Road to Oppenheimer: Part 1
In the months leading up to Oppenheimer, I have decided to watch all of Christopher Nolan's filmography and briefly give my thoughts about each one as a sort of preparation for his 12th directorial outing.
It's often said that greatness comes from small beginnings, which is a phrase that I feel encapsulates my thoughts on this film quite well. Despite its minuscule budget and absurdly short runtime (68 minutes!), that special Nolan quality is still felt throughout every aspect of the film, from his signature twists and time dilation to his meticulously crafted characters and unfortunate low sound quality. The movie is also paced very well, with meaningful reveals and revelations keeping the story moving at a breakneck pace.
Despite all of these qualities, Following suffers from one big problem: it's forgettable. While almost every Nolan film is remembered for some big action setpiece or an insane, mindbending reveal, Following kind of just comes and goes, not leaving much of an impression mere days after a first or second viewing. Of course, this isn't a film-killing issue, but when compared to Nolan's future filmography, Following certainly falls a bit short.
This is an honest, spoiler-free review coming from your average fan (not a critic):
I just saw this new marvel film, and I have to say... it's no where near as bad as the critics make it out to be.
Yes there is a lot of dialogue. But it gives the characters a chance to shine and for scenes to breathe.
People call this film dense. I would disagree. Yes there is a fair bit of plot and history told, however I would say that other mcu films have simply much simpler plotlines most of the time.
There are moments when things are just about to become exciting, and then it is interrupted with more dialogue which instantly kills the suspension.
There are a number of plot twists in this film, and some unexpected things happen that I wouldn't have seen coming.
This film has a slow burn, but sometimes that's a good thing. Would I have liked more action? Yes. Was I unhappy with the action we do get? No.
I will admit, going into this film I was expecting a masterpiece, and while I wouldn't quite call it that, its definitely a well-made film, marvel or not.
Oh. And expect to have to do some reading at the very beginning. Kinda reminds me of a classic Star Wars opening crawl.
The Five Emojis of X2
:heart_eyes:
Amazing opening sequence, introducing us to one of the more interesting mutants from the comics, Nightcrawler.
With the base set in the previous film, Bryan Singer puts focus on developing characters further and fleshing out the world, while keeping everything interesting by adding new elements, of which the greatest one is the magnificent Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler.
The visuals have been hugely improved from the first film and still look really good.
X2 is a funnier and more exciting film, with higher stakes and a faster tempo.
This film some of the finest scenes in the franchise, such as the opening scene, the assault on Xavier's and the visit to Bobby's parents.
All the regulars are still amazing and we get a lot more beautiful Wolverine action.
Bigger, bolder and more natural action scenes really help make this sequel worth a watch.
Great to see humanity, lead by the tragic Stryker (expertly portrayed by Brian Cox) as the main villain of the film, since that deepens the main theme of the franchise.
The other villains are also more compelling compared to the first one.
Amazing score adds just the right tone to the more intense scenes.
Feels a whole lot more like an X-Men team-up film, with the script allowing the characters to complement each other.
That whole final act by the lake is dragged out but very well-paced, creating one of the stronger finales in the genre.
Incredibly powerful ending.
Hits the right emotional notes by being funny, touching and exciting.
:smiley:
Anna Paquin feels a lot more comfortable and natural as Rogue this time around.
Significantly better paced and divided between the school stuff and the X-Men stuff.
Bobby Drake and Pyro are given bigger roles and complete the cast in smaller roles.
Cool to see the uneasy alliance between Magneto and the X-Men as well as the build-up to the the third film.
:neutral_face:
The film kind of forgets about Storm, Cyclops and Jean for large parts.
Mystique still isn't particularly interesting.
Nightcrawler is sadly undetutilized.
:frowning2:
:face_vomiting:
The Final Emoji: :heart_eyes:
