opposed to Annabelle. There's a quite brilliant twist at the end though that connects the various plot elements and makes the plot, specifically the ending, work better than it did in the first time. Unfortunately, unlike the first time, the story wasn't compelling enough to keep me interested, and by the time the twist came, I was bored out of my mind.

The characters are still pretty good though. Just like its predecessor, The Conjuring 2 takes the time needed to build and develop its characters and the result is likeable and believable characters we care about and root for.

And once again the cast does a good job. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are both great as Ed and Lorraine and their great chemistry really makes the film work as the film heavily relies on their characters' relationship. Also, Wilson sings an Elvis song and he is amazing. However, it's Madison Wolfe who stands out with her vulnerable and frightening performance as Janet.

Warner Bros. Pictures

At last, James Wan direction is still pretty good as the camera work is still excellent and the atmosphere and tension he delivers throughout the film is quite impressive, especially considering the not so brilliant story. However, the film isn't as scary as its predecessor was. Maybe it's because instead of amazing makeup and costumes, it heavily relies on non-so good and unrealistic CGI that is rather distracting; or because every time something scary was happening, Wan cut to the next scene before something really scary happened.

The Conjuring (2013)

I'll start this by saying that I'm an atheist, I don't believe in paranormal activities and therefore I don't like to waste my time with paranormal horror movies. But there's someone in the blogosphere *cough*Margaret*cough* who keeps praising James Wan so I decided to watch one of his most loved films, The Conjuring. 

As you probably know the film is based on true events and tells the story of the Perron family who shortly after moving into their "new" dilapidated farmhouse in Rhode Island begins to experience paranormal events. Fearful, they ask for the help of Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga), two paranormal investigators that soon discover there's a witch haunting the house and the area surrounding it.

The plot certainly isn't the film's greatest strength as it lacks originality and it's a little all over the place. The main storyline, the one you just read, is pretty much your typical haunted house story and as such, it's clichéd and predictable. Everything else is quite a mess as there's too much going on --the Annabelle doll, the melodrama between and Ed and Lorraine as they want to stop doing their job but they also want to continue because helping other is their mission from God-- and nothing really gets the conclusion it deserves. And yet there's something about it that was so compelling it kept me interested and invested in The Conjuring for the whole time.

The characters are definitely one of those compelling aspects. Unlike most horrors nowadays, this film takes its time to get the audience know its characters, both the Warrens and the Perrons, which makes them more interesting and relatable than your average horror characters. We get invested in them, we care about them, and we root for them.

It wouldn't be fair to praise only the writers for this as the reason they are so effective is the cast. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are both excellent as the husband and wife --they do a great job at exploring their characters and their chemistry is pretty good. The rest of the cast does a good job too, the stand out being Lili Taylor as Carolyn Perron whose transition from innocent and loving mother to terrifying monster.

Warner Bros. Pictures

At last but not least director James Wan, the man without whom The Conjuring wouldn't be the same --I'm not sure it would even work without him. Wan was able to give the film a 70s look which makes it feel very authentic and real. His stylish camera work which includes tracking shots and very creative angles --I loved when he turned the camera upside down-- gives the film such a creepy, haunting and frightening atmosphere. He builds tension and delivers terror beautifully and, while there still are jump scares, they are effective because they have a reason to be there. Also, there's no sex, no gore and no cursing, isn't that refreshing for a horror?

Ultimately, The Conjuring isn't perfect but it's pretty terrifying. As I said above, I don't believe in these things but I was genuinely scared while watching the film. It sent chills down my spine several times, I'm not kidding.