Film Review: "War Dogs" (2016).

"Hustling their way to the American Dream" in War Dogs. This biographical dark comedy-crime film directed by Todd Phillips, written by Phillips, Jason Smilovic and Stephen Chin, and based on Guy Lawson's Rolling Stone article and book Arms and the Dudes. Based on true events, two friends in their early 20s living in Miami Beach during the Iraq War exploit a little-known government initiative that allows small businesses to bid on U.S. Military contracts. Starting small, they begin raking in big money and are living the high life. But the pair gets in over their heads when they land a 300 million dollar deal to arm the Afghan Military - a deal that puts them in business with some very shady people, not the least of which turns out to be the U.S. Government.

The film follows two arms dealers, Efraim Diveroli and David Packouz, who receive a U.S. Army contract to supply ammunitions for the Afghan National Army worth approximately $300 million. The film is heavily fictionalized and dramatized, an exaggerated account of the two young men who physically faced perilous situations abroad. Though Packouz and Diveroli dealt in danger, they mostly did it behind a computer screen. Many of the incidents in the film on Chin's experiences in Iraq. Initially, Jesse Eisenberg and Shia LaBeouf were set to star in the film; however, Jonah Hill and Miles Teller were eventually cast. The real David Packouz met with Teller, where as the real Diveroli declined to meet with Hill. Hill said "I'm used to it. If a person is aggressively against me playing them, it's probably a good sign." By early March 2015, Ana de Armas, Bradley Cooper, Kevin Pollak, Patrick St. Esprit, and Shaun Toub. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and took place in Miami, Florida; Los Angeles, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Atlanta, Georgia; Casablanca, Morocco; and Bucharest, Romania.

The film stars Hill, Teller, de Armas, Cooper, Pollak, St. Esprit, and Toub. Teller is not entirely convincing playing the straight man and a little of Hill's antics goes a long way. Teller usually has a knack for picking decent movies. But this was not one of them. Hill keeps the laughs coming in the hilarious, banter-filled first half, but as the film descends into explosions, car-chases and awkwardly inserted moments of poignancy, it loses its wit and pacing in favor of predictable stunts. It's a tough double act, but both Teller and Hill pull it off with just enough confidence and some laughs here and there.

Shamelessly derivative and only sporadically funny, War Dogs doesn't live up to the possibilities suggested by its talented director and marvelously mismatched stars. The movie probably contains enough laughs to satisfy the weekend audience. Where it falls short is in the characters and relationships. The film is funny enough, but it should have been funnier. There are very few laugh-out-loud lines, but the situations prompt more curiosity about what will happen and/or how they'll get out of it than actual amusement.

Simon says War Dogs receives:

Also, see my review for The Hangover Part III.

Film Review: "Kubo and the Two Strings" (2016).

"The quest begins" in Kubo and the Two Strings. This stop-motion action fantasy film produced and directed by Travis Knight, in his directorial debut, written by Marc Haimes and Chris Butler, and produced by Laika. In a small village in an ancient mythical Japan, Kubo and his magic shamisen unwittingly summon vengeful spirits who wish to harm him and his ailing mother. While on the run, he encounters magical creatures, and learns the truth of his earthly family's connection to the heaven and stars.

In December 2014, the project was announced as the directorial debut of Laika's CEO Travis Knight. Knight was pitched the story by production designer Shannon Tindle as a "stop-motion samurai epic". Although the studio had never ventured into the genre before, Knight was enthusiastic about the project; owing partly his affinity towards both the "epic fantasy" genre as well as Japanese culture in general. Knight also took inspiration from Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki, and The Beatles. The art took inspiration from such Japanese mediums as ink wash painting and origami among others. A particular influence came from the ukiyo-e wood block style, with Laika intending to make the entire film "to look and feel as if it's a moving woodblock print". Assistance came from 3D printing firm Stratasys who allowed Laika to use their newest technologies in exchange for feedback on them. Kubo had over forty-eight million possible facial expressions and a total of twenty-three thousand, one hundred and eighty-seven prototype faces were created for him. The Skeleton monster the team created a giant sixteen-foot (4.9m), four hundred-pound (180 kg) puppet, which Laika claims is the record holder for largest stop-motion puppet. The idea to make such a massive puppet was born out of a fear that individual smaller parts (meant to represent the larger monster) would not work well on screen interacting with the other puppets. The resulting puppet was built in two parts which were then attached together by magnets. For movement Laika had to design a robot to easily manipulate it. The team at one point purchased an industrial robot off of eBay but found that it would not work with their setup. The boat sequence took nineteen months to shoot. The film was shot in the 2:35:1 aspect ratio, and consisted of at least one hundred and forty five, thousand photographs. At one hour and forty-one minutes long, this is the longest stop-motion film to date, beating out Laika's Coraline (2009).

The film features the voice talents of Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Ralph Fiennes, Rooney Mara, George Takei, and Matthew McConaughey. Thanks to the terrific performances by the cast, the puppetry is impressive and is a feast for the eyes-and the stop-motion is fluid.

Beautifully animated and solidly scripted, Kubo and the Two Strings will entertain children while providing surprisingly thoughtful fare for their parents. Few movies so taken with Japanese mythology have felt so immersive as this film, the latest handcrafted marvel from the stop-motion artists at Laika.

Simon says Kubo and the Two Strings receives:

Film Review: "The Shallows" (2016).

"What was once in the deep is now in The Shallows". This horror film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and written by Anthony Jaswinski. When Nancy is surfing on a secluded beach, she finds herself on the feeding ground of a great white shark. Though she is stranded only two hundred yards from shore, survival proves to be the ultimate test of wills, requiring all of Nancy's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and fortitude.

In June 2015, Louis Leterrier was initially attached to direct, but dropped out due to creative differences. Ultimately, Collet-Serra was hired to replace Leterrier. From the very beginning, Collet-Serra viewed the movie as one about survival and decided not to place an emphasis on gore. In August, Blake Lively was cast. Lively was partly inspired by her husband, Ryan Reynolds', work in the similarly minimalist film Buried (2010). Collet-Sera said that script was re-tailored to fit Lively, as the original character was a younger one, about three to four years younger. In late October, principal photography commenced and wrapped in mid January 2016. Filming took place at Village Roadshow Studios in Queensland, as well as New South Wales, Australia. The film was originally was going to be filmed on the Gulf Coast of Texas near Galveston, but the filmmakers were denied a film permit for safety reasons. Much of the film was shot in a tank using bluescreens for effects. Still, Collet-Serra wanted to avoid the "more stylized look" of similar films using the set up and estimated that 10% of the film was shot on location in order to "trick" the audience into believing the setting was real. The shark was made entirely through computer-generated imagery, which was only completed close to the start of the marketing campaign for the film. /Film noted that the use of CGI was unusual for Collet-Serra, as he typically used practical effects as opposed to the digital ones required by the shoot. Lively ended up performing several of her own stunts, including a scene where her character breaks her nose. In reality, Lively really did hurt herself in that scene and the blood on her nose is real. Also, Lively was pregnant with her second child during filming. Sony had originally set the film for a June 29, 2016 release date, but was moved up to June 24, 2016 to avoid The Purge: Election Year.

The film stars Lively. worry, terror, and the dread that can accompany the unknown. This is thanks to Lively's performance.

The film is being touted as one of the most frightening films to chomp into your psyche for a long time, but either I'm secretly being fed sedatives or this is a case of good old hype meets collective hysteria. It has labored to make an almost Jaws-level film. It's meant to make us feel like we are really there, and to a certain extent it succeeds. It depends on the audience to be able to vicariously place themselves in the situation at hand, and if you can do that, you're in for a nerve-frying treat.

Simon says The Shallows receives:

Also, see my review for Run All Night.

Film Review: "Train to Busan" ("부산행") (2016).

"Life-or-death survival begins" in Train to Busan (부산행). This South Korean zombie film directed by Yeon Sang-ho, and written by Park Joo-suk. The film follows a group of terrified passengers fighting their way through a countrywide viral outbreak while trapped on a suspicion-filled, blood-drenched bullet train ride to Busan, a southern resort city that has managed to hold off the zombie hordes... or so everyone hopes.

By late April 2015, Gong Yoo, Kim Su-an, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Choi Woo-shik, Sohee, and Kim Eui-sung were cast in a harrowing zombie thriller written by Park Joo-suk, and with Yeon Sang-ho as director. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in late August. Filming took place throughout South Korea.

The film stars Gong Yoo, Kim Su-an, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Choi Woo-shik, Sohee, and Kim Eui-sung. Thanks to the cast, the film succeeds on its unfriendly characters, sustained discomfort and, above all, an unforgiving diagnosis of the moral misery of a society that perhaps was already living its well-deserved Apocalypse inside. The film is a superb piece of work which blurs lines between Them and Us in complex ways, breathing new life into the undead in the process. It deserves a wide audience.

While not exactly as intriguing and powerful as his previous films, the film still offers visuals and a narrative in perpetual, gripping motion. The film leaves us with a solid but less compelling work in his growing filmography that satisfies neither as art or entertainment. The film infuses new life into the worn out zombie movie genre with blood-pumping thrills and an incisive Korean point of view which separates it from the crowd. Yeon Sang-ho's third feature is no less fierce and violent as his The King of Pigs and The Fake, and wholeheartedly artistic at the same time. Yeong Sang-ho directs a film where the key word (apart from zombies ) is cruelty, as is the main sentiment that permeates the animation. Through its multileveled, filled with social comments presentation, he manages to present a unique entry in the genre. Closer to suspense than to terror offering a meritorious outcome that delves deeper into moral ambiguity and portrays a crude social retrospective of class division. At times it is oppressively morose, but it has a nice dusting of social realism to go with the violence, and reaches an agreeably nasty conclusion. A more than decent film that knows how to support itself in this kind of topics to come up with a solid story. Although the technical quality doesn't reach the precision of Hollywood, it's a completely enjoyable audiovisual piece. Like all the best horror films, the grisly events unfolding onscreen are merely a cypher through which the filmmaker can address prominent social issues. The film's social advocacy and regional specificity, as well as its effective staging, make it a worthy entry into the zombie canon. The film delves into the darkened recesses of human nature, unflinchingly laying bare the results of our basest instincts.

Simon says Train to Busan (부산행) receives:

Film Review: "The Secret Life of Pets" (2016).

"Ever wonder what your pets do when you're not home?" This is The Secret Life of Pets. This computer-animated comedy film co-directed by Chris Renaud and Yarrow Cheney, written by Brian Lynch, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, and produced by Illumination Entertainment. Max is a spoiled terrier who enjoys a comfortable life in a New York building until his owner adopts Duke, a giant and unruly canine. During their walk outside, they encounter a group of ferocious alley cats and wind up in a truck that's bound for the pound. Luckily, a rebellious bunny named Snowball swoops in to save the doggy duo from captivity. In exchange, Snowball demands that Max and Duke join his gang of abandoned pets on a mission against the humans who've done them wrong.

In 2012, the film was in development during the production of Despicable Me 2, with Renaud attached as director. At that time, Illumination's CEO Chris Meledandri pitched him an idea on a film about what pets do when their caretakers are away. While Renaud found the premise interesting he and his team did not know what form the story would take, with them at one point considering making it a murder mystery, before deciding to make something "that was a bit more relatable". The team used Jean-Jacques Sempé as an influence in designing the environment and attention was specifically paid to keep the designs "very vertically oriented" In keeping with the tradition of old WB cartoons, the owners faces are almost never seen. The home of the Flushed Pets was created to "hint at the darker side" of pet ownership "without, hopefully, getting too heavy, as well as to explore "this whole mythology in New York of the world that’s unseen," while still maintaining the pet theme. The animation was created entirely in France by Illumination Mac Guff.

The film features the voice talents of Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Jenny Slate, Kevin Hart, Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Hannibal Buress, Bobby Moynihan, Tara Strong, Steve Coogan, and Albert Brooks. The cast gave engagingly comical performances as the various pets.

The Secret Life of Pets is a surprisingly thoughtful, family-friendly treat with a few surprises of its own. Since animals so often steal the show in animation, the film smartly turns the whole operation over to loveable pets with minds and lives of their own. The setup is pure Looney Tunes, and indeed, the film is at its best when trading in the anything-for-a-laugh prankery that was a specialty of the Termite Terrace crowd. The film is a 3D cartoon comedy of whiplash-quick laughs, funny punch lines and a wickedly gimmicky appreciation for 3D. Kids will dig it, adults will smile with amusement, and no one will be any different afterward than they were walking into the theater. Neither as rich in story nor stunning in animation as Pixar offerings, the film instead settles for simply being goofy good fun, and it hardly seems like settling at all.

Simon says The Secret Life of Pets receives:

Also, see my review for Despicable Me 2 and Minions.

Film Review: "Suicide Squad" (2016).

"Worst. Heroes. Ever." They are the Suicide Squad is. This superhero film written and directed by David Ayer and based on the antihero team of the same name published by DC Comics. The film is the third installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller has determined and assembles a secretly convened group of the world's most dangerous, disparate, despicable and incarcerated individuals, with next to nothing to lose, at the government's disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. However, once they realize they weren’t picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it’s every man for himself?

In February 2009, a Suicide Squad film was in development at Warner Bros. Pictures. In September 2014, Ayer signed on to write and direct, Ayer described the film as a "comic-book version of The Dirty Dozen (1967)." By April 2015, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne and Karen Fukuhara were cast. Principal photography began in April and concluded in August 2015, locations included Toronto, Ontario, Canada with additional filming in Chicago, Illinois. To achieve the camaraderie that Ayer wanted for the squad, the cast spent time together on-and-off set. Even going so far as to every one of them getting the tattoo "SKWAD" in honor of the film. During shooting, Leto got so immersed in playing The Joker that he wouldn't break out of character. He even sent his fellow cast members "Joker-like" presents: a live rat to Margot Robbie and bullets to Will Smith, a soiled Playboy magazine to Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and a dead hog, anal beads and used condoms for the whole crew. Scott Eastwood, commented that Leto frightened him at times with his behavior, and Smith mentioned that he actually never met the real Leto. It was suggested that because of the dark and tormenting nature of the film, an on-set therapist was hired to keep the cast grounded.

The film stars an ensemble cast including Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne and Karen Fukuhara. The cast their best despite little to no characterisation to work off of. The ones to benefit the most were Smith, Robbie, Kinnaman and Davis. It was unfortunate however for Courtney, Hernandez, Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Delevingne, Fukuhara and Leto. With Leto being the most unfortunate as he was criminally underused when he brought a stand-out performance.

Suicide Squad is far more underwhelming than its genius marketing campaign had suggested, with the film being on the same level as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice rather than surpassing it. However, what redeems the film, to some extent, is Ayer's gritty but fun vision. As he understands and has a passion for these characters to make a film where having super villains saving the world is unlike any other comic-book movie.

Simon says Suicide Squad receives:

Also, see my review for Fury and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Film Review: "Lights Out" (2016).

"You were right to be afraid of the dark" with Lights Out. This supernatural horror film directed by David F. Sandberg, in his directorial debut, written by Eric Heisserer, and based on Sandberg's 2013 short film of the same title. The film follows Rebecca and her boyfriend who try to investigate the connection between her mother and her imaginary friend, Diana, after her stepfather is murdered by a supernatural entity.

Sandberg, and his wife Lotta Losten, created the initial short film for a film competition. Although the film did not win the competition, the short soon went viral, leading to Sandberg to be contacted by several agents, to the point where he had to develop a spreadsheet to keep track of them all. One of the contacts was Lawrence Grey who wanted to collaborate with James Wan in order to produce a feature-length version. Although Wan enjoyed the short, he was hesitant that it could be turned into a feature until Sandberg produced a treatment for the feature-length version. By June 2015, Teresa Palmer, Maria Bello, Gabriel Bateman, Billy Burke, Alexander DiPersia, Lotta Losten, and Alicia Vela-Bailey were cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in early August. Filming took place in Los Angeles. Sandberg aimed to use as much authentic lighting for the film as possible. Some scenes were only lit by candle lights or fluorescent tubes. Sandberg said that his goal was to keep Diana's appearance in the film as a silhouette. In addition, he decided to focus on practical effects and avoided as much CGI as possible. Diana was created with a photorealistic prosthetic suit that could also function as a green screen suit so as to remove her from the scene when the lights came on. The cast were not shown Diana until filming, in completely dark sets. This was an intentional directorial choice so as to provoke a genuine reaction of fear when first seeing Diana. Vela-Bailey was previously Palmer's stunt double on I Am Number Four (2011), it would have ruined the effect had she seen her prior as she would have recognized her therefore losing the authentic expression of fear. Diana was originally supposed to be more of a demonic presence, but Wan suggested that she have a human background so she could have a relationship to Sophie and add to the connection to the family. Sandberg personally handled several VFX shots himself during post-production with the studio's permission. The film was pushed from a winter to a summer release following positive audience reaction from test screenings.

It stars Palmer, Bello, Bateman, Burke, DiPersia, Losten, and Vela-Bailey. At times, there was no chemistry between the cast, especially Palmer and DiPersia, and thus watching the film was a tedious task on it's own.

So while Lights Out expertly delivers all the bumps in the night that fans of this genre love, it is also haunted by its own paradoxical narratology, engendering something slyly manipulative and deeply irrational.

Simon says Lights Out receives:

Film Review: "Jason Bourne" (2016).

"You know his name." It's Jason Bourne. This action thriller film directed by Paul Greengrass, written by Greengrass and Christopher Rouse, and based on the characters created by Robert Ludlum. It is a direct sequel to The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), and the fifth installment of the Bourne film series. Jason Bourne, the former CIA agent, is drawn out of hiding by CIA director Robert Dewey. He then sets out to discover more about his past, family and his father's death.

In May 2007, prior to the release of The Bourne Ultimatum, Matt Damon stated that he would not be interested in returning for a fourth Bourne film. Ironically, in the subsequent years, Damon has stated numerous times that he would only return to the Bourne series to reprise his role if Greengrass would return to direct. However, Universal released The Bourne Legacy, on August 10, 2012, with Jeremy Renner replacing Damon as Aaron Cross. Despite the mixed reception and commercial disappointment, Universal noted that they planned to continue with the series. Initially a sequel was announced with Renner reprising his role, Justin Lin directing, and a rumoured July 2016 release date. However, in November 2014, it was announced that Damon and Greengrass would return to reprise his role and direct for the next Bourne film, with Greengrass and Rouse penning the script, under the rumoured title The Bourne Betrayal. By early September 2015, Julia Stiles, returned to reprise her role, Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel, Riz Ahmed, Ato Essandoh, Scott Shepherd, and Bill Camp rounded out the film's cast as new additions. At the same time, with the budget of $120 million, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in early February 2016. Filming took place in London, England; Berlin, Germany; Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas, U.S.A.; and Tenerife island, Canary Islands, Spain. For the Athens, Greece protest scene, the producers asked the Greek Government for permission to shoot the film in the actual location. However, due to high taxes and bureaucracy, this never happened. Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, doubles as Athens in the movie. For the Las Vegas car chase, city officials and the producers reached an agreement to only shoot the Las Vegas car chase sequence from midnight to sunrise. The sequence took five weeks to shoot and at the end, the sequence wrecked 170 cars. In early February 2016, during the Super Bowl 50, the first trailer was released and revealed the film's title as Jason Bourne.

The film stars Damon, reprising his role as the former CIA assassin, Stiles reprising her role, Lee Jones, Vikander, Cassel, Ahmed, Essandoh, Shepherd, and Camp. Damon still has the required intensity and physicality to make his iconic character completely believable. Damon radiates a powerful undercurrent of danger. He is the perfect Bourne.

It isn't quite as compelling as the earlier trilogy, but Jason Bourne proves the franchise has stories left to tell - and benefits from Jeremy Renner's magnetic work in the starring role.

Simon says Jason Bourne receives:

Also, see my review for Captain Phillips.

NZIFF Film Review: "Elle" (2016).

From the director of Basic Instinct and Black Book comes Elle. This French thriller film directed by Paul Verhoeven, adapted by David Birke, and based on the novel Oh... by Philippe Djian. Michèle seems indestructible. Head of a successful video game company, she brings the same ruthless attitude to her love life as to business. Being attacked in her home by an unknown assailant changes Michèle's life forever. When she resolutely tracks the man down, they are both drawn into a curious and thrilling game-a game that may, at any moment, spiral out of control.

After producer Saïd Ben Saïd sent Verhoeven a copy of Djian's novel, Verhoeven's interest was immediately piqued. Verhoeven stated that he felt the movie was an opportunity for him to do "something very different to anything I've done before." During the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, the project was unveiled at the Marché du Film. Verhoeven was looking for an actress who would be "prepared to take that on" and believed Nicole Kidman "could handle this role." However, she turned it down. Charlize Theron, Julianne Moore, Sharon Stone, Marion Cotillard, Diane Lane, and Carice van Houten were also considered for the title role. Verhoeven told The Guardian that he reckons that the only American actress who would have been willing is Jennifer Jason Leigh. However, she also turned it down. Verhoeven's inability to convince a major American actress to play the part left him frustrated. The film was originally supposed to take place in Boston or Chicago but, according to Verhoeven, it proved to be "too difficult" to shoot the film in the United States due to its violent and immoral content. Verhoeven then decided to do it in French and used a significant time before production to learn the language, in order to effectively communicate with the predominantly French cast and crew. In September 2014, Isabelle Huppert signed on to star in the title role. Huppert had expressed interest in a screen adaptation of the book before Verhoeven. She joined the production and accepted the part immediately. By early January 2015, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny, Christian Berkel, Virginie Efira, Charles Berling, Alice Isaaz, Judith Magre, Vimala Pons, Jonas Bloquet, Lucas Prisor, and Raphaël Lenglet rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in March. Filming took place in Paris and Yvelines, France, and was shot digitally on the Red Dragon cameras, the first for Verhoeven. Federico Fellini's 8½ (1963), Jean Renoir's The Rules of the Game (1939) and Orson Welles' Touch of Evil (1958) served as influences for the film.

The film stars Huppert, Lafitte, Consigny, Berkel, Efira, Berling, Isaaz, Magre, Pons, Bloquet, Prisor, and Lenglet. Terrific performances were given by the cast, especially Huppert. Huppert was astonishing, and if someone were on the ball she'd be world famous sooner rather than later.

In Elle, Verhoeven does not focus on moral discourse but rather on human measure, and with the non-cynical approach of his female lead and of love he has given new colour to his work.

Simon says Elle receives:

Also, see my NZIFF review for Safety Last! and An Eastern Westerner.