INCEPTION
By Amy King
The first time you watch Inception you will not understand it. The second time you watch Inception you can appreciate the time and effort gone into its creation, but you still dont understand it. The third time you watch Inception who am I kidding. No one will want to watch that film three times.
For a film based around dream states and time, it is a whole 2hrs 28mins I will never get back, unless chemical-induced shared dream states become a thing and I can dream of something more understandable and less moronic for 2hrs 28mins.
To start with, letÔÇÖs talk about the plot. While watching the film, you may sit and think you understand that this is a movie based around dreams, crafting dreams, CobbÔÇÖs (Leonardo DiCaprio) crazy wife and scouting people to participate in these dream settings. Nope. The plot in fact has nothing to do with dreams. The plot is actually based around the fact that they have to stop Fischer (Cillian Murphy) from continuing his fatherÔÇÖs company by entering his dreams and implanting an idea into his mind. The end. How innovative.
And donÔÇÖt get me started on the characters. The only character with any emotional value and worthy paying attention to is Cobb, who ultimately leads the story and could have stopped Fischer on his own. The characters and the excessive detail on an unrealistic, dreamlike setting make the movie naff. A simple plot told by basic characters mixed with a complicated setting gives you Inception. If thatÔÇÖs your cup of tea thatÔÇÖs fine, but you might just be one of those people who puts the tea bag in last.
Hot Fuzz
By Izzy Birkett
Edgar WrightÔÇÖs 2007 parody drama attempt at a ÔÇÿbuddy copÔÇÖ film garnered both popular and critical acclaim in the years following its release. WrightÔÇÖs second film in his Cornetto trilogy boasts over 5500 edits and fast pace action sequences to rival those of its big budget predecessors, namely, the Rush Hour series and Bad Boys. While the construction of this film is impressive initially, the originality attributed to it is does not withstand multiple viewings or even surface level analysis.
In using fast edits cut together to create dramatic sequences we see Simon PeggÔÇÖs character Nicholas Angel completing copious amounts of paper work and other mundane tasks represented as though they were high stake operations. Sequences such as these have become entirely synonymous with the genre and the expectation of these shots directly correlates to the films inevitable success on screen. While at first this may seem original, it is simply an overused archetype of the action genre reworked to fit a generic narrative. This reworking of traditional action sequences into day-to-day routines at first watch may seem new and interesting but by the second viewing, it begins to feel like a reboot of any action film released over the last decade.
Wright churns out archaically simple characters substituting stereotypes for comedic value, the bumbling country bumpkin character does not only feature once but actually represents the majority of the characters in the film and they are also the most comedic aspect at their own expense. The only other forms of humour in the narrative derive from slapstick or physically gory imagery which in todayÔÇÖs society is an easy substitute for humour without the complexity of writing anything interesting.