Theo's blog

Director: Gareth Evans
Starring: Iko Uwais, Arifin Putra, Alex Abbad
Length: 150 minutes.

If you saw the Raid 1 and liked what you saw, there will only be one reason that you want to see the sequel, and it won’t be for the plot or any philosophical crises that that film may have evoked in you; you want action. The original film boasted some of the best action sequences and choreography taken to the silver screen in many years and did not take long to become a highly sought after title among action aficionados. With high production values, intense action and a simplistic yet intriguing plot line, the series was poised to go far.  Fortunately The Raid 2 delivers on all the promises from the original while also expanding the plot line into a city-wide crime thriller.

The action here is just as intense as we have come to expect from this crew. Iko Uwaise and the hordes of extras that he slaughters on his way through the film have created incredible action sequences and fight choreography, even going so far as to surpass the action that we saw in the first film, which is no small feat. The creativity visible is impressive at worst and all sequences manage to be exciting and distinctive. It is clear that Gareth Evans has been working on the script of this film for several years due to the large amount of set pieces and scenarios that we are treated to. Naturally though for a viewer, this vaguely translates into skimming along the spectrum of ways of brutally killing people and as such this film is not at all for the faint of heart. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if this film made it all the way through 2014 without being removed from the top of the year’s ‘most violent’ pile. Though to take that as a negative would be remiss; Evans knows his audience and he knows what made his previous film popular. He is merely upping the ante, no matter how uncomfortable it makes his viewers. As a result of this, there is an almost tangible increase in tension for the audience as just viewing the film could become difficult due to the actions on screen. I lost count of the amount of times that I winced. The action sequences are aided by fantastic sound design and a well designed soundtrack, designed to get the viewers heart pumping with heavy bass and drums, and also allowing us to key into the thoughts and emotions of the characters, even when they’re currently tied up in a fight to the death.

Unfortunately, other expansions made by Evans only serve to weigh the film down. The overarching plot of the movie, to do with infiltrating a gang and exposing the corrupt cops with whom those gangs make their dealings, becomes mired within itself. The amount of factions at play here, many of which seem to serve no purpose, obscures what’s really going on. Characters that were very important at the start of the movie vanish, only to appear again at the end, two hours later. Other characters are given back story and are then killed five minutes later, stripping that increased connection with the viewer of any payoff. It all comes down to the plot being cluttered and needing to be tidied up which is a shame because the underlying plot threads taken separately would all be effective on their own but put them all together and they become muddled and confused.

Of course, if you’re a Raid fan, you’re a Raid fan no matter what and this film will deliver what you are after in spades. Outside of the aforementioned storytelling issues and a slow middle section, the film comes out on top and remains extremely watchable. While the film may be criticized for being brainless, it shows Evan’s ambition for his film making and if this is what he’s coming out with now, I for one am very excited for what he can bring us next. Even then, brainless is just what you need sometimes, right?

3.5/5

Words of Farewell’s 2012 debut, ‘Immersion’, was one of those albums that gets you really excited about a band. It was the right level of technical yet musical and there was great depth to the songs that they wrote. While occasionally their influences were very obvious as is inevitably bound to happen with much Melodic Death Metal (Insomnium springs to mind), the work showed great promise and gave a great foundation for them to build from. As such, it is no surprise that ‘The Black Wild Yonder’ delivers on these promises in spades.

From the first moments of the first song we can see added maturity in the forms of new dimensions in their sound, as the intro builds up with the clean guitar arpeggios coupled with the introduction of synth until we reach the heavy riffs that so effortlessly charecterised their previous work. The main riff of the first verse then picks up the tempo relentlessly but combining in such a way with the rhythm guitar that it never becomes overbearing or cumbersome. As with the first effort, all the songs here feel very natural and never become a chore to sit through.

One of the most noteworthy elements of this album when compared with the first one is the added prominence of the synth. While it has always played an important role for them, this album gives Leo Wichmann a free rein and much of the album is bolstered by his performance and the atmospheres that he creates with the fast paced synth in the background. Indeed, the musicality in general sees a great improvement on the whole. For example, portions of Temporary Loss of Reason are reminiscent of Between the Buried and Me and the “weird” harmonies that are ever present in their releases but here they provide great contrast to their much more melodic surroundings. And if you just want a good old melodic solo, look no further than Luminary Ghost for a great example.

In short, this album is very much a strengthening of Words of Farewell’s Melodic Death Metal foundation. It takes the formula presented in previous efforts but in all aspects ups the ante. More speed, more synergy, more hooks. With this release it is becoming harder and harder to deny that Words of Farewell are one of the most exciting prospects in Melodic Death Metal.

4.5/5

Tracklist
1. Continuum Shift
2. Telltale Notion
3. In Kingdoms of Rain
4. Damaged Beyond Repair
5. Beauty in Passing
6. The Outer Rim
7. Temporary Loss of Reason
8. Antibiosis
9. Luminary Ghost
10. Riven

Telltale Notion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yUPGIAeGdk

Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie
Length: 180 minutes.

So 24 years ago, Martin Scorsese released Goodfellas. Everyone’s seen Goodfellas by now, right? The story of the rags-to-riches little boy who becomes a big deal though a little ingenuity and graft, all while socking it to “the man”, became an instant classic. One that had been told many times before then, and many times since. Now Scorsese returns to gift us Goodfellas mk. 2. Let’s get that out of the way before we say anything else. The plot for Scorsese’s new offering almost exactly matches that of the timeless classic. The one that everybody’s already seen. However, anyone who says that’s a bad thing would have to be out of their mind.

The Wolf of Wall Street offers a crushing indictment of the Western world’s financial linchpins, as we follow our protagonist, Jordan Belfort, into the downward spiral that is called the investment banking system, but simultaneously providing more festivity and glee than can ever thought to be tasteful. Any normal person might flinch when confronted with mountains of drugs, the free flowing prostitutes (that come in three distinct categories) combined with more money than can be scarcely imaginable but not these guys. No, Belfort and his cronies jump right in without even thinking twice. It is this headlong, whooping-and-hollering, don’t-think-twice-just-do-it rush into depravity that sets this film part from any other. A celebration of depravity and debauchery with no equal.

The thing is though, it’s fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve had so much fun watching a three hour movie. DiCaprio gives one of his best performances here and is matched in caliber by the rest of his cast, particularly Jonah Hill with whom the onscreen chemistry is palpable. It is clear as day that everyone enjoyed making this film and this translates across well to the viewers. The satire is subtle and damning such as DiCaprio’s claim towards the beginning that he would turn his upstart team of stockbrokers into Captain Ahab’s and they would all find their Moby Dick’s together, providing ample foreshadowing for some characters, is one of many such moments in the film of barefaced ignorance on everyone’s part when faced with the prospect of enormous piles of money. The sociopathy present is also remarkable, such as the casual remarks about an old friend’s heart attack and the willingness to separate poor fools from thousands of their hard earned dollars in return for nothing.

The long and short of it is, the film is a blast and is an adequate reflection of the beast within us all. Despite everything Belfort’s been through over the course of the movie, at the end we see him and he hasn’t changed one iota. He’s using the same techniques to earn money and to defraud people, all while promising to make them rich. The difference this time is that he’s showing us how greed is an inevitable part of human nature as we see crowds of people hungering to learn his ways and his methods, in spite of everything, just to gain that rush that money makes a person feel. Even though he’s been to prison, been divorced twice and nearly killed himself several times, everyone has that same desire to get rich quick.

All in all, a glorious romp through depravity that really makes you think.

5/5.

I spent a great portion of my childhood in Hyrule, the land of the Legend of Zelda series. I have fond memories of all the time spent playing those games and I don’t regret it for a second. This sentiment would be echoed by many people since the 1980s. The series has made an appearance on almost every console made and released by Nintendo, with almost every addition being universally well received by critics and fans alike. Consequently, a fine pedigree has been established, not just for gameplay or story but for the music as well, even in the early days of MIDI soundtracks. We have come a long way since those early days of short segments of music playing through tinny television speakers, endlessly repeating until our dreams were infested with them. Although this was mitigated through having a game to play and the accompanying sense of scope and adventure to entertain us, this release loses none of that same enjoyment. The scope of the game has been replaced by that of the orchestra. The transition from soundboard to a much more bombastic and ultimately human medium is natural and it feels like this is the way this music should be listened to.

 While nostalgia certainly factors into my personal enjoyment, that can’t fully explain why I have listened to this in its entirety every day for the last two weeks. The music’s ability to stir feelings and to create a story without words must be heard. For example, in The Wind Waker Symphonic Movement, the song begins with the light carefree melody of an unconcerned, worry free childhood expressed primarily through the lighter string instruments like the violins before everything suddenly becomes more ambitious with the addition of the brass section with the music’s outward expansion reflecting that of our own feelings, and we get a sense of looking out at the world and wanting to make a difference. It really is wonderful.

The only downside to this that I can find is the lack of representation of various games, such as Majora’s Mask, which, although it differs significantly in mood from the rest of the series, would add a great contrast to the rest of the music on show here. However in spite of that, this is a comprehensive celebration of a long career of entertainment from a series that shows no signs of relenting. Hopefully the games composers, such as Koji Kondo and Toru Minegishi, feel compelled to carry on right alongside it. 

4.5/5

Tracklist:
1. The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Medley
2. Kakariko Village Twilight Princess Theme
3. The Wind Waker Symphonic Movement
4. Gerudo Valley
5. Great Fairy’s Fountain Theme
6. Twilight Princess Symphonic Movement
7. The Legend of Zelda Main Theme Medley
8. Ballad of the Goddess from Skyward Sword

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b48U3oG8Ids&list=PL1C7C00B7B2CE4D57

I have a list of other reviews on http://www.sputnikmusic.com, which, along with my profile and ratings, can all be found here:
http://www.sputnikmusic.com/user/Monticello
Bear in mind that I was about 14/15 when I wrote these, but better than nothing!