Scott_Mercer741 Reviews

Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

"Is that all you got!"........"No, but thank you for asking"

[6/10 · 22 February 2022]

I will preface this review with the fact that I was brought up on Nintendo and conditioned to hate the blue hedgehog in the famous console wars of the 1990's. I have now however matured slightly. The story is simple. Sonic, a space hedgehog, seeks refuge on planet earth when is surrogate owl mother sends him through a golden portal to save him from rabid space racoons (I think). He then goes on a journey of self discovery as he tries to integrate into 21st century life on Earth. At least until Jim Careys Dr Robotnik arrives to try and capture him.

This is a very easy watch and I did find myself enjoying what was on offer despite not having any nostalgia for the blue critter. Personally for me I am not sure Ben Schwartz who voices Sonic quite did it for me particularly in the chemistry with his onscreen surrogate human father played by James Marsden. The big winner here however is Jim Carrey who was clearly given free rein to go off piste and found myself getting drawn back in every time he appeared on screen and always created a smile. The narrative however lacks a little flow as it moves from set piece to set piece and I can't help but feel it might have benefitted from a little more polish. The emotional connection that it also tries to drag out of you for Sonic and James Marsdens policeman also feels unearned and doesn't quite stick the landing in the third act.

Whether you like this or not we are getting 3 more of these films I believe with added Idris Elba for the next instalment. As a brainless bit of fun after a long day this film is more than serviceable and will nicely pass the time. Just don't expect anything better than good.

The Waterboy (1998)

"Thank you so much......for being my friends"

[8/10 · 15 February 2022]

In my humble opinion this might be one of Adam Sandlers best works especially before he embarked on his 1000 picture Netflix contract. We have here a simple story. Adam Sandler plays a young man with (we assume although not directly referenced) Aspergers who has an obsession with the proper maintenance and distribution of H2O to college football athletes. All seems lost when he is inexplicably fired and is forced to begin a voyage of discovery as he is proceeds to take on a new job as Waterboy for a rival football team coached by the exceedingly excellent Henry Winkler.

As with most Adam Sandler movies please check the brain at the door and don't take anything too seriously. If you can agree with those pre-requisites there is a lot to enjoy here. As said, Winkler shines here as the shell of a man Coach Kline haunted by his past and Cathy Bates is excellent as the over protective mother sheltering Bobby from the hostilities of the real world. The film is endlessly quotable and many things have continued to sustain a penetrance into the pop culture vernacular, "You can do it!" comes to mind. Roy Schneider and Clint Howard also pop in for their scene stealing cameos as in most Sandler movies.

Overall, the Waterboy stands the test of time and brought a smile to my face many years after first watching it with my Dad as we both laughed maniacally all those years ago. If I had a criticism, if anything, the narrative could have been slightly better strung together and might have benefitted from a slightly longer run time to make things a little more cohesive. As a commentary on the treatment of those with Aspergers, probably best not to think too hard about it. However, the laughs are plentiful and Sandlers performance gets you thoroughly invested in the plights of this troubled individual who is often the target for the big bullies with which he must work. A heart warming comedy that no doubt I will return to again and again.

"Now that's what I call high quality H20".

Twelve Minutes (2021 Video Game)

An intriguing premise eventually becomes your own personal purgatory.

[6/10 · 4 February 2022]

I don't think I've ever played a game like this before. The story and gameplay loop sucks you in from its opening few minutes. The events that unfold throughout your 8 or so hour adventure takes place in a single apartment over a course of 12 minutes. The setting; you play as a man having dinner with his wife and all seems serene until the night slowly spirals into chaos as a policeman abruptly interrupts and wreaks havoc. Then, boom! The day repeats. Timeloop.

The game is played from a single top down perspective and is essentially a point and click adventure. You click on things and direct the husband throughout his 12 minute evening choosing different dialogue options and choosing certain actions that cause the events to drastically change on each repeated time loop. The games goal is that your wife is being accused of murder and you must prove her innocence. The art style is pleasing enough and the sound design does the job. The voice talent hear is excellent with James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley and Willem Defoe voicing the husband, wife and policeman respectively. Defoe here is a particular joy to listen to and stands out as the menacing mysterious policeman.

Unfortuantley what starts out with intrigue and mystery and a desire to press on quickly gets bogged down in tedium and frustration. You have to repeat dialogue loops over and over to progress. The story often hits a brick wall with regards progression and randomly trying different options to progress can become tiring. The game over stays its welcome by about 3 or so hours and doesn't serve to guide the player or have any system other than trial an error in some cases to advance things along. In the end after sinking 5 or so hours I had had enough and just used a guide to suss out the endings. There are multiple resolutions to this tale and the twist ending feels somewhat unearned and not as intelligent as it thinks it is.

All in all the premise here is exciting but its execution could have done with some refinement. An interesting game with some excellent performances that unfortunately out stays its welcome. Try it on game pass or pick it up in a sale.

Friday (1995)

(SPOILER!) You chill with Ice Cube and Chris Tucker for 90 minutes....that's the plot.

[7/10 · 31 January 2022]

Ice Cube/O'Shea Jackson plays down and out Craig who whilst still living with his parents manages to lose his job on his day off and subsequently ends up chilling with his reprobate pot head friend Smokey played here by the endearingly annoying Chris Tucker. What follows is essentially a series of vignettes of comedic antics that happen to these 2 guys as they sit and chill on their porch on a Friday in Los Angeles.

I had overlooked this film for a long time and is a very enjoyable light hearted watch featuring some very entertaining performances from Ice Cube playing against type here as the somewhat simple Craig and a breakout performance from Chris Tucker as stoner Smokey who would shoot to mega stardom shortly after the release of this movie. This is also F. Gary Grays directorial debut who had mainly done music video work at this point who would eventually bring us The Negotiator, an entry into the Fast and Furious franchise and Straight Outta Compton. A particular highlight for me was the performance turned in by the always intimidating Tom Lister Jr. Who serves the purpose of antagonist for the movie as the local bully Deebo who's mode of transport is a tiny stolen bike (evil them tune firmly in tow any time he's on screen).

Don't expect to be intellectually challenged and the plot is arguably a series of vignettes. However, if you can look past that this, what follows is an easy way to just relax, chill and spend time with these two likeable guys on a crazy sunny Friday in LA.

Straight Outta Compton (2015)

A film about hip hop for people who know nothing about hip hop.

[8/10 · 31 January 2022]

Straight out of the gate we are launched into the turbulent lives of the young men that would eventually become the mega stars that have become synonymous with the hip hop musical genre. The film focuses on the men that would eventually form the NWA and their rise to stardom and provides a commentary on the state of racism in America in the late 80's to early 90's and what the foundation of their musical movement was made from. The film takes us from the inception of the NWA and charts the history up until the creation of Dr Dres Aftermath record label in 1996.

I will preface this with I have a very limited understanding of rap and hip hop. I enjoy it, I have listened to a multitude of albums but would not consider myself an aficionado. Regardless of your interest in the music director F. Gary Gray handles the material with skill. You are invested in the plights of these young men, who are at times fairly unlikeable and I found myself wrapped up in the narrative of the sheer craziness that happened behind the scenes when this music first came onto the scene. F. Gary Gray gets an awful lot out of his cast particularly with O'Shea Jackson Jr. Who turns in an excellent performance as his father Ice Cube.

As a piece of work studying a moment in history it is eye opening and I believe captures the mood of the moment exceptionally well. However it must be said it must be taken with a slight pinch of salt regarding its overall accuracy. I don't know the history well enough but after some brief reading, one of the main points of controversy is the handling of the groups manager Jerry Heller, played here by Paul Giamatti who is clearly having a very good time and how the the events between him and the group are depicted (I believe a lawsuit was ongoing at the time of Hellers death in 2016).

Accuracy concerns aside there is much to enjoy here even if you have no interest in the music. The narrative is well handled and the performances from all involved get you wrapped up in the drama. I do believe it was Aaron Sorkin that said 'don't let the truth get in the way of a good story'.

Point Break (1991)

UTAH!........MAKE IT TWO!

[10/10 · 31 January 2022]

Full disclosure, I love this movie. It is one of my favourite movies of all time and is essential viewing for anyone that likes, bank robberies, surfing, Keanu, Swayze, epic bromances, The Fast and the Furious (they stole the plot), Gary Busey, John C McGinley chewing the scenery, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers (cameo appearance)....the list goes on.

The plot.....well.....let me tell you. Keanu Reeves is Johnny Utah, a new post graduate super cop who is tasked under the tutelage of Gary Busey to infiltrate a crack team of bank robbers who he theorises are possibly surfers. This leads Keanu into the world of zen master/surfing guru/samurai leader Patrick Swayze who takes him under his wing and teaches him the ways of the ocean whilst Keanu tries to figure out who the hell keeps robbing these banks whilst falling for a surfer girl played here by the perfectly cast Lori Petty.

The film oozes 90's cool. Swayzes sheer magnetism shines throughout which is remarkable for a character that arguably doesn't have that much screen time. Keanu here is also on top form playing a straight laced cop remembering at this point he is straight off the back of Bill and Ted and plays the ying to Patrick Swayzes yang perfectly. A shout out goes to John C McGinley who manages to chew every scene he is in and Gary Busey being on cracking form as Keanus detective unhinged mentor. Kathryn Bigelow has always been one of my favourite directors and would go on to direct such wartime epics as The Hurt Locker, but for me this stands out as probably her best work and is lifted up by a brilliant score from Mark Isham that perfectly suits the almost dream like quality this film achieves in places.

This is a film that manages to get you invested and believe that a bunch of surfer bros are the potential masterminds of several bank heists. It includes endlessly quotable dialogue, outstanding stunt scenes that still astound today (the aerial stunt work is still outstanding) and revolves around an epic bromance for the ages. As far as bank robbery films go, they rarely get better than this.

Platoon (1986)

Barbers Adagio for Strings feat. Charlie Sheen.

[8/10 · 31 January 2022]

A film that has now become synonymous with Barbers haunting score that forms the bedrock for the character study of these group of men we are thrown into awful conditions with fighting an enemy they cannot see or understand. What follows is a 2 hour experience of being dragged from one harsh set piece to the next being seen through the eyes of new recruit Chris played by a very young Charlie Sheen. The journey is shepherded by his 2 surrogate father figures played here excellently by Berenger and Defoe as they attempt to guide these young men from two very much opposing viewpoints.

I first saw this when I was exploring war movies at a young age and consider this seminal viewing. This is a piece of work from Oliver Stone that would form the mould for many wartime movies to follow. Often mentioned in the same vein as Apocalypse Now, although two very different movies, both study its characters and look at how war and the atrocities seen can fundamentally change an individual. There are many big players here before they got famous, John C McGinley (from Scrubs fame) steals every scene he is in and Forrest Whitaker and Johnny Depp are also part of the supporting cast. The narrative thread is sometimes a little lacking and the main focus is to study one mans tour in 'Nam largely influenced by the directors own experiences of warfare during his time of service.

Platoon is excellent. Its narrative by todays standards is slightly lacking with no real thread carrying things throughout apart from Defoe and Berenger fighting metaphorically for Charlie Sheens soul. As a study of the horrors of war during Vietnam it has rarely been done better and even now rewatching this many years later it is hard not to get choked up any time Barbers classic theme swells throughout the horrific images being displayed.

If you are a war film connoisseur who hasn't seen this, you should probably rectify this immediately.

Aliens (1986)

GAME OVER MAN! GAME OVER!

[10/10 · 31 January 2022]

A white knuckle ride from start to finish. Often given as the example of when sequels out-do the original (although that can be argued).

Aliens' 2 1/2 run time never outstays its welcome as James Cameron smashes from one set piece to the next as we follow a rag tag bunch of marines with a reluctant Elen Ripley in toe as they head back to LV-426 from the first film to find out what the hell is going on down there.

This film absolutely rocks! It's script is snappy delivering endlessly quotable dialogue, the special effects still look awesome and the imagery designed by Giger still shocks and disgusts to this day. The cast features the standard Cameron recruits including an excellent Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton who arguably steals every scene he is in.

Aliens is a film that took its source material and revolutionised it acting as a framework for how movie sequels should be made. Not just a re-hash but a reimagining. It is a shame many film makers don't pay attention to the lessons learnt here.

For any science fiction fan this is mandatory viewing.

Alien (1979)

A film I associate with pure fear being experienced when I was 12 years old..........thank you Dad.

[10/10 · 31 January 2022]

When a film has made a significant impact it leaves a mark. I remember where I was, who I was with and how I felt when I first digested Ridley Scotts masterpiece and is a film I routinely return to.

Alien was reportedly pitched as 'Jaws in space' and follows a rag tag and often disgruntled crew as they are rudely awakened from cryo-sleep to answer a mysterious distress call down on the unknown planet LV-426. Needless to say, things don't go according to plan.

Alien is an exceptionally well crafted, slow burning sci-fi horror that still manages to shock and keep you on the edge of your seat today. The creature design by Giger is still horrifying and the subtle lore that is established serves to build intrigue without detracting from the main 'problem' the crew are facing. Little did 12 year old me know that these questions would be explored in the later made 'Prometheus'.

Notable mentions should go to Jerry Goldsmiths score who's eerily sweeping horns and strings have become synonymous with getting stalked by a xenomorph and to Ian Holm who turns in an excellent performance playing 'Ash' the ships science officer.

Although a slow burner to start (the action doesn't really kick off until the hour mark), the atmosphere and the journey you are taken on is worth the investment. This is Ridley Scott on top form and he has arguably rarely been better.