REVIEW: Logan (15)

"Yep, 17 years of playing Wolverine certainly takes it out of you!"

It’s been a whopping 17 or so years (most places are touting 2 decades to make it sound more impressive) since the first X-Men movie hit our screens and proved two major things. These are a) that it’s not just Marvel that can actually make a brilliant superhero movie and 2) that the casting agency are second to none. Wolverine and Professor X are two roles that Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart were born for, and they made a perfect pairing then (and still do) in what my girlfriend called Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine retirement movie.

Taking elements for a number of different genres and recent movies, Logan never quite sits with its predecessors nor the MCU. As I watched I saw numerous echoes of movies I’ve seen before over the last few years. Elements of Mad Max: Fury Road, Iron Man 3, Skyfall, Deadpool and more, this is not particularly original but for fans of the character Wolverine, there’s plenty to be chewing on.

An older Logan is now driving a limo for the pleasure of others and an ageing Professor X is holed up on an old factory ground. Being a base of sorts for both mutants, they have a third mutant Caliban (Stephen Merchant) whom looks after the area as best he can. Relationships are strained, but they get along adequately for their needs. As the last remaining mutants, Prof X, Wolvie and Caliban keep their heads down.

This is not the end though, as a reluctant Logan picks up a ride and it turns out to be a nurse, Gabriella, and her mute daughter, Laura. Newcomer actress Dafne Keen plays Laura superbly with a mix of innocent cuteness and angry chaos. But they are not all what they seem. As the story develops this R-rated movie (clearly following in the footsteps of Deadpool) garrottes, decapitates and f-bombs its way through action and road trip respectively to take the seemingly innocent Laura to North Dakota where she can meet up with some people just like her.

Logan is a perfect send off to conclude the run of movies that started at the beginning of the century. Of course, there is a point at which the actors who play these timeless characters will need to pass the baton on, and this movie was the perfect vehicle to do this. Jackman and Stewart end their involvement with just the right amount of nostalgia, emotion and storyline to reach a satisfying ending. However, the movie also suggests something more on the horizon which doesn’t spell the end for the X-Men universe.

"Logan with his new wheels"

Logan is nothing like the other movies, and, although there are a few uses of superpowers, these seem to be more of a hindrance than a help. Logan himself is left in a rather weakened state but is still lethal, however limps around and coughs and splutters like Leo DiCaprio after he has been attacked by the bear in The Revenant. Although I realise that this is to show weakness on the parts of the two main characters due to ageing and being generally tired, sometimes it can feel a bit too laboured. I wanted Logan to suddenly get a new wind and start to fight like the old Wolverine. Although there are some scenes which are amazingly choreographed and are suitably grisly for the fact we have a guy with razor-sharp claws attacking someone, most of the movie is seeing a grizzled, beaten up Wolverine who is a shadow of his former self.

In a nutshell, this movie is stripped back, bare and shows powerful characters with their weaknesses. Not unlike the movie Mr Holmes, these characters have definitely seen better days. More story and more thought is in this one, which is in direct contrast to the action packed, fly with the action movies we are used to. It is still a good send off for some of the most beloved X-Men characters, though... until the next time of course.

POPSCORE: 7.5/10

REVIEW: Pandorica (tbc)

Welcome to the near future where disaster has befallen the Earth and tribes of people have become commonplace. Every so often; a leader is elected from eligible tribespeople. Their mission is to enter the forest and complete trials; and the victor becomes leader. Only one will come out alive.

This is the starting premise for director Tom Paton's low budget sci-fi dystopian movie Pandorica. Featuring a small but talented cast, the movie focuses on the three chosen to take the place of current leader Nus (Luke D'Silva). Taking up potential leadership duties include Eiren (Jade Hobday), Ares (Marc Zammit) and the impressively bearded Thade (Adam Bond). Nus suggests they are all unworthy; but the challenges have yet to come. As they delve deeper into the forest it is clear that there's more than just the quartet who are in the forest - and not all things in there are friendly. If you mix The Hunger Games with the Blair Witch Project and add a smattering of Predator you have Pandorica. 

Sterling work by the actors including an over the top, genuinely unnerving Bentley Kalu as fearsome warrior Nine, Pandorica is probably the best low budget, British movie I have seen since the excellent Dog Soldiers way back when. Special mention also goes to both the cinematography and the soundtrack which are both fantastic.  For all that it was a fairly small production, the film could rival any of those big budget movies we see all the time. Focussing more on character and story than special effects, Pandorica is a sci-fi thriller that is simple but effective.

There are plans for a sequel too; so it will be interesting to see where this rich world of characters will take us next. Overall a really well made enjoyable film.

Pandorica comes out at all good cinemas on 1st April 2016 but simultaneously on Blu-Ray, DVD and download at the same time. 

I saw the world premier at Sci-Fi Weekender 7 in Wales. 

POPSCORE: 8/10

What am I talking about? Pandorica movie
Where can I find out more? http://www.pandoricamovie.com/
If you liked this try: The Hunger Games (for trials in woodland), Dog Soldiers (for British sci fi done well), Blair Witch Project (for low budget), Predator

Anything else?
Apparently the budget for this movie was £77,000

Pandorica is lead actress Jade Fennix-Hobady's first movie role

Director Tom Paton not only wrote and directed but edited the movie too

There was a prequel comic produced that covered more about Nus and the trials

There will be a sequel called Assault on Pandorica 

Tom Paton suggested that this is the first movie of a trilogy

    

REVIEW: Divergent Series: Allegiant

With the whole Young Adult (YA) dystopia trend in full swing now, The Divergent Series : Allegiant is coming hot on the heels of the Hunger Games conclusion. Based on the third book in the Divergent trilogy; this movie has not only been changed from the book but also, as would be expected, been chopped into two parts. However not diluting the whole shebang into parts one and two, the clever boffins at the studio have instead decided to call it the Divergent Series and give part two it's own title too. So for the readers of the book - well they are confused. As for the people who just watch the movies - they think it'll just be like a Twilight style quadrilogy. Thing is... Is it any good?

It's a good sign that all the original cast return to continue on with the franchise. Shailene Woodley reprises her role as Tris, looking as cute as ever. Theo James is the brooding Four, who really doesn't have that much to do this time around except get frustrated and be eye candy for the girls. Some whippersnapper takes over the Eric type role and Miles Teller is back as mouthy Peter. Backing up the rest is Naomi Watts as Fours mom and Tris's brother Caleb who is about as as much of a liability as a 1980's Dr Who assistant. The newcomers include one Jeff Daniels as the solo named David who gets to dress Tris up in white and spend a lot of time talking with her.

Now I must say I'm a massive fan of the books. It's been a long time since it's taken for me to really get emotionally involved with a series of books like this. I love Tris and Four (as characters and as a couple) and I love Veronica Roth's writing (and the books as a whole). The story overall is fantastic and therefore I was excited to be seeing this on the big screen. However; although, now settled into their roles and the actors do a grand job, the film isn't really that good. 

I don't know whether this is down to my expectations from the book or what but it seems like there's a lot of talking and a lot of running about. To me, it suffers from that which other "part ones" that have gone before it - in that the source is one book; one story and they want to two part it. But the actual source only probably stretches for about a movie and a half. You want the big reveal in part two so part one has to be stretched out to accommodate movie length. So, like Harry Potter, Twilight and especially Hunger Games, the part one contains much needless filler and waffle to pad it out ready for the next one. Strangely the movie just ends with no sort of pointer to say they will be making another one. 

For those that have read the books - you will have seen most of it in this movie but the changes mean that if there was such a sequel coming next year, we won't have a clue what they will be doing unless they pretty much recycle this story (if they are following the book timeline). 

Overall the cast do a decent job but this movie just doesn't quite get there. It tries but fails. Probably the worst one so far but here's hoping it picks up in the next, and final, instalment. As a Divergent fan I'm hoping this is the case.

Divergent Series: Allegiant is out now.

POPSCORE: 6/10