Robin Hood Gives Audiences A Pointless Reboot That Lacks The Thrills and Suspense Of Its Iconic Hero

      Whereas Hollywood is dominated by comic book films and sequels, there's also a long list of unnecessary remakes or reimaginings of classic stories which have already told far more effectively on film. These films have no other reason to exist other then the studios misguided insistence that audiences want to see these films. That appears to be the case with 2018's Robin Hood with the film serving as being a retelling of the classic story that absolutely no one asked for. The newest version aims to take the story and modernize it for today's generation with an enhancing of the films action and special effects. Despite its attempts to give the story a new type of makeover, the end result feels like a pointless cash grab of a legendary tale that audiences know by heart. The new version of Robin Hood brings nothing new to the table in regards to being groundbreaking nor inventive with its story. While the film looks appealing visually, it lacks the heart and thrills of the previous adaptations that made the story a such a timeless tale that filmmakers unnecessarily feel the need to revisit every generation.

                           

      The plot for the newest Robin Hood centers around the Nottingham hero Robin of Luxley (Played this time by Kingsman's Taron Egerton) acting as a crusader who returns from the Holy Land to find that both his lands and property have been confiscated and left in ruins. He begins a revolution against the local corrupt church authorities along with the Sheriff of Nottingham himself. To audiences in general, the plot for Robin Hood is nothing new or original as everyone whose seen the Disney animated film or all the numerous live-action retellings, that came after know the gist of the new films plot. What the filmmakers of the new Robin Hood aspire to do is reintroduce the same story to a new generation of audiences, while making the action faster and more appealing as eye-candy. It also benefits that the films new cast is appealing with Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx, Eve Hewson, Jamie Dornan, Tom Minchin, and Ben Mendelsohn all being quality actors whose talents ultimately feel wasted on an unnecessary reinvigoration, that lacks the thrills and excitement of the main hero it glorifies. Instead, the newest Robin Hood feels like a wannabe Batman Begins style version of the story mixed with 2001's A Knights Tale and CW's Arrow. There's nothing shown in the newest retelling that audiences haven't seen before, which brings them to beg the question of why even bother with another attempt to reimagine the Robin Hood story if the filmmakers were never going to take the story in any type of new direction.  The film serves as being a complete waste of audiences time along with its talented cast as they could've been working on something more worthy of their dedication and efforts to make the film a satisfying experience for audiences. The newest Robin Hood desperately tries to justify its existence as being a reboot that's​ somehow required for the legendary character, but can't bring itself to give any compelling reasons on why it was even necessary to bother with retelling the story or why audiences should even care to watch it, as the story has been both done to death by much stronger filmmakers. 

                          

      One of the films few redeeming qualities is the strength of its main cast with them delivering performances, which allow them to make the most of their experience despite not being enough to save the film ultimately. Taron Egerton has proven himself through other works to be a highly dependable and quality actor with him making for an inspired choice as Robin of Luxley. Despite his casting appearing as promising, he only manages to be passable as he lacks the charisma of previous actors who played the part of Robin Hood. Jamie Foxx makes the most of his role as a fierce Arabian Warrior and Robin's best friend Yahya ibn Umar, with his character aiding Luxley in his quest after losing his son at the hands of the corrupt Church. Egerton and Foxx showcase fairly solid chemistry, though it's nothing amazing to write home about. Eve Hewson is appealing as Robin's love interest Maid Marian with her romance with Egerton coming across as being relatively believable. Ben Mandelsohn manages to deliver a strong performance as the films main antagonist, the Sheriff of Nottingham. Whereas the film struggles around both him and Egerton, Mandelsohn is able to steal the show with his characters menacing presence. The rest of the supporting cast give noteworthy performances with Tim Minchin as team Robin's goofy yet loyal ally Friar Tuck, Jamie Dornan as Marion's love interest, local politician, and Robin's rival Will Tillman. Although Dornan's character comes across as being completely generic and predictable, he still manages to deliver a serviceable performance. F. Murray Abraham leaves a likeable impression as the Cardinal Franklin despite his character having a minimal part. The cast for Robin Hood is strong with the film boasting some serious talent, which ultimately makes it hugely disappointing that they didn't have a script that's more worthy of their talents to work off. All of the actors shown in the film are capable of delivering fantastic work when the right material is handed to them. None of the acting in Robin Hood stands out as being truly phenomenal work with the performances as a whole ranging from being serviceable to decent work with the best acting coming from Egerton, Foxx, and Mandelsohn. Given how strong of an actor that Egerton has proven himself to be, it's a shame that the script isn't developed well enough for him to showcase his full range as a talented dramatic actor.

                           

      The films directing by Otto Bathurst proves to be flashy with him imitating a style of filmmaking that's similar to Guy Ritchie's. Given that this is his directorial debut, one can see the hard effort that Bathurst puts into making this latest adaptation of the story work but it ultimately doesn't in the end. Bathurst aims to make this a Batman Begins style reboot for the character with him making extra sure that the action is faster and more amped up than anything that's been shown before with the character. On a technical side, the film is appealing with the costume and set designs both effectively matching the time period of the story, adding a rich flavor to it. The film is well shot with cinematography that consists of quick cuts, slow-motion shots, and frentic editing that makes the arrow action sequences feel quick and larger-than-life. The pace is steady for the films 116 minute running time but Bathurst ensures that the story remains action heavy with largely impressive action sequences to maintain the audiences attention as both the story and characters progress. Bathurst's efforts here prove to be serviceable as he manages to bring the world of Nottingham to life in a fashion, that appears stunning to audiences while carrying a feeling of grittiness to it that reeks of a Guy Ritchie flick. The film tries so hard to imitate that filmmakers style of directing, that one would almost think he directed it if they didn't look at the directors name in the credits. While Bathurst does well with crafting exciting and thrilling action sequences, he fails to put his own stamp on the film with it feeling as if he's imitating someone else's style of directing rather than creating his own vision of Robin Hood's tale. The film often feels as if it aims to maintain the audiences interest by stacking up the films action sequences and making them as impressive as possible without putting the same amount of effort into its screenplay. Bathurst clearly could've done more here but prioritizes the action without properly taking the time to flesh out the story and characters. At times, the action often feels like a curtain to distract the audience from the realization that he's not even trying to.

                           

      The films biggest downfall lies within its painfully cliched script written by Ben Chandler (Who also penned the story) and David James Kelly. The script goes to extreme lengths to modernize the story for today's audiences, while managing to tack on every predictable and generic subplot that's been done before in past Robin Hood and vigilante style films. The romantic triangle between Robin, Marion, and Will feels completely forced and predictable with audiences knowing that Marion will choose Robin over him in the end, especially when she discovers that the former is the hood standing up to the corrupt church and helping the poor. The film attempts to introduce an interesting subplot involving both Robin and the Sheriff of Nottingham being friends with the latter not knowing of the others secret identity until finding out later that his friend is the one defying his rule. Lucky's deceitfulness in not revealing his identity makes him come across as being a Bruce Wayne type persona. While such a subplot has potential to be good on paper, the execution of it is poorly handled with the Sheriff not appearing to be shocked nor enraged at the revealing of Luxley to be the hood he's pursuing. The characterization of the characters feel both one-dimensional as well as being cardboard cutouts of other characters shown in different movies with Tim Minchin playing the generic loyal companion of Robin Hood, and Marion's​ character being shaped to be the young rebellious and idealistic love interest to the main hero, who secretly still harbors love for Robin's character while conveniently having no clue of his secretive and noble deeds. The Sheriff Of Nottingham doesn't carry much of a character arc or personality with the film insisting that the audience despise him for the sake of him being the Sheriff of Nottingham without much being shown for the audience to totally despise his character. Jamie Foxx's character carries an interesting arc with him beginning on opposite sides of Luxley with him being distrustful of the young hero before befriending and training him to take revenge on the church. The newest version of the Robin Hood story goes out of its way to make the title character younger than most adaptations, while giving him a tragic backstory that draws instant comparisons to Martin Campbell's The Mask Of Zorro. This version of the classic story has Robin returning home to discover that the evil Sheriff of Nottingham has seized his family estate and taken his love away from him. Vengeful of the horrific acts committed upon him and others, he goes on a Bruce Wayne/ Batman Begins style training montage to learn how to efficiently fight back against his oppressors while instilling hope with the people of Nottingham. The biggest problem with the newest Robin Hood story is the film isn't quite sure what it wants to be with it wanting to be a definitive retelling of the story while managing to go out of its way to set up a sequel that audiences will never see (Nor do they wish to given the films poor reception and box office returns), yet the film borrows subplots and elements from other films with stories that cover similar themes such as power, greed, vengeance, hope, freedom, and justice. The script also draws comparisons to today's modern political landscape with the Sheriff of Nottingham being made to represent a Donald J. Trump type figure with the corrupt church being modeled to represent a more current establishment that's based around fear mongering, the misleading of information, the thirst for absolute power, stealing, and taxes. The message that the new Robin Hood aspires to drive home with both its unbalanced narrative and story-structure, is that one is only powerless if they believe they are powerless. With a fitting message that matches the courage, heroism, and bravery of the films main heroic character, it's a genuine disappointment that the script doesn't feel as inspired as the films overall message.

                             

      The biggest question that one will have when watching the newest Robin Hood is who was this film intended for. One can see the intent behind the filmmakers in drawing comparisons to today's world with the films numerous themes, but the film isn't quite sure which target audience it aims for. The action is excessively handled to the point where it feels over-the-top and unrealistic with the obvious conclusion being drawn that the film aims for a young teenager audience (Which is also evidenced by the making of the Robin Hood character to be much younger than his previous film adaptations). The switching out of the traditional green attire and the placing of black leather jackets on the main characters, also gives off the notion that the film aims to deliver a newer and hip version of the story for today's youth with the main character feeling like an Arrow type of hero/outlaw vigilante. Besides these minor changes, there's nothing new here that makes the new Robin Hood story particularly groundbreaking nor warrant a new retelling as it only borrows elements from previous works, as well as other vigilante type films to make it whole. The new film lacks any type of charisma and humor to make it appealing rather than feeling like a stale reimagining with no heart or soul behind it. Given how strong of a cast the newest version boasts, the film serves as being a waste of their talents as well as everyone's time and money that could've went to something more creative and genuinely more satisfying than what the filmmakers try to present here. Robin Hood 2018 rightfully earns its place as being one of the years biggest bombs with fans of the characters mythology, as well as both Egerton and Foxx being encouraged to disregard this painfully disappointing attempt at reviving an already well-established character and story and revert to a more entertaining version of the main character. It also manages to make the previous questionable adaptations of the Robin Hood tale look more perfect in comparison like 1991's Prince Of Thieves or Ridley Scott's 2010 critical misfire. The only thing that the new Robin Hood manages to steal is ones time and money that went into watching this mess.

Final Verdict: Fans of Robin Hood and both Taron Egerton and Jamie Foxx should most definitely skip the latest reimagining of the Robin Hood story and settle for rewatching Prince Of Thieves instead.

 

Maggie Surprises As An Effective Horror Drama With Schwarzenegger Giving The Best Dramatic Performance Of His Career

      When audiences become used to seeing an actor or actress in a particular type of role, it becomes difficult for that person to be viewed in any other form than what the general public perceives them as being. Though when that chosen actor gets the opportunity to go against type and prove themselves as a serious actor, most cases often has that effort being overlooked. Very few actors have successfully made the transition from one genre to the next such as Robin Williams and Tom Hanks. With Arnold Schwarzenegger, audiences fondly remember him as The Terminator along with his noble attempts at comedy such as Twins, Kindergarten Cop, and Junior. Despite his ability to handle both genres, audiences questioned whether he could play a more serious dramatic role as his range has never been properly tested. With Maggie, audiences finally get to see Schwarzenegger handling a dramatic performance with him playing a straight father-figure trying to protect his daughter as she slowly transforms into being a Zombie. Though the film received little attention upon its initial 2015 release, Schwarzenegger's​ performance is often looked upon in high regard with it standing as being his most serious acting performance to date. That praise appears to be ​well-warranted as Maggie proves to be a different type of film than what Schwarzenegger is generally accustomed to starring in. The film is a quieter dramatic piece in comparison to the loud explosive action movies that Schwarzenegger generally plays in, but the performances as well as its thoughtful yet heartbreaking story make the film as powerful as it ultimately ends up being despite being horror-oriented. Maggie stands as being one of 2015's most overlooked films with key performances from both Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin being brilliantly understated. 

       The plot for Maggie centers around a loving father Wade Vogul (Played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) standing by his daughters side as she slowly transforms into a cannibalistic Zombie after being bit by one during an outbreak. Maggie's plot makes it stand apart from the typical Zombie fare with its story taking a more serious and dramatic approach in comparison to being strictly an action and horror-filled experience. The story moves at a slow beat but allows the audience to become invested in these characters, and the world that surrounds them. The film carries a bleak and depressing tone that makes it feel like one long goodbye message from a father to his daughter. What Maggie does well is properly set up the apocalyptic world and atmosphere, that instantly draws the audience into the story while allowing the performances of the main cast to define the film. The movie works as well as it does because of the strength of its main leads with breathtaking cinematography capturing the gloomy atmosphere, along with the emotion on the actors faces. Although the films pace may be too slow-moving for mainstream audiences and turn away those expecting the story to be a more action-oriented experience given Schwarzenegger's involvement, those looking for a different side of the actor will be satisfied to discover the surprising twist of the whole film which is that Schwarzenegger can act. Maggie is an emotionally absorbing horror drama that grabs audiences from the start and doesn't let go until the films heartbreaking final scene. For its main lead, it serves as being a testament that there's more to the iconic action star than just muscles. 

      The films strongest element that makes it work as effectively as it does is the performances from the main cast with both Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin giving the best performances of their careers. In Schwarzenegger's case, this is his best acting performance since T2: Judgment Day. He's terrific here and presents himself in a form that audiences have never seen him in prior. He manages to meet the demand in regards to conveying all the right emotions for the part of playing a simple father whose doing everything possible to comfort as well as stick by his daughters side as she slowly turns with him knowing what must be done when the time comes but can't bring himself to do it. For those who thought that Schwarzenegger had little to no range as a serious actor, they only need to look here to see that there's more to him than just playing the typical macho action hero. Along with Schwarzenegger making the film as emotionally powerful as it ends up being, Abigail Breslin delivers an equally moving and scene-stealing performance as Arnold's daughter Wade Vogul. Breslin makes her characters slow demise a gut-wrenching experience with her properly portraying her characters fear and confusion as she slowly changes with her also sharing strong chemistry with Schwarzenegger. Both actors nail the father and daughter dynamic perfectly and add a touch of sentimentality to the story. Along with their performances, Joely Richardson manages to shine as Maggie's stepmother Caroline Vogel with her becoming fearsome of Maggie as her transformation progresses. The rest of the supporting cast deliver notable performances such as Aiden Flowers as Maggie's younger brother Bobby, Carson Flowers as Maggie's mother Molly, Douglas M. Griffin as Sheriff Ray Pierce, and J.D Evermore as Holt. The cast for Maggie has much to do with why the film is so effective as a horror/family drama with the performances bringing sheer realism to the story. The acting delivered by both Schwarzenegger and Breslin alone is top notch and makes the film engaging to watch. It's a shame that the film didn't receive much attention during award season of its release as both performances are worthy of receiving recognition.

      The films directing by Henry Hobson is a solid effort with him doing a noteworthy job of creating a post-apocalyptic feel of the Midwestern location of where the story takes place. He succeeds in giving the film the look and feel of a Zombie story with the twist being that the story plays out more as a family drama rather than a straight-forward horror flick. Hobson gives the film a pacing that's slow enough to allow the audience to become immersed in the story for the films 95 minute running time. For traditional Zombie fans, the slower than usual pace may turn some off as the intention is to make audiences feel the pain and dread the main characters are experiencing given the circumstances of the story. The violence and gore aspect of the story is handled in a way which its usage is minimal but effective in regards to being genuinely creepy for audiences with chilling moments such as the revealing of infected skin, creepy-crawlies, and a character breaking a finger then later chopping it off. While these moments may appear to be brief ones within the realm of the story, they ultimately prove to be most effective in driving home the shock that audiences feel towards it. The films make up effects are reasonably decent given its low budget of being just $1.4 million. Audiences end up buying the slow transformation of Maggie's character from human to Zombie with the effects emphasizing her physical transformation along with the brief glimpses of the other Zombies in the story. The cinematography in Maggie is wonderfully handled with the Midwestern location of the story being well-shot and believable. The films nature scenes are handled in a way which makes them small in comparison to the presence of Schwarzenegger's character despite being beautifully filmed. The movies camera work gives the film a Terrence Malick vibe meets George Romero with it excluding the traditional narration that comes with a Malick flick. The films score is beautifully done in regards to giving the film a presence that's haunting while making the whole experience an emotional rollercoaster ride. Hobson's work on Maggie manages to be effective with him properly bringing the world of the characters to the screen, as well as allowing the actors enough free reign to breathe life into their characters. He succeeds in setting up key moments of tension such as Richardson's character being asked by Maggie what her father is cooking in the kitchen with her stepmother going downstairs​ to inspect only to discover that nothing​ is being cooked, with her quietly realizing that Maggie is beginning to smell human flesh. Such a sequence is an example of one of the numerous ones in the film where the story is at its most effective. While it can be said that Hobson could've shown us more with the film, he does a good job of making due with the limited resources he had regarding the films extremely low budget and creating a world that serves as being both darkly and emotionally chilling.

      Whereas both the acting and directing of the film work as being the films strongest elements, the screenplay by John Scott 3 serves as being both a hit and miss effort. What the writing does well is taking the popular Zombie genre and subverting expectations with crafting a surprising touching yet ultimately heartbreaking father and daughter drama, that serves as being a farewell story wrapped around the foundation of it being a horror story. Scott does well with showing a father's desperation to keep his daughter comfortable and safe as she slowly transforms while attempting to delay the inevitable. Schwarzenegger's character is constantly told throughout the film about what must be done when she transforms, but can't bring himself to commit to such an act. The writer also brilliantly shows Maggie's characters confusion as she slowly begins to turn into a Zombie with little subtle moments, that drive home the fear such as her character observing the bruise on her arm, or witnessing worms crawling out of it. Other intense moments that drive home the hellish circle that Wade is trapped in is when he ends up killing neighbors turned Zombies, that threaten both him and his daughters safety. The script works well in regards to both fleshing out the mind state of these characters, along with showing the bond that both Wade and Maggie have as parent and child. Wade's character is shown to be so committed to keeping his daughter alive that he turns a blind eye to many of the signals showing that she's getting closer to her inevitable switch while everyone else around them begins to become scared . In that regard, the script for Maggie works exceptionally well. The problems that arise with the script is the lack of events occurring throughout the film as the story strictly remains grounded around both Wade and Maggie's character. Instead of showing a more global scale of the outbreak described in the film, the writer opts for a more personal and sentimental story that tests the audiences patience in regards to it's slow-moving yet poignant narrative. The films ending also feels a bit underwhelming in a sense that the whole story builds up the anticipation that Schwarzenegger's character is tasked with having to figure out how to handle killing Maggie when she transforms into a Zombie with the climax ultimately being a betrayal of what the story was steadily building up to. While the ending doesn't automatically ruin the film, it robs it of the emotional payoff the final scene would've given audiences, as well as Schwarzenegger of an incredible dramatic moment if his character was presented with the choice at the end.

      Despite its faults, Maggie still succeeds as being a surprisingly different type of Zombie story, that's aspires to be more than just a mindless horror flick. The film works as being an genuinely affecting story revolving around the concept of life and death with one family struggling to remain whole throughout the Zombie apocalypse shown. This is a different type of film than anything Schwarzenegger's been attached to previously with the transformation into a more serious approach being an ambitious one for the action star, that pays off. One can only hope that Schwarzenegger and other stars known for a particular type of genre role, become inspired to pursue other projects that'll​ allow them to be casted against type. Not everyone will enjoy Maggie as its slow progressing narrative may be off putting for those looking for a more eventful action style Zombie flick, but those looking for a story with a deeper meaning behind it will find much to appreciate with its artsy style approach to filming its story, as well as its ambition to standout from other horror flicks. It says something that the most dramatic Arnold Schwarzenegger performance of his career is the most overlooked as Maggie deserves to be commended for how hard it tries to add something new to the Zombie genre. The most surprising element of the film is despite its plot being horror oriented, the story is really about the bond between a father and his daughter with the film showing how far one will go to protect their family despite increasingly knowing that the end is near. In the end, the greatest tragedy won't be that Maggie was seen by few audiences in comparison to other films in Schwarzenegger's career, it would be that the iconic action star didn't feel inspired to tackle more projects that tested his range as a serious actor after delivering an impressive performance here. Maggie serves as being one of 2015's overlooked gems. 

Final Verdict: For fans of both the Zombie genre and Schwarzenegger's work in general, Maggie proves to be a pleasant surprise that'll shock, entertain, and reaffirm audiences belief that Schwarzenegger is a more serious actor than what's been revealed of him thus far.

The Foreigner Is A Solid Action Thriller With A Surprisingly Strong Performance From Jackie Chan

 

      When it comes to action movies, one of the genres most reliable yet formulaic themes is that of revenge. With so many different films revolving around the concept, each filmmaker is tasked with bringing a new approach to the genre with their respective stories that only manages to be thrilling but maximize the appeal of their main stars in the lead role. That most definitely appears to be the case with Martin Campbell's 2017 action thriller The Foreigner which stars both Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan in the main roles. The film effectively takes both main stars and removes them from their comfort zone, placing them in roles that manage to go against what they're generally known for with them being able to further demonstrate their acting talents. The end result appears to be a formulaic driven action flick, that largely benefits from the out of character performances of its main veteran actors which ultimately makes it satisfying. The Foreigner serves as being an unusual piece for both main stars to be involved in with that not necessarily being a bad thing. 

     Based on the 1992 novel titled The Chinaman by Stephen Leather, the plot for The Foreigner centers around an aging businessman (Played by Jackie Chan) losing his young teenager daughter (Played by Charlie Murphy) in a London terrorist bombing that's linked to being the work of the IRA. When an Irish official (Played by Pierce Brosnan) refuses to help the grieving father when he approaches him for the names of those involved, the latter initiates a path of both harassing and terrorizing the official until he can provide the names of the killers. On paper, the plot for The Foreigner reads about as standard and typical as any revenge thriller that exists. There's nothing new or groundbreaking the script offers which transcends the genre or make it feel fresh in any capacity. What Martin Campbell does is explore the main characters in greater depth than the typical action movie, which is accomplished by him slowing the pace down enough to allow for both Chan and Brosnan to command the screen with their presence. Campbell presents the audience with two key characters who dominate the plot with both person's playing a traditional cat-and- mouse game. With The Foreigner Campbell places both the characters and story front and center with the action being limited to a few key moments, in which they do emerge as being thrilling set-pieces. Given what audiences expect to find going into a film like this, the end result proves to be a well-made and nicely paced thriller that allows its main stars to break out of their comfort zones and expand on their dramatic acting abilities while the film adheres to the basic conventions of the revenge thriller formula. The Foreigner is a film that audiences are familiar with given its standard plot mechanisms, but it's slower paced story that places greater emphasis on its characters while providing the audience with twists and turns along the way, make it an appealing thriller that warrants their attention.

      As well-crafted as Campbell's directing comes across as being, it's the performances from the main cast that make the experience all the more surprising for audiences with Chan and Brosnan delivering some of the finest acting work of their careers. Out of the two, Chan proves to be the real plot twist of the film with him perfectly balancing out his traditional martial arts star persona with a more dramatic presence that proves to be a welcomed surprise. With his role, Chan expresses more emotion as both a grieving and vengeful father in a pursuit of bringing honor to his daughter by finding the ones that killed her. Chan excels in the role as Ngoc Minh Quan, a Chinese former Vietnam War special forces operative turned London restaurateur who seeks revenge after his daughter is murdered in a terrorist bombing. The role easily marks Chan's strongest performance in years both as an action star as well as a serious actor. The same can be said about Pierce Brosnan in the role of Liam Hennessy, a current Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, and former member of the provisional IRA who serves as being the films main antagonist. Brosnan is terrific as well with him playing a slimy political figure, who discovers that he has many frenemies around him while attempting to resist Chan's characters persistence in finding the names of her daughters killers. Both actors are handed roles that are different from the type of parts they're usually accustomed​ to with them managing to play their characters exceptionally well, along with showing audiences that there's more to each actor than just the conventional type action role. They also manage to dominate the screen when the other person isn't around with both actors getting an equal footing in terms of sharing screentime. The rest of the supporting cast is strong with them delivering noteworthy performances such as Michael McElhatton as Jim Kavanagh, Hennessy's second-in-command, Liu Tao as Quan's friend and co-owner of the restaurant Keyi Lam, Charlie Murphy as Liam's mistress and undercover member of the IRA Maggie Dunn, and Orla Brady as Liam's wife Mary Hennessy, who still maintains radical beliefs. The supporting cast for The Foreigner does a solid job of backing up the films key characters with their performances adding to both the suspense and tension of the plot. Despite the efforts of the supporting cast to add both realism and believability to the story, it's the performances of the main stars that standout with Chan and Brosnan carrying the film as a whole. They take what could've essentially ended up being another generic and bland thriller, and add more depth to it with how interesting and complex both actors make their characters appear. There isn't one performance shown that's bad or off beat with everyone bringing their A game to their parts, along with the supporting cast managing to make the most of their roles with leaving notable impressions with the audience.         

      Directed by Martin Campbell who previously helmed GoldenEye, The Mask Of Zorro, and The Edge Of Darkness, the skillfully talented director once again delivers strong directorial work with him appearing to have a firm grip on his craft. Where Campbell specializes in as a director is his ability to tell stories that are slow-moving, but ultimately prove to be well-executed and developed in regards to both story and character development. When it comes to stories that revolve around the theme of revenge, Campbell has demonstrated himself to be capable of crafting films revolving around the concept which ultimately prove to be emotionally satisfying in the end. Campbell knows how to establish and develop characters to the point where the audience becomes engaged in their dilemmas. The film is well-shot with impressive cinematography including action sequences that are well choreographed. Campbell does a smooth job of progressively building up the tension between Chan and Brosnan's character with the audience feeling the intensity of the situation. He gives the action sequences a certain level of grit that enhances the brutality of the plot. The score is effective in driving both the suspense and emotion of the film with the soundtrack placing a heavy emphasis on sounding electronic with the use of synthesizers. For an action film, the music takes a uniquely different approach which largely pays off with making the energy of the film feeling more kinetic. As far as directing goes, Martin Campbell gives audiences a dark and gritty storyline that plays out like a political thriller disguised as a revenge flick with him being able to effectively generate some of the best acting out of both Chan and Brosnan's careers. For Brosnan and Campbell, the film plays out like a personal reunion for the two given their previous collaboration with 1995's GoldenEye. With Chan, this represents his opportunity to both reintroduce himself as well as remind audiences that there's more to his talent than just fancy martial arts moves with Campbell giving him enough freedom to demonstrate his range as a serious actor. With The Foreigner, Campbell crafts a lean and edgy story that's both​ well-acted and put together with the noblest attempts to be different than other action thrillers with similar premises.

      The screenplay by David Marconi does a solid job of fleshing out the characters and story. One of the key components that make a revenge story work is the audience connecting with the main characters. With The Foreigner, Marconi makes the audience empathize with Chan's character while cleverly weaving his military past into the story. The script does a noteworthy job of exploring themes pertaining to murder, death, loss, grief, family, determination, and justice while including political elements such as government cover ups, power, betrayal, and vigilantism. The characters are giving enough exploration and depth to make them feel more lively rather than being typical one dimensional figures in the plot. The writing in the character development department is handled so well to the point where the audience not only becomes invested in Chan's character arc but Brosnan's​ as well. The audience even cares about and finds interesting the side storylines regarding Brosnan's character and radical wife, as well as her secretive relationship with his nephew Sean. The screenplay also throws numerous twists and turns at the audience regarding whose actually behind the IRA bombings, which resulted in the death of Chan's daughter. When the film focuses on the developing of the characters, the script delivers its strongest effort. The main issues with the writing pertain to the plot becoming a bit confusing at times when it comes to shifting around plot devices such as the audience being led to believe that one character is behind the bombings before it's revealed to be another person that's the mastermind behind it. The script makes a point to flesh out all of its main characters, that the plot sometimes feels disheveled with focusing on the main narrative which is Chan's character seeking justice for his daughters death. Marconi uses his character to pivot the audience through a world that's full of labyrinth and betrayal with one not being sure who to trust, not just for Chan's side but Brosnan as well. When the script focuses on Chan's characters determination to go to extreme brutal lengths to bring honor to his daughters name, the film works extremely well. The problem with the script arises when the film dives into the politics of the story such as heavy conversations regarding past dealings between Brosnan's character and others, along with the IRA, and terrorism. These subplots despite being effective ultimately deter audiences from the stories main narrative at times, along with adding confusion as to whether Chan is pursuing the right one responsible for his grief. When the film revolves around a broken man in the pursuit of justice with him going back to his simple life in the end, the film works at it's full potential. It's too bad the writer and Campbell chose to thoroughly explore other subplots and characters rather than focus on the one that's the heart of the film as these faults keep the film from being a great action flick to just ending up as a fairly decent one.

       Despite its faults, The Foreigner has much to offer in regards to surprising audiences with the dramatic range that both Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan possess as actors. They're​ the sole reason the film works as well as it does, and perform greatly with their out of character parts. Campbell does an effective job of creating a world which serves as essentially being a web of lies, corruption, and deceit with him showing how those elements can impact the lives of others while spawning a random yet justified pursuit of justice. The film works most effectively as a story about how determined individuals and governments can obtain justice against terrorists. While The Foreigner doesn't serve as being the most original action thriller and relies heavily on a formulaic story-structure that's much familiar to audiences, it makes a strong attempt to switch things up in regards to the presentation of its main stars while taking them down to a more human level in a world that's engulfed in grittiness. For audiences, The Foreigner is a reasonably decent action thriller that achieves what it sets out to do while reminding them of the possibilities that both main actors can do with the right material given to them. The film is a suspenseful and engaging tale of revenge that'll surprise with how much it leans towards being a drama rather than a mindless action flick, that fans of Jackie Chan have become accustomed to. Although the film doesn't tread any new ground in regards to storytelling nor expand on the action and thriller genre, it makes effective use of its plot with Campbell delivering a worthwhile action flick that entertains. How much audiences will enjoy it though depends on their tolerance for a more traditional slow-burning and complexed storyline, that can get a bit confusing at times when the story drifts from Chan. When the latter appears on screen, the story works and ultimately is the reason The Foreigner works as a solid action thriller overall.

Final Verdict: For hardcore action fans and those of Jackie Chan's work in particular, The Foreigner represents a a surprising detour from his traditional work with him delivering what's arguably his best dramatic performance yet.

Jigsaw Delivers Saw Fans More Of The Same But Fails to Break New Ground For The Series

 

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When audiences think of long-running iconic horror film franchises, the ones that come to mind are Friday-The-13th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, and the Saw franchise. The latter has terrified audiences since it first burst onto the screen as a surprise hit in October 2004 with James Wan as director in his feature film debut. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the first Saw became a box office smash grossing nearly $100 million worldwide with it becoming one of the most profitable horror films since Scream along with spawning numerous torture porn style horror series such as Hostel and The Collector . The success of Saw spawned six sequels with none being able to match the quality of the first film with the series taking a temporary halt with the hugely disappointing finale titled Saw 7: The Final Chapter released in 2010. Fast-forward seven years after that films release, the Saw series see's a revival with the 2017 reboot Jigsaw. Designed as being a fresh reboot to kickstart the series once again, the new film carries a batch of brand new faces with Tobin Bell being the only returning actor from the previous films. While Jigsaw provides new traps for audiences to become both terrified and thrilled by, it leaves much to be desired in regards to its script. The 8th film in the series and reboot feels like an unnecessary attempt to extend a horror franchise, that's well past its glory days.

      Picking up seven years after the Saw series previously ended with The Final Chapter, Jigsaw's story finds the police investigating a series of elaborate murders with the signature of the infamous Jigsaw killer (Played once again by Tobin Bell), who may or may not have been dead for over a decade. The plot for Jigsaw feels like an attempt to write the series out of one of its most consequential decisions made early on with the killing off of Tobin Bell's character at the end of Saw lll. It can be debated that the series never fully recovered from that decision as the further installments experienced a gradual decline in quality with the overall storyline for the series going off the rails essentially with other copycat killers filling in for Jigsaw. The new film attempts to rectify the mistakes of the past while filling its screenplay up with a fresh new batch of traps that random characters find themselves frantically getting out of if they want to survive. To fans of the Saw franchise, Jigsaw represents the same rules and tricks for the franchise with an overstuffing of excessive gore to compliment the brute nature of the deaths at the hands of the traps. The newest chapter doesn't do anything groundbreaking with its plot and feels like a typical generic sequel in the Saw franchise, that ditches the greenish lense in the background for a more brighter tone with many of the scenes taking place during daylight. The film knows whats expected of it from the fans and chooses to play it safe while attempting to breathe new life into the series once again. The end result is a pointless rehash of what's already been done with no new approach taken with the franchises concept. There's only so many times that one can watch Jigsaw terrorize and torture his victims before everything feels repetitive and less exciting. While the film has elements such as the franchises trademark torture tactics as well as the creativity behind the traps that fans of the series look forward to each new entry with great anticipation, Jigsaw continues to carry the series glowing flaw of its latter sequels with the violence and gore aspect of the films compensating for the lack of the suspense and mystery that the first Saw film possessed, which continues to makes it look like a far superior film in comparison to many of its follow-ups. The latest attempt to continue the Saw franchise feels more like a quick cash grab rather than a way to reinvent, as well as reboot the series for a new generation of audiences. 

      While the gruesome visuals of the Saw movies end up being the audiences main focus of attention, the performances from the main cast prove to be convincing enough in bringing both realism and believability to the story. The acting by the main cast is what one would expect from a Saw flick, which is standard work for a horror movie. The performances by Matt Passmore and Callum Keith Rennie as Logan Nelson and Detective Halloran manage to be effective with Passmore serving as the main protagonist of the story. He gives both an appealing and likable presence as a pathologist who becomes a suspect to police regarding the series of murders being linked to deceased Jigsaw killer, John Kramer. Callum Keith Rennie also manages to play his part well as the Detective, that's suspicious of both Logan and his associates activities in connection to the murders. Hannah Emily Anderson does well playing Logan's colleague Eleanor Bonneville, whose obsessed with the Jigsaw killings. Cle Bennett also makes the most of his performance as Detective Keith Hunt with Tobin Bell once again doing a fantastic job playing John Kramer. The guy is born to play the role of Jigsaw with his return being more than welcomed with it also helping with connecting the story to the previous seven entries. Other noteworthy performances include the group that becomes prey to Jigsaw's latest traps with Laura Vandervoort as Anna, Paul Braunstein as Ryan, Mandela Van Peebles as Mitch, Brittany Allen as Carly, and Josiah Black as Edgar Munsen. The overall cast for Jigsaw does as well as they're allowed to under the circumstances with the victims of the traps evoking genuine fear and terror with the rest of the cast turning out decent to serviceable work. Knowing that audiences are going in looking forward to the spectacle of the story, the actors take the opportunity to make the most of their roles and catch the audiences eye in between the films intense set-pieces. The cast for Jigsaw perform as well as one would expect them to from a Saw flick, which is to be fairly economical and realistic.

      The films directing by The Spierig Brothers proves to be standard work when looking at the overall franchise. The Brothers know what audiences look for when going to watch a Saw film, and don't disappoint in the brutality department. Their work surprises on a technical level with them giving the film a more sharper and bigger budget feel to it compared to the previous entries with the films opening car chase scene with the Police, being a prime example that ends on a rooftop. The directors also abandon the green color palette of the first seven efforts and give the newest entry a more modern approach, that makes it feel more cleaned up and fresh visually with bright cinematography. The films sequences involving the newer traps are well-thought out and executed with the creativity that went into plotting these intense set-pieces throughout the series remaining intact. One of the newest traps include the group chosen by Jigsaw wearing heavy metal bucket masks attached to chains being pulled towards a wall with whirring chain saw blades. Another includes a group being pulled to the ceiling with chains attached around their necks, as well as one of the group members being captured by their ankles with a cable and lowered into a large funnel-web metal device armed with a rotating blade that ultimately chews up the individual with blood splashing everywhere. While these sequences can be both intensely gruesome​ and brutal to watch, they stay true to the franchises signature trademark of providing horrifically graphic deaths for deeply-flawed individuals being forced to see the error of their ways. When it comes to the violent nature of the series, Jigsaw doesn't manage to skip a beat with the Spierig Brothers finding newer and creative ways to traumatize the fans. The film is given the steady yet quick pace that the previous Saw sequels have become accustomed to with the newest entry spawning a running time of roughly 92 minutes. The editing also consists of flashbacks which inform the audience on the past events surrounding the newest victims of Jigsaw's traps, as well as the traditional quick cut and slow-motion shots that accompany the series intense moments. In terms of the films directing and overall technical look, Jigsaw looks and feels very much like an continuation of the Saw franchise with it fitting in appropriately with the others along with looking stronger in quality in regards to cinematography. The film looks like the studio added a little more money to the budget to make the series look and feel fresh, while going more high-tech with the films consequential set-pieces involving the traps. There's even one instance where a character is being threatened and ultimately killed with electronic laser beams, signifying that the kills are becoming more advanced technologically speaking. On that front, the Spierig Brothers don't disappoint but their work still doesn't compare to the masterful buildup of suspense that James Wan crafted with the atmosphere of the first Saw nor prove to be as skillful of filmmakers in regards to storytelling.

      The biggest issue with the film lies within it's writing. The script by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger continues many of the themes the series has touched upon over the course of it's eight film arc ranging from sin to punishment, revenge, justice, redemption, vigilantes, and corrupt police officials. What the script does well is keep intact the questioning audiences have on whether the character of John Kramer (Jigsaw), is a villain or not given that his reasoning for torturing people is to make them see the error of their ways and appreciate the second chance they receive if they're lucky enough to survive his deadly game. Whereas this aspect of the script for Jigsaw stays true to the consistent mythology of the Saw franchise, the overall work doesn't advance nor take the franchise in any new direction with it just offering fans more of the same with the films biggest reveal being that Jigsaw is back in the form of another copycat who was groomed by Kramer feeling repetitive. Instead of breaking newer ground with the story, the film attempts to blend as another pointless sequel in a series that should've ended after three films. The characters outside of Tobin Bell's are presented as being one-dimensional with the audience not becoming connected with any of the ones stuck in the latters deadly game of survival. The main characters are mostly cardboard and generic with their main purpose being to push the film towards the next major trap with the occasional plot twist regarding a specific character being unveiled as an apprentice of Jigsaw in an effort to throw the audience off. Jigsaw reintroduces many of the same plot twists and devices that audiences have already seen before with a new copycat killer introduced, who feels that it's their calling to continue Jigsaw's legacy. The audience is treated to main characters such as Logan and Eleanor, who are suspected of being involved in the recent killings committed in the same style as the Jigsaw killings a decade prior, reminding audiences of the first film in which Cary Elwe's character Dr. Gordon is suspected of being behind the Jigsaw murders by police. The audience is also given questionable authorative figures such as Detective Halloran who feels similar to characters from earlier entries in the Saw series meshed together. The way that John Kramer is resurrected in the story is handled in a way that allows his character to have a recurring role in future sequels through flashbacks, while keeping the timeline of Saw lll through present intact. It serves as being the filmmakers best attempt at rectifying the mistake of killing off Tobin Bell's character without breaking the series continuity. For those who've followed the entire Saw franchise up to Jigsaw, they'll find that there's nothing shown or introduced that hasn't been seen or done before by past filmmakers with the series clearly running out of fresh ideas and just recycling the old formula of a new copycat killer emerging in a shocking plot reveal in which their characters were a former prisoner of Kramer's, who survived his series of deadly traps, and was trained in an apprenticeship to continue his work. This plot twist has been done before repeatedly throughout the series to the point where it's no longer thrilling nor shocking. One simply just finds themselves questioning if that's all the series has left in terms of delivering new tricks to the audience. While the writing for Jigsaw isn't terrible, its settles for being just average with the script as a whole being a culmination of subplots and plot devices utilized from previous entries. 

      One of the main reasons why the first Saw film still works as effectively as it does is the unpredictability behind its plot. The audience didn't know what to expect and were left at the edge of their seat as the story slowly unfolded with numerous twists and turns nobody saw coming. The original film felt fresh and set a standard that none of the sequels since have been able match. The difference between Jigsaw and a horror reboot like 2018's Halloween for example is although the latter included many of the elements from the previous Halloween sequels that made them appealing to audiences, it managed to take its story and both continue as well as reintroduce the characters for a new generation of horror fans. While some aspects of that film felt familiar to fans of the long-standing horror franchise, it surprised with new twists and turns regarding both the story as well as the returning characters. Jigsaw offers audiences more of the same without much attempt to bring something new to the table in regards to both the story and characters. For fans of the series, the newest installment offers them more of the same and doesn't dare to take much risks in the story department. Jigsaw is a sequel/reboot that carried with it much promise as well as potential in regards to reinventing the franchise for a new generation of horror fans, but instead decides to play it safe by offering up microwaved leftovers in hopes that it can taste as delicious as being freshly cooked the first time it was made. Jigsaw is a culmination of all the elements that Saw fans have come to love about the franchise, which is pertaining more to the torturous nature of the series rather than bringing back the fear of the unknown that the first film played on exceptionally well. While Jigsaw is certainly better than any of the Saw sequels post Saw lll, it plays more like a greatest hits album moreso than adding its own note. The film is reasonably entertaining on its own right as both a horror movie and as an installment of the franchise, but the greatest letdown is the fact that the filmmakers didn't utilize the opportunity they had to tread new ground rather than revisit old and tired ideas. There's no plot twist in the film that will shock audiences the way the end twist of the first Saw delivered nor leave a similar kind of impact. Here is more of the same and that's​ a shame given the promise the film carried. Here's hoping that Chris Rocks upcoming yet questionable reboot of the franchise will find a way to make everything feel exciting and new again rather than just looking good visually, but lacking the substance that made the series a hit in the first place. Only the most loyal and die hard of Saw fans will appreciate the latest chapter as it works essentially as a love letter to them with everyone else being left cold story wise. Given the enduring legacy that the first Saw has had in both film and horror genre, the newest film should've been much more than just passable horror entertainment . As much creativity that the filming team behind Jigsaw put into making the torture scenes more fresh and innovative, it's a shame that same kind of effort doesn't get put into the plot and characters.

Final Verdict: Fans of the Saw franchise will find a reasonable amount of satisfaction out of watching Jigsaw as it offers much of what they've​ come to love about the series in terms of the violence and gore, while remaining relatively shallow in the writing department.