maidwell-45616

Fantastic soundtrack and set design/visuals meets bare bones wooden scriptwriting and some highly questionable casting choices (the main big bad and FKA Twigs I'm looking at you).

I'm not familiar with the graphic novels so I can't comment on how true to them this updated version of The Crow is, but one thing that is "graphic" is the third act which has some gleefully gory moments that jar with what has come before.

As a movie It's frustrating because it could've been so much more and even with Skaarsgard giving it his all its a poor comparison to the original. However when taken as a standalone project it's passable for a couple of hours entertainment. 6/10.

What a strange movie this is.

First off, In 2011 I watched and was hooked by the GT academy series Jann Mardenborough won, I've played and enjoyed the Gran Turismo games, I'm a big Motorsport fan and I appreciate Motorsport based movies like Rush, Le Man 66 (ford v Ferrari), The Art of Racing in the Rain and even Days Of thunder.

So with all that in mind I seem like the absolute target audience to have a blast watching this movie.

What I felt instead was whiplash from the changes in tone, confused by the innacuracies in timeline and dramatic license being used and bewilderment that the entire movie was allegedly directed by Neill Blomkamp.

The first two thirds of the movie seem to be directed solely by a committee of shareholders from Sony and Nissan. It's like an extended advert for both companies with no directorial flourishes or tension at all, it's like a bad Disney live action movie featuring cut out characters.

Then we get "the incident" and suddenly the movie becomes something different and switches gears into an engaging drama. It seems like this is the bit Blomkamp actually directed and makes the movie as a whole quite a bizarre experience.

I'm not sure what others are seeing to give this movie such glowing reviews but for me it can't recover from how cliche' and tropey the first 2 acts are, even if the 3rd act does bring it up to an average standard.

This is a fascinating documentary about the destruction and rebirth of Gruinard island in the Highlands of Scotland.

It highlights the ability of the establishment to run roughshod over the environment, people and places without a care until it is forced to address it's actions.

Documentaries like this one are important as tools to educate the masses about what their governments are truly like without the filter of a biased and institution entrenched media to whitewash their actions.

It's well made, atmospheric and interesting throughout, and at 55 minutes it doesn't outstay it's welcome. Highly recommended.