Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

From the look of posters and DVD/Blu-ray covers, you might expect John Wick to be a naff B-movie, but the film is both surprisingly and immensely enjoyable on many different levels. It achieves in restoring Keanu Reeves’ reputation as an A-list movie star, and deservedly so since in recent years he had starred in numerously terrible movies like 47 Ronin and the remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still. He has a presence and a gravitas to him, and this film reminds you how brilliant a movie star he was in films like My Own Private Idaho, Speed, Point Break and The Matrix, having an unreadable quality that makes you want to look at him and spend your time with him.

Set within the revenge thriller genre, John Wick is different from most films within that canon, even though it’s been loosely grouped with those, because the reason for the revenge is incredibly elemental it’s almost absurd. The character of John Wick is basically tearing New York down, ripping the criminal underworld apart and killing all these gangsters, because they killed his dog, yet the dog meant so much more to him since it was the only thing of his wife left. So, it’s absolutely nothing like Taken where Liam Neeson goes to Europe to get his daughter back by killing everyone he meets, and even though the film is absurdist and insane, it’s very basic and straightforward. It also has some emotional weight to it, particularly during the scene where the dog dies because it’s played completely straight and you’re convinced by Wick’s motivations and reasons for exacting revenge.

The mood and the atmosphere of the film is brilliantly captured, and almost has flashes of Newton Thomas Sigel’s cinematography in Nicholas Winding Refn’s Drive in the way it looks at the city with its dark alleyways and neon-lit streets, making you almost feel like you are in New York. The action set-pieces are well-choreographed and very balletic in its approach to fighting and gunplay, harking back to the great works of both John Woo and Hong Kong cinema. In this film, you do feel the pain, the batterings and the carnage that’s happening on screen, and it keeps you on the edge of you seat all the way through. The performances are pretty much solid, with Michael Nyqvist chewing the scenery as the terrifying mob boss and Adrianne Palicki kicking ass as the sultry villainess. It’s a shame that Willem Dafoe, John Liguizamo and Ian McShane are reduced to glorified cameos, but when they come into play, they make the most from small roles.

It’s become debatable as to whether or not the action genre was becoming old and stale, but John Wick proves that, not only is there more life to the genre than one expected, but you could approach the genre in a new light. It’s entertaining, frenetic, exciting, and a real return to form for Keanu Reeves.

 

Having debuted in Season 2 of sister show Arrow, Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen gets the chance to take centre-stage here. Following on from what we saw during his few cameos in Arrow’s Starling City, we find Barry as one of several casualties after S.T.A.R. Labs’ particle accelerator unveiling goes horribly wrong. Finally waking from a coma, young Mr. Allen finds himself with new powers and abilities. As we’re along for the ride with a front row seat, we get to see Barry comes to terms with his gifts and learn to harness them as he becomes the Sultan of Speed, The Flash. Learning more and more about himself and his abilities with each passing episode, we join Barry as he juggles protecting Central City and harnessing his skills to find out who the mystery Man in the Yellow Suit is who killed his mother years before.

Simply put, The Flash was a breath of fresh air when it sped on to TV screens late last year. Whereas Arrow was coming off of its phenomenal second season, the Emerald Archer-focussed show largely has a more serious, darker tone. The Flash was a different beast altogether, with the first season of the show quickly becoming much-watch TV as the series remarkably managed to weave in and out of several different tones and story arcs whilst magnificently establishing and developing a whole host of characters. The show is a warm, vibrant example of what a superhero could and should be when in relation to a character who’s not always doom and gloom (damn you, Nolan and the “grounded in reality” fad!). Sometimes heroes are larger-than-life, are over-the-top, colourful, exciting and plain enjoyable (Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four, take note). And it’s with this approach that The Flash managed to make itself one of the most engaging and enjoyable shows of the last year.

With care and precision, each and every member of The Flash’s cast seems an absolutely perfect fit for the televisual skin that they inhabit. Despite our initial reservations about some lad from Glee taking the show’s titular role, Grant Gustin is a marvel as Barry Allen, encapsulating the many different elements of the character and managing to give him a sense of strength, vulnerability and likeability. Then the show fantastically extends its reach to give lavish attention to others, such as the S.T.A.R. Labs crew of Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh), Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker) and Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes), the stunningly-played father/son dynamics between Barry and father Henry (John Wesley Shipp) and Barry and the father-lite figure of Joe West (Jesse L. Martin), or even some of the villains-of-the-week and faces who appear that will be familiar to long-time DC comic book fans. The only slight gripe is the portrayal of Candice Patton’s Iris West, positioned as a love interest but yet often written as simply a stroppy, dull teen who Barry has no reason to have any semblance of interest in.

Still, even the so-so use of Iris doesn’t get in the way of The Flash making a huge mark with its debut season. Additionally, this release is only helped further by a fantastic selection of extras, with particular highlights being a featurette highlighting Mark Hamill’s brilliant Trickster and the chance to see Grant Gustin screen test opposite Arrow’s Emily Bett Rickards. In recent memory, there’s very few genre shows that have hit the ground running as impressively as The Flash. This is must-see TV, and here’s hoping the show has plenty of legs in it for years to come.

Special Features: Four featurettes / Grant Gustin screen test / Audio commentary / Gag reel / Deleted scenes

THE FLASH – SEASON 1 / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: VARIOUS / SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: GRANT GUSTIN, TOM CAVANAGH, JESSE L. MARTIN, DANIELLE PANABAKER, CARLOS VALDES, CANDICE PATTON, RICK COSNETT / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 21ST
 
 

Sometimes a film is so significant that even its title is adopted into our lexicon. ‘The Rashomon effect’ is defined as: contradictory interpretations of the same event by different people. In the simplest terms, that is what the narrative of Rashomon deals with; the juxtaposing retelling of the same event from the perspective of a bandit (Toshiro Mifune), a samurai (Masayuki Mori), a wife (Machiko Kyo) and a woodcutter (Takashi Shimura).

Nowadays, fragmented narrative and non-linear techniques are part and parcel of filmmaking and have been explored in numerous films from The Usual Suspects to Gone Girl, but in the late-1940s, when Akira Kurosawa was pitching his and Shinobu Hashimoto’s script, this manipulation of truth, perspective and plot structure was unheard of. Without even a shred of hyperbole, it can be said that Rashomon had a profound impact on the very nature of filmmaking. The absence of subjective camera angles, the prophetic use of weather as a storytelling device, the camera panning up to show the glint of the sun for the first time in cinema. All these facets of Kazuo Miyagawa’s expressive cinematography act as a fulcrum to one of the medium’s greatest achievements. Fortunately then, this BFI Blu-ray release, from a 2008 restoration by The Academy Film Archive, presents the bold filmic vision with the textured and sharp picture it deserves.

The film opens in the middle of a torrential rainstorm (Kurosawa dyed the water black with calligraphy ink to emphasise the rain) where a woodcutter and a priest (Minoru Chiaki) are taking shelter under the ancient and dilapidated Rashomon gate, one of only three major locations used. A commoner (Kichijiro Ueda) joins the men under the gate in refuge from the rain and a conversation ensues regarding the trial of a local bandit who has allegedly killed a samurai and raped the Samurai’s wife. What follows is contrasting flashbacks to the incident, with each account reflecting the subject’s biased interpretation of the events. The bandit dwells on a dramatic sword fight, the wife describes her husband’s patriarchal manner and the samurai accuses his wife of being disloyal. This play on form and the examination of epistemology reveal the pioneering modernist tendencies of Rashomon, whereas the focus on mise-en-scene and performance over dialogue harks back to the visual storytelling of silent cinema. Minimalism and innovativeness are combined to create art.

The irony with Rashomon (as is the case with many masterpieces) is that initially in Japan it wasn’t received with the same revere it now possesses. The very reason that it is heralded as a cinematic triumph today, for its unconventional manipulation of narrative structure, is why it confused audiences of the time, who complained that it had no cohesion. It was only after it won the Golden Lion at the Venice film festival that Rashomon began to the gain the cultural appreciation it deserved. Ultimately, the film announced Kurosawa onto the world stage and in turn introduced the West to post-war Japanese film. There aren’t many films that are entirely flawless, but you’ll be hard pushed to find one as immaculate and influential as Rashomon.

Special Features: Audio commentary from Stuart Galbraith / Rashomon at 65 documentary / John Boorman on Rashomon / BFI theatrical trailer / Illustrated booklet

RASHOMON / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: AKIRA KUROSAWA / SCREENPLAY: AKIRA KUROSAWA, SHINOBU HASHIMOTO / STARRING: TOSHIRO MIFUNE, MACHIKO KYO, MASAYUKI MORI, TAKASHI SHIMURA, MINORU CHIAKI / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 21ST

 

Oooh! A new Hammer Blu-ray and a seldom seen one at that. From the late-‘50s heyday too. They’d done Frankie and Drac’ and were looking for some new material. What better idea than to effectively re-make a relatively obscure 1945 movie? (The Man in Half Moon Street that was itself a sort of Dorian Gray-lite) While that might sound like a daft idea, when you think about, it was actually right up Hammer’s street: a genuinely Gothic story with not-quite-classic origins and a perfect excuse for a lurid climax with some form of disintegration. Blimey, that was a Hammer speciality. Nothing could go wrong. Could it?

Georges Bonnet (Diffring) is a Paris-based sculptor with a secret. He’s 104-years old but keeps himself youthful by replacing his parathyroid gland (or something) on a regular basis. Obviously this involves a bit fog-bound street murder and, if it’s not going to plan, he keeps himself going with glass of green bubbly stuff. But he also needs someone to perform the operation and his old mucker (Marlé) is understandably getting a bit too doddery to be doing that sort of thing as he’s nearly as old as Georges but never did the gland thing. So he needs to get another surgeon (Lee) to do it but it’s a bit awkward as a) he doesn’t want to and b) he’s a rival for the affections of the beautiful Janine (Court). Did we mention Georges was a bit of a ladies’ man? Well he’s had enough practice so unsurprising really.

With Big Chris and the original Hammer-girl herself on board, you’d think this was surefire stuff. It’s even Sangster and Fisher on writing and directing duties. While not every Hammer was a zinger, it was only when they were doing (yet) another Drac’ or Frankie that they might just go through the motions. New material usually kept it interesting. Check out The Gorgon (1964) or The Reptile (1966) for Hammer at its most enthusiastic. But here we seem to be lacking something. Diffring is a dull lead in this role and the cast just doesn’t seem to gel. There should be sparks when he’s up against Chris but they just look like they’re bored at a time when Hammer-horror was still new. No Michael Ripper either.

But it’s not a total disaster. Things to pick up towards the end and there is at least some chemistry between Big Chris and the nearly-as-big Francis de Wolff as the police inspector puzzling over the fact that his chief suspect in a series of murders would have to be a centenarian to have carried them all out.  The climax is actually top Hammer stuff with an inevitable disintegration of apocalyptic quality. They were always good at those. Chuck in Hazel Court looking stunning (fantastic outfit in the final section) and you’ve got something watchable if disappointing for those of us who love a Hammer. Oh, and the continental release of this apparently featured Hazel topless when she poses for Georges sculpture. We never got that version so here it’s one of the disc’s extras.

Extras: Interviews with Kim Newman and Jonathan Rigby, booklet and absolutely no deleted scenes of Hazel Court. Sorry.

THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH (1959) / DIRECTOR: TERENCE FISHER / SCREENPLAY: JIMMY SANGSTER / STARRING: ANTON DIFFRING, HAZEL COURT, CHRISTOPHER LEE, ARNOLD MARLÉ, DELPHI LAWRENCE, FRANCIS DE WOLFF / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 21ST

On his own hunting trip, after failing to find any animals worth killing (let’s not get into that…), he bumps into the President of America. Also known as Bill. As played by Samuel L. Jackson. You see, Air Force One has been shot down by terrorists and the Pres is stuck in the forest, with a traitorous Secret Service agent on his trail. Now it’s up to Oskari to escort Bill to safety.

If you’re expecting a Samuel L. Jackson shoot-em-up, you might be surprised, as this is Oskari’s story, about him learning survival and hunting skills. Jackson, on the other hand, is more restrained, playing Bill against expectations as a more cowardly figure, unused to being stranded without his gang of bodyguards. The focus on the younger figure highlights how the real target audience for this film is those more of Oskari’s age – though there are some comic moments between the two that will entertain everyone, and Jackson fans will be glad to know that a certain naughty word he’s become known for uttering has been restored to the film, censored in the cinema release.

The terrorists pursue Bill and Oskari through a series of action sequences, each one more ludicrous than the last, especially when this thirteen-year-old turns into a miniature Van Damme and jumps from a cliff onto a helicopter. It’s really not a film that stands up to much thought – in terms of anything that happens in the plot, quite a lot of the dialogue, or indeed the dodgy gender politics inherent in the “becoming a man” character arc.

We have to mention Jim Broadbent, who rocks up in the Pentagon as an experienced CIA agent with a nice jumper and with a sandwich in his hand. It does seem like he’s been pulled off the set of a Richard Curtis comedy and told to quickly improvise an American accent, and some of the daft orders he shouts around the command centre add an extra layer to the nonsense that permeates Big Game.

But what’s life without a little bit of nonsense from time to time? It’s far from the best action film you’ll see this year, but to thirteen year olds looking for an enjoyable adventure, or to retro action fans looking for a reminder of simpler times, Big Game provides ninety minutes of unapologetic escapism.

Special Features: Cast and crew interviews / VFX breakdown

 

Collection opener Road to Sakura is little more than a tie episode for Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie; there’s even a promotional poster in one scene. It has no bearing on the following episodes, but is a nice enough preface, with a confused Sakura struggling with apparent memory loss.

The rest continues the Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation arc and the hard slog against the Impure World Reincarnation. Dead shinobi are still on the rise, proving that no one ever really stays deceased in shonen. It does undermine the power of their original deaths, particularly with the frequent flashbacks to spin the yarn of their passing. But after learning the truth, and striking out to save his friends, the episodes shift into gear and demonstrate just how powerful Naruto has become. Little wonder then, that the most engaging and entertaining action sequences are those involving a glowing Naruto and Killer Bee giving it what for.

Sandwiched between the hinterlands of scattered fight scenes, are some tender reveries and moving revelations. Choji, Shikamaru and Ino, for example, are forced to clash with their former sensei, Asuma Sarutobi. Likewise, when the politics and subtlety of warfare shines through the big brawls, it’s a lot more interesting. Still blissfully unaware of the war, Killer Bee steps up Naruto’s training for some psychedelic scenes. The back and forth between Naruto and the nine tailed fox are especially dynamic in showing the inner struggle and temptation Naruto has had to deal with all his life. But he discovers that the demon isn’t all eat and maim, it’s a pipeline to his parents. On the same note, the lid is blown off Killer Bee’s past and underneath every ‘fool, you fool’, is an intricate and charming character.

Fans of the original Naruto series will be pleased as there are so many flashbacks to that time; one episode is even a clip show. It’s also plain to see that despite the wobbly quality of the animation, it has stepped up, with many of the character models undergoing refinement around the edges, particularly Sakura.

It might not quite be filler, but Collection 22 possesses more than a little padding. In amongst all the chaos and calamity the moral, as ever, is that friendship trumps all.

Extras: Storyboards and trailers.

NARUTO: SHIPPÛDEN COLLECTION 22 / CERT: 12 / CREATOR: MASASHI KISHIMOTO / STARRING: JUNKO TAKEUCHI, CHIE NAKAMURA, KAZUHIKO INOUE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

It’s been a year since Lucy Heartfilia first joined the Fairy Tail guild, or 72 episodes in real world terms. The first three episodes of collection four bring The Daphne Arc to a close, and start on the cusp of Magnolia’s annual flower viewing party, serving in many ways as a reflection on the past year with an ill Lucy holed up in bed and tearfully reminiscing. Wendy, on the other hand, demonstrates her steely determination to do things herself, and Natsu confronts his younger years with further flashbacks, especially when the legendary Gildarts returns three years into a 100 year quest.

While ditching the first three episodes of the series might have made more sense to the hard core fan base, it gives newcomers the chance to buddy up to the characters and get a feel for its blend of goofy and eccentric comedy and moments of wonder. These episodes might seem at first throwaway, but they do establish The Edolas Arc like a set of dominoes, with the arrival of certain characters the flick of the finger to set things in motion.

The meat of the series is quickly entrenched, after mysterious forces siphon the folk of Magnolia to the parallel world of Edolas. It’s a civilisation which uses magical items, rather than innate ability and the magic is in short supply. A power hungry monarchy is determined to drain the power from the Fairy Tail guild.

The only few to have made it without being turned into a giant crystal, Natsu and Wendy soon discover a phantasmagoric version of the guild, run by none over than a hardboiled version of Lucy. It might play up to the doppelganger trope, albeit with everybody’s core traits on the fritz, but does so with good nature and a candid humour, particularly Natsu’s other self, who’s cocksure in his car but a weedy lickspittle out in the open.

The action is stupendous, with a stunning and sometimes kooky display of magic and muscle. Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, it never feels like any of the protagonists are in any real danger, as someone always shows up in the nick of time or a character discovers some hitherto untapped power. That said, there’s plenty of memorable clashes, the fight at the fun fair is particularly dazzling, and Gajeel brawling with Pantherlily is devilish fun.

The key to the careful plotting is the regular injection of mystery, spearheaded by Happy and Carla discovering the surreptitious origins of a cat-filled kingdom. It makes for a carefully meditated pay off, that’s by turns hilarious and heart-breaking.

The animation, while an improvement on the previous two seasons, is prone to inconsistency but it’s not without its showiness, particularly the iridescent cherry tree sailing down the river, and the floating islands of Edolas like one of Roger Dean’s Yes covers.

Fairy Tail is a series that embraces the tropes of fairy tales alongside those of anime, but with its universal themes and strong characters, it’s a potent mix that’s beautiful and exhilarating in its climax and, dare we say, empowering.

Extras: commentaries; textless opening/closing and trailers

FAIRY TAIL COLLECTION FOUR / CERT: PG / CREATORS: HIRO MASHIMA, MASASHI SOGO / TETSUYA KAKIHARA, AYA HIRANO, RIE KUGIMIYA / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW