A film that has all the hallmarks of Tarantino's previous films, and one that also embodies everything both good and bad about Tarantino as a filmmaker. Creatively there is nothing new here that he hasn't explored before, and whilst the film is engaging enough, this more than most of his previous entries leaves one feeling that Tarantino has nowhere else to go. The credit flourish that boldly states this is "the 8th film" to come from the filmmaker only serves to highlight at least an underlying sense that nobody questions his creative decisions anymore and this is a film in sore need of an editor. The film may be beautifully shot, but the eponymous eight are surprisingly uninteresting characters, largely dependent on the charisma of the actors playing them. It should come as no surprise therefore that Jackson dominates, but equally there is a sense that Tarantino is repeating himself, never more so than with Madsen's character for example (though it seems that Madsen has been playing the same character all his life). Thus with only Jackson and to a certain extent Leigh providing much interest, conversations between all the principals tend to meander with seemingly little point and most of the outdoor location work serves as little more than window dressing. There is a fun 90 minute mystery thriller set in one location somewhere in here, but unfortunately this is one film that feels bloated and excessive as a result of Tarantino's script rather than enhanced by it. Perhaps next time, Tarantino should consider that verbose doesn't always equate to interesting and there are better ways to develop characters that audiences can empathize with - Jackie Brown seems such a long time ago, yet suggests that Tarantino may now be better suited to adapting other's characters rather than repeating his own.
Review by Simon MasseyVIP 11BlockedParent2016-01-26T12:23:39Z
A film that has all the hallmarks of Tarantino's previous films, and one that also embodies everything both good and bad about Tarantino as a filmmaker. Creatively there is nothing new here that he hasn't explored before, and whilst the film is engaging enough, this more than most of his previous entries leaves one feeling that Tarantino has nowhere else to go. The credit flourish that boldly states this is "the 8th film" to come from the filmmaker only serves to highlight at least an underlying sense that nobody questions his creative decisions anymore and this is a film in sore need of an editor. The film may be beautifully shot, but the eponymous eight are surprisingly uninteresting characters, largely dependent on the charisma of the actors playing them. It should come as no surprise therefore that Jackson dominates, but equally there is a sense that Tarantino is repeating himself, never more so than with Madsen's character for example (though it seems that Madsen has been playing the same character all his life). Thus with only Jackson and to a certain extent Leigh providing much interest, conversations between all the principals tend to meander with seemingly little point and most of the outdoor location work serves as little more than window dressing. There is a fun 90 minute mystery thriller set in one location somewhere in here, but unfortunately this is one film that feels bloated and excessive as a result of Tarantino's script rather than enhanced by it. Perhaps next time, Tarantino should consider that verbose doesn't always equate to interesting and there are better ways to develop characters that audiences can empathize with - Jackie Brown seems such a long time ago, yet suggests that Tarantino may now be better suited to adapting other's characters rather than repeating his own.