Missing: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Storm Reid, Nia Long, Ken Leung, Joaquim de Almedia 

Director: Will Merrick, Nick Johnson

Functioning as both a standalone thematic sequel to 2018's Searching and a commentary on true crime obsessions since that film, 2023 always-on-screen movie Missing makes great use of suspense and tension, as well as a empathetic lead - even if it tries too many breakneck WTF twists too often.

Storm Reid stars as June, an always-online teen who's grown distant from her mother (Nia Long) after her father died when she was young.

Unhappy her mom has a new beau Kevin (Lost's Ken Leung) and they're about to head to Columbia on holiday, June's dismissive of her concerns and plans a party when they're gone.

But when June heads to meet them at the airport for pick up and they don't show, she begins a race against the clock search to locate her mother from the confines of her bedroom and using only her internet wiles.

Pacy, slick and stylish, with nods to Netflix's influence in the true crime world and slyly commenting on how everyone thinks they can solve a crime, (as well as some terrifying parallels and inadvertent commentary on missing UK mother Nicola Bulley) Missing manages to make something of a good strong fist of its mix of suspense and grounded acting from Reid.

However, at times, the film pushes against the bounds of credulity by piling one twist and reveal one after another - so much so that the cinematic house of cards threatens to narratively topple throughout the film's back half.

Yet, through a combination of slick editing, overuse of graphics, and a wry nod to the fact June is more internet savvy than Searching's John Cho's character was, the film lays terrifyingly bare the darker online world and the ease of which to track people.

Despite being drowned in technology throughout Missing, the film doesn't lose sight of the human element. And while June's connection to a hired low-rent oddjob man in Columbia may be an obvious father figure element, the warmth between Joaquim de Almedia and Storm Reid makes it a relationship that's easy to latch on to.

The film's ultimate reveals dash away any hint of doubt or misdirection with an almost OTT psychodrama that plays out - and while that leaves a slightly sourer taste in the mouth given the narrative desire to push as far as is humanly possible and pull the rug out from the audience, it's in the quieter moments that Missing truly excels.

When Missing's logic comes together, it does so flawlessly, and while the filmmakers are to be commended for going big, this twisty techno-thriller works better when it focuses more on the real fears of abandonment, of not knowing what's happened and of being powerless to stop any of it from afar.

Cocaine Bear: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Keri Russell, O'Shea Jackson Jr, Ray Liotta, Margo Martindale, Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Director: Elizabeth Banks

Much like a cocaine high itself, Cocaine Bear is here for a good time, not a long time.

Unashamedly mixing slasher with comedy, this B-movie about a bear that's supposedly ingested large amounts of cocaine after it fell from the sky before going on a rampage isn't afraid to simply do what it needs to do to get laughs and gory kills.

When a group of oddballs converge on a mountain for differing reasons (a mum trying to retrieve her missing kid, a park ranger trying to impress her boss, a pair of would-be crims under orders to get back the lost drugs and a detective trying to bring down a kingpin), the recipe is purely set for 80s-inspired mayhem, with lashes of knowing comedy as this feral Yogi Bear goes looking for more than just picnic baskets.

Based on the apparently true story of a cocaine dealer who killed himself accidentally in the air and scattering his drugs all over the ground, Banks makes great fist of the archive footage from the time and setting the tone for this offbeat romp that's aiming purely for crowd-pleasing (and will land depending on how many beers you've had beforehand).

Yet there are moments when it feels like the pacing is somewhat off in this film which somehow manages to feel its 90 minute run time toward the end - and there's no denying the film fizzles toward the end rather than ending on a triumphant high. Splitting the disparate characters into groups as they converge yields minimum reward dramatically, but at least stretches out some of the film in between the inevitable CGI carnage.

And there are moments when some of the CG carnage doesn't quite meet the high standards you'd expect - even if this is a B-movie wannabe.

But there are times when Banks gets it spot on. 

Much like the effect spinach has on Popeye, the cocaine fuelling the Weta-FX CGI created bear leads to some gloriously OTT moments, with an ambulance sequence set to Depeche Mode's seminal Just Can't get Enough proving to be a highlight.

It does exactly what it says on the tin and there is almost a feeling that it's winking at the audience, but while it wastes some of its cast with fleeting characterisation, feels piecemeal and disjointed in parts and only Ray Liotta is playing it straight in a film where everybody else is in for the comedy - yet there's no denying Cocaine Bear has the chops to provide a good fleeting time at the cinema while it lasts even if the high is a shallow, ultimately disappointing one. 

Tár: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Nina Hoss, Mark Strong

Director: Todd Field

How you feel about Tár will largely depend on how you feel about an icily-detached MeToo style movie that's anchored by a thunderous lead actor, but feels aloof throughout.

Blanchett is Lydia Tár, a conductor whose musical and intellectual prowess is a lightning rod for brilliance but also for battery as she treats everyone around her with contempt or antipathy.

Days away from recording a symphony that will catapult and complement her career, Tár's world is rocked by a momentous personal moment that causes it all to threaten to unravel. As she delves deeper in, the tightly wound levels of control she had appear to be coming apart.

It's not that Tár won't appeal to a mainstream audience, it's more that its intellectual approach to over analysing each scene will possibly alienate many. The film begins with a long discussion about what motivates a conductor, in which Blanchett ably holds court, and provides an insight into her view of the intellectual and her general haughty approach to life.

It's here the polarisation starts as the film starts to build to a crescendo from then on, with elements conspiring on screen to try and capture audiences and provide debate later on. But in Field's exploration, despite close ups of various characters and overly heavy dialogue, there's little feeling of getting deeply in tune with the goings on. 

As elements of A Ghost Story feel like they make themselves more prevalent in later parts of the movie, Tár suddenly pivots into something that proffers more interesting elements - is it delusion or is it reality? Both collide subtly together, but don't quite coalesce in the final mix.

Blanchett is thunderous throughout, and it's easy to see why she's won plaudits for this - it's the kind of role some critics and some awards voters die for - very actorly, very scholarly, and very in tune with the character.

It's never anything less than her show, in more ways than one - it's just  a shame that Field makes the musical moments so incredibly rote that not even Blanchett can elevate them as the movie hurtles toward its cancel culture ethos.

Ironically, Tár is a well-orchestrated movie that through its 138 minutes feels overly constructed and ultimately constricted. It's a must-watch for the arthouse brigade, but it may leave others completely cool and slightly underwhelmed with its icy edges.

Clive'n'Wrench: PS5 Review

Developed by Dinosaur Bytes Studio
Published by Numskull Games
Platform: PS5

It's back to the 90s style of platform gaming with Clive'n'Wrench, a kind of oddball game that never quite settles on anything massively challenging, but feels like a warm family game to sit down and enjoy.

Across 11 worlds, it's up to you to try and stop the diabolical Dr Daucus who's hellbent on causing chaos across different historical eras. Taking on control of a hare and a monkey to try and do all this though is another matter, with technical issues plaguing the gameplay as the levels pass.

From elements of Banjo Kazooie in both gameplay and visuals style, Clive'n'Wrench feels like the kind of platformer the 90s Nintendo was famed for - all colour and not much content, its desire to recapture the past is both a good and bad thing for players.

While levels glisten with different historical details, the mechanics of leaping around and platforming are made harder by the game's incessant desire to ensure that the actual gameplay just isn't easy to master.

One wrong press of the button or one mistimed jump and it's back to the start with plenty of frustration boiling through in ways you'd least expect - or want from a game of its ilk.

A very formulaic approach to platforming makes Clive'n'Wrench the kind of low level game young kids would enjoy, but anyone with a more progressive approach to the genre will end up feeling irritated in extremis with its issues and buggy nature.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3: Movie Review

Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3: Movie Review

Cast: Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Will Poulter, Chukwudi Iwuji, Vin Diesel
Director: James Gunn

If writer/ director James Gunn's swansong to the ragtag dysfunctional family of the Guardians feels a little bloated and indulgent in this latest outing, it's probably because it is.

With a gigantic cast and a need to satiate many arcs as well as accommodate guest actors in the movie, Gunn set himself an insurmountable task of ensuring the finale hits all the right spots.

But smartly, what Gunn has also done has kept the story to the core characters, even if an enormous number of flashbacks somewhat cripple the flow of the Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 movie. 

When Rocket's badly injured after an attack from Will Poulter's Warlock, Peter Quill and the gang are forced into a mission to do whatever it takes to save their pal from the ultimate final curtain. However, that means going up against Chukwudi Iwuji's Dr Moreau-like High Evolutionary, who's set his sights on Rocket and won't stop.

If Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 is anything, it's Rocket's story and it's also a vicious condemnation of animal vivisection, experimentation and those with god complexes. It's also a movie that will leave audiences traumatised as it explores the consequences of being broken and dealing with trauma. And despite a lot of the colourful visuals on display, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 is also astoundingly bleak in parts.

But it's also overstuffed, with a second act feeling like a weight around the narrative's neck, rather than propelling the film into its conclusion - and unlike most of the previous films where the squabbling felt based in love, a lot of the fighting this time feels rooted in anger, and bitterness - and results in an overload of shouting throughout as the family tries to come back together.

A Mod-inspired 70s trippy space visuals interlude aside, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 concentrates most of its efforts on tying together an inordinate amount of loose ends as it plays on its Ark-like storylines and harrowing flashbacks. Yet it also seems to lack confidence in some of its execution, with potential deaths and emotional moments almost hampered by the necessity to make every moment redundant with a quip - some of the tonal missteps are jarring here and question your ability to let them slide.

Perhaps more successful due to its previous 3 outings, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 works hard to tie it all up. Maybe an occasional amount of exorcism from the script would have seen a few more moments soar in this emotional rollercoaster - but when it pops, it reminds you why this ragtag bunch of misfits work. 

At its core, the emotional disarray reminds us all of our own family's failings and successes, and while it may be the end for this version of the Guardians, it seems like it's an excessive exit worthy of them, but yet somehow beneath them at the same time.

The Fabelmans: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Paul Dano, Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Judd Hirsch, Gabriel LaBelle
Director: Steven Spielberg

If you've ever seen an episode of US sitcom The Goldbergs, then in truth, you have seen The Fabelmans, director Steven Spielberg's latest outing.

A self-confessed ode to cinema and his most personal film yet, The Fabelmans' mix of coming-of-age and cinematic apeing veers a little too close to the formulaic to be truly original - even if the ending hints frustratingly at a freewheeling touch which would have been welcome during the 150 minutes run time.

It's the story of Sammy Fabelman (a subtle LaBelle) and his time growing up in his Jewish family with his parents Mitzi (Williams, who makes the most of her character always needing to be the centre of attention) and the more studious Burt (Dano, a compellingly restrained turn). After Sammy sees the car crash of The Greatest Show on Earth at the movies, he's transfixed and discovers a lifelong obsession.

But as he grows up, he realises the world around him is changing - and not everything is as it once seemed.

While there's much to be applauded about The Fabelmans, there's also a feeling perhaps this ode to his parents is a little too sanitised to be packing any emotional kind of heft, despite Williams' attempt to secure the glory for acting. With timejumps and scenes abruptly shifting, the lines are distinctly blurred, and while perhaps some of that could be washed off as "recollection", Spielberg manages to present an entirely polished view of the family growing up, something which becomes a frustration as the movie goes on rather than a boon.

From remembering his early filmmaking attempts as entirely without error and there being little to no fighting between his parents, the almost saccharine nature of The Fabelmans becomes cloying - and the pastiche a little too hard laid down. A Christian girlfriend is portrayed as over-zealous and the school bullies are all caricatures too - these are the coming of age tropes, but they feel heftily laid down here; it's all to the movie's detriment.

The Fabelmans may be Spielberg refashioning his own story, but in truth the reality of what transpires is in the first syllable of the title - Fabel. It's very much the making of a dream story, and while it's to be commended for its polish, it does feel like it's lacking heart and has been done better many times on TV and in other genres.