Is the action genre suffering?

Modern Action films

Introduction

Hollywood is one of the biggest film distributors in the world, there are others which are above Hollywood. However, Hollywood is the most technically advanced and the budgets of the films that the produce. The aspect about Hollywood that is great is that there is such a wide variety to choose from and what this means that there is about of genres that one person can choose from, you can sit there and watch any film from the romantic comedy to an action film. The action genre is an interesting genre to look at because the prospective, this is because some people view the genre as just mindless entertainment. This was the case in 80’s and 90’s because the action films that came out just had someone onscreen killing people, the one film which comes to mind would be Commando. This is a film which has some excellent action for the time, but the film has one-liners and performance from Arnold that is quite relaxed. But over time the action film became a film which started to have more developed and interesting characters, but also the storylines became more complex. An example of this would be The Matrix, this is a film which has quite a complex narrative. However, from a directing point of view this is one of the hardest genres to get right because there are many different technical factors about the action genre which need to be done to high standard to make a film stand out. There are few examples of action films that stand out, a more recent example would be Mad max: Fury Road, this is an action film which won big at the Oscars a couple of years ago, and this was due to the visuals of the film and the action sequences.

However, over the last decade there has been a decline in the quality of action films in general and this is because of several different reasons. There are many aspects to the current trend of action films which need to be improved. The different aspects can be broken down into three main aspects of any film which are important. These are aspects include the pre-production, the production and the post-production which are also important to any film. These are elements which should have maximum attention focused on them by any creative team. This is because the pre-production elements of the film give the outline and basic information about the characters and understand where the narrative is going into the film. The production is also important and this is because this how the film is put together with the cast and crew working to complete the project, and finally the post-production aspects of the film such as the editing and special effects. This editorial is going to look at the different elements of a how an action film is created, and how people can improve the action films which are being made now. This editorial will look at a variety of action films talking at about the action films which are good and some which are bad, and exploring why some action films work and why some films don’t work.

Pre-production

The first thing to begin with would be the pre-production, pre-production of a film is the foundation of any film which is created. There is quite a lot of misconception when it comes to the pre-production any film and this is because most people just think that the script is the only thing which is done as the foundation of the film. However, this is simply incorrect because there is more than just the script. A surprise to you might be that there a few more steps than just the script. Films mainly start out with what is a logline, this is a basic summary about the film and the easiest way to sum this up is to summarise any of your personal favourite films in a single sentence. This is simplest way to summarise what a Logline is, and an example would be ‘After his daughter is kidnapped in France, a retired CIA official must go to Paris and find his daughter within 72 hours or his daughter will be sold into the sex trade’, this a basic Logline of the film Taken. This the basic of a film and eventually they create the script from this, the script is an aspect which will have all the details about the characters and the runtime of the film and who is the main protagonist and antagonist in the film. The script is a very important to the film for many different reasons, a film which has an excellent script would be Locke which came out in 2013 and stars Tom Hardy. The film is about a man who trying to work out how to fix past mistakes that he has made, this is one most intelligent written scripts because we learn and understand about the character that is onscreen. While he gets phone calls from people, you get this sense that he is isolated from the world but the script exposes this character and it develops the main character very well. This is one of the best examples of screenwriting, in terms of the action genre an example would be The Dark Knight. This is a superhero film but it has action sequences and therefore for this editorial it counts, because most of superhero films have action scenes.

What stands out about The Dark Knight is how all the characters are written and the development of these characters. The characters in The Dark Knight have some of best development that has been put to film, the characters which are developed the most would be characters such as Harvey Dent and The Joker. These characters are very well developed because as an audience we see this character arc that Dent goes through in the film because he is someone who wants to make Gotham a city which is crime free, but he goes through this arc from being someone who understands the law but understands by the end after a tragedy he understands the difference between the law and what is fair. The character is a very interesting character to study because of this, the other character which is well written is The Joker played by the late Heath Ledger. This is arguably one of the best portrayals of this character, this is because the character has been written to show that a small amount chaos can disrupt a government. The character doesn’t have a plan but he just wants to see the city of Gotham fall because of the level of chaos and while this is small aspect to base an antagonist on but because he doesn’t have a plan like most other villains then you can explore more with the character and develop the character. Therefore, and this is probably why some people consider this portrayal of The Joker from The Dark Knight is one of the best villains, and this is because of the screenwriters and how they have written the character.

This are some of the best examples of characters and how they are written onscreen, for every excellent example of how the characters are written there are also characters which are poorly written. There are two easy methods to tell if a character is very poorly written, these two reasons would include that character not having much development onscreen and the audience doesn’t explore the character in enough detail. The second why to spot poorly written characters would be if the motivations for the characters are weak and you as an audience don’t understand why the characters are committing the actions that you see onscreen. An example of the some poorly written characters onscreen would probably be something like G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra. This is a film which is quite awful for different reasons, the one thing that stands out in this film is that the character. Take the main character in this film Duke, the character is very weak in this film because the only reason that he joins the Joe’s is because his ex-girlfriend is part of the antagonists and this is all the development that the character gets during the runtime of the film and this is quite a weak reason why he joins. This is not how someone should write character development and writing because outside of this factor there is nothing else that you can explore with this character and when the action scenes come along you as the audience just don’t care whether the character lives or dies. The antagonist in this also very forgettable, Destro is one of the main antagonist characters in this film and he is also forgettable because he doesn’t have strong motivations and therefore his reasons aren’t clear and the script doesn’t show why the character is planning on using a weapon to destroy a large city. This is very poor writing because the motivations for these characters are weak and should have been written with more depth and clarity. G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra is one of example of this were the characters are not written with the greatest of care and therefore there are weak motivations and not enough for the characters to be developed and this loses the audience attention because they simply don’t care.

Production

If the script is quite weak and doesn’t explore the films characters enough this can create a separation between the film and the audience which the studios don’t want. However, the pre-production is not the only reason for an action film failing. The production of an action film is something which also can make an action film fail. This is because the production footage is what the cast and crew have gone out and filmed whether this be on a set or on a location. Action films rely heavily on the director and this is because the director must understand a couple of things that when making an action film. The first thing that the director must understand how the action sequence will look when they come to edit, the main aspect would be camera placement. Camera placement is quite a difficult thing to do and this is because the director must understand where the camera should be and how to make the action look convincing at the same time. There are many different directors which understand how to this, directors including John McTeigue and Gareth Evans are a couple of examples. John McTeigue is responsible for many different classic action films from the 80’s and 90’s, the two main examples would Die Hard and Predator. Both films are considered classics, both have excellent action scenes that have been directed with care and attention to the detail about how the action will look in the final cut of the film. Die Hard is a film which has some excellent action. The reason for this is because each shot that has been put into the action sequences has been done to make sure that the director communicates with the audience and wants them to see the action onscreen. Another director which is good at Camera placement would be Gareth Evans, he is a director which hasn’t directed a big budget Hollywood film yet, but he is responsible for both Raid films which came out in 2011 and 2014. Evans is an excellent action director because he knows how to make an action sequence work and this is because he plans the action in his head when he is on set.

However, while there are some excellent directors of action and they understand how they want their action sequences wanting to look, there are some directors which are very bad at doing this. The two directors which come to mind when looking at their action films would be Olivier Megaton and Simon West. Both directors have films that are well-known, Olivier Megaton has directed films like Taken 2 and Taken 3 and Simon West is known for directing films like The Expendables 2 and The Mechanic. Both directors have issues with their director style and this is because both directors have something in common and this is because neither of these directors understand how to construct an action sequences. Both understand how to pace the action scene, but neither understand anything about camera placement and this can be shown because of the editing which will be addressed below and this is because camera placement. Camera placement is one of the most important thing for this reason because often directors use one or more camera and just try find a camera angle which looks good for the final cut of the film.  

Action films rely heavily on the directors and how they direct action sequences, however there is also another aspect to action sequences. A big part of any action film is the casting choices for the characters, this is often one of the first things that is decided in the pre-production but the actors that are used are throughout the production of the film. There are many action stars out there, over the past decade the action genre has evolved and now there is more hand-to-hand combat sequences, these sequences depend more on the star in the film. If an actor is willing to perform some or all stunts, this helps the directors and makes the overall final look in the film and the final cut looks. There are a few actors which perform their own stunts, actors such as Keanu Reeves and Tom Cruise when he was making the Indiana Jones films. Keanu Reeves is an actor which is one of best action stars working in Hollywood because in his films he has done a lot stunts. Take for example the most recent films that he has made, John Wick and John Wick: Chapter 2. These films have excellent stunt work in the action sequences and you can sense that he enjoys performing these stunts. While Reeves isn’t the best dramatic actor he is someone who commits to the stunts and people should appreciate his stunt work.

The other actor mentioned is Tom Cruise, he is also one of only few action stars to perform his own stunts. Tom Cruise is known for insane stunts and most of them are in the Mission: Impossible series. Tom Cruise has performed some amazing stunts such as climbing the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, people think that the stunt is fake and they used CGI to recreate the environment, but this is not the case because the stunt is real and the only usage of CGI here is remove anything like the support cables and the camera itself from a distance. This is not the only stunt which he has done because in Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation, Tom Cruise decided to make a stunt where he hangs from the side of the plane. This is just a small number of stunts which he has done since he became an action star. This is quite important aspect to making an action film for one important reason, this is due to the factor that the more an actor decides to commit to the stunts in an action film the director doesn’t have as many restrictions when it comes to making an action scenes and therefore the director doesn’t have to cut and change the camera angles as much as this means that the editing when done in post-production and this creates a much better action film overall.

The stunt work is very important aspect of any action films, there is another aspect to an action film which is quite important, this being Shaky Cam. Shaky Cam is an action filmmaking style which has been used in many different films over the past decade, and it arguably started with The Bourne Supremacy which was released in 2004 and was directed by Paul Greengrass. Paul Greengrass uses Shaky Cam no matter the film that he has directed, he has used this in films from The Bourne Supremacy, Green Zone and United 93. Greengrass is director which knows and understands how to make a scene with Shaky Cam look comprehensible and much easier to follow and an example of this would be the fight between Desh and Bourne in The Bourne Ultimatum. The fight scene is littered with Shaky Cam and this helps the experience of the action sequence, because what Greengrass does during the action scene is that he often cuts to a wide shot and this is so that you as an audience can see what is happening in the action sequence and this is something which he does quite a lot so you can always see the action. Greengrass is excellent for using this directing style, but for some reason other directors have decided to use this directing technique but they don’t know how to use the directing style in the same way. A film which uses Shaky Cam but doesn’t use the technique as well as Greengrass is Quantum of Solace. Quantum of Solace is the sequel to Casino Royale. Quantum of Solace is not a good film and this might be due to fact that the entire production was rushed from start to finish and this is because the studio wanted to capitalise on the success on Casino Royale. Quantum of Solace is filled with Shaky Cam and the action is very difficult to follow because of the technique, the main difference between the way that Marc Forester uses it and the way Paul Greengrass uses Shaky Cam and this is because of the shot layout and how the action sequences are edited together.

This the final part to the production aspect of creating an action film, the final thing to mention about the production of action film is the fact that the action itself and how it is choreographed. Alongside how the action sequence is shot in a film, the action also needs to have some tight choreography because this gives the audience the suspension of disbelief and make the action have a sense of realism. There are fight sequences from many different films which look excellent onscreen, some of the best fight scenes in films have some excellent choreography because of the crew that have made the action sequences. Talented people like Woo-Ping Yuen, Yuen has done some excellent fight choreography over the years and has made choreography for many different films. The list of films which he has worked over the years include The Matrix, Kill Bill and Unleashed alongside his other films that he has worked on from Hong Kong cinema. A good action scene has excellent and tight choreography because each fight scenes from the films listed above have all got great action sequences and each of them stand out for one reason or other. Take The Matrix for example this has many excellent action scenes but the one that people often reference would be the fight between Neo and Agent Smith. This fight scene is excellent for many different reasons, but the focus on would-be the fight and how smooth the action happens onscreen and this how a good fight scene is completed.

Post-production

There are many different fight scenes in action films, The Matrix has some good action scenes for this reason because of smoothness and quality of the action and how it looks cinematic. For every good action sequence, there is an equally bad action sequence which is put to film. Take for example London Has Fallen, this is a film which came out in 2016 and compared to the previous film in the series the action is very poorly directed but the hand-to-hand combat action sequence between Mike Banning and Kamran. This is fight scene which is poorly constructed because there is a lack of smoothness in the fight scene and it looks like the action hasn’t been choreographed and this is one of the biggest issues with the action in London Has Fallen because nobody has taken the time to choreographed it. An action sequence that hasn’t been properly choreographed is like having a film that has dance sequences and not having the dance sequences choreographed and this looks terrible onscreen. You can see where the comparison goes with other genres of films, there is something else which should be added to this point. Some action films these days are made with the action sequences already created ahead of the script and this is because the people behind the current action films only care about spectacle, and while this might not be bad thing because this gives the stunt crew enough time plan the action; however, the action is created and because of this the action is lacking one key element. The action doesn’t have the same amount of tension as other films because the characters are not being advanced through the action here and therefore pre-planning the action sequences is something which needs happen less because the characters should come first in an action film and not the action sequences.

The production aspect is just as important as the pre-production because all three stages of the of a film production are key to success in an action film. The post-production is also very important to the success to the action film and this is because there are two main important aspects which need to be discussed about when talking about action films. The two main aspects which action films need to be talked about include the editing and the special effects. The editing in an action film is the main area where a director fails and this is because the director doesn’t understand how to take the footage that they have filmed and this is either because the directors can construct the action. There are many excellent edited action sequences, and a film which has some excellent action would-be Kingsman: The Secret Service which was directed by Matthew Vaughn. The action in this film is excellent and Vaughn is a director which does something unique which no other director does with the action. In his action sequences, Vaughn takes frames out to make the action more impactful, and this is done for a couple reasons. The first reason is too cover up the fact that the actors can’t perform stunts as well and the second is to increase the impact of the hits and kicks onscreen. This tight editing in the action scenes is some of the best editing that has been put into a large budget action film. Vaughn is someone who has good eye for action sequences because he knows how to take footage and make the action look good in post-production.

However, there are many different films which have poor editing, there are many poorly edited action films and there are different films to choose from and while Taken 3 is quite an easy target there is one film which has poor editing which everyone seems to love, this film being Captain America: Civil War. Taken 3 is quite easy to target because of how bad the overall quality of the film, but many people don’t understand how bad the editing in some of the action sequences are in Captain America: Civil War. Overall this is a solid film because the film has good acting and there is some good action in this film, but the most important thing to take about would be the hand-to-hand combat action sequences that don’t use as much CGI as the sequences that happen later. The action sequences at the beginning of the film and the sequence where Black Panther is introduced and fights the Winter Soldier. This scene has some CGI, and due to suit that the Black Panther uses has something on set the filmmakers don’t have keep the camera still like in the later action sequence. The scene with Blank Panther and the Winter Soldier is one of the worst edited action scenes in a big budget film that has ever been filmed. There is one aspect of the fight where Panther jumps off a part of building and lands on top of The Winter Soldier. This small part of the action scene uses four camera angles and four cuts and like the scene where Bryan Mills jumps the fence in Taken 3. This scene in Civil War doesn’t need so many cuts because it can be confusing and very difficult to follow and this is what a bad action sequence. Civil War doesn’t contain the worst action, but compared to the other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe the action is a let-down. The action scenes which contain more CGI are much better because it is more stable camerawork with less cuts and this is because CGI is harder to incorporate into to footage in post-production and therefore the action is more stable.

CGI and special effects have come a very long way since Jurassic Park, and this is because CGI has been developed and making it look much better in the films. CGI is now at the point where we can recreate people into the films say for example if the person has died during the production like the case for Fast & Furious 7 and the tragic incident that happened with Paul Walker and the filmmakers used CGI to recreate his face in a natural manner. Then there is the CGI from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, this uses CGI to recreate both Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher and the CGI doesn’t look very good because it looks like the CGI hasn’t been rendered correctly. CGI is an excellent tool to use to enhance the visuals which we are seeing, there are films which have excellent CGI in the action sequences. An action film has some excellent CGI would be Terminator 2: Judgement Day, this is arguably one of the best action films of all time. The reason isn’t because the film contains a bit of CGI but because of the characters, and the characters are the most important aspects to the film. However, more modern films contain a lot of CGI, and now it feels more like filmmakers decide to include more CGI and the characters take a backseat to the effects instead of the characters being more important. An example of a film which uses quite a lot of CGI and uses this more than developing the characters is Terminator Genisys. This is a film which is part of the same franchise as Terminator 2: Judgement Day but in Genisys the special effects seem more important that the narrative and the characters and this is one reason why Genisys is regarded as the worst film in the series. CGI isn’t taking over films in general but there are certain films which could do with use less CGI and more characters because this is what the audience are going to sympathise with more because the characters are an integral to the narrative. CGI should not be over used and the CGI should be used whenever necessary and when it is needed.

The final aspect of Post-production that is quite important that is often forgotten about is sound, now sound is something which is a mixture of production and post-production because there are sounds which are recorded on the set and then there are sounds which are added in post-production, and considering that most sound is added in to the film after the production this means sound is technically a post-production aspect to a film. Where to begin with sound? Well, sound is very important aspect that makes up are daily lives because we hear different sounds, the next time that you are out in public, listen to the different sounds that are around you. There will be a mixture of sounds, this can be reflexed in films because simple sound design will have a mixture of sounds. Good sound in an action scene is something which will make an action sequence and this is what will suspend are disbelief and make the action scene believable. There are many different action sequences to reference here, but there is one action sequence which stands out. This would be the opening action sequence from Watchmen, Zack Snyder is a very mediocre director because of many different problems with his films and this is understandable. Watchmen has one of his best opening action sequences, the action has had some tight choreography but the best aspect to this fight scene is the fact that the sound is excellent throughout the scene. This is because the sound design in this sequence has been enhanced to make the sound engross the audience into the sequence. Things like the sound of leather gloves, the glass shattering and more of the sound as the hits and kicks are traded back and for between these characters. The sound makes these elements more brutal because of the sound.

However, while Watchmen has excellent sound design there are some fight scenes that have poor sound, there are so many different action sequences that have poor sound, if it weren’t the fact that London Has Fallen has already be mentioned this would-be a perfect example. However, there are other films which have just as bad action sequences and one that should be mentioned would-be Hitman: Agent 47, this is a film which is quite poor as a film because it has no tension with the action, the fight which has poor sound is the final fight between Agent 47 and John Smith. There are many different problems with the action in this film, however the sound editing is quite bad because the sound in this film is off putting because it doesn’t help with the visuals. There is nothing with the sound that stands out, and rather than having the sound take center stage they also use some generic music alongside to the sound design and this shows that the filmmakers haven’t paid enough attention to the sound. With the fight in Watchmen, you feel ever punch and every kick that is being thrown between the characters, in Hitman: Agent 47 the sound doesn’t do this because of the lack of attention paid to the whole sound design. Filmmakers often forget about sound and while it doesn’t define the imagine it exists alongside the visuals and shouldn’t be forgotten because the even though Zack Snyder is not a great a director, more filmmakers should take note from the fight scene at the beginning of Watchmen because this uses sound to high standard and is one of the best examples of sound in a fight scene.

Conclusion

Modern action films have come a long way since their predecessors that were released in 80’s and 90’s with the advancement of technology and excellent characters. However, in the recent couple of years there has been a slight decline in the overall quality in action films and this is the reason for this article and why it exists because for every good example in the action genre there is an equally poor example in the genre. There are numerous aspects which can be altered to create better action films, and these points discussed in this article should be noted because these points will help make them better. In the last couple of years there have been some good examples which have come through, films like John Wick and John Wick: Chapter 2, this are both films with excellent characters and action and hopefully the upcoming Atomic Blonde which is coming out this summer will show that the low budget action film will do well enough with the critics because more actions films like John Wick and Atomic Blonde will hopefully influence the big budget action films will follow suit because the big budget films are suffering from bad scripts, bad action sequences and the action being over edited and this is only a few aspects which actions are suffering. Action films are not bad, but filmmakers aren’t making the actions films that they could make and not to standard which could make each of them great. Action films are an excellent piece of cinema because of the visual elements and how entertaining they can be and this is something which people don’t understand. Studios should get directors and other crew members which understand how to make an solid action film and this is because of filmmakers understand this. There are plenty of talented action directors which can make good action films like Antoine Fuqua, Paul Greengrass and many more directors. Studios should pick filmmakers who understand how to make a solid and decent action films and therefore we would end up with less of the terrible action films that we have been getting lately. 

Suicide Squad- Film Review

Suicide Squad Film Review- 2016

There are many comic book films that have been released since the release of the first X-Men film back in 2000. There have been some excellent examples of what a comic book film should be with most of them gaining positive reviews by critics. Overall comic book films have been a safe bet for the studios which produce them and this is because people will rush to the films at the cinema. However, there are some examples of comic book films which don’t work and there are many examples of the case from X-Men origins: Wolverine to the more recent Fantastic Four remake that was released in 2015. The films that the Marvel Cinematic universe make are normally received well and while there are few films which don’t work most the films do. In the past couple of years DC comics has tried to make their cinematic universe which has had success at the box office but not with the critics. The latest entry into the DC universe is Suicide Squad, directed by David Ayer and starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie, the film is about a team of villains that have been assembled by the government to retrieve something from a city which has been invaded by a mystical force. So, let’s look at this Oscar winning film and see if Suicide Squad is any good.

The positives with this film is that the performances overall are consistent throughout the film, Will Smith is very good as Deadshot in this film, he brings charisma to the role and ever through the character is meant to a be an antagonist, he creates a likeable character that is very entertaining to watch onscreen. Margot Robbie is very good in Suicide Squad, she plays Harley Quinn, and the performance is very good in this film because she adds depth to her character with some good character development. The supporting cast are consistent and even Jai Courtney is decent in the role as Captain Boomerang. This film manages to get a decent performance out of Jai Courtney and that is quite a rare achievement, he isn’t as good as Will Smith, but this is one of his better performances. The performances are enjoyable from start to finish, this is probably the most consistent aspect to this film. Alongside the performances in this film, there are some good character moments in this film.

There are some good character moments in this film, but these moments are mainly from the two main leads Will Smith and Margot Robbie. Suicide Squad mainly focuses on these characters the most. The sequences that stand out in this film would be when we learn about Deadshot as a character and understand that he uses his skills because he is providing for his daughter and he wants her to do well and not become like himself. This is some excellent character development and makes a strong character arc for Deadshot. The second explored character moment comes later on in the film; the film tells us that all that Harley Quinn wants to is settle down and have a family because she has become sick of the life that she has. This is touching character moment with it raising the question of whether a person who has been in a life crime for many years and whether they can escape and leave this life behind. The final moment is the bar sequence in the film, this is sequence that sees the characters come together and they decide whether they should fight the antagonist or walk away. There are some good character moments here with them trying to adding depth to each of the characters. However, this is where the positive aspects of the film end, because this film has a whole lot of issues with this film. 

Where to begin with this film? The action sequences are a mixed bag, the action is either clear and easy to follow but boring to watch or the more intense sequence has terrible editing and framing with the action hard to follow. An example would be first main action set piece with Deadshot in this film, the sequence sees Deadshot get on top of a car and he is shooting these creatures which are working for the antagonist, the action seems dull and flat with little creativity. The one action sequence which stands out is the final action sequences, because there are so many people part of the squad fighting at once the editing makes it hard to understand what each of the characters are doing during the action, while in a film such as The Avengers the action is always clear and you know what the characters are doing because of the one take that is used, but in this film the action is confusing and doesn’t have much clarity.

Suicide Squad is not the worst film that has ever been made and while it has some basic elements the best word to describe this film is flat, the characters, action and cinematography are all flat. The film has gone through constant reshoots and this is clear when you watch it because of these different elements. The question here is doing the studio interfere too much? David Ayer is a director who can make entertaining films such as Fury, the cast and crew of this film are very talented but this is not the finest product which they could have made and this is same because there is a good version of this film somewhere but this is it. The other thing to address would be the people who wanted shut down Rotten Tomatoes because they didn’t agree with the reviews of the film. This is something which is needs to be explained, because it is not the site which gives the overall score, the critics have come together and said that don’t like this film and while it is understandable that they don’t like this film, this is a film for the fans and it services the fans very well, however this film is a mess and overall and the final product is nowhere near the standard that it should be. If you enjoy this film then great, opinions are subjective but don’t go on the internet and try to make a statement against the critics.

Rating: 5/10.

Conclusion: Suicide Squad is a film which had potential but constant studio interference is this film greatest weakness, there are elements to enjoy about this film such as Will Smith is very good as Deadshot, but the final film feels rushed and flat, it feels rushed because not many things are explained in as much detail as they should be and the special effects look unfinished throughout. The film feels rushed because the action scenes haven’t had enough time to be planned in much more detail.

Underworld Film Series- Film Reviews

Underworld films - Film Review

This post will be a little bit different compared to other posts on this site and this is because this post is going to look at all five films from the Underworld series. This means starting with the first film and reviewing each one up to the more recent film. The first review will look at Underworld which was released in 2003. Then underneath there will be a review of Underworld: Evolution which was released in 2006, and this will continue until the most recent film Underworld: Blood Wars which was released in late 2016. These are films which either people will like or they will dislike, and this might be because some people will see these films as just entertainment and have enjoyment from them or there will be people who will think that these films will be terrible and just a waste of time and that you shouldn’t watch them, and there are many things to talk about when looking at the Underworld films.

Underworld (2003)- Review.

Films about vampires have become very popular with films such as The Lost Boys bringing attention to films about vampires. Films about werewolves also became very popular with films such as An American Werewolf in London and with these films becoming popular nobody had decided to combine vampires and werewolves and this is something that Underworld did. Underworld was released in 2003, the film was written and directed by Len Wiseman, the film stars Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Bill Nighy and Michael Sheen. Underworld is a film about a war between vampires and werewolves that has happened for centuries and the film follows Selene, a vampire warrior, is entrenched in a conflict between vampires and werewolves, while falling in love with Michael, a human who is sought by werewolves for unknown reasons, but they find that Michael has blood which could make the werewolves immune to their only weakness silver.

Underworld was released in 2003, it was made on a budget of $30 million. The best aspect about Underworld would be that the action sequences in this film have been made so that they are clear and easy to follow. The camerawork and editing makes it easier to follow because each shot lasts long enough so that you can see what is happening to each of the characters during the action scenes. The action is much easier to follow in this film than in any current action film that uses over editing or even shaky cam. However, there is an issue with the action sequences in Underworld and this would be that while the action is clear and easy to understand with the editing making it easy for us to follow, the action is very static and it feels like the action is boring because the action is mainly the characters standing around and using their weapons to shoot at the enemies. The best action sequence would be the sequence in the final act of the film, and this is because Michael and Viktor have a fist fight with one another. The action is better here but the budget might be the issue here because the filmmakers couldn’t create anything like the Matrix because they didn’t have the same budget. The best way to summarise the action in this film would be passable with easy to follow action but they could have done more with the action in this film.

There are some other things to like about Underworld, the acting throughout Underworld is very consistent, Kate Beckinsale plays Selene in this film she is a vampire that is also a hunter. Beckinsale is an actress who allows gives a good performance in most of here films and in this role she is very enjoyable to watch from the beginning to the end of the film. The character of Selene is very interesting because while she hunts werewolves, Underworld takes you through this narrative of where she questions her past actions and what she has done because of how the narrative reveals key information about other characters. Other good performances in Underworld are performances such as Michael Sheen, he is a talented actor and here he is very good, he uses the script to make the character his own. His performance is good from start to finish and this is because while he understands the character he also understands how to portray the character onscreen. Every moment that he is onscreen he is very enjoyable to watch, although in some parts his welsh accent does shine through a small amount and this is a bit inconsistent with the rest of the performance. However, the best performance in this film would be Bill Nighy, Nighy is someone who has had very few bad performances in his career. In Underworld, he plays Viktor who is one of the vampire elders. Bill Nighy is very entertaining in this film and this is because he understands what type of film this is and knows how to portray the character. The character of Viktor is very complex because his motives aren’t quite clear until the third act of the film, and you don’t know that much about him until the third act reveal.

Underworld is a film which has some excellent visual elements and storytelling and it has the basic filmmaking principles sorted. However, there are some issues with this film, the first issue with this film would be that the CGI looks very artificial and doesn’t look rendered correctly and this might be for a couple of reason, but these special effects are very poor and when you compare them to the practical effects in this film they are very noticeable. However, because the CGI doesn’t come into effect until the third act of the film the CGI is only noticeable in two main areas of the film. The second issue with this film would be that there are some script issues which could have been dressed if they had more time to create another draft of the script. This is a film which wasn’t going to win any Oscars for the screenplay but there are elements which are annoying to watch because there are elements which are either confusing or there are parts which don’t make sense within the narrative of the film. The third main issue would be the action which was stated above, they could have done more to make the action more creative. Underworld is a film which is not talked about anymore, this is a film which is a good film to watch on a Sunday afternoon if you don’t have anything better to do and this is the ideal popcorn film for anyone. Underworld is a film which some people won’t like but some will and you have to watch it to come to your conclusion and therefore people should watch Underworld as a film. 

Rating: 7/10.

Conclusion: Underworld is a film which was never going to win an Oscar and this is because it is not the best film ever made, but there are a lot of things that are enjoyable to watch and this is because the filmmakers have made a film which has entertaining moments throughout. Underworld is a film which is better than any of the Twilight series and people should watch this film instead of those films. Underworld is a perfect film to watch as a popcorn film.

Underworld: Evolution (2006)- Review.

The first Underworld film is a very enjoyable film and although there are quite a few issues with it but overall it a film that you can watch to be entertained, and because Underworld was a very successful film at the box office there was a sequel which was released in 2006 and this would-be Underworld: Evolution. Underworld: Evolution sees Len Wiseman return as director alongside Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman. Underworld: Evolution is a film which sees some new cast members such as Derek Jacobi and Tony Curran. Underworld: Evolution takes place right after the end of the first film with both Selene and Michael now being hunted by the vampire elders and they are also searching for more about the reason why vampires and werewolves went to war in the first place, and this is to see if they can bring peace between both vampires and werewolves. Underworld: Evolution is a film which has some very interesting elements to talk about because there are some positives things with this film and there are also some negative things about this film.

The first thing is that the quality of the action in this film has improved significantly over the first film and this is because the filmmakers had more time and budget to make this film. The action continues with the same traits as the first film because the editing is excellent with you able to see what is going during the action scenes with clarity but they have made the action more entertaining. Where the first film had action scenes where the characters just stood around and aimed guns at each other, this film is different because there is more hand-to-hand combat and this creates a more exciting environment and more tension for the characters because with hand-to-hand there is more sense of danger to the main characters. The action in Underworld: Evolution is much better than the first film and comparing the action in this film to the first, there is more tension. The action is also simple because while other films that came out around this time had hand-to-hand combat scenes which had complex moves. The fight scenes here are more like the characters are brawling with one another and this gives the action a great sense of realism.

The acting is quite like the first film in that everyone gives a good performance, Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman are adequate for their respective roles. However, there is performance that is good in this film and that would-be Derek Jacobi. Derek Jacobi is a very talented actor with many other films under his belt, this film isn’t his best work but he is like Bill Nighy in the first film in that he makes you interested in the character that he is playing. The characters in this film compared to the first film are quite similar although this film explores the relationship between Michael and Selene in detail. This relationship is explored enough in that you can care about the characters and hope that they survive the events, but it is not explored enough and there could have more screen time showing us the relationship between these characters in more detail. There some more positive elements to this film, the cinematography is quite good and the visuals of the film make this look dark and it is quite nice to look as a film. Underworld: Evolution is a film which expands on this war that has happened between the vampires and lycans very well, and why they have continued to fight and how each side has evolved to try and gain the upper hand on the other side. With the film showing how both sides having to evolved to try and win the war that the film has shown us.

However, Underworld: Evolution does have some flaws and issues. Like the first film this has numerous script issues and this is probably the weakest aspect of the film, with some of the character’s motivations being unclear and the narrative being unfocused compared to the original and this probably due to that fact the filmmakers wanted to expand this world were the Lycans and vampires have been at war but they didn’t have any clear ideas. The second thing would be that the villain is quite weak in this film because we understand why he goes after Michael and Selene but not why he kills off other characters within the story and there are little details throughout the film. These may seem like small issues with Underworld: Evolution but they do add up as the film goes on. Underworld: Evolution is a film which is only slightly worse than the original and there isn’t much of a gap between them both, however this film has more script issues and some unclear character motivations, but besides this Underworld: Evolution is film which you could watch like the first film and this being as a popcorn film.

Rating; 6.5/10

Conclusion: Underworld: Evolution is a film which is only slightly worse than the first film in more aspects but has better action scenes. It is hard to call this film a terrible film because it is decently put together with good direction. The only thing that lets Underworld: Evolution down is the fact that the script is the weakest aspect but if you don’t care about this then you can watch this with no problems because it is a film which can provide entertainment.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)- Film Review

This is first Underworld film which didn’t have Len Wiseman or Kate Beckinsale. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is a prequel film to the series which sees the film take place before the first Underworld and the film tells the narrative of how the vampires and Lycans became enemies and how the war between them started. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is directed by Patrick Tatopoulos who hasn’t directed many films but is known for his special effects work on big films such as Riddick. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans stars Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Steven Mackintosh and Rhona Mitra. This film primarily follows Michael Sheen’s character Lucian and Rhona Mitra’s character Sonja. Michael Sheen plays the Lycan Lucian who is a slave to the vampires and he is there to kill off the other Lycans which are seen as animals and they should be killed because of this.

The performances in this film are solid throughout, every cast member in this film is excellent throughout the film. The performances all good in this film, Michael Sheen is a very good actor and he has returns to play Lucian like in the first film. Sheen is very consistent and while this isn’t a great performance it can carry the film. Bill Nighy is also very enjoyable to watch and this is because he is a very decent actor who understands the role and is very interesting in this film. Rhona Mitra is an actress which has had a very few film roles, in this film she is very good in the role of Sonja, she portrays the character very well and is just as strong as the other actors in this film. The performances in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans has some of best acting in the series. The characters in this film are good, this film adds to the first film because all the characters are explored in great detail. The character of Sonja has the most character development and this might be because she doesn’t appear in the first film. The characters are advanced in greater detail and this is something which is good about this film.

The action in this film is very good, and while the action isn’t as strong and as tightly choreographed as Underworld: Evolution but the action is well filmed and directed with the action easy to follow with good editing to watch onscreen and it doesn’t have shaky cam like other action films. The action is mainly hand-to-hand combat sequence and it also uses swords in this film and this is because of the time setting. The action uses swords as weapons and the fights between characters and the choreography while not as strong as the last film is still enjoyable to watch. However, the action scenes in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans have more intensity and while you know that the characters will survive there is stronger character motivations make the action sequences more intense and this is something which is lot better than the other films in this aspect. The action is very good in this film and while there is not much action in this film but this is because the narrative is the main focus of this film.

There are some excellent moments with the action scenes and has some good things, the other good things is that the film is a very visual film which has some great cinematography and there are also some excellent visual elements which make this a pleasant film to watch and this is because the filmmakers have made sure that this is film which you can watch with ease because of how the film looks onscreen. However, there are some issues with this film, and this once again would be due to the fact the script is the weakest aspect of this film. The script was once written Len Wiseman and because of this his writing is not the strongest and this shows in the film. This is because the pacing is not very consistent with it either the films narrative goes slow and then speeds up, and this is because of writing. There are also narrative elements which don’t make sense and this is because of the writing as well. There are some other issues with this and the action could be better with much better choreography compared to Underworld: Evolution. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is a film which is a good prequel to the first and second film in the series, the film has some good elements and some bad elements but like the other films in the series this is simply a guilty pleasure which you could watch anytime because you don’t need to pay close attention to watch the film.

Rating: 6/10.

Conclusion: Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is a film which is a prequel to the original film and it more than adequately supports the narrative of the first film and the character motivations of the characters. The action and the script are probably the weakest elements but overall this film is enjoyable to watch. 

Underworld: Awakening (2012)- Film Review.

After six years, Kate Beckinsale decided that she would return to the series which made her well known, this film came out the same year as Total Recall remake that also had Kate Beckinsale. Underworld: Awakening is different compared to the other films because the humans have discovered that vampires and lycans exist and they have been at war for centuries and now the humans have decided that they are going to hunt both the vampires and lycans because they feel threatened. The war between vampires and lycans has now got an added threat and this being that humankind are hunting both of them. Underworld: Awakening is directed by Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein. The film sees Kate Beckinsale return the series and there are new cast members such as Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy and also Theo James. The film is like the other Underworld series and the film has some good elements and also some bad elements, and there is quite a few interesting elements to discuss when talking about this series.

There are some good things about this film which have already been covered such as Kate Beckinsale is very good in this film and this is because she understands the character that she is playing. The other performances are good but the direction in this film feels flat compared to the other films because the performances aren’t as strong as they could be and this might be because of the directors and because they aren’t very experienced directors. The one person that is good in this film would be Theo James, he is average in this film and this is because of the direction and if he had better direction then he could have given a better performance. The best way to some up these performances are average, the actors needed better direction but the performances are not terrible in this film but the could be better. The acting is mediocre and this is because the whole film feels rushed and like the filmmakers wanted to release this film as quickly as possible without a care about the acting.

The action sequences in this film are like the other films in the series and this is because they are dull and bland, Underworld: Awakening is a film which doesn’t feel fresh and because this film is lazy with the execution and the films adds nothing new to the franchise. The action is mediocre with the action edited to bring some form of clarity to the action scenes but there is nothing creative done with the action scenes, it becomes boring after watching the other films in the series and watching the same film but with a few different changes added to the storylines and there is some weak character development. There are some good aspects to this film, such as the fact that the film is technically competent and has some good editing and basic filmmaking put into the film. This is because they have made sure that the film has had some talented individuals working on this film, and this is the only reason why the film is made on a competent level.

Underworld: Awakening is a film which should be better that the final product, however like the other films in this series theses are guilty pleasure films which you can watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon without any care about the fact that there are lot issues with this film. This is not the worst film which has ever been made, after all to call this film the worst film ever created would be lie because of such films as Batman and Robin. This is watchable film that has some good elements which you can watch without a care.

Rating: 6/10.

Conclusion: This is a film which feels lazy and repetitive when looking at the other films in the series. The film is technically well made and has some good moments but this is a lazy Sunday afternoon film to watch when you have nothing better to do. Underworld: Awakening is a film which could have been more, but overall it is a slight disappointment.

Underworld: Blood Wars (2017)- Film Review.

This is the fifth installment in the Underworld series, Underworld: Blood Wars is directed by Anna Foerster whom has only directed a few things but mainly focused on some episodes in television, but Anna Foerster has quite a lot of experience in the film industry because she has done the cinematography on many big budget films and done some special effects on some films such as the 1998 Godzilla. Underworld: Blood Wars stars Kate Beckinsale, Theo James and Charles Dance. Blood wars sees Selene still on the run from the Vampires and Lycans after the events of the previous films, Selene has sent her daughter into hiding to protect here. The Vampire decide to let Selene back to train some new recruits because of the war, however she is betrayed by some vampires and she is once again on the run. Underworld: Blood Wars is a film which was panned by critics for many different reasons, there are many things to discuss with the film and take about.

In the review of Underworld: Awakening, the performances feel flat because the direction is one of the weakest aspects of that film, this is because the directors didn’t have much experience with filmmaking and because of this the performances were not good in the film and this took away from the overall enjoyment of that film. The direction in Blood Wars is much better and while Anna Foerster is someone who has directed much, she has been in the film industry to know who how to direct people, this might be because she has had previous experience with Cinematography. The performances are much better in this film because the you can watch this film because the performance work in this film and they are much better in this film compared to previous entry. An example of this would-be Kate Beckinsale was not bad in the last film she could have been better with her performance, but in Blood Wars she is much better in this film and her performance is much more believable in this film compared to the previous entry in the series. Theo James returns and reprises the role from the previous film, his performance is not great and will never win an Oscar but he is enjoyable and this is what makes a film like this enjoyable to watch on a guilty pleasure level. However, the best part of this film would be Charles Dance he is an actor who has had plenty experience and has not had many bad performances, Dance is good in this role and he more enjoyable than the other performance because he understands the character he is playing.

There is more about this film to enjoy, the film has some interesting concepts and explores some key ideas during the runtime. An example would be that Blood Wars explores something about the afterlife. Events lead to Selene and David have gone to safe place which has Vampires who hide out the way of the antagonists of the film. This part of the film explores the afterlife in some elements, because it is established that some characters in the film have gone to another world, which they call the afterlife in another dimension. This is quite an interesting aspect to explore, although it could have been explained in more detail this quite an interesting idea. There are some other good things about this film, in the other films the special effects and the CGI are okay and not great. In the first entries in the series, the CGI looks like it hasn’t been rendered and hasn’t been integrated into the live action elements of the film very well, and this might have been because of the budget. However, Blood Wars has a slightly bigger budget compared to the original film. The special effects are good for the budget, but this film doesn’t rely on much CGI compared to the other films in series, but the CGI that is in this film is good. The final aspect of this film which is good is that this is quite a contained film, there are a couple of locations in this film and this is something which is much better because of this because overall the film feels more focused compared to the other films.

However, like the other films in the Underworld series, Blood Wars is not a perfect film and this is because there are some issues with this film. The first would be that the script is not the strongest screenplay because there are many different things in this film which aren’t explained some of the character’s motivations are not explained properly and some elements in this film like the afterlife which is brought up in this film is not explored in much detail compared to other elements and this is because of the runtime, due to the film being one hour and half there is not much in the way of storytelling because of the runtime. There are some other issues with this film and the biggest issue with Underworld: Blood Wars is that the action sequences. The issue with the action sequences is that the filmmakers have decided to use tighter framing and quick cut editing which makes some of the action hard to follow. An example would be the final action sequences in this film. The film has too many things going on these scenes and this can make the action difficult. Overall the action is hard to follow with poor editing which is quick cut, and there are too many different elements going on at any time in this film. Underworld: Blood Wars is a film which is not terrible as the critics make out it to be and this is because there are some good elements which this film has and this is because the film has effort and some level of creativity behind it and this film has some issues which have been addressed, but overall it is a throw away action film and like the other films in this series they are throw action films which you can enjoy without the need to concentrate with the plot and script.

Rating: 6/10.

Conclusion: Underworld: Blood Wars is a not a great film, but there are elements which you can enjoy while watching this film because the film is short in runtime and there are some elements which you can enjoy and there are some bad things. If you personally enjoyed the other films in this series, then you will like this film and don’t like someone else tell you it is film you should avoid. This film is enjoyable but not great.

Overall conclusion.

The Underworld film series has been going for seventeen years and while the films have become worse over time they are very consistent in the quality. These are films which you can watch without paying close attention the storyline or the narratives in the films and this is because the films are made for mindless entertainment. Underworld as series is very enjoyable to watch because they all have something good that keeps you entertained for a couple of hours at a time.

Ghost in the Shell- Film Review

Ghost in the Shell (Original Anime 1995)- film review

This is something new for this blog, because the films which have been covered have all been live-action films and have been released by Hollywood. However, this blog post will be slightly different compared to the other reviews and this is because this post will take at a Japanese anime film. Japanese films are very different compared to the other films because of the Japanese culture and therefore different things are represented different. Anime is something which is completely different compared to the western animation because anime is aimed at many different audiences. Ghost in the Shell is arguably one of the most recognizable Japanese anime films that has been released and the film would go on to influence many different films, films such as The Matrix Trilogy. Before the live-action Hollywood remake comes out later this month, let’s look at one of the most loved Japanese anime films Ghost in the Shell. Ghost in the Shell is directed by Mamoru Oshii who is a very well-known anime director and the film is based on the manga written by Masamune Shirow, the film is about a cyborg police woman known as The Major and her partner trying to hunt down a computer hacker known as The Puppet Master.

Ghost in the Shell is a film which is part of the Japanese anime craze that started to emerge in Western countries, there were anime films before this but this film started to get people in western countries into anime. Ghost in the Shell has amazing animation; the animators have managed to combine cell animation with CGI and they have done an amazing job. The cell animation is some of the best animation work that you will see put to film, the animation has had a great amount of time and focus to make sure that it looks good onscreen. The animation feels weighted, this is something that Mamoru Oshii does well, he makes animated films that have excellent animation, and his animation style is excellent because he understands that with making an animated film the details are what matter the most. There is one scene in this film which stands out the most, there is a scene where the main character is in the city, the character’s hair is blowing in the wind. This shows that Oshii has likes to focus on the small details just as much as the most, this is what sets Japanese anime apart from its Western counterparts. Ghost in the Shell has some CGI animation in this film but it is not used too much compared to other films, the CGI animation blends well and this is because it is only used for a few sequences.

There is more to like about this film as well, the characters are explored in very interesting ways, the characters are explored through philosophy. There are excellent moments throughout Ghost in the Shell, the reason for the title is that this film is set in the future and there has been advancement of technology and someone can upload their mind into a program and put their mind into a machine. Through this the film questions what it is to be human and what does it mean to be human, this is explored quite a lot during the runtime of Ghost in the Shell. There are other good elements with this as well, the film explores the human and human nature through the film, there is a scene where the character decides that she wants to go diving. When the character comes back up, there is a sequence which explains that she couldn’t have died, and the Major’s response to this, is that the danger is what keeps her alive and what makes her feel human. There is loads of little elements throughout the film and there could be an entire post just written on the philosophy that is within Ghost in the Shell. This film explores so much of this in such as a small amount of time.

Ghost in the Shell has some excellent action sequences; the action is clear and easy to follow throughout the entire film. The action is some of the best to be put to animation, the action is everything that some could want from an action film, there are some great moments of tension and some great moments where you feel like any of the characters could be killed off at any point. The action is not the focus in the film and it relies more on narrative and character than action. However, the action sequences are excellent. The action is excellent in this film with clear and easy to follow action with some great editing. There is more to like with Ghost in the Shell, about a week ago there was post on this blog which looked at the importance of sound in film, that essay concluded that sound often goes unnoticed and while that is the case in most films. Ghost in the Shell has a fantastic score which most people will notice, the score is amazing from start to finish it has an element of distinctiveness that not many other scores have. The score is amazing and the filmmaker understand because the scenes that it is used for don’t contain much dialogue. The score and action are excellent and words can’t sum up how good these elements are.

Ghost in the Shell is an amazing Japanese anime film, there is only one small issue with this film which could be annoying to some people, the characters in the film seem to know everything and this can be quite annoying at times because it doesn’t explain how the character know the information that is been given to the audience. This is the only issue that Ghost in the Shell has, other than this issue this is a perfect film with deep meaning filled philosophy the film explores the human characters in detail and has some excellent action sequences that are excellent. The 1995 Ghost in the Shell is a film which more people should watch and this is because people should watch films that are outside of their own culture. If you are thinking about watching anime for the first time and want to know where to start, Ghost in the Shell is the film that you should start.

Rating: 8/10.

Conclusion: Ghost in the Shell is not only one of the best anime films that has ever been made, but it is one of the greatest films that has ever been made. Ghost in the Shell is a must watch for people who like anime but for people who are interested in film in general because when you watch it, you will notice where other films got their influence. Ghost in the Shell is an example of how to make a great action film with some great and deep themes and excellent characters.