Directed by: Clay Moffatt Written by: Clay Moffatt Genre: Action Comedy |
The Rise of Sir Longbottom
The scope and sheer balls of this film, in particular, merits some serious respect. Much like its predecessor Pocketman and Cargoboy, The Rise of Sir Longbottom has some mighty high brow hopes for a micro-budget movie. It goes for a peppering of martial arts action, a dusting of sci-fi entertainment, and even a dash of comedy. These elements can quickly come with a hefty price tag, and that's assuming they even manage to flavor with correct doses. This hearty stew comes together surprisingly well, and Clay Moffatt has once again accomplished his task of an independent project worth seeing, although not without its faults. If you are a fan of the original Pocketman and Cargoboy, I see no reason why you won't quickly eat this film up. No napkin required.
The agents of Section 62 are back, as are their teachers and a new enemy bent on world domination. Sir Longbottom, the evil namesake of this title, wants it all and has the ability to take it. With powers stemming from an ancient fountain, it seems like the world is helpless to stop this new menace. Even Section 62 is being shattered and fragmented as Sir Longbottom exercises his awesome powers of the mind. In case you've seen the first film and are wondering, some of the devices and even themes (cough cough time travel) are back but this time amplified with Sir Longbottom's powers. This film even features a twisted turn or two of the good guys and a sinister end credit scene, so don't forget to keep it going. Could a third installment be in the works? It sure looks that way. This film, to me, was much darker than the first. I liked that, and it felt Moffatt was much clearer in the direction he wanted to take us. But I was still reminded of the movie's micro roots by the uneven and often stiff feeling performances. Not the fault of the actors, in my opinion, but instead due to some clunky sounding dialog. This dialog issue wasn't deal-breaking or even constant. But it was enough to be noticed. The only other thing that caught my eye was the inconsistency of some of the fight scenes. Some looked great. They flowed, and the camera angles just made things feel hard hitting. Others? Not as much. I was fully aware I was watching a micro-budget action film but couldn't help ask one question. If some of the fight scenes looked so good, why didn't they all? On the plus side of things? The special effects were done nicely, and that spattering of comedy I mentioned above worked well. I enjoyed this title a little more than I did the original, and it still makes me smile a little when I consider the micro roots of this production. The Rise of Sir Longbottom didn't surprise me, because I expected it to be at least decent using the previous film as a comparison point. Quick and to the point with only a seventy minute runtime, and a film you won't regret witnessing for yourself. Three and a half stars out of five. |
