Review Category: Movie

MISS FISHER AND THE CRYPT OF TEARS / DIRECTOR: TONY TILSE / SCREENPLAY: DEBORAH COX / STARRING: ESSIE DAVIS, ASHLEIGH CUMMINGS, NATHAN PAGE, RUPERT PENRY-JONES / LIMITED RELEASE

The leap from small screen to big is a route that has been taken by numerous television shows in recent years. Australia is now joining in, promoting Phryne Fisher the titular heroine of the TV detective series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, to her own film: Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears.

For those unfamiliar, Phryne (Essie Davis – Game of Thrones, The Babadook), named after the ancient Greek courtesan of breast-baring fame, was born dirt poor in the inner-city slums of Edwardian era Melbourne and through a series of unlikely circumstances found herself raised to a position as a member of the English aristocracy. In the TV show, she returns to Melbourne in 1928 to seek justice for the unsolved murder of her sister, becoming a Lady Detective along the way, as she beds an array of willing men, whilst finding herself becoming emotionally involved with the extremely handsome, and initially extremely married, Detective Inspector Jack Robinson (Nathan Page – Escape from Pretoria). Over three series Phryne and her found family lived, loved, danced, and solved a range of murders which occurred in ever stranger circumstances. The series ended with Phryne taking off in her rusty two-seater plane to return her father, the Baron of Richmond, to his home in England.

In real life it’s been almost five years since we last saw Phryne, although the movie picks up sometime after that farewell at the air-field, as the now much-enlarged budget follows Phryne on a chase sequence through Jerusalem that immediately establishes the feel of the movie – cheeky, irreverent, and with Phryne Fisher firmly in charge. The extended sequence, which feels like it could be the opening to a 1970s era Bond movie, involves motorbikes, a train, and even a donkey – firmly telling the audience that the knowing humour from the TV show has survived the jump to movie format.

Phryne is still a firm believer in justice, and in women determining their own fate, and here she’s come to rescue Shirin Abbas (newcomer Izabella Yena) at the request of Shirin’s uncle Sheikh Kahil Abbas (Kal Naga – Tyrant, Hekayat Beneeshha). The initially reluctant Shirin agrees to allow herself to be rescued, neatly avoiding cliché and throughout the film Shirin retains her own agency and challenges the assumptions of others that she will be subservient and deferential.  The remainder of the plot involves mis-understandings, a war-time crime with tragic consequences, a ludicrous McGuffin, and a series of dazzling costumes, designed here by Margot Wilson (The Nightingale), accompanied by a sound track composed by series MD Greg J Walker which evokes the spirit of Lawrence of Arabia in the sweeping desert scenes, whilst including plenty of references to the musical themes he established for key characters in his work for the TV series.

This movie strongly knows what it is – which is a healthy dose of fan-service (the fans did, after all, contribute to a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign that enabled the movie to be made), whilst being just independent enough of the TV series that an unfamiliar cinema-goer would be able to understand what’s going on. With the plot focused on events in British Mandatory Palestine and London, there’s little room for series regulars Hugh (Hugo Johnstone-Burt – San Andreas) or Dot (Ashleigh Cummings – Hounds of Love) but the one scene they do appear in shows that Phryne’s life in Melbourne hasn’t been forgotten.

Whilst we greatly enjoyed this romp which isn’t afraid to call out the British for the mis-handling of their colonial presence in the region, there are some aspects that reduced our enjoyment. Principally, the major mis-step is that it all feels too rushed, as if editorial sacrifices have had to be made to squeeze everything into a running time of a mere hour and forty minutes. As such, Rupert Penry-Jones (Stan Lee’s Lucky Man, Whitechapel) is criminally under-used, and we’re not entirely certain why Miriam Margolyes (Harry Potter) bothered to show up for her four lines. But these are minor niggles, and in the end this good-hearted romp brings Phryne back, in a thinking-woman’s mystery that expands the world, scope and ambition of Phryne Fisher whilst introducing her to a cinema audience.

Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears will be available in the UK via the Alibi TV channel this spring. It is currently on cinematic release in Australia and will be released in selected cinemas and then streaming in the US this March.

KOKO-DI KOKO-DA / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: JOHANNES NYHOLM / STARRING: LEIF EDLUND, PETER BELLI, YLVA GALLON / RELEASE DATE: MARCH 27TH

Three years after the death of their daughter, Elin and Tobias decide to go camping in the hopes of rekindling their relationship. With the burden of their shared trauma still lingering over them, the pair find themselves still reeling from the unexpected tragedy as they attempt to get back to normality. Things soon go from bad to worse when they wake up one night to see a troupe of outlandish figures waiting for them outside of their tent. Caught in a vicious cycle of torment and humiliation, Tobias soon realises that there’s no escape as he’s forced to relive the deadly encounter over and over again.

With dashes of dark fantasy mixed with psychological horror, Koko-di Koko-da is made up from a concoction of contrasting genres. A unique oddity directed by Johannes Nyholm, there’s plenty here for fans of foreign cinema to get excited about as Nyholm’s latest film is able to explore grief, guilt and trauma through a surrealist narrative. Containing strong performances alongside impeccable direction, there’s a hypnotic quality throughout that haunts the viewer like a lucid nightmare. The cinematography plays a huge role in setting the tone as the colourful backdrop of pastel colours becomes more muted as the film goes on creating a bleak reality that contrasts with the almost idyllic introduction.

It’s a shame however that we’re unable to spend more time with the characters of Elin and Tobias as they quickly become conduits for the horrific events that unfold around them. Stuck in an endless loop of terror, there are moments of dark humour that break up the gradual monotony of their suffering. The sinister melody of the film’s title that plays throughout does a terrific job at elevating the atmosphere at all the right moments whilst being unquestionably catchy to listen to. Traditional horror fans who may be looking for some scares may need to think twice when encountering Koko-di Koko-da as it could be considered more of a psychological horror in the same vein as The Babadook. With both films centering around grief and reconciliation, there are many similarities between the two that will give you a good idea of what to expect from Nyholm’s latest outing.

An impressive entry into the psychological horror genre, Koko-di Koko-da boasts captivating performances, solid direction and an atmosphere like no other. At only 85 minutes long, one would be hard-pressed not to give this a watch as Nyholm may just be one of the brighter talents to rise from the Scandinavian horror scene.

DIRECTOR: WILLIAM BRENT BELL | SCREENPLAY: STACEY MENEAR | STARRING: KATIE HOLMES, RALPH INESON, OWAIN YEOMAN, CHRISTOPHER CONVERY | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Let’s be quite honest, The Boy – 2016’s William Brent Bell-directed Stacey Menear-written horror film – was not good. It was an hour and a half of standard haunted house plotting, which was only redeemed by the absolutely batty reveal and final act. Were it not for its ending, the film would’ve likely died a slow, quiet death, mourned by no one. Thanks to that crazy pants ending, however, the movie garnered itself quite a following, and the final shot certainly left things open for a sequel – hence, Brahms: The Boy II, once again directed by Bell and written by Minear. Was it something for which fans were clamouring? Not particularly, but it’s out now, for some reason.

As is the case with sequels such as this, the film doesn’t feature characters from the original, but instead sees a new family coming to deal with the doll from the first. It’s very much in line with the Amityville’ cursed’ sequels, wherein elements of the Long Island home kept finding their way into the lives of families all over the country, long after the Lutzes vacated the premises. So, after Liza (Holmes) and her son, Jude (Convery) are injured both mentally and physically during an invasion of their London home, they – along with husband and father, Sean (Yeoman) – take a vacation to the countryside to recover. Of course, the house in which they are staying is revealed to be the guest house of the Heelshires’ mansion from the original film. The now-mute Jude discovers a buried Brahms during a walk in the woods, and the creepiness begins. Also beginning is a massive ret-con of the entire first film. Apologies for spoilers, but the original revealed that the doll wasn’t haunted, but that the son of the Heelshires had survived an accident long ago and was living within the walls of their home, causing terror and mischief. Here, Brahms is definitively shown to be a possessed doll – eyes moving, head-turning, the whole megillah.

Now, for a lengthy portion of the movie, one might think that because Liza suffered such a devastating head injury, this might all be some kind of hallucinatory behaviour on her part, a la The Babadook, wherein one’s not quite sure until the very end as to whether the mother is going mad or there’s actually some evil in their home. However, Brahms chooses to go on to become some unholy combination of The Babadook and Annabelle, while never really maintaining any semblance of terror or tension. It’s so winky-noddy in its reveals that there’s never a moment of actual, earned tension. While the audience should be on the edge of their seats, wondering, “Is it really happening? What’s going on?“, the actual reaction is to wonder whether or not the concessions are still open and consider another bag of popcorn.

While the original film was certainly not without its issues, the Heelshires were beyond discomfiting as characters, and babysitter Greta had some minor development. Everyone here, however, is flat, disaffected, and might as well have been generated by an algorithm. They are beyond bland, and even a scenery-chewing stint by Ralph Ineson as groundskeeper Joseph fails to elicit any sort of reaction. It’s a bad, boring, utterly pointless sequel which isn’t even fun enough to overcome its flaws, which are legion.

DIRECTOR: JEFF FOWLER / SCREENPLAY: PAT CASEY, JOSH MILLER / STARRING: BEN SCHWARTZ, JIM CARREY, JAMES MARSDEN, TIKA SUMPTER / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Based on the global smash hit 90s video game of the same name, everyone’s favourite furry little blue devil makes his big-screen debut in Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog.

Video game movies haven’t always had the best track record – and, especially after the first trailer debacle last year over the original design of the titular speed demon, audiences were expecting the worst for Sonic. However, we are pleased to report that Sonic is arguably the best video game movie adaptation to date!

The story kicks off with an incredibly adorable baby sonic playfully speeding his way through his homeworld (which expertly resembles Green Hill Zone from the source material and is accompanied by the wonderful theme of Sonic Mania) before danger approaches and he is thrust through a ring portal to earth in order to keep him safe. Ten years later and Sonic has made himself at home in the town of Green Hills (see what they did there) without anyone, apart from the town’s resident conspiracy theorist aware of his existence. After he mistakenly makes the world aware of him, Dr Robotnik (Carrey) is sent by the government to track him down – along with his new friend Tom (Marsden); dubbed Donut Lord by Sonic, the two unlikely allies must band together to fend off evil.

When adapting something as beloved as a video game, one must pay close attention to the little details in order to please fans of said series whilst also creating something that can entice new people to the franchise – and Director Jeff Fowler has done exactly that; from Sonic’s witty quips and catchphrases to easter eggs aplenty including the iconic ring sound effect, this movie is truly made by fans of the cherished hedgehog. Sonic’s (re)design is absolutely fantastic; he truly evokes the classic feel and the talented animators that accomplished this rework in a quick turnaround should definitely be applauded for their hard work.

Accompanying this is Ben Schwartz superb voice performance as our hero. Even though Marsden was acting alongside a CG character, their chemistry is most certainly there and bridges the human-CG gap perfectly. Rounding off the great portrayals is the living legend Jim Carrey as Dr Robotnik – Carrey was absolutely the perfect choice for the antagonist of the piece as was able to recapture his glory days of the 90s with a hilarious and eccentric presentation and stole every scene he was in.

For the majority of the film, the jokes and, at times, obvious pop culture references landed with great effect thanks to the acting – however, not everything was as plain sailing. At various points, the product placement was painstakingly obvious that you couldn’t help but roll your eyes but this can be easily forgiven due to the fact that the rest of the film is so gosh darn enjoyable giving you no choice but to smile. The resolve to the narrative is also extremely satisfying that allows it to work as a solo piece but leaves enough of a hint that, should it do well commercially, there is plenty of room and potential for a larger cinematic universe or, at least, a sequel – and we would absolutely love that to be the case!

After a rocky production initially, the team behind the big screen debut Sonic the Hedgehog have crafted a wonderful smile-inducing 90-minute nostalgia trip that is equally entertaining for kids and adults alike.

Expected Rating: 6 out of 10

CERT: 15 | DIRECTOR: WILLIAM EUBANK | SCREENPLAY: BRIAN DUFFIELD, ADAM COZAD | STARRING: KRISTEN STEWART, CINCENT CASSEL, JESSICA HENWICK, T.J. MILLER | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

What’s more terrifying than the vastness and mystery of our oceans? Like the vacuum of space, only with the darkness concealing possible life and new dangers, beneath the deep blue sea is arguably the best place to set a horror film. Alas, there are not as many movies as you might expect that draw their fear entirely from being stuck at the bottom of these very real dark watery depths. However, back in 1989, there was a boom of such deep sea terror, as films like Leviathan and DeepStar Six aimed to capitalise on the upcoming release of James Cameron’s The Abyss and in turn they became known from this point on as aquatic horrors. Now, over 30 years later, William Eubank’s (The Signal) new film Underwater acts as a big screen resurgence (or rather resurfacing) of this wave (tee-hee) of horror.

The film sees a Marianna Trench drilling station devastated by a mysterious catastrophe. As the walls are caving in and water is filling the halls, the few remaining crew must attempt daring and dangerous new ways to escape and survive but something is out there waiting for them…

This is the last film released under the 20th Century Fox name (Hail, Disney) and while it has sadly sank at the box office, Underwater is very much worth your time. The budget has been put to excellent use, as this film combines vast impressive sets with murk-laden CG spectacle that really makes you feel as if you are stuck in the overwhelming shadowy waters (sometimes you are forced to do a double take yourself to see through the impenetrable grey walls of water). The plot may jump straight into the carnage, though it takes its time to reveal the actual monster – but when it does, there is a big surprise in store, sure to bring joy to fans of seafaring fiction.

Admittedly, Brian Duffield and Adam Cozad’s screenplay is flawed by some hit and miss gags and by its familiar reverence to other films of this ilk, but like the aforementioned Leviathan and DeepStar Six before it, and like the underrated 2017 film Life, the setting is claustrophobic, the monster deadly, the build suspenseful and the otherworldly atmosphere works its sinister magic. Eubank’s film is impressively crafted, with superb cinematography by Bojan Bazelli and a tone-setting score by Marco Beltrami and Brandon Roberts.

Some characters are, of course, thin, but the survivalist narrative plays out in gripping fashion and Kristen Stewart stands out among the likeable pack of workers fighting to live, playing Norah with confidence and grit. And there are some occasions where the film welcomingly hones in on the human stakes of the lives lost and doesn’t just feel like these people are unimportant tallies on a monster’s kill count. The ending especially anchors this very point.

Bookended by MonsterVerse-esque opening and closing credits, Underwater is an enjoyably delivered, well made, moist monster melee that is perfectly equipped to offer a submerged cinematic wave of entertainment.

DIRECTOR: STEPHEN GAGHAN | SCREENPLAY: STEPHEN GAGHAN, DAN GREGOR, DOUG MAND & CHRIS MCKAY | STARRING: ROBERT DOWNEY JR., HARRY COLLETT, CARMEL LANIADO, ANTONIO BANDERAS, MICHAEL SHEEN | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

If you could walk with the animals, talk with the animals, grunt and squeak and squawk with the animals, then a film like Dolittle would have little reason to exist. What a tragedy it is then that we cannot talk, walk or squawk with the animals and it is left to films like this to fill the imagination-riddled void where that ability might otherwise be found. Following The Lion King remake last year, this is the latest film to push CGI over a comfortable limit and create something woefully lifeless. Combined with some strange narrative choices, it makes for an experience that leaves you praying for a mass extinction.

Dolittle (Downey Jr.) is an estranged, grieving recluse who prefers to spend time talking to his animals rather than with people. That all changes with the sudden arrival of Lady Rose (Laniado), who informs Dolittle that he will lose his animals and his home unless he saves the Queen of England from impending death. Joined by the kind-hearted but bumbling child Stubbins (Collett), Dolittle sets out on an arduous quest that takes far too long to build itself up and then plunges headfirst into a badly rushed conclusion.

Downey Jr. never once captures Dolittle’s anguish, genius, or passion, instead fumbling around with a wavering Welsh accent matched only by the outlandish cinematography. Most fatally of all, however, not once do you really believe in the animals he shares his world with. The cast is sensational – Rami Malek as a nervous gorilla, Ralph Fiennes as a tiger with a grudge, the list goes on – but they all feel wasted. Only Malek’s character is given any real spark between himself and Dolittle, and it is but a fleeting relief in an otherwise soulless experience. Not helping are some caricatured excuses of characters, Michael Sheen’s villain being one of them, and some running jokes that just never find purchase. Even Eddie Murphy pulled it all off better than this.

There is a big difference between making a film for children and a film for a family. Dolittle opts for the former, and childish humour ensues – shoving a leek up a dragon’s arse, for example. It always feels silly, pointless and without obvious direction. The only enchanting ingredient is the brief animated opening, and you can’t help but wonder if the whole film could have been enriched if it made use of that beautiful animation style.

Dolittle at times borders on the unforgivingly terrible. All the magic ingredients were there, yet the end result is empty, unsatisfying, and instantly forgettable. There are no wonders of nature to be found here. Only over-the-top theatrics and poor decision making.