#211 - Final Destination 5 (2011)

"The fifth entry in what is essentially the same story just retweaked every time (other than perhaps the second), Final Destination 5 continues the latter sequels disappointing tendency to overlook actual foreboding atmospherics in favour of outlandish deaths that feels more and more dissociated from reality. 

This time the accident our characters cheat death from is a broken suspension bridge, and the film wastes no time getting us there so we can gawp at all the sliced and burnt bodies that soon litter the screen. 

Whilst the original had genuinely sinister moments built up so the personification of death felt like an actual character stalking our confused protagonists, this by the number sequel is just walking the lines of vanilla dialogue and scripting to indulge in our apparent lust for over the top cgi deaths.

 The creativity of some of these scenes are admirable, however there is no weight if we don't care, something the creators of this series seem to have forgotten since the second entry. 

The one thing elevating this film from complete mediocrity is a wonderful finale that actually resembles a good, original idea. It's fairly obvious if you pay attention, but it's still the best thing to come out of this series for four films"

- 4/10

#210 - Outlaw King (2018)

"Outlaw King follows Robert the Bruce trying to unite the clans of Scotland under one crown - his crown - to fight against the English rule and occupation of Scotland. 

As a pieces it's difficult to dissect. Certainly there are good performances (most notably the wonderfully feral Douglas) littered within more flat results, such as the titular king himself, but overall for a period piece relying so crucially on stellar acting to drive us into the world it presents there is a failure more disappointing than annoying. 

It's hard to point a finger at one particular negativer that brings everything down, more every part be it script, direction, cinematography, etc all are done to an acceptable but never brilliant level that leaves the film feeling hollow and incomplete, almost as if it were a lengthy pilot for a show never to be aired.

Perhaps the script is the weakest link in an already fragile chain; the second act feels doughy and bloated with sub plots that never really conclude satisfactorily despite the attempted efforts of all involved. 

The scenes of brutality, in particular a harrowing hanging and gutting, are sparse but effective and probably the best moments in capturing the btual essence of what was a graphically barbaric time in our history"


- 5/10