Triple Bill Mini Musings: Fisticuffs, Thunder, and Grue...

The Raid 2:
What's it about?
Grandiose sequel to the smash-hit Indonesian action film in which Rama is convinced to go undercover and infiltrate a criminal gang to help bring down the underworld that they control.
Who would I recognise in it?
Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian.
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
Gareth Evans ups the ante in every single regard with his astonishing follow-up. The action is bigger, bolder, more complex, and on a far larger scale - here the chaos and the beautifully choreographed violence spreads across an entire city. The one criticism of the first movie was that the plot wasn't exactly deep, and Evans makes up for it this time around. It's not earth-shattering, but it's played out with strong conviction and motivation, with Uwais afforded the opportunity to pull the audience in via his character's inner turmoil as well as his flying fists. Visually and aurally the film is stunning, and it even boasts a memorable supporting cast (e.g. Hammer Girl and Baseball Bat Man, who are screaming out for their own spin-off movie). From the outside the two-and-a-half-hour run time seems excessive, but as the film develops - becoming evermore breathless and tense with each passing minute - its final trick is illustrating just how you make an epic that keeps the audience hooked. Great.

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Thor: The Dark World:
What's it about?
The God of Thunder is back in his second stand-alone movie after the events of The Avengers, in which he must do battle with dark elves who are planning to use the alignment of the nine worlds to bring about eternal darkness to all.
Who would I recognise in it?
Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, Christopher Ecclestone, Jaimie Alexander, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgard.
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
Without the clear path of an origin story, Thor 2 struggles to find a sense of individuality amongst the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. Feeling more like connective tissue than a stand-alone entity, it delivers plenty of thrashing and bashing, but is also laden with expository dialogue that crash lands to desperately try and explain the villain's evil plot to the audience. There's a few good gags tossed in to balance the tone, and there's some good interplay between Thor and his brother-gone-bad Loki, but there's something missing overall this time around. It's not bad by any means, but it does at times feel as if it's searching for a direction and a purpose beyond being a 'Phase II' stepping stone towards The Avengers 2. On the cusp between alright and good, leaning towards the latter.

Cabin Fever: Patient Zero:
What's it about?
Prequel to Eli Roth's 2002 gore-tastic virus movie and third in the series overall. A bunch of tossers go to a supposedly deserted island for a rubbish bachelor party that goes horribly wrong as they begin to succumb to a horrific flesh eating virus. Meanwhile, at a secret medical facility, the titular patient zero wakes up to discover they've become a veritable lab rat.
Who would I recognise in it?
Sean Astin.
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
The main cast are for the most part, idiots, gits, or there to look pretty. You don't feel endeared to anyone, nor do you feel a sense of fun before everything goes arse over tit. Roth's original film crucially got this element right as the main cast were all fun to be around, even when someone's being a bit of a bugger, they're doing so in a fun way ... with Patient Zero you don't give a stuff about anyone. There's even a cartoonishly evil scientist on board! That said, the film lives up to expectations when it comes time to splashing a bit of gore around. Filled with inventively graphic moments (e.g. a girlfight gone gooey, gory, and gross ... or an intimate encounter gone wrong), there's plenty to turn the stomach. There's even an effective sense of dread at times, and the opening sequence is exceptionally stylish. With a little more work the characters could have been worth more of your attention, but for a seemingly unnecessary entry in what Voltage Pictures et al are desperately trying to turn into a franchise, it's a decent flick when all is said and done. On the cusp between good and alright.