"Slow West" Review - From the Vaults

 "Slow West" is really, really good and you should all go and see it. Especially if you love Westerns.

"Chappie" Review - From the Vaults

 Chappie. Or to give it its proper title: "Welcome to Johannesburg, Motherfuckers."

I don't see why this is getting a slating.

It's colourful and grimly nasty in equal measure, where I actually cared about the zany, wacky characters on parade, who all had their own arcs and emotional resonance, within a story about humanity and life which (whilst having been done before) was pulled off with aplomb and some bombastic stuff.

Evil Hugh Jackman and his mullet and three quarter length shorts (narrowly beat out on being the cruellest aspect of the movie, were it not for heart-wrenching trauma, Chappie finding his place in the world, and a story about what it means to be human. Though, who needs that shit in an action movie?) were great, as was the soundtrack (I'll check out Die Antwoord as a result of this film) and the action sequences are fantastic.

Though, the South African tourist board seriously needs to have a word with Mr Blomkamp.

(Editor's Note: Man, that love of Die Antwoord aged well... Oooh boy...)

"Archenemy" Review - From the Vault

 "Archenemy"

This movie is gorgeously creative, by the way

Teenage wannabe journalist "Hamster" (Skylan Brooks) is looking for a big hit which will get him his break as a journalist. He thinks he's found it, in the form of buff bearded homeless lunatic "Max Fist" (Joe Manganiello), who claims to be a superhero stranded here from a parallel dimension.

As he bonds with the stranger and learns his story, Hamster's sister Indigo (Zolee Griggs) finds herself drawn deeper into the criminal underworld of mid-level crime boss "The Manager" (Glenn Howerton) and Hamster thinks that there may be more to this alcoholic's story than meets the eye...

This movie was great.

Manganiello is really what drives it: a devoted and committed performance, as it dives between colourful animated segments depicting Fist's hallucinations/backstory, and a very fun pulpy violent crime thriller with superheroes. 

A subversion which toys with the idea of the superhero origin story, it remembers to have fun in between its character bonding (indie darling Amy Seimetz shows up and she's great!) so it manages to overcome and embrace its smaller budget. 

It's character focused and a whale of a time, and I can highly recommend it