Will (Logan Marshall-Green) has suffered a great loss in his past and has never really moved on. He's got a new girlfriend (Kira, played by Emayatzy Corinealdi), but when both are invited to a dinner party by Will's ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard) and her new husband (David, played by Michiel Huisman) , Will's growing paranoia about possible sinister motives for the get-together threaten to ruin the good times....unless he's right.
It's best to go into this film knowing little to nothing about it. That's how I walked into it and it greatly enhanced my viewing experience. So, I'll keep this short. Logan Marshall-Green and Tammy Blanchard are both fantastic in the film. One of the great things about this flick is that there is a very real possibility the threat of danger could just be in Will's head, as his inability to effectively cope with his loss is tampering with his judgement. We are never really sure if Will is the hero or a possible threat himself until the third act.
What are my complaints? Well, none really. The latter part of the third act can't really keep up with the momentum the film had built before, but there are still enough thrilling and tension/suspense filled moments to keep you thoroughly sucked in.
The Invitation is an intricately crafted puzzle box of sorts that is always twisting and turning. The film is filled with suspense and tension that both slowly build until a boiling point. This flick enjoys playing with viewer's heads, and it's sure to keep you guessing right until the end (and that final shot is downright haunting). I really enjoyed The Invitation and the twisty roller-coaster ride it took me on. I would highly recommend it, just don't walk in expecting a horror film as this is more of a psychological thriller/intense drama/mystery.
4.5 STARS
Karyn Kusama;who directed this film; also directed the terrible Jennifer's Body.
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Thursday, April 14, 2016
HARDCORE HENRY ADMINISTERS A SHOT OF ADRENALINE STRAIGHT TO THE JUGULAR
In Hardcore Henry, Henry awakens after being brutally murdered. His life jumpstarted by a beautiful woman named Estelle (Haley Bennett), who proceeds to upgrade him with cybernetic parts. She claims to be his wife, but Henry can't recall due to memory loss from his death. It doesn't take long before a wicked looking albino named Akan (Danila Kozlovsky) storms Estelle's lab, kidnapping her and having his goons taser poor Henry right off a bridge. With the help of a mysterious man named Jimmy (Sharlto Copley), Henry is going to go after Akan, rescue his wife, and reclaim his life.
Hardcore Henry lived up to my worst fears and greatest expectations. It is a live-action videogame movie, filled with testosterone and it follows a typical Mario Bros.-esque plot (Save the princess, or in this case, your wife). It's loud, dumb, violent, bloody, brutal, surreal, insane and tons of fun. Danila Kozlovsky makes for a cool villain, and Sharlto Copley nails his many roles perfectly (His Jimmy keeps coming back to life in a different form every time he dies, I won't explain why or how. Jimmy also has a very fun and goofy musical dance number set to I've Got You Under My Skin). Indeed, his budding bro-mance with Henry is one of the stronger aspects of this film. I'd say this is my 2nd favorite role of Copley's.
The first person perspective is an inventive, original way to tell this story while putting us directly in Henry's shoes. The result is thrilling and dizzying (I don't normally get queasy in these types of film, but I did here a few times. Wasn't anything I couldn't shake off though). The action is almost non-stop, with very little breathing room in-between set pieces (very impressive stunt work). The only downside to the first person perspective is that it can feel like you are watching someone else play a video game at times (Please, just give me the damned controller). I was surprised at how well the you-are-Henry effect worked at times.
So, what are this film's issues? As I said before, the plot is fairly threadbare, dumb, and typical territory for a video game (but still cool). The script is bad in an action, B-Movie, 80's-esque, guy flick type of way. The villain lacks motivation (and his nifty telekinetic powers are never explained). The film also ends way too abruptly. In other words, it's bad in exactly the ways you'd expect it to be.
If you are an action movie junkie or a fan of video games, there's a chance you may enjoy Hardcore Henry. However, if you want your action film to have a plot, a decent script, character development, and a satisfying conclusion, maybe you'd do best to look somewhere else. For myself, I had an absolute, surreal blast with Hardcore Henry. It may not be a great film, but it's an awesome, unique experience (Kind of like Project X).
3.5 STARS
EDIT: I can only imagine how much crazier, immersive, and nauseating this film would be if viewed on the Oculus Rift.
Hardcore Henry lived up to my worst fears and greatest expectations. It is a live-action videogame movie, filled with testosterone and it follows a typical Mario Bros.-esque plot (Save the princess, or in this case, your wife). It's loud, dumb, violent, bloody, brutal, surreal, insane and tons of fun. Danila Kozlovsky makes for a cool villain, and Sharlto Copley nails his many roles perfectly (His Jimmy keeps coming back to life in a different form every time he dies, I won't explain why or how. Jimmy also has a very fun and goofy musical dance number set to I've Got You Under My Skin). Indeed, his budding bro-mance with Henry is one of the stronger aspects of this film. I'd say this is my 2nd favorite role of Copley's.
The first person perspective is an inventive, original way to tell this story while putting us directly in Henry's shoes. The result is thrilling and dizzying (I don't normally get queasy in these types of film, but I did here a few times. Wasn't anything I couldn't shake off though). The action is almost non-stop, with very little breathing room in-between set pieces (very impressive stunt work). The only downside to the first person perspective is that it can feel like you are watching someone else play a video game at times (Please, just give me the damned controller). I was surprised at how well the you-are-Henry effect worked at times.
So, what are this film's issues? As I said before, the plot is fairly threadbare, dumb, and typical territory for a video game (but still cool). The script is bad in an action, B-Movie, 80's-esque, guy flick type of way. The villain lacks motivation (and his nifty telekinetic powers are never explained). The film also ends way too abruptly. In other words, it's bad in exactly the ways you'd expect it to be.
If you are an action movie junkie or a fan of video games, there's a chance you may enjoy Hardcore Henry. However, if you want your action film to have a plot, a decent script, character development, and a satisfying conclusion, maybe you'd do best to look somewhere else. For myself, I had an absolute, surreal blast with Hardcore Henry. It may not be a great film, but it's an awesome, unique experience (Kind of like Project X).
3.5 STARS
EDIT: I can only imagine how much crazier, immersive, and nauseating this film would be if viewed on the Oculus Rift.
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