Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

It’s no secret that an overwhelming majority found Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice disappointing or worse. Since its debut in cinemas, the social forums went ablaze with audiences tearing the film apart, its avid supporters sending death threats, and Warner Brothers doing their best to put out the fires, biding time and hoping that the situation would blow over. That wouldn’t turn out to be the case as, despite having a strong opening weekend, its box office takings dropped by a massive 69% the following weekend and the movie became a super-rich flop by barely reaching $900 million. It may have united the World’s Finest, but it completely divided everyone else.

The fact of the matter is that what we got, in its theatrical state, was just an average movie that got a lot right yet got so much wrong with a hell of a lot of missed or wasted opportunities. In the areas of performances, action, cinematography, VFX work, and music, it succeeded with flying colours. However, the movie just got sorely bogged down by its joyless tone, contrived character motivations, multitudes of plot holes and idiotic lapses in logic, Superman being turned into a plot device in order to glorify Batman, Jesse Eisenberg’s terrible interpretation of Lex Luthor (who should’ve been called Lunatic Larry!), and shoehorning in the Doomsday storyline for no reason at all. It started out phenomenally thanks to its bravura opening 10 minutes that really packed an emotional punch, but even though the movie occasionally reached those levels (maybe three or four times), these were simply just far and few between as a result of its convoluted narrative. It genuinely felt as though you were watching five different movies at the same time without any clear connection or fluid segue, which just made a lot of scenes feel disjointed or out of place.

Before and after the movie came out, there was a lot of hype and speculation surrounding the 3-hour ‘Ultimate Edition’, which was designed to flesh out the story more and add much deeper context to proceedings. It also got people thinking in their minds if it was the studio that mucked up the flow of the film in post-production and therefore ruined Zack Snyder’s vision. Truthfully, the Ultimate Edition does provide a somewhat better experience, however, it still doesn’t correct all the crucial fundamental flaws the movie still suffers from. Some plot holes and contrivances still remain intact, Lex Luthor is still poorly represented with his plan still being convoluted, and the storyline surrounding Doomsday still feels forced. Yet, it does provide more context surrounding the confrontation between Batman and Superman with Clark Kent being an actual reporter and investigating Batman, plus Superman gets more emotional depth here than he did in the Theatrical Cut. The Africa sequence gets fleshed out more, as does the fallout with the African woman testifying against Superman (or is she?), and Luthor’s plan gets a bit more context to it, although that’s not saying much.

In the end, the Ultimate Edition of Batman v Superman is the only recommendable way to watch this movie in order to gain a better experience, yet it still can’t disguise the fact that this film is just a case of Snyder, DC Films and Warner Bros. cramming in everything and blowing their load early as a means of getting the forthcoming Justice League movie out the door quickly in order to compete with Marvel Studios, which they shouldn’t have to. These characters are so iconic and have resonated with audiences worldwide for decades, so this movie should’ve been so much more than what we’ve received and the fact that it’s only okay makes it even more disappointing. Hell, the fact that this movie was delayed by nearly a year and the end result, regardless of the Ultimate Edition, is still the best they could achieve is baffling to this day. However, with DC Films recently going through a major shakeup behind the scenes, perhaps a brighter future is in store. After all, the night is darkest before the dawn…

Special Features: Eleven featurettes

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE (ULTIMATE EDITION) / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: ZACK SNYDER / SCREENPLAY: CHRIS TERRIO, DAVID S. GOYER / STARRING: BEN AFFLECK, HENRY CAVILL, GAL GADOT, JESSE EISENBERG, AMY ADAMS, JEREMY IRONS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

When CBS announced plans to develop a Supergirl-based TV show, many longtime comic book fans were a little skeptical. Would a character who is so often draped in her cousin’s imposing shadow make for an entertaining and engaging focus for a series? Would casual viewers have any interest in Kara Zor El? And would, much like the recent cinematic incarnation of her cousin, the show end up as a bit of a dud? Let’s find out.

As the first episode of Supergirl opens, we’re thrown right into the mixer as we see Kara publically use her powers for the first time, heroically saving a damaged airplane as it hurtles towards the ground. The scene is reminiscent of the early (and best) moments of Bryan Singer’s ill-fated Superman Returns, and it certainly introduces us to the show’s heroine in a major, major way. Flash forward 15 minutes and we’re seeing the Girl of Steel trying out a host of would-be superhero costumes as she embarks on her journey to fulfilling her potential and becoming the protector of National City. Of course, where there’s heroes there’s always villains, and these initially appear in the form of Kara’s Aunt Astra and the nefarious Luthor-lite Max Lord, but there’s also the prospect of many a villain-of-the-week sort due to a plethora of Kryptonian rogues being released to run amok on the city and surrounding areas. Luckily for Kara, though, she has some pals to help her out in her mission to fight the good fight.

First and foremost, let’s just say that Supergirl is very much a comic book show in its truest form; it’s big, brash, larger-than-life, brimming with colourful characters both in terms of appearance and personality, and it may well divide many of its potential audience. Most importantly, though, it’s fun! As Kara Danvers/Kara Zor-El, Supergirl, Glee’s Melissa Benoist is an absolute charm, masterfully encapsulating the innocence, optimism and hope of the show’s titular heroine. Added to that, her nerdy day job (as an assistant at CatCo Worldwide Media) and everyday awkwardness makes her as cute as an online cat video. The bigger topic, however, is whether the show actually works. And the answer to that question is a resounding “yes” for the most part.

Sure, as is often the case with superhero shows, there’s plenty of formulaic episodes crammed with weekly rogues designed to be nothing more than merely fodder for Supergirl to demonstrate her ever-developing powers on, but the show manages to dilute these elements by still progressing the overall narrative of the season and of Kara’s story with each passing episode. In addition to this, the excellent Benoist is joined by a stellar cast of supporting characters; Chyler Leigh is Alex Danvers, the Earth sister of Kara and someone who is a focussed, driven badass of her own as she works as part of a covert government agency; Mehcad Brooks is a far-too-suave Jimmy Olsen than many may be used to, but he still manages to make it work; Jeremy Jordan is Kara’s BFF and resident IT bod Winn Schott… son of a certain Toyman; Calista Flockhart is the fierce, ferocious, scenery-devouring owner of CatCo, Cat Grant; Peter Facinelli is the charming Max Lord, a power hungry sort who wishes to rule the world and even puts a “Bizarro” threat in Supergirl’s way; and David Harewood is the mysterious Hank Henshaw, who has a past that will intrigue many a longtime DC fan. Oh, and there’s even some Super-alumni in there in the form of former Superman Dean Cain and former Supergirls Helen Slater and Laura Vandervoort. Plus, did we mention there’s a so-fantastic-it-hurts appearance from Grant Gustin’s Flash?

Supergirl may not be for everyone, and in fairness the season’s second half maybe feels a little dragged out – likely as a result of the season order being upped from 13 episodes to 20 midway through production – but those who like their superheroes to be very much loud-and-proud of their cape and tights will find the Maid of Might’s debut season to be an enjoyable rollercoaster of a ride as the cousin of the Man of Steel firmly steps out of his looming shadow and gets her wings.

Special Features: 2015 Comic-Con Panel / Two featurettes / Gag reel / Deleted scenes

SUPERGIRL: SEASON 1 / CERT: 12 / CREATOR: GREG BERLANTI, ANDREW KREISBERG, ALI ADLER / STARRING: MELISSA BENOIST, CHYLER LEIGH, MEHCAD BROOKS, JEREMY JORDAN, CALISTA FLOCKHART, DAVID HAREWOOD / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
 

A turkey with vegetables.

That is about the best way to describe Return of the Killer Tomatoes, a tack-fest so rooted in the ‘80s and which doesn’t deserve the Blu-Ray treatment by Arrow Video, who have done a blinding job of restoring the likes of the Fulci and Argento classics and two excellent releases in Tobe Hooper’s The Funhouse (1981) and Philip Kaufman’s seminal 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Then again…

If you are a die-hard George Clooney fan with an overwhelmingly determined air about you who wants to catch some of his early work, then you might find something of value in this movie that doesn’t quite know what it is supposed to be but tries so hard to be (follow us) a movie within a movie within a Mystery Science Theater presentation. Made in 1988, it has many references to the in-people of the time, like John Rambo and Oliver North. When Chad (Anthony Starke) turns to the director in the scene and asks “When will this turkey will be over?”, you get a sense that this is the work of a desperate bunch of filmmakers. They clearly were trying to be clever, and to a degree there is still something of potential within this debacle. In hindsight, there is a hint of what was to come by George Clooney (such irony occurs in a running gag where he tries to get gullible girls to partake in a scam where he tries to offer a prize of a date with Rob Lowe (this was pre-Oscars 1989 and his infamous hotel dalliances)).

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, for a bit of historical background, was one of the first pre-VRA releases by Media Home Entertainment, who also released the first UK editions of Assault on Precinct 13 and Halloween. Return of the Killer Tomatoes, however, is a weird and not particularly wonderful mix of send-up and homage that is neither funny ha-ha or funny peculiar.

The plot, such as it is, involves Professor Gangrene (John Astin) who is out to create an army of superbeings through a Frankenstein-esque laboratory using a fusion of electricity and tomatoes. Mullet-haired hunk Matt (Clooney) works in a pizza place and seems to be living life after what became known as ‘The Tomato War’. Predictably, tomatoes are taking human form, notably in a girl called Tera, which Chad (Starke) delivers a pizza to and then falls in love with.

In all fairness, there really isn’t much of a plot here. As mentioned, it seems to be a way of harnessing a whole load of visual gags that were a little flat in their execution. It could have been funnier, and if the Zucker Brothers had been involved it could have been a neat companion piece to Kentucky Fried Movie, which is another film Arrow has just championed on one of their Blu-ray special editions. But as it stands, Return of the Killer Tomatoes doesn’t come close to satisfying the audience in the way that gags like “Feel-A-Round” and “That’s Armageddon” did in that comedy classic.

We don’t want to discourage anyone from watching it, but Clooney addicts might do well to watch this one Saturday night very drunk and full of kebab in a double-bill with Batman & Robin and realize that that film wasn’t at all bad.

It is also a classic example of how High-Definition doesn’t improve a movie, merely heightens the amateurish quality of filmmaking like this, made at a time when many an enterprising indie producer thought they could create something out of nothing.

RETURN OF THE KILLER TOMATOES / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: JOHN DE BELLO / SCREENPLAY: STEPHEN ANDRICH, JOHN DE BELLO, COSTA DILLON, J. STEPHEN PEACE / STARRING: JOHN ASTIN, ANTHONY STARKE, GEORGE CLOONEY, KAREN M. WALDRON, STEVE LUNDQVIST / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Rainer Fassbinder’s 1974 adaptation of
late 19th century ‘realist’ novel ‘Effi Briest’ came when the themes of the
book were once again pertinent in Germany, around the time of student protests
of the late 1960s and the worldwide women’s rights movement.  It might
have initially seemed an odd choice for Fassbinder to make this intensely emotionally-restrained
piece at the same time he was openly exploring themes of sexuality and
prejudice in his Douglas Sirk inspired dramas.  Like Scorcese with Age of
Innocence, however, the film focuses on the underlying emotional violence
people inflict on each other.  

The titular Effi is a teenage girl
approaching womanhood who is married off to a former suitor of her
mother.  Naively hoping for a romantic fairytale, at the same time she
admits to being attracted to danger.  Instead Effi experiences stultifying
routine, loneliness and a husband who is kind but essentially unknowable to
her.  Initially a source of gossip, not even that can be sustained in the
tiny town Effi calls home.  As Effi’s loneliness and disconnect grows she
starts to get close to a friend of her husband and this ultimately paves the
way years later to tragedy.  

Fassbinder carefully frames the often
static shots and then adds frames within frames, using doorways, windows,
mirrors and the frequent statues which fill Effi’s seaside home and Berlin
apartment and threaten to move more than the actors themselves, effectively
suggesting the restrictions characters are placed under by sex, class and
society.  Filmed beautifully in black and white, many of the shots could
be paintings, so delicately and deliberately are they composed. The pace is
also deliberate, and frequent dissolves make it more a series of linked
vignettes than a flowing narrative. Mostly minimal dialogue is supported with
narration by Fassbinder himself. 

As all the characters are remote from
each other, so they are from the audience.  There’s no one to really like
or care about and emotional investment becomes difficult to maintain. 
It’s not a short piece either, and at over two glacial hours in length it starts
to become truly patience testing.  There seems two ways to experience this
film, firstly that it’s a piece of beautifully filmed and acted art that it is
often mesmerising, made with great care and passion by a talented
filmmaker.  As an engaging experience it’s also often too portentous,
ponderous and arguably dull.  Apparently both the book and film are still
regularly taught in German schools and understandably so.  And there’s the
rub: this is a film almost built for film class – to be deconstructed, to have
its themes and approach explored, to have context and subtext endlessly debated
until the lesson is done.  If Starburst was at that class, much as with
this gorgeous but distant film, we’d be glad when it was over.  In fact,
after this it’s time for a cinematic palette cleanser.  Dirty Harry it is.

Special Features: Commentary, interviews and trailer.

EFFI BRIEST (1974) / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: RAINER WERNER FASSBINDER /  STARRING: HANNA SCHYGULLA, WOLFGANG SCHENCK, ULLI LOMMEL, LILO PEMPEIT, HERBERT STEINMETZ / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
 

Hakkenden:
Eight dogs of the east is about a boy with the spirit of a living sword
inhabiting his right arm. Because of this spirit he and his friends find
themselves pursued by the imperial church.
In their attempt to save a friend kidnapped by the church they come across
people who have interacted with spirits in a variety of ways. 

In anime the first series is often used as a way to establish the
personality of the main characters, and to reveal something of the world they
inhabit before the anime gets to what will be the meat of the show in terms of
antagonist, situation and
plot. In this regard Hakkeneden: Eight Dogs of the East is no different.  The
thirteen episodes in this first series choose to focus their attention on
telling us a little about the main characters, showing us how they meet and
putting them through a few, largely unconnected adventures. This series does
have something of a main mission for the characters but this is something that
only really comes  up at the end of the series.  

The benefit of this approach is that the audience is able to feel more
familiar with the main cast. It also serves as a way of ensuring that we aren’t
flooded with new information. Because of this when viewers get to series 2 the
writers will be able to delve into the more bizarre elements of the show with
confidence.  

These strange elements give Hakkenden
a fairy tale like feel. Just like a
fairy tale the show can be
dark, and intriguing one moment, and quiet and wistful the
next. This balance of tone is highlighted best by the character Shino Inuzuka.
Thanks to the strange spirit in his arm he hasn’t aged physically in
five years and appears to be around 13 despite being an 18 year old man. He has
more experience than his years shows and can be quite contemplative as a
person. At the same time he is still undoubtedly a child and this aspect of his
personality provides for a lot of the humour in the show.  

All of these elements are supported by a beautiful art style. The
visuals are sharp and striking, with bold colours. This
is especially true when Hakkenden delves into its more horror like elements.  

Hakkenden: Eight dogs of the east is an anime for people who love
stories about powerful demons and mysterious spirits. If you are looking for a
new fairy tale to enjoy then this will be the anime for you. It reveals
information to the viewers at just the right pace to
keep things interesting, and mysterious.  

LANDMINE GOES CLICK

Now here’s something a little different, but really quite special – a fascinating series of intimate face-to-face interviews with twelve of Britain’s best-loved actors, spanning everything from their childhoods to their earliest experiences in theatre, television and film, to their greatest accomplishments and the multitude of famous names they have worked with. It’s a six DVD set but don’t let that put you off. Each and every one of these interviews is wonderful, and at least two or three of the interviewees will be of particular interest to STARBURST readers.

So, who’s in the line-up? Well, in no particular order, it’s Joss Ackland, Michael Medwin, Vera Day, Julian Glover, Michael Craig, Roy Dotrice, Sarah Miles, Lee Montague, Michael Jayston, Derren Nesbitt, Freddie Jones and Shirley Anne Field, and since we don’t have the space to recount each of their conversations in detail, here are some of the highlights:

Shirley Anne Field remembering Michael Gough, The Horrors of the Black Museum and a nerve-wracking dinner date with Frank Sinatra; Freddie Jones discussing the bizarre Marat Sade and working with Clint Eastwood on Firefox; Vera Day’s memories of working with Olivier and Monroe on The Prince and the Showgirl (and the fan hysteria surrounding The Woman Eater!); and Julian Glover revealing how a compliment from Spielberg during Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade probably jinxed his American film career. And the interviewees don’t coast over the bad times either. When Michael Jayston talks about a long-forgotten film he made with Topol and Mia Farrow called Follow Me!, his opinion about Chaim Topol isn’t particularly complimentary.

But it’s Sarah Miles’ contribution that is (in our opinion) the best, beginning with a life-changing religious experience while making The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, to the “consciousness-changing” movie The Servant, to working with the comedy greats on Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, to confronting Klaus Kinski during the filming of Venom, this is one of the most engaging interviews we have ever seen. And what Ms. Miles has to say about spirituality, and a recollection of the ‘gift’ her late husband Robert Bolt gave her from the afterlife, is truly thought-provoking.

Each interview is generously illustrated with photographs, film clips and some pretty rare movie trailers, and even if one or two of the subjects ramble on a little bit (we’re mentioning no names!) the result is still spellbinding. These actors really were part of Britain’s cinematic ‘golden age’ and the stories they tell makes the viewer nostalgic for that time when the British film industry briefly led the world. That they are willing to discuss their careers and their peers with such joy and honesty makes this as a collection that shouldn’t be missed. Writer, narrator and producer Derek Pykett, together with his editor Brian Holland, should be congratulated for orchestrating and delivering this project with such finesse and, just as importantly, proceeds raised from the sale of this DVD goes to two charities, the Alzheimer’s Society and All Dogs Matter. What better excuse could you have to spend a few hours in the company of Britain’s movie greats?

Very highly recommended.

FROM STAGE TO SCREEN / CERT: E / DIRECTOR: DEREK PYKETT / STARRING: JOSS ACKLAND, SARAH MILES, ROY DOTRICE, MICHAEL CRAIG, FREDDIE JONES / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Ever since its debut in 1988, Batman: The Killing Joke by writer Alan Moore and artist Brian Bolland has been long since regarded as one the greatest Batman stories of all time, standing alongside Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns as one of the most seminal graphic novels ever created. It’s also been classed as the definitive Joker story, exploring the madness behind the carnival and showing the closest thing to an origin story the character ever had. It has influenced Batman in popular media ever since, with the Arkham games heavily referencing the story on multiple occasions and filmmakers Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan borrowing heavily from the plot’s basic story, adopting Moore’s approach to Batman and Joker’s complicated relationship. DC and Warner Bros. Animation has had a solid track record with adapting famous stories for their movies with standouts including Superman vs. The Elite and the The Dark Knight Returns, but this has been the one that everyone has been waiting to see them adapt for the screen.

Despite being a hugely popular story, to this day it is still shocking and disturbing, not just by its graphic content, but also by being the most chilling and believable analysis of a criminally warped mind that has ever been encountered. This story needed to have been done justice, and what we have in the last 45 minutes is a very faithful adaptation. By the time the newly added 28-minute prologue is finished and The Killing Joke properly starts, what follows is simply astounding. It is brilliantly directed by Sam Liu and wonderfully written by Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets and DKIII: The Master Race), capturing the dark and bleak atmosphere of the source novel thanks to its animation design and plot structure. The animation has a well-defined style about it, capturing the creepy griminess of Bolland’s art style, as well as being very reminiscent of the famous art style of Batman: The Animated Series. As for the core main storyline, it is nearly word for word, beat for beat, accurate to the source, and that means its core message of how one normal man can turn insane after suffering just “one bad day” is never lost, even when the horrible events transpire.

Despite the tremendous animation and storytelling, bringing this famous tale to life wouldn’t be complete without the phenomenal voice cast we have here. Mark Hamill has always loved The Killing Joke and for years has wanted to do a movie, and he delivers not just his A-game but also quite possibly his best performance to date. This is the most twisted Joker he’s delivered yet, and during the fatal flashback sequences, he brilliantly nails the pathos and tragedy of the man that would be fated to become the Clown Prince of Crime. It all just goes to show why Hamill is the greatest Joker we’ve ever seen on screen, and the same can be said of Kevin Conroy, who is still THE Batman. Also both Tara Strong and Ray Wise bring real depth and gravitas to their respective roles of Barbara and Commissioner Gordon.

However, the one thing that comes close to spoiling this classic tale is the horribly tacked on first 28 minutes that feels as if you are watching a completely different movie to the one you’ve been waiting for. Granted, the whole idea of the 28-minute prologue was to flesh out Barbara Gordon’s character and to show what her life was like as Batgirl before the tragic events of The Killing Joke. However, it does the complete opposite; it diminishes her character dramatically, turning her into the personification of refrigerator’s syndrome and makes her even more of a plot device than she was admittedly in the original story. She’s basically the object of affection for Batman (as well as a mobster that has a creepy fetish obsession for her) and vice versa, which butchers the characterisation for both characters, almost ruins your perception of the main story’s events, and culminates in the most disgusting thing imaginable: both of them doing the nasty, which is even more disturbing considering the fact that Batman is supposed to be a mentor/other father-figure to her! Why?!

When you get this movie when its available, it is best advised to avoid the first 28 minutes like the plague and go straight into The Killing Joke, because from then on it is glorious. The animation is beautiful, the storytelling (apart from the prologue) is sharp, and the voice acting is outstanding (especially Hamill). It does Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s comic justice, honours its legacy, and further demonstrates why both the story and its main villain have stayed iconic to this day.

BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: SAM LIU / SCREENPLAY: BRIAN AZZARELLO / STARRING: KEVIN CONROY, MARK HAMILL, TARA STRONG, RAY WISE, JOHN DIMAGGIO / RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 8TH

Retitled American Conjuring on this side of the pond in an attempt to broaden its appeal, Bind is a confusing mishmash of genre affectations that takes a clichéd premise and, in spite of the occasionally effective moment that nearly redeems its existence, squanders most of the good intentions of its creators thanks to a rather cack-handed attitude to its production. As it stands, neither of its names really tells you anything of what to expect; The Amityville Shining might have been more appropriate.

Ben and Carol, along with their two girls, are persuaded into buying a huge but suspiciously cheap property, and as we all know, huge but suspiciously cheap properties come at another kind of price…

As long as your location is suitably spooky – and the house chosen for the shoot is big and run-down enough if nothing else – this by-the-numbers approach to horror storytelling should allow room for plenty of scares. But the two Dans are making poor decisions at almost every step. The prologue which spans the otherwise fairly decent opening titles, for example, in which we get an understanding of why the house might not be the most attractive of investments, sees the Dans so focussed on their visuals that the actors, all but one of which are children, aren’t remotely convincing – the result being a sequence which is head-scratchingly comical when it ought, in spite of the obvious signposts to its resolution, to have been shocking instead.

The diabolical ADR in the opening sequence proper is a more understandable budgetary issue, but the film’s visual approach needs to be watertight to make up for its other shortfalls. Sadly it’s the Dans’ over-concentration on the visuals that is Bind’s most obvious problem; shot through an incoherent variety of coloured filters, presumably to try and give it the presence of a David Fincher picture, it’s the choice of colours – particularly when certain mid-sequence shots turn up without the appropriate lenses installed – and frequent over-exposure of the imagery that make Bind look like a ridiculously ill-thought-out affair.

There is a potentially interesting if predictable and too broadly drawn dynamic between the four members of the family, but it’s the unwieldy attempts at naturalistic dialogue that ultimately stymie the actors, who are mostly better than competent but struggle with the material. The fact that the haunting itself can’t seem to settle on what kind of supernatural event it is leads to an inconsistency of narrative, albeit one that the final twist attempts to explain – but the eventual about-face so undermines the rest of the movie you have to question the wisdom of including it.

There’s undoubtedly a reasonable film here somewhere. It’s just not the one that turns up on the screen.

Extras: Trailers / Commentary / Deleted Scene / Behind the Scenes

BIND / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: DAN WALTON, DAN ZACHARY / SCREENPLAY: KEN KING, STORY BY DAN WALTON / STARRING: DARREN MATHESON, LYNN CSONTOS, ELIZA FARIA, MACKENZIE MOWAT, DEBORAH FINKEL / RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 8TH

 

Once again, we have a film that heralds the apocalypse; but forget about such balderdash as 2012 cause These Final Hours is something else entirely. This is a stark and brutal vision of a world on the brink of annihilation, hope is completely abandoned and chaos is unleashed. But at the core of this film is the theme of redemption, even if it comes at a very painful price. This film shows us that even though the end of the world showcases the worst aspects of humanity, it can sometimes bring out the best within us, and that is clearly the case with our main protagonist, James.

When we are introduced to him, he is portrayed as being selfish and arrogant after abandoning his pregnant lover, Zoe, so that he doesn’t feel anything when the end comes, but it’s only after he encounters a young girl that’s separated from her father that he is finally redeemed and appreciate those closest to him. The film doesn’t spend too much time delving into backstory seeing as it’s all deliberately left out, solely because writer/director Zak Hilditch wanted use ambiguity as a means of heightening the mystery of the apocalyptic firestorm and to mainly focus on the core human elements at play. Plus, Hilditch definitely has the balls to make the apocalypse itself inevitable to stop instead of doing the contrived Hollywood plot device of stopping it just in time, which would only render all dramatic integrity pointless. This is used as a way of saying that in the end, we are not in control, that nature is our ultimate destroyer, that the scariest thing to face is the feeling powerlessness to stop it and how it can turn good people cruel.

The cinematography by Bonnie Elliott is stunning; perfectly capturing the sweltering heat getting hotter and you almost feel the humid claustrophobia getting worse by the minute. The performances across the board are all excellent with Nathan Phillips adding real layers and intrigue to the central role of James and he makes us bond more and more with him as the film goes on. Despite her role basically being a glorified cameo, Jessica de Gouw is emotionally raw in the few scenes she has, and the film could’ve really benefited by having flashback sequences of her time with James to add more emotional weight to proceedings. However, the real standout has to be rising star Angourie Rice, who delivers a real star-making performance as the young child who becomes James’ emotional anchor throughout the film. She handles the powerfully dramatic moments efficiently well with the vulnerability coming across as genuinely real and heartfelt, without it becoming contrived or forced. After delivering strong performances in this and the recently released The Nice Guys, you can tell that big things are expected to happen in her future, and there’s no doubt that she’ll appear in a Marvel movie at some point in the near future.

These Final Hours is an emotionally-wrought and powerful, if somewhat flawed film with rough edges. The pacing and storytelling gets bogged down during the party sequence and having Jessica de Gouw in a glorified cameo role is deeply unfortunate considering just how amazing she was in the few minutes she had, however, this is still a solid film with powerful themes and messages, stunning visuals, and a breakout performance from Angourie Rice. Just a shame then that there has to be an American remake soon…

THESE FINAL HOURS / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: ZAK HILDITCH / STARRING: JESSICA DE GOUW, NATHAN PHILLIPS, DAVID FIELD, LAUREN CLEARY / RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 8TH