Incredibles 2

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Incredibles 2!

Original image located here. Accessed 27th July 2018

In a way i was dreading this: The first movie was fantastic, without question, but the presence of a sequel is problematic: The original a) has no room for a sequel and b) is a ridiculously tough act to follow.

But somehow, this movie still won me over. The strengths of the previous movie are still in full flight here (the family dynamic and each of the characters), the animation is still top-notch, the direction is excellent, the jokes are hilarious and the commentary on an adult life is welcome.
Sure the movie comes across as covering ground it's already traversed but as a character-driven story it's a winner.
And if I must be honest, this is more a movie for adults - moreso than the previous one. And, in all honesty, is the better for it.

By the way, anyone else get an Uncle Walt vibe from Winston?

Sunshine on Leith

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Sunshine on Leith!

Original image located here. Accessed 20th July 2018

Yep, it's the musical based on the music of the Proclaimers.

I've never been a fan of the so-called 'jukebox musicals'. This is because they always seem to come across as if the writer spent more time on song selection than the rest of the script. Thankfully, this is an exception.

There's a lot to like here: The songs are used to great effect, there's some great characters, Scottish accents ("X-berks"), a script with some drama and some genuinely touching moments. I especially like how never once the songs tend to drown out the story completely and it gives time to develop characters and give them agency.
And the finale, to (unsurprisingly) 500 miles, is truly a thing of joy.

On a more personal note however, I recall having the Proclaimers big album (of the same name) playing a lot in the house when i was a little kid. So it's certainly something to see these songs that i recognized being presented in such a manner.
So yeah: Great movie and a shining example of a Jukebox musical done right.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Ant-Man and the Wasp!

Original image located here. Accessed 13th July 2018

I have to admit: I actually like this better than the first one. Maybe it's due to the sense of focus from having a singular director from beginning to end, but this was a lot of fun with great humor, solid performances all round, the Wasp stepping up to be a great character, and another interesting villain that suggests a catch-up on Marvel's part.
But I swear, I saw more of Scott Lang than I did of Ant-Man.
Was that intended in order to get more of Wasp?
(not that I'm complaining)

American Graffiti

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....American Graffiti!

Original image located here. Accessed 6th July 2018

Behold: George Lucas' second movie.
I've said in an earlier post that it's often been said that getting a movie made is no small task, usually involving a lot of blood, sweat and tears. So for a young and upcoming film-maker, it must be incredibly rewarding to have your second feature film reap numerous successes: Nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, Making 200 million off of a 700-grand film, and making enough money to be a millionaire.
However whilst such success may be impressive, it must look feeble compared to that of George's next movie (need I say what that was?).

As for the movie itself, i was at first unsure of it - but within time I grew to enjoy. It was funny, compelling and well-shot. And, for a guy known to overload his later films with special effects, it had a whole lot of heart.
It's also a reminder of what a valuable asset editor Marcia Lucas was to George