Bumblebee/Holmes & Watson (Double Review)
***Warning, contains spoilers***
Firstly, I just want to wish all the readers of my blog a Happy New Year. I hope that 2019 brings you everything you want.
That said, it's time for me to rewind time (metorphorically speaking), and review two films that came out in late 2018 but obviously due to Christmas I didn't have time to watch them until today.
The first movie I saw was Bumblebee. People that know me will probably know that I am a huge fan of the Transformers Movie series. Based on that and the outstanding ĺooking trailer I couldn't wait to see this film. It also stars two well known actors, namely John Cena and Hailee Steinfield.
This movie is set in 1987. You may wonder why that is? Quite simply it's because it's an origin story of Bumblebee, who turns out to be the first Transformer to touch down on Earth, so don't expect any continuation from previous Transformer movies for that reason. I also doubt there will be a sequel as it is a one off origin story, just like Wonder Woman was, for example.
Now, there have been good Transformer movies and there have been average ones. Personally, I don't think there has ever been a Transformer movie you could say was poor and fortunately they don't start here.
This is one of the best (although not the best) Transformer movies there has been and really all the credit has to go to the main character in the movie, and no that's not Bumblebee!
You might think 'how isn't Bumblebee the main character, it's an origin story?' And it is true that it is an origin story, it's all about how Bumblebee came from Cybertron to Earth to escape the Decepticons, but Steinfield takes centre stage.
I actually think she deserves a best young actress of the year award for this movie, if such a thing exists. She shows incredible believable emotion for the loss of her Dad and amazing acting skills. She literally steals the show and this movie is worth watching for her acting skills alone. In fact, she is what makes this a great movie so well done to whoever hired her.
In conclusion, this movie doesn't beat Widows but it is one of the better movies of 2018 and, as an origin story, you don't have to have seen the other Transformer movies to understand it.
Really good highly recommended movie, 4.5 stars awarded.
Right, onto Holmes & Watson. I'm rubbing my hands together as I write this review because it's been a while since I so massively disagree with the critics as I do with this movie.
At the time of writing, this movie has an 8% critic score on rotten tomatoes. 8%! It must be absolute rubbish right? Wrong! Completely and utterly wrong, unless you're American.
Why do I say that? Well, reading the critic reviews, they are mostly reviewed by American media for one thing and, secondly, this movie has so many well known British guest stars it just makes it absolute class.
Firstly, Steve Coogan is in it. And Rob Brydon. Now, we know how funny those two are from the hilariously brilliant tv series The Trip. I have seen each season of that and it's just brilliant. They don't dissapoint in this movie. Coogans character especially is just brilliant, so so funny.
The problem is that I am fairly sure most Americans wouldn't know who Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are. That is a big problem for this movie. The brilliantly talented Hugh Laurie is also in this movie and plays a great part, as is Ralph Fiennes. The only one of those four a lot of Americans have probably heard of is Hugh Laurie due to the tv series House.
You do however, have two brilliant American actors in this movie, namely Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, who starred together in the brilliant movie Step Brothers. That's on top of the fact that this movie is directed by the brilliant director Ethan Cohen, who also directed the hilarious movie, also starring Will Ferrell, Get Hard.
I have to hand it too Ferrell and Reilly, they do outstandingly good British accents. You cannot tell they are American so well done both. On top of that this movie also has hilarious anti Trump jokes such as Ferrell wearing a hat that says 'Make England great again' in a direct swipe at Trump. I mean, how hilarious is that?
There are so many brilliant gags in this movie, such as when Ferrell wipes faeces on Reilly and similar slapstick comedy things. Yet, even with all that, the movie doesn't lose the charm and cleverness you expect from a Sherlock Holmes movie. Just like other Holmes movies it has scenes where Farrells Sherlock anticipates an attack or the next move and plans 3 steps ahead, only in this version, as it's a comedy, it of course goes wrong.
There is a lot of British humour as well that I don't feel American viewers would necessarily understand and that is I think probably why the movie gets bad reviews on rotten tomatoes.
If you combine a British themed movie, with lots of hilarious British comics (Such as Coogan and Brydon who are just brilliant) that Americans probably haven't heard of, plus British humour and British sarcasm that our friends across the sea might not get, of course it's going to get bad reviews on rotten tomatoes from US reviewers. This isn't written to slate Americans at all, it's just a realistic potential answer to why it might have bad reviews.
My friend Dominic said 'he's heard it's trash'. Well Dom, trust me, it isn't and I think you will like it.
Literally anyone that likes Only Fools and Horses British comedy will love this movie, and I am one of those people. I want again to say fair play and well done to Ferrell and Reilly for being willing to take the piss out of their own country in a light hearted way.
The good news is judging by the ending there will be a sequel, and I can't wait!
2018 wasn't a year where there were lot's of great comedy movies, but this is in my opinion definitely by far the funniest movie of 2018, even if I did see it in 2019 lol.
In conclusion, for anyone who loves British humour you will love this movie. Absolutely hilarious, well done to all involved, ignore the critics on this one, especially if you're British. Great movie, 4.5 stars awarded. :)
*These reviews are all my own work, please don't reproduce without my permission but please visit my advertisers pages as they help keep the blog going thankyou :)
Firstly, I just want to wish all the readers of my blog a Happy New Year. I hope that 2019 brings you everything you want.
That said, it's time for me to rewind time (metorphorically speaking), and review two films that came out in late 2018 but obviously due to Christmas I didn't have time to watch them until today.
The first movie I saw was Bumblebee. People that know me will probably know that I am a huge fan of the Transformers Movie series. Based on that and the outstanding ĺooking trailer I couldn't wait to see this film. It also stars two well known actors, namely John Cena and Hailee Steinfield.
This movie is set in 1987. You may wonder why that is? Quite simply it's because it's an origin story of Bumblebee, who turns out to be the first Transformer to touch down on Earth, so don't expect any continuation from previous Transformer movies for that reason. I also doubt there will be a sequel as it is a one off origin story, just like Wonder Woman was, for example.
Now, there have been good Transformer movies and there have been average ones. Personally, I don't think there has ever been a Transformer movie you could say was poor and fortunately they don't start here.
This is one of the best (although not the best) Transformer movies there has been and really all the credit has to go to the main character in the movie, and no that's not Bumblebee!
You might think 'how isn't Bumblebee the main character, it's an origin story?' And it is true that it is an origin story, it's all about how Bumblebee came from Cybertron to Earth to escape the Decepticons, but Steinfield takes centre stage.
I actually think she deserves a best young actress of the year award for this movie, if such a thing exists. She shows incredible believable emotion for the loss of her Dad and amazing acting skills. She literally steals the show and this movie is worth watching for her acting skills alone. In fact, she is what makes this a great movie so well done to whoever hired her.
In conclusion, this movie doesn't beat Widows but it is one of the better movies of 2018 and, as an origin story, you don't have to have seen the other Transformer movies to understand it.
Really good highly recommended movie, 4.5 stars awarded.
Right, onto Holmes & Watson. I'm rubbing my hands together as I write this review because it's been a while since I so massively disagree with the critics as I do with this movie.
At the time of writing, this movie has an 8% critic score on rotten tomatoes. 8%! It must be absolute rubbish right? Wrong! Completely and utterly wrong, unless you're American.
Why do I say that? Well, reading the critic reviews, they are mostly reviewed by American media for one thing and, secondly, this movie has so many well known British guest stars it just makes it absolute class.
Firstly, Steve Coogan is in it. And Rob Brydon. Now, we know how funny those two are from the hilariously brilliant tv series The Trip. I have seen each season of that and it's just brilliant. They don't dissapoint in this movie. Coogans character especially is just brilliant, so so funny.
The problem is that I am fairly sure most Americans wouldn't know who Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are. That is a big problem for this movie. The brilliantly talented Hugh Laurie is also in this movie and plays a great part, as is Ralph Fiennes. The only one of those four a lot of Americans have probably heard of is Hugh Laurie due to the tv series House.
You do however, have two brilliant American actors in this movie, namely Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, who starred together in the brilliant movie Step Brothers. That's on top of the fact that this movie is directed by the brilliant director Ethan Cohen, who also directed the hilarious movie, also starring Will Ferrell, Get Hard.
I have to hand it too Ferrell and Reilly, they do outstandingly good British accents. You cannot tell they are American so well done both. On top of that this movie also has hilarious anti Trump jokes such as Ferrell wearing a hat that says 'Make England great again' in a direct swipe at Trump. I mean, how hilarious is that?
There are so many brilliant gags in this movie, such as when Ferrell wipes faeces on Reilly and similar slapstick comedy things. Yet, even with all that, the movie doesn't lose the charm and cleverness you expect from a Sherlock Holmes movie. Just like other Holmes movies it has scenes where Farrells Sherlock anticipates an attack or the next move and plans 3 steps ahead, only in this version, as it's a comedy, it of course goes wrong.
There is a lot of British humour as well that I don't feel American viewers would necessarily understand and that is I think probably why the movie gets bad reviews on rotten tomatoes.
If you combine a British themed movie, with lots of hilarious British comics (Such as Coogan and Brydon who are just brilliant) that Americans probably haven't heard of, plus British humour and British sarcasm that our friends across the sea might not get, of course it's going to get bad reviews on rotten tomatoes from US reviewers. This isn't written to slate Americans at all, it's just a realistic potential answer to why it might have bad reviews.
My friend Dominic said 'he's heard it's trash'. Well Dom, trust me, it isn't and I think you will like it.
Literally anyone that likes Only Fools and Horses British comedy will love this movie, and I am one of those people. I want again to say fair play and well done to Ferrell and Reilly for being willing to take the piss out of their own country in a light hearted way.
The good news is judging by the ending there will be a sequel, and I can't wait!
2018 wasn't a year where there were lot's of great comedy movies, but this is in my opinion definitely by far the funniest movie of 2018, even if I did see it in 2019 lol.
In conclusion, for anyone who loves British humour you will love this movie. Absolutely hilarious, well done to all involved, ignore the critics on this one, especially if you're British. Great movie, 4.5 stars awarded. :)
*These reviews are all my own work, please don't reproduce without my permission but please visit my advertisers pages as they help keep the blog going thankyou :)
Comments
Post a Comment