2016 Mini Reviews - Part One

 

For those who have seen any Paranormal Activity movie or the majority of Found Footage movies, the unfolding of The Unfolding’s narrative is one you have already seen before. 

Like many Found Footage movies the film starts off slow getting us introduced to our two main characters before eventually and inevitably becoming incomprehensible in the final act. The film’s main narrative is its weakest point with its clichéd haunted house ghost, but in the background is an interesting subplot about impending nuclear doom which certainly has massive potential to add great depth to the story but it’s one that never fully delivered. Yet, the film has its moments, impressive use of sound design creates the film’s most scary and jolting moments, the opening shots of Dartmoor are beautifully shot and with the foggy surroundings they are generally quite creepy and the performances are effective enough when conveying terror. However, the film is let down by the fact that it’s hard to care about our two main characters.

2/5

Such is the nature of modern warfare that a devastating war can be fought where the enemies are on opposite sides of world and in some cases may never even see the whites of their eyes. Drone Warfare and the robotic, calculative nature of such a war could easily distance the fighters from the human cost of war, but in Eye of the Sky the human cost of war is still a hotly debated issue as a young girl could be the victim of a drone strike on a group of terrorists gearing up for a major terrorist attack. The tension in the film revolves around the moral question whether the young girl is a necessary victim in the bid to stop an even deadlier attack. This moral dilemma adds emotional weight to the story making the film an engaging one and one with an interesting moral centre. The film is perhaps most notable for being Alan Rickman’s last on screen appearance and his performance here is fine as is the rest of the cast though Iain Glen’s food poisoning afflicted character is tonally misjudged.

4/5

Ride Along 2 is one of the few sequels that's better than the first film, both film's effectiveness is solely down to the chemistry shared between Ice Cube and Kevin Hart which the latter's comic and excellent physical performance gives the film the energy needed to be an enjoyable watch. If you liked the first Ride Along, you'll like this one, If not, I'd stay away as it's pretty much more of the same.

3/5