Walking with Dinosaurs

Walking with Dinosaurs the movie is loosely based upon the BBC TV series of the same name. It is largely an educational kids movie, as such it's style wouldn't be out on place on a BBC schools programming schedule. Throughout the film, when a new dinosaur is introduced the action stops while we are told its name, what it means and what it eats. While this maybe useful information for education, it quickly gets annoying for the adult audience.

Although it has a U certificate I'm not sure that it's really suitable for very young children as it deals with Dinosaurs fighting and dying at various points.

The storyline, such as it is, is fairly predictable and largely unremarkable. The film is narrated by a bird called Alex, and follows a Pachyrhinosaurus called Patchi. However at several points in the film the narration changes to Patchi himself, this also gets annoyong as the chemistry between these two characters is supposed to be amusing, but is littered with unfunny banter.

On the plus side the animation and CGI is superb.

If this were a tv film produced for education then I'm sure it would be well received, but for me it just doesn't belong in a cinema. 5/10

All Is Lost

It is very difficult to carry an entire movie single handedly, but Robert Redford in All is Lost manages it very well, The film follows Redford (His character is never named) after his yacht strikes a stray shipping container somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean. What follows is a one man fight for survival against the odds.

Redford is superb, putting in a performance that has already earned him a Golden Globe nomination, and must be in the running come Oscar time. Despite having nothing to say, which in many ways make the acting performance all the more remarkable.
Aside from the opening narrative, this film contains absolutely no dialogue, yet it doesn't feel like its lacking, everything you need to know is explained visually with some clever camera work and well placed props. 

This film should stand as an example to many a film maker who may be tempted to explain a situation through the overuse of expositional dialogue. This is a master class in how to let the camera tell the story.  9.5/10

Anchorman 2 The Legend Continues

Anchorman 2 continues the story of Ron Burgundy, this time as a newscaster on a new 24 hour news channel.

The jokes come thick and fast and range from racist, to just completely random, yet this is probably the hardest I have laughed all year.

The lead performances from Will Ferrell and particularly Steve Carrell as Brick are superb, and it was great to see a whole host of star cameos in the battle scene.

All that said however, I can't get away from how absolutely bonkers this movie is, despite being extremely funny, the jokes range from inappropriate, to downright cringe worthy. 

Regular readers of my blog will know that I prefer comedies to be realistic rather than over the top, Anchorman 2 falls firmly into the over the top category, however it is hilarious 8/10

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Desolation of Smaug picks up from an unexpected journey, as Bilbo Baggins and his dwarf companions head towards the mountain of Eribor.

The first thing to say about this film, is that like the LOTR films and the first Hobbit movie, it is at nearly 3 hours, stupidly long. Although this film has a bit more of a feel if urgency and a sense of the quest about it than An unexpected Journey, so perhaps doesn't feel quite so slow.

That said, just how many times can one group of dwarfs get caught? They don't seem to be able to do anything without getting into some trouble.

Regular readers of my blog will know that I enjoy surprising plot twist, and I don't like huge pointers of later plot early in a movie. My major issue with this film, is it's setup for the third, in order for a trilogy to work the films need to work independently of each other, there is so much in The Desolation of Smaug that points to the final conclusion of There and Back again, that without having read the book, I can pretty much tell you how the story is going to end.

This is marginally better than the first Hobbit film, but still a film with a few issues, like previous Tolkien movies it labours through a lot of dialogue and unnecessary rubbish, and the ending "cliff hanger" is slightly ruined by a key piece of information that we really didn't need until the third film 8/10

Nebraska

Nebraska stars Bruce Dern as Woody Grant, a pensioner who gets a piece of junk mail stating he has won a Million Dollars, so he sets off to Lincoln Nebraska in order to collect his winnings.

It is shot in black and white, which actually adds something to the feel of the film. That extra sense of nostalgia as the film foes into Woody's past.

Bruce Dern puts in a decent performance, but for me the real highlight is the performance of June Squib as Woody's wife Kate, she has many of the best jokes and comedic moments in the film, and her timing and delivery are superb, especially in the graveyard scene.

This film has a lot to say about how we treat the elderly when they start to lose some of their faculties, and also about jealousy and how relationships change when someone wins a lot of money.

I particularly enjoyed the closing scene in this movie, which left me with a big smile, whilst not without its faults, this is a thoroughly entertaining movie 9/10

The Butler

The Butler follows Forrest Whittaker as Cecil Gaines a White House Butler during the Civil Rights movement in America.

Much of the pre-release publicity was based around Oprah Winfrey, who plays Cecil's wife Gloria, however for me the Stand out performance is by David Oyelowo as Cecil's son Loius.

This is only just over a 2 hour long film, however with large sections where very little seems to be happening, it felt overly long. Also it seems a bit confused about style, some bits are narrated whereas others are not.

If you are interested in the Civil Rights movement, then this has a lot to say, however I didn't find it as engaging as I thought it might be.

This is a good movie, but it is just lacking that extra something that turns a good movie into a great movie. I couldn't help feeling a little underwhelmed 6/10

Frozen

I went into this film not really knowing much about it, the cinema trailer gave nothing away as to plot or style. The film begins with a very clever Mickey Mouse short, which makes brilliant use of the 3D, then having warmed us up nicely the main event is even better. The first surprise was that this is a musical, I wasn't expecting it, but it was a very pleasant surprise. The songs are brilliant, and Kristen Bell as Anna has a superb singing voice, by the end of the first set piece song I found myself holding back a tear or two.

The story itself us very clever, it is based upon Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen. With two very strong female leads voiced and sung brilliantly.

The Animation is visually very stunning, I'm not sure that the 3D adds much to the feature film, although as I said earlier the Mickey Mouse short does, so you may wish to pay the extra for it.

I knew when I posted my review of the year last week, that I might have reason to change it, but didn't expect it to be so soon, and by this movie. Having spent all year singing the praises of Wreck It Ralph and The Croods as the animation of the year, they have been firmly trumped by Disney 10/10

2013 My Year of Film

I know its not the end of the year yet, but as I have just hit the 100 film mark this year, I figured now is as good a time to look at the highs and lows of the year.

Of the 100 Biggest grossing films of 2013

When looking at best and worst, I really struggled to pick one film over others, so here are my top 10 and worst 10 films of the year, in alphabetical order, to avoid any sense of preference. I have tried to pick films from all months of the year, and not just those most recent.

Top 10

Behind the Candelabra
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Hitchcock
Man of Steel
Rush
Saving Mr Banks
The Croods
The Heat
Wreck it Ralph

Even in narrowing it down to 10 I had great difficulty and there are some extremely good films that have not made this list.

Worst 10

A Good day to Die Hard
A Haunted House
Epic
Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters
I Give it a Year
Identity Thief
Playing For Keeps
Riddick
The Counsellor
This is the End

Acting Performances of Note in 2013 include Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine, who has still got to be favorite for an Oscar, and Emma Thompson in Saving Mr Banks. For the Men, Tom Hanks as Captain Phillips, and Michael Douglas as Liberace in Behind the Candelabra

For Animation, I have been singing the praises of Wreck it Ralph and The Croods all year, and find it difficult to split the two as both are superb.

Most Surprising Film of 2013: The Place Beyond the Pines

Biggest Disappointment: The Counsellor


And so on to 2014 and a some good films in the Horizon

12 Years a Slave
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Robocop
Noah

Plus lots of franchise movies already on the release schedule for later in the year

Fast & Furious 7
Amazing Spiderman 2
X-Men Days of Future Past
Captain America The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 1
The Hobbit: There and Back Again

Free Birds

It's been a mixed year of Animation, The Biggest grossing film of 2013 is Despicable Me 2, and other superb features such as Wreck It Ralph and The Croods. There have also been some Turkeys including Epic and Planes. Free Birds, despite its subject matter avoids the latter and falls somewhere in between, into the average category.

The first problem with this movie is that it doesn't really work outside of America, as we don't celebrate Thanksgiving. Secondly is the very obvious time paradox, if they succeed in getting Turkey taken off the menu, then we wouldn't bother farming Turkeys and they wouldn't exist.

The Animation itself is decent, I saw the 2D version, so can't comment on the 3D, but it didn't feel like I missed out on much.

The real issue here is the storyline, I saw the end coming very early on, they slapped me around the face with it enough times that it was no great surprise. Also the fact that the film makers saw a need to introduce the film with a joke based on the fact that the historical elements are not real kind of sums up a lot of what is wrong with this film. A lot of the jokes fall fairly flat although there are a few laughs along the way.

Obviously I am not the target audience, but if you want to entertain your Kids with a cinema trip before Christmas, wait a week and take them to see Frozen 5/10

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Out after Christmas The Secret Life of Walter Mitty starring Ben Stiller as Walter follows a man who is faced with redundancy, when the magazine he works for goes online only. His life to date has been very uneventful, but as he has to go in search of a missing photograph for the final edition of the magazine.

This is a very fun film, maybe not quite funny enough to have the audience in stiches, but plenty of laughs along the way, particularly with regard to his relationship with the guy from the online dating website *massive product placement alert*

It speeds along at a good pace, with plenty going on to keep the interest levels high, so I never became bored with it, and the central performance by Ben Stiller is really good.

The one thing definitely in this film's favor is the soundtrack, which is quite simply brilliant, I'm not normally good at noticing music in film, but the song choices along the way are great.

This is definitely a fun film, although reading some comments from people it's not going to get the audience it deserves, I think perhaps the trailer is putting a few people off, which is a shame. When you see as many film's as I do, you learn not to judge a movie by its trailer. Is this the best film of the year? No. Will it trouble the awards ceremonies? Unlikely. But this is much better than you think it's going to be 8/10

Parkland

Parkland is a drama based around the assassination of John F Kennedy, but focuses on the people around the edges, The Doctors and Parkland Hospital (hence the title) The Secret Service agents, The FBI, Abraham Zapruder who filmed the events on his video camera, and the family of Lee Harvey Oswald.

Perhaps the sheer number of different stories this attempts to follow is ultimately its downfall, it feels very bitty as it jumps from person to person, in what is only a 90 minute movie it tries to do too much in to short a time. Perhaps if it had just focused on one or two stories rather than trying to do 5, then it may have made for a better film by allowing for a slightly more joined up narrative and  allowing time to understand the characters personalities.

That said, the acting performances are great, particularly from Zac Efron as Dr Carrico and Jacki Weaver as Mrs Oswald.

This is an interesting film, with plenty to keep the attention, and it was good to get a slightly different perspective on the events of November 1963, but it just tries to do to much in to short a time 6/10

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Catching Fire sees Jennifer Laurence reprising her role as Katniss Everdeen in the second of 3 books/4 films in the Hunger Games series. At the end of the first movie Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) had won the Hunger games for district 12. This movie opens with the districts starting to revolt against the capital and President Snow's government. In an effort to quell the rebellion Katniss must once again face being reaped into the Hunger Games.

This film is largely in 2 parts, the first half deals with the growing rebellion in the districts and the reaction of those in authority. The second half is the games themselves, and much like the first movie it becomes a fairly straightforward survival against the odds story.

I think this is slightly better than the first movie, it is a bit more gritty, and by dealing with the wider issues of the uprising it adds an extra dimension that is not there in the first book. My only gripe is the fact that every teenage fantasy series has to have a Cliché love triangle.

With an interesting twist on the end that sets up the next film nicely, I am hoping for good things to come. however those that have read the books tell me the third book is not as good as the first two, so we will have to wait and see.

Lawrence for her part puts in another great performance proving she is very much at the top of her game at the moment.

I would recommend you see the first movie before this, as it covers a lot of the character introduction and exposition required to make the most of this one, fans of the series will definitely love this. Despite not being the target audience I really enjoyed this 9/10

The Counsellor

The Counsellor directed by Ridley Scott stars Michael Fassbender as a counsellor who gets involved with a drug deal that goes wrong.

This is perhaps the most disappointing film if the year. When I first saw at the cast list of Michael Fassbender, Havier Bardem, Cameron Diaz, Penolope Cruz & Brad Pitt all directed by Ridley Scott, I anticipated this would be a very good movie. I was wrong.

From the opening, completely unneeded, sex sequence in the title credits I was immediately picking holes, Diaz then appears wearing far to much make up that makes her look totally ridiculous.

The narrative storyline is incredibly confusing, it initially jumps from scene to scene with no sense that each relates to the previous one. At various points I was lost, which means I switched off due to not understanding, until later when some little aside suddenly explains what's happening, at points my brain just decided it had had enough.  Characters (there are a lot of them) come and go extremely quickly with no names and introduction, or any sense of who they are and who they work for. There are also several scenes that are completely meaningless and add nothing to the story. A lot of the story is telegraphed very early, the description, about 5 minutes in, of a method of killing someone is so obviously setting you up for seeing it in action later on.

Don't get me started on the Cameron Diaz car scene, which is totally vacuous, ridiculous, completely unnecessary and sums up what is wrong with this film.

There is a lot of explanation of motives and characterisation in some very long conversations that just bored me to tears, then all of a sudden right at the end of one such conversation (involving another new character) the film ends.

For a piece of film making I would give this 4/10 but I am going to take marks off because With this Director and this cast list I expected so much more. 2/10

Saving Mr Banks

Saving Mr Banks stars Emma Thompson as Mrs P L Travers the writer of Mary Poppins, and tells the story of her reluctance to sell the film rights to Walt Disney, played by Tom Hanks.

I really enjoyed this film, and particularly the performance of Emma Thompson, although this is not ostensibly a comedy Her comedic timing throughout is brilliant and had the cinema laughing out loud on several occasions.

Mrs Travers reluctance to let go of Mary Poppins and to put as many obstacles in the way is playing excellently, so much so, that I believe Emma Thompson should get an Oscar nomination, although perhaps she won't won it because Cate Blanchett has that already in the bag.

Hanks for his part is a very understated performance as Walt Disney, and seems happy to play second fiddle to Thompson, but his performance shows once more what a fine and versatile actor he is.

The story is well told, I particularly enjoyed the flashback style, telling her childhood story and a lot of the motivation behind Mary Poppins, I'm not sure if this is based on the real story of Pamela Travers or how much of it is fiction/dramatic licence, but either way ir is a very compelling watch.

I went into this film not really knowing what to expect from it, I didn't expect much if I'm honest, but it surprised me, in terms of story telling it is possibly one of the best films of the year 10/10

Gravity

Gravity stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts stranded in space following an accident during a spacewalk.

Utilising a lot of new technology it is a beautifully stunning piece of cinematography, I would recommend you see this in the cinema in 3D on the biggest screen you can find.

Not only is it beautiful to watch, the storyline isn't bad either, As much as it is about the survival at that moment, it also has a lot to say about loneliness and escapism in a much wider context. I do however have one small gripe, one of the major plot points of the film totally defies the laws of physics in zero gravity.

Bullock is superb, she carries the entire film almost single handedly, and proves once more that she can turn her hand to many different roles.

Visually this is by far and away the best film of the year so far, and if it does not win several awards for cinematography I will be amazed. I would give it the full 10/10 if it were not for the failure to obey the laws of physics 9.5/10

Philomena

Philomena tells the story of Philomena Lee, an Irish women who had a child out of wedlock in the 1950's. She was sent to a convent by her family and The child was taken away from her by the Nuns.

The films follows Philomena (Judi Dench) and former BBC Journalist Martin Sixsmith  (Steve Coogan) 50 years later, as they go in search of whatever happened to Anthony.

Although this is "based on a true story" there is clearly a lot of dramatic licence used here to tell the story, the Martin Sixsmith character is portrayed as quite a hardnosed unlikable journalist, obviously I have not met the real Martin Sixsmith but I somehow doubt the real man is anything like the Coogan character.

The performance by Judi Dench as Philomena is great, although her Irish accent does come and go a bit, but this is a very different role for her and she plays it brilliantly.

The film is careful in it's discussion of religion and Catholics particularly when it comes to the Nuns, clearly this could be used as a tool to bash Christianity and this is avoided by ensuring that it is individual christians and not Christianity as a whole that are in the firing line.

This is clearly a story that needs to be told, if only to highlight the plight of those still searching for their Parents & Children.

A human interest story, though clearly adapted to make the film more interesting, a story that needs telling. Although with modern values regarding sex and Children outside of marriage this is unlikely to happen again, this is something everyone should see to ensure we never go back to the past 8/10

Thor: The Dark World

I seem to spend a lot of time reviewing sequels having not seen the first movie, So I took opportunity of the Thor & Thor: The Dark World double bill to ensure that I have seen both.

The other thing I tend to say a lot when reviewing sequels when I have seen the original is that it's not as good as the first film. Thor is perhaps one of those exceptions where the sequel is better than the original.

With a lot of the soul searching and character building done and out of the way in Thor. The Dark World is a much more set piece superhero action movie, and more what you expect when watching a Marvel Movie, with an increase of threat and tension than the original, this feels like a proper superhero film.

Performances in both movies from Hemsworth and Portman are excellent, the storyline is great, some amusing jokes littered throughout and with a closing line that poses far more questions than it answers, the franchise is nicely set up for Thor 3 and/or Avengers 2.

If you are a Marvel Fan, then I probably don't need to say you will enjoy this, but even if you are not a huge superhero fan, this is still a very good watch 9/10

One Chance

One Chance is a biopic of Paul Potts, the opera singer who won the first series of Britain's Got Talent. Starring James Corden as Paul, it tells his story from childhood through opera school in Venice up to winning BGT in 2007.

This film has many flaws, Corden's central performance is lacking that extra something and at times is quite wooden, and Colm Meaney (an Irishman) attempting a Welsh accent is at times annoying. The highlight for me is Julie Walters as Paul's mum Yvonne, who is superb as ever.

The storyline is interesting, clearly most of the audience will know the end of the story, but the first 3/4 of this film are interesting and new. However the thing that ruined the whole movie for me was the BGT Audition sequence.  I appreciate that they have edited together original tv footage of Judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan, with new footage of Corden as Potts, but it just does not work for me, it doesn't quite hang together. Also I understand that in any "based on a true story" film some dramatic licence is required, but the idea that the BGT auditions are broadcast live is patently ridiculous. 

An interesting story, but let down by average acting and by its finale. 4/10

UPDATE: Watching the original Paul Potts BGT audition on Youtube has only added to the sense that they have taken what was a superb bit of television and ruined it.

Enders Game

Enders Game, based on the novel by Orson Scott Card, stars Asa Butterfield as Ender Wiggan, a shy but brilliant teenage boy who is being trained up to command earths army against an alien race. General Graff (Harrison Ford) is convined that Ender is the boy who will save humanity. 

I found Enders Game to be a very interesting story, with Asa Butterfield putting in a superb performance as Ender, the shy awkward kid, who is a master tactician, Harrison Ford also is superb.

The storyline is interesting, and the characters have a lot of depth, although I did spot the twist on the end coming quite early on, but was never bored as the film held the attention well throughout.

My only issue with this movie is Hailee Steinfeld, who's performance is about as wooden as her portrayal of Juliet.

Something for everyone, Sci-Fi fans will enjoy it, and those who like stories with lots of human emotion will also find lots of things to like in it. A great watch 9/10

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

My reviews of animation on here are getting fairly repetitive, because I enjoyed Wreck it Ralph and The Croods so much earlier this year, it is they that I end up comparing to, and once again this film is not up to the standard.

I have not seen the first film, so I don't have a basis of comparison, but I get the feeling this is a poor sequel. The Characters have little depth, as probably a lot of that was contained in the first film.

The food/animal jokes are funny at first but very quickly become repetitive and boring, and towards the end are met with groans rather than laughter.

It might be a useful half term movie for the kids, but only if they have seen Turbo first 5/10

UPDATE: I have just caught the first film on tv, and the original is much better than the sequel.

Captain Phillips

Based on a true story, Captain Phillips stars Tom Hanks as Captain Richard Phillips, the captain of a container ship that was boarded by Somali Pirates in 2009.

The story was not reported widely in the UK so although I had some idea of the outcome, not knowing exactly how the story ends was helpful.

It would be very easy to make this movie entirely from Richard Phillips point of view, and portray the Pirates as the "bad guys" so it is a massive credit to Paul Greengrass that the pirates are significant characters in the story, and you feel for them as victims as much as Richard Phillips.

You really feel for Phillips who is clearly concerned with the fate of his captors, and the way in which Hanks portrays his caring nature and desire to keep everyone safe, including the Somalis is a superb piece of acting, especially in the closing scenes once the ordeal is over.

Although over two hours long, the film holds the attention throughout, with gripping tension and drama.

This is a great piece of story telling, topped with an excellent lead performance by Hanks, tense and gritty and difficult to watch in places, and the fact that you feel an emotional connection to the Pirates is a massive credit to the Director, a must see movie.  10/10

Turbo

Turbo is an animated film about a garden snail who dreams of becoming a racer, through a freak accident he is exposed to nitrous oxide and is suddenly blessed with super fast speed, using this new gift he enters the Indy 500.

In a year of some great, and some not so great, animation, this fits somewhere in between the two. In the end I left the cinema with a huge smile, but getting to that point felt fairly torturous.

The concept is a great one, and the eventual outcome is brilliantly arrived at, had this been a 15 minute short, then I would perhaps be hailing it as a master piece, but there is not enough in the concept to keep you interested for a whole movie. There is very little in the way of sub plot, so you ultimately know where the film is going almost right from the start.

The characters are great and the ultimate end of the film is superb, but there is not enough of a storyline to make a feature film 6/10

Le Week-end

Le Week-end stars Jim Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan as Nick and Meg a couple who head to Paris for the weekend for their 30th Wedding Anniversary, their marriage is clearly in trouble from the start, and as the Kids have now left home they attempt to find their feelings for each other.

This is a film with a lot of issues, firstly it goes nowhere, the relationship between Nick and Meg is as unresolved at the end of the Movie as it is in the beginning. Secondly it is far from original, it has been done many times before, and a lot better. Hope Springs from this time last year is a much funnier film, with much the same storyline.

There are a few good laughs along the way, mostly at the expense of Birmingham, and perhaps this wants to be a more serious piece than I am giving it credit for. Broadbent's speech at the dinner party is very good, with an honesty about it, and the characters of Nick and Meg are very well drawn with lots of issues. The Jeff Goldblum Character however is just stereotypically Jeff Goldblum, I'm not sure he knows how to play anything else.

I may not be the target audience demographic for this movie, but I struggled to enjoy it. If you want a older married couple discovering their love for each other movie, I suggest you fire up Netflix and watch Hope Springs 3/10

Romeo & Juliet

This adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet with screenplay written by Julian Fellowes is the classic love story, where previous adaptations have sought to update the language to more modern English, Fellowes sticks to the original Shakespeare play, which in some ways is great, but it does not aid the understanding when you have to think about and sometimes decipher what was said.

The seasoned actors in supporting roles, such as Damien Lewis and Paul Giamatti put in much better performances than Hailee Steinfeld and Douglas Booth in the title roles. Both the leads look beautiful but the chemistry between them is lacking. There is no spark or passion and that, unfortunately is the main downfall of this movie.

On the plus side, I'm not really a connoisseur of music in film, so the fact that I am even noticed the score enough to mention it means it must have made an impression, so credit to Abel Korzeniowski for his music.

There are much better versions of Romeo and Juliet, this suffers from a lack of spark and believable romance 4/10

The Fifth Estate

The Fifth Estate is a film about the rise of Wikileaks, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Julian Assange and Daniel Brúhl as Daniel Berg. It is based on the Novel by Daniel Berg, and is quite clearly told from his point of view. Assange himself has said that the film is untrue and biased. At the end of the film, there is a short clip from an interview with cumberbatch playing Assange where he emplores the viewer to seek out truth, and not to accept everything you are told, this almost seems to be a bit of a concession to Assange, and can be taken as don't except everything your Governments tell you, but also don't believe everything you have just seen in this film.

Assange is portrayed as an uncaring, egotistical man, Who is driven by self promotion and self interest. Whilst I'm sure a lot of this is based on some understanding of the man himself, It is clearly a very biased viewpoint.

The performances of Cumberbatch and Brúhl are great, with the latter adding to his rising stock after a fine performance as Niki Lauda in Rush.

The main issue with this film is it's plot, there does not seem to be any great sense of Momentum, with much of the plot played out in irc chat rooms and no real tension, it lacks the sense of threat and danger that is really needed to get the audience to engage with the plot.

The US government discussion scenes are not nearly strong enough, I can't believe that the conversations around the table when the War Logs and cables were leaked were that calm.

Great performances, but failed by a poor script, the film never feels like it is going anywhere 6/10

Filth

Filth, Starring James McAvoy, is an adaptation of a novel by Irving Welsh.

Regular readers of my blog will know my views on sex and violence in film, but with Irving Welsh you know what to expect before you enter the cinema. I had considered adding Filth to my growing boycott list, for that reason, but it has had so many great reviews, that I felt I had to see it and make up my own mind.

Set in Edinburgh, it tracks the fall of Detective Sergeant Bruce Robertson, who is in line for a promotion to Inspector, and will do anything to eliminate the competition.

McAvoy is superb as Robertson, as he goes about ruining his own life, and many of those around him, with descent into Drug, Alcohol, and sexual pleasure addiction.

The screenplay is great, with some very crude jokes along the way, It is a very difficult novel to film, as parts of the book are narrated by a tapeworm, and the way in which that is used in the film is interesting.

I also enjoyed the fact that the film leaves you guessing right up to the last second as to the eventual outcome, right up until the closing credits I didn't know if he would get the help he needed, or if his lifestyle would eventually destroy him.

However, I did feel that there is something missing that turns a good film into a great film. It is certainly not as good as Trainspotting, some of the minor characters are not very well drawn after the opening scenes where we are introduced to them, and the twist/reveal regarding Robertson's wife was just a little bit off the wall, I have not read the book so don't know how that is handled in the Novel, but I'm not sure about the way it is revealed in the screenplay.

If you enjoyed Trainspotting you will definitely enjoy this, but its just lacking that little extra something 8/10

Sunshine on Leith

Sunshine on Leith is a musical based on the Songs of The Proclaimers. It follows Davy and Ally, 2 Scottish soldiers returning home to Edinburgh after a tour of Afghanistan. It follows their relationships with Girlfriends and parents and siblings etc.

This is a film with many issues, the singing is very poor, and autotuned to within an inch of its life, and the acting between songs is almost as bad, and the plot is contrived in order to meet the demands of the songbook.

However, it is so rubbish that actually it is brilliantly entertaining, my head was telling me it is all wrong, but my heart went with it. despite not being a huge fan of the Proclaimers, and therefore not knowing some of the songs.

If you are a Proclaimers fan, you will enjoy this immensely, If you loved Mamma Mia I'm sure you will enjoy this too. For film making 4/10 for Entertainment 10/10

How I Live Now

Saoirse Ronan stars as Daisy, an American teenager sent to live with her cousins on a farm in Rural England, just as War breaks out and London is hit by a nuclear bomb. The cousins are then split up during an evacuation and we follow Daisy as she attempts to get herself and her young cousin Piper back home to the farm.

Whilst this film is quite harrowing in places, and deals with some tough subject matter of how civilians would be treated in a war situation, you have to be quite forgiving to follow the plot, lots of things are left unexplained, we are given no information about the "war" apart from the fact it is happening, so is it world war 3 or just internal terrorism? It is very confusing as to the nature of the threat, although the opposing forces seem to have a highly organised army.

The opening sequence of Daisy arriving at the airport is almost deliberately amateurism, the opening credits do not befit a film dealing with complex issues of death and destruction, and initially the terse set-up with Daisy not wanting to be there is extremely off-putting.

As the film goes through and once the plot gets going post nuclear bomb, the acting improves, and the film begins to show its true potential.

There are still a few niggles, such as Daisy leaving Piper on her own out in the open when there are plenty of places to tell her to hide, and the Hawk is just an unnecessary addition that adds little other than a convenient contrivance.

Worth a watch, stick with it through the opening half hour of setup because it does improve 7/10

Runner Runner

Justine Timberlake stars as Ritchie in Runner Runner, a modern take on a old story. When he loses thousands of Dollars on online poker he realises he has been cheated, and travels to Costa Rica to draw it to the attention of the Website owner Ivan Block, played by Ben Affleck. Block takes Ritchie under his wing and gives him a Job, but everything is not as it seems.

Runner Runner is an engaging gritty movie that moves along at pace and holds the attention throughout, however it suffers from a degree of predictability, so I found myself often one step ahead of the movie, and I'm not usually the most observant cinema goer.

The storyline is interesting, and keeps the right side of believability, with decent performances from Timberlake and, in particular, Gemma Arterton, this is a a decent film, but lacks that little extra that turns a good film into a great one 8/10

Blue Jasmine

Blue Jasmine is the Latest film by Woody Allen, starring Cate Blanchett if tells the Story of Jasmine, a New York Socialite, who has lost all her money when her Husband is prosecuted for fraud. At the start of the movie, we see Jasmine arriving in San Francisco to the home of her Sister Ginger, who she has had to move in with while she sorts herself out.

Initially I was a little put off by the films style, running two timelines, as Jasmine explains in the present the events of the past, the past events are revealed as they become relevant. However by the end of the movie this style grew on me.

I found this film very engaging, and was not bored once, what is undeniable in this film is that the Performance of Cate Blanchett is outstanding, Jasmine is an extremely complex character, who has suffered a nervous breakdown, and often talks to herself/anyone who will listen, drinks heavilly and relies on prescription drugs. Blanchett brings this Character to life with a remarkable acting performance, and must be heavy favorite for Best Actress awards at the end of the year.

Whether or not you enjoy this movie, it is an absolute must see for the performance of Blanchett 9/10

The Call

Starring Halle Berry, The Call focuses on a 911 operative, who gets a call from a girl who has been abducted and is in the boot of a car. She then sets about trying to rescue the girl.

This is largely a film in 3 acts, the opening act sets up the characters and is used to add tension during the second act, which is "The call" itself, however the film is let down by it's final act, and the way in which the film brings about its conclusion.

The first hour if this movie is superb, tense and gritty, well acted, and with well developed character and plot, however  the final half an hour or so of this film is very weak, and the half baked explanations for the abductors motives are a little bizarre. It is difficult to say to much without plot spoiling, but it's almost as if they got to the end of the call itself, without any real idea of how the drama was going to end. The final scenes feel a bit forced, in order to reach a conclusion, and takes a twist off the road of believability. Which is a shame as two thirds in this was shaping up to be a really good thriller.

New and refreshing, gritty, slightly unsettling and something different from a lot of the run of the mill cinema on offer, but massively let down by it's final act 6/10

Prisoners

Prisoners, out in the UK on Friday, is a domestic thriller based upon the abduction of 2 young girls of 5 & 6 years old. It stars Hugh Jackman as one of the girl's fathers, and Jake Gyllenhaal as the detective assigned to investigate.

It is an interesting character piece film, as it asks some very tough questions around the whole area of Child kidnap, and how far you would go if it were your child. However I did feel that the storyline is far to complex for it's own good. The film is nearly 2 and a half hours long, and has so many twists and turns, at times it is difficult to follow what's going on, perhaps deliberately so.

In the end though, when all the pieces are put together, there is a certain element of satisfaction, so although it is a bit of a trudge to sit through, it is ultimately rewarding.

The performances are decent, particularly from Jackman, who's character goes through an emotional rollercoaster.

A difficult watch, and perhaps a bit too long, but with some difficult questions, and ultimately rewarding 7.5/10

R.I.P.D

R.I.P.D (Rest in Peace Department) is a bit of a cross between Men in Black and Ghost, It centres on a Boston cop played by Ryan Reynolds, who is killed by his partner, and on his way to Judgement is drafted into the R.I.P.D a department that deals with dead souls that have escaped judgement.

This film has several issues, the chemistry between Reynolds and Jeff Bridges is lacking something, and a lot of the jokes in the film are just not funny, in fact I would say that the biggest laugh in the film is the closing joke just before the credits roll. The whole plot point of Jeff Bridges appearing to be a leggy/busty blonde is also unnecessarily annoying.

My other issue is not so much about the film itself, more its cast, when you go to the cinema as often as I do, the EE adverts with Kevin Bacon start to get tedious, as you see them so regularly as the last thing before the film. So discovering Kevin Bacon is in this movie immediately annoyed me.

It is difficult to find many positives, that's not to say its a bad film, there are certainly a lot worse films this year. The best word to sum up R.I.P.D is average 5/10

White House Down

White House Down does exactly what it says on the tin, it's a movie about terrorists taking over the White House. If you think that sounds remarkably similar to Olympus has Fallen then you'd be right, in the same way that Armageddon and Deep Impact were released together, this is the year of the White House being taken over.

White House down is a long film, particularly the opening setup before the terrorist take over, at one point I was just wishing they would get on with it, rather than keep pointing and laughing in "we know what's coming" references to Independence Day, and the British burning down the White House in 1812.

The acting is quite wooden, particularly from Jamie Foxx as the president who is about as believable as David Cameron when it comes to convincing people that your strategy for the middle east is the right one.

The other issue with this movie is that the eventual twist/reveal at the end is so obvious that If you didn't see it coming you clearly were not paying attention. I had it worked out before the White House was ever in danger, and I'm not usually the most observant.

It's difficult not to compare the two films and on balance, despite it's faults, I think I preferred Olympus, Gerrard Butler (AKA Shut up Buttwatt) makes a better secret agent than Channing Tatum, and the action sequences regarding the take over are so much crazy and over the top, that you kinda go with it much more than in WHD.

If you leave your brain at the door then perhaps WHD is worth a watch, it's certainly not as bad as some films currently showing in the cinema, but if you are heading to your local multiplex and want a recommendation, go and see Rush 5/10

Boycotting Movies

When I Started this blog, I stated that it was my intention to Watch every film that was shown at my Local Cineworld, Whilst I have mostly done that over the past 15 months of holding an unlimited card, Just lately I have found myself refusing to see several movies for various reasons of principle.

It started with Grown Ups 2 which I refused to watch on the basis of not wanting to encourage Adam Sandler to keep producing crap movies. I then refused to see the One Direction Movie on the basis that I can't stand one direction, and didn't want to go to a cinema full of screaming teenage girls.

I had intended to Watch Pain & Gain, but having read several reviews and spoken to a couple of friends who have seen it, the general consensus is that it is morally bankrupt.

I am also going to take a Moral stance on the Diana Movie, as I feel it is far to early to make that film.

Added to my moral arguments, the fact that I am a bit of a coward and don't like being scared, so don't generally do Horror movies, I find myself with several films that I have nit seen currently showing in the Cinema, yet I have nothing to watch this weekend.

Never Mind, there are several movies out in the next few weeks that I will be watching and (hopefully) enjoying.

Riddick

Riddick is the latest Sci Fi movie in a summer of Sci Fi flops, and unfortunately it does little to change the tone.

It is difficult to know where to begin with the faults in this film, It assumes that you understand the back story, which I didn't, so very quickly I had no idea what was going on. Because of this assumption. The Characters are extremely shallow, with no back history or explanation of who they are and why they are there.

The opening 20/25 Minutes consists of Riddick, on his own, being attacked by various different creatures one after another, and aside from some narration has very little in the way of script. Vin Diesel is not an actor who can carry this off effectively.

The plot, if you can call it that, is completely devoid of any sense of purpose and goes nowhere fast. An early Flashback that is intended to set the scene only confuses timescales, so all of a sudden I was unsure if the action I was watching was before or after the opening sequence.

This is also yet another example of the BBFC failing to do its job, The title card warns of Bloody Violence and strong Language, but completely fails to mention the Nudity.

Oh, and just for good measure, as if the film was not bad enough, we then get a very crude "ride it like you stole it" reference to The Fast and the Furious.

This is probably the most bored I have been in a cinema for some time, at several points I considered walking out, but just about managed to make it to the end. 1/10

Rush

Out on Friday 13th I was fortunate enough to see an advanced preview of Rush. This is a Biopic focusing on the relationship between Niki Lauda and James Hunt and the battle for the 1976 Formula one world championship.

Although this is largely about Formula one, there is plenty here for Non Motor Sport fans, and this is chiefly a human story with very well drawn characters, Hunt the genius playboy vs Lauda and his efficient Austrian hardworking attitude. With superb performances from the two lead actors, this movie speeds through as fast as a formula one car, never reducing speed and although over two hours long it holds the interest throughout.

A brief word of warning, the hospital scene is a difficult watch, but certainly adds something to the Lauda arc of the story.

Total Film magazine are suggesting that had this been released nearer Christmas it might be considered for Oscars, and certainly in the Lead actor category I have not, thus far this year, seen anything this polished. However it is very early to start handing out awards in September, and this will undoubtedly be overlooked as Award season films start to be released in the coming months.

Definitely worth a watch, even if your not an F1 fan 9.5/10

Pain & Gain

I am a firm believer in judging films for myself, and despite listening to/reading reviews, generally I ignore them and make my own mind up. However in the case of Pain & Gain, having been told, by several sources, that it is Badly Judged, grotesquely offensive and vile, I am going to take some advice and not see this Movie 0/10

One Direction: This is us

Do you think I want to go an watch the One Direction Movie?

The Mortal Instruments - City of Bones

Another teen fantasy movie trying to take on the Twilight Mantle, The Mortal Instruments series focuses on Clary a teenage Girl who sees a murder in a nightclub that no one else can see, and discovers that she is a "Shadow hunter" a group of half Angels born to fight demons.

The problem with this movie, it that it is so full of Cliché, Vampires, Werewolves, a complicated love triangle, even a Star Wars "I am your father" moment, all add to the feeling that this is trying far to hard.

The theology and backstory is so complicated that the characters spend half the movie explaining what's going on, with more Basil Exposition than Austin Powers. The trouble with that is that the second movie is going to have to assume you have seen this for it to make any sense.

That said, I get the feeling the next movies will be a lot better, as this has now done a lot of the setup.

As a stand alone movie this doesn't really work, as the set-up for what will follow, time will tell.  4/10

We're the Millers

We're the Millers focuses on a Small time drug dealer, who gets his drugs and cash stolen. In order to pay his debts his dealer asks him to smuggle some drugs from Mexico. In order to avoid suspicion he gets together a "wife" and 2 kids, and the dysfunctional Miller family are born.

This was actually a lot funnier than I thought it was going to be, when the first couple of laughs in the opening sequence come courtesy of You Tube I was thinking that the laughs in the actual movie itself would be lacking. I was wrong, the jokes come thick and fast, and I laughed throughout.

The performances from the 4 Miller characters are great, particularly from Will Poultner as Kenny, who plays an awkward never been kissed teen very well, and Jennifer Anniston as a stripper who plays the mother role superbly.

Given some of the rubbish so called comedies this year, this is refreshingly different, and very funny throughout 9/10

Elysium

Elysium, Starring Matt Damon Jodie Foster is a Sci fi movie set in the year 2154. The rich have left Earth and set up a utopian society in Elysium, A man made structure in Earth orbit.

Whilst the concept is not new, the futuristic division of rich and poor has been done before, this feels fresh and new. Damon as ever puts un a superb performance as Max Da Costa, a poor resident of earth who is dying following a work accident and needs access to the medical facilities available on Elysium.

If you read my review of Kick Ass 2 last week you will be aware of my rant regarding unnecessary bloody violence, Elysium is an example of bloody violence done well.

Elysium is, in places, as bloody, if not more so, than the Kick Ass sequel, however despite the blood, this film would be much the poorer without it.

This movie is not without its faults however, the final fight sequence is very badly shot, with camera movement and angle changes and so often that it just becomes extremely difficult to follow what's going on, even on the big screen.

The film also opens itself up to accusations of racism, with the "poor" inhabitants of Earth speaking Spanish and the "Rich" inhabitants of Elysium speaking French.

That said, this is definitely worth a watch on the big screen, if you get a chance to watch it on an IMAX screen, go for it 8.5/10

About Time

I was fortunate enough to see an advanced screening of the new Richard Curtis movie About time. The film centres on Tim, who, just after his 21st Birthday, is informed by his Dad that the men in the family have the ability to time travel back to a point in their lives and make changes.

This is an interesting concept, and the film explores the possibilities that this allows, you can go back 5 minutes and correct a single moment, ir you could go back 20 years and change an entire series of events.

This film, although perhaps it will never be the cult classic such as Four Weddings or Notting Hill, has Richard Curtis' style through it. (without Hugh Grant). There are some very funny jokes along the way, I especially liked the mad uncle, and the acting is great, especially Bill Nighy who always does well with Richard Curtis.

Ultimately this is perhaps 15/20 minutes longer than it needs to be, and the end sequence with the secret if how to be happy in life is very idealistic, but definitely worth seeing 8.5/10

Planes

I really like the original cars movie, I know a lot of people didn't but I thought it was a good Pixar film. Cars 2 on the other hand was not so good.

The first thing to notice about planes is that it is not a Pixar movie, although Disney and Pixar are pretty much the sane company, they are not the same, and here Disney are in full money making mode.

The plot of Planes is very Disney, The sickly sweet  "You can be whatever you want to be" screams at you from start to finish and gets incredibly annoying very quickly.

The Cliché storyline comes to it's inevitable conclusion and good triumphs over evil blah blah blah seen it all before.

This is nothing new, and not entertaining enough, I'm sure it will keep small children amused for 90 minutes, but in a year of quality animation this falls flat 4/10

Kick Ass 2

Regular readers of my Blog will know that I dislike films that are gratuitous in their use of Sex, Language or Violence just for the sake of it, these things have their place in film and are necessary and can be justified in context, however Kick Ass 2 is yet another example of a film that goes to far in being bloodthirsty for the sake of it.

It is also another example of the BBFC failing to protect 16-18 year olds, by rating a very violent film as a 15.

That aside kick ass 2 fails on a couple of levels, it is, you could argue less "Kick Ass 2" and more "Hit Girl" as she spends as much if not more of the screen time as he does.

The Story line is also quite weak, with characters swapping dilemmas regularly.

For all of that, I'm not saying that this is a bad film, it is reasonably well acted, and the fight scenes, bloody as they are, are extremely well choreographed.

With a little less blood and a bit less pretentious nonsense this could have been a really good film, as it is its nowhere near the standard of the original 6/10

2 Guns

2 Guns starring Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington is surprisingly refreshing, my expectations going in where quite low, but they were hugely exceeded.

Although this is not a comedy, the jokes all hit home well, and it is funnier than many of the comedies I have seen this year. With great performances from the two leads this is a highly entertaining film.

The plot is a little weak in places, with perhaps a few to many twists along the way, but that is forgivable as the rest is very good, with so many big movies out this summer, it would be easy for this to get lost, and I don't think this will be around for long, so see it while you can 9/10

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

I have not read the book, nor did I see the first Percy Jackson movie, but apparently that included a lot of cameo's from big names that are lacking in this film.

This for me therefore stood as a standalone movie, which I whilst I enjoyed, is really nothing special.

Much of it is instantly forgettable, and the rest is just annoying, a particular scene is another prime example of films completely ignoring the laws of physics in order to get out of a sticky situation. Although this is a film based on a semi God who has some powers, this didn't appear to be a use of his powers, more a case of some lazy screenwriting.

I also thought they could of made a lot more of the final fight sequence, which is over almost as soon as it starts.

On the plus side, the story is interesting, and you can tell it is based on a well written book, my overriding feeling coming out is not to see the next movie, despite it clearly being setup in the closing scene, but perhaps to go and read the books.

The best summary of this movie is to say that it is average, it is enjoyable while you watch it, but by next week I will probably have forgotten most of it. 6/10

The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger has made a lot of headlines due to it's failure in America. This has been put down to the film being panned by the critics, I think some if the criticism is unfair.

Is this the best film of the year? No. Will it win any awards? No. Does it have faults? Yes. Is it worth seeing? Most definitely.

Unusually for a big summer movie, this has a strong storyline and a plot that makes sense, the way it is told through the older Tonto telling the story works really well, and despite my reservations going in, Depp as Tonto is a really great bit of casting.

The film is perhaps a little to long at 2 and a half hours, it is slow to get going and maybe you could lose 20-30 minutes from the first hour.

That Said, I really enjoyed this, it is something different in a summer of Sci Fi and Superheroes, don't take the critics word for it, go and see it yourself and make your own mind up, you won't regret it 8/10

Grown Ups 2

There are two words that will put me off a film, those words are "Adam" & "Sandler" as such, even thou I have an unlimited cinema card and will not have to "pay" to see this film in the conventional sense, I hereby refuse to encourage Mr Sandler's career by adding to his box office statistics. I will not be watching this film.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

I went into Alan Partridge expecting big things, having enjoyed much of the past TV work by Steve Coogan as Alan. I was however a little disappointed.

This film is not as funny as I expected it to be, yes there are some good laughs in places, but not nearly enough, for me it lacks that something extra.

Whilst the storyline is ok, the interactions between Pat and Alan seem a little confused, and left me a little flat.

The concept of the film is a good one, irs just the execution of it was slightly lacking, Which is a shame because I really wanted to like this film.

I guess any true Alan Partridge Fan will enjoy this, for those like me with a passing interest it's just not quite there.

If you want a laugh at the Cinema go and see The Heat 6/10

Red 2

Despite it being shown semi regularly on Film 4 recently, I have not seen the original Red movie, I therefore went into Red 2 not really knowing what to expect.

That said however, the original film must be better than this. Maybe it is because I have had a long week and am very tired, but my primary emotion was one of boredom, and waiting for the film to end.

My other major issue with this movie is one of believability. For this film to work you have to believe that some of the best trained assassins in the world are absolutely incapable of killing anyone, especially the Machine gun scene, where Willis and Malkovych come out completely unscathed.

You also have to believe that you can crash a Helicopter at high speed and walk away, there is also another massive "really?" moment, but as that is a major plot point at the end of the movie I won't ruin it for you.

On the positive side, the car chase sequences are great (apart from a big crash on the "M4" that is clearly not a Major Motorway around Heathrow Airport, and there is something highly amusing about Dame Helen Mirren breaking into an asylum by pretending she thinks she is the Queen.

The few positives however do not make up for a really poor movie that is largely forgettable 3/10

The Smurfs 2

In order to see the Smurfs 2 I had to see the 3D version as the times for 2D were not convenient. I do not believe that it added anything to the movie and as always I would recommend you save money and see in 2D if you can.

The film itself is pretty average, with a very slushy storyline about parenting seemingly taking precedence to the detriment of the action, and I'm not sure I want to take parenting lessons from the Smurfs.

There are long sections with very little happening and when there is some momentum the acting from both live actors and voice artists is poor.

Maybe I'm not the target audience and kids might enjoy this, there are some positives, the bird racing scene is pretty good but on the whole the overwhelming feeling I have is one of boredom and disappointment 4/10

The Wolverine

Another if the big draw blockbuster movies this summer, The Wolverine was much anticipated, however for me it failed to make an impact.

I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but it is missing that something that turns a good movie into a great movie, everything it does is safe, there are no real risks with this movie, and that makes it largely forgettable.

The largely Japanese cast do a decent job in support of Jackman, and the storyline is interesting, but the whole thing just lacks that extra dimension.

Not enough is made of the threat to his healing powers, this particular plot point could have been done a lot better in my opinion.

I'm sure if you are an x-men/Marvel fan then you will enjoy this, but for me it was just a little disappointing, it's not a bad movie, but it's not a great movie either 6/10

The Heat

I really should give up judging movies based on the trailer. Once again I didn't think his movie would be any good, and once again I was proved emphatically wrong.

I have not laughed this hard since I saw Ted last summer, this is absolutely hilarious throughout, brilliantly funny and by far the best comedy I have seen in 2013.

Sandra Bullock playing the straight woman to Melissa McCarthy is an absolutely brilliant combination, the latter being so much better than her last outing in Identity Thief, McCarthy's comedy timing had me laughing out loud more times than I care to count.

With so many big draw blockbuster movies currently in the cinema it would be very easy to overlook the heat, but if you get the chance to go and see it, you won't regret it ,10/10

The Worlds End

The Worlds End was a very pleasant surprise, having seen the trailer I didn't think it would be very funny, but I am happy to admit I was wrong.

Whilst its not sidesplittingly funny, there are several good laugh out loud moments to be had along the way, and a tale of human success and failure.

The plot is a bit contrieved, and the end is just really weird as they lose their way finding an ending, and it does rely on you believing that in a small town with 12 pubs, not one of them has become a convenience store in the last 20 years!

The best thing about this movie is the fight scenes, which are brilliantly choreographed and very funny.

Simon Pegg does an excellent job as Gary with great support and a cameo from Pearce Brosnan.

all in all this is a lot better than I thought it was going to be 8/10

Monsters University

I have read a lot of reviews of Mobsters Uni. Most saying that it is not as good as Monsters Inc, however as I have never seen Monsters Inc I cannot make that comparison.

I can however compare it to some of the animation released this year, regular readers of my blog will know that I was a huge fan of Wreck it Ralph and The Croods, and Monsters University is simply not in the same league.

The characters are weak, and the relationships between them are quite shallow, there is little emotional involvement in the story line.

There are some positives, the plot is fun, and ticks along nicely, and a couple of nice surprises in terms of where it goes with the story.

However, this is far from the best animation this year. And with Planes out in August, it may not be the best Pixar movie this year. disappointing 6/10

Pacific Rim

I wasn't really expecting much from Pacific Rim, Its a bit of a check your brain at the door movie, which if you over analyse it doesn't make sense.

For me the film starts way to late in the story, by monologing the start of the war and beginning the film 5 years in, perhaps the writers have missed something. I Think the first attack and the invention of the robot machines to fight back may well have been a better movie.

The film is incredibly inconsistent, one moment we are told that the alien creatures are all grown to be Identical, the next we are told they are all different and one of them is pregnant.

The Characters are very shallow with little back history, and the acting is quite wooden, although Idris Elba does try hard, his Independence day speech moment just didn't work for me.

Like all these sort of movies, the fight sequences are incredibly loud and difficult to follow, I had a headache with the 2D version, so I'm sure the 3D version would have just left my head spinning.

If you want a no brain, big action monsters v aliens fighting movie then great, just don't expect a great price of cinematography or acting, Like everything this time of year it's the box office rather than the awards ceremonies.

Entertaining in parts, this is not the worst piece of entertainment this year, the concept is a good one, its just badly executed 5/10

This Is The End

This is the end is not a traditional character movie, it is a load of actors playing themselves at the end of the world. Led by Seth Rogan our band of losers try to make sense of what is going on and survive the apocalypse.

I cannot begin to describe how awful this movie is, the jokes are extremely unfunny and cringeworthy, the "acting" such as it , is awful and the script and plot are plain ridiculous. The only saving grace is perhaps the last 20 minutes once they leave the house, when the tedious jokes are finished and we work towards to conclusion.

This contains far to much unnecessary swearing, and at one point could rival Final Destination for the weird and extremely gruesome ways that it kills people.

This is definitely one to avoid even if the end of the world depended on you watching it. Couldn't wait for it to end 1/10

Snitch

I've never been a huge fan of Dwayne 'The Rock" Johnson as an actor, but he seems to be one of the busiest and, apparently, well paid actors in Hollywood at the moment.

Snitch is a prime example of a lot of the drivel coming out at the moment, it is very much a political movie. Having a swipe at America's minimum sentence drug laws, so much so that the movie makes a point of telling you that the average sentence for first time non violent drug offenders is greater than that of people convicted of Child Molesting.

It is based on real events, so the story line works quite well, but the script is quite weak and the acting is poor, whilst it is by no means the worst movie I have seen this year, it is distinctly average, and largely forgettable, given the choice of movies currently in the cinema, this is probably not to prioritise 5/10

The Internship

The Internship brings together Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson as two middle aged salesmen who lose their jobs when the company they are working for closes down.

In order to try and create a future for themselves they apply for a summer internship with Google, which if successful could lead to a full time job.

this does smack of just being one big advert for Google, telling you how great they are, but actually that's not a huge problem and I found myself going with it.

The night out scene is extremely funny, and although I won't spoil the movie by telling you what it is, but I really want their app!

The soundtrack is brilliant, any movie that starts with Alanis Morissette and just gets better from there definitely gets my vote.

Although it is set in the world of technology. There are plenty of references to 80's movies and stuff to keep middle aged technophobes, like our main characters, interested.

Whilst this is perhaps not as funny as it might have been, with many of the jokes evoking a chuckle rather than full on laughter, this is a very heartwarming story of overcoming adversity and I left the screen with a massive smile on my face. 8.5/10

100 films in 12 Months

My direct debit flows out today, So it was exactly a year ago that I took out my cineworld unlimited card, as my 12 month contract comes to an end I thought I would take this opportunity to review an amazing year of movies.

In the last 365 days I have watched and reviewed exactly 100 movies, From the brilliantly memorable The Perks of Being A Wallflower, to the instantly forgettable Welcome to The Punch. From wonderful comedies Like Ted, to the awful Keith Lemon Movie.

Here are my highlights of the last 12 months.

Best Film: The Perks of being a Wallflower

Best Comedy: Ted

Best Animation: Wreck it Ralph

Best Actor: Matthew McConaughay - Magic Mike & Killer Joe

Worst Film: Keith Lemon The Film

Most Surprisingly Good: Silver Linings Playbook

Biggest Disappointment: Star Trek into Darkness

5 Films worth seeing:

Flight
The Impossible
Argo
Ruby Sparks
Beautiful Creatures

5 Films to avoid:

I give it a year
Taken 2
The 5 year Engagement
The Watch
The Master

Despicable Me 2

I am a massive fan of Despicable Me, I love the Minions and what the BBFC call "slapstick violence"

Much of the slapstick violence does little to extend the plot and is there purely for the laugh, so the film becomes just a sequence of Minion slapstick and loses focus regularly, however since this is probably why most people watch the film, the plot is almost unimportant.

The plot, such as it is, continued from the first movie, with Gru now a Father and ex-villain, the direction the story is going is obvious very early on, and once you realise where it's going you can almost forget about it and just enjoy the jokes

I saw the 2D version, but the end credit sequence is a 3D dream, and I will probably go back next weekend just to enjoy the end credits in 3D.

Hilariously funny throughout, especially if you enjoyed the first movie, and enjoyed the increasingly stupid slapstick antics of the minions. 8/10

World War Z

World War Z is a Zombie movie starring Brad Pitt, as a former UN investigator who is brought out of retirement.

Whilst the storyline is good, there are a few holes in the setup. Most notably the Zombie threat did not start in America, so how come no one knew about it beforehand, especially given that part of the plot centres around the fact that Israel already knew and planned ahead.

Sections of the opening sequence are very dark, even in 2D I struggled to see some things, so with the additional light loss it must be very hard to follow in the 3D version, I have not seen the 3D but I don't think it will add much to the experience.

The plot moves quite quickly, from one country to another and sometimes seems a bit confused, but if you are looking for a bit of a nobrainer that you don't want to over analyse, then the action is good and worth a watch.

Leave your brain at the door and you may enjoy this 7/10

Behind The Candelabra

My weekend of film viewing continued with Behind the Candelabra, This is the story of the relationship between Liberace (Michael Douglas) and his lover Scott Thorson (Matt Damon)

I thought I would find the whole Gay relationship story difficult to watch, but actually it is done very well and brilliantly acted. One thing I did find difficult was the plastic surgery scene, which is perhaps a little more graphic than I was expecting.

This is a very odd story, but I guess Liberace was a very unique man, and it's quirks and oddities add to it's appeal. I'm not sure how much, if any, input Scott Thorson had in this movie, but it is a very Human story, with lots of heart.

The acting performances from Douglas and particularly Damon are great, I really enjoyed this film 9.5/10

A Haunted House

A Marathon 5 film weekend began with A haunted House, a comedy horror spoof in the scary movie style, except it's not as funny as Scary Movie and I didn't find scary movie all that funny.

As I have said on this blog before, I am not a fan of comedies where the jokes are so over the top that they go beyond the realms of reality into just being stupid for the sake of it, this film could be so much funnier but is ruined by hammy acting and an ott script.

The funniest moment in this movie is the teddy bear sex scene, and the fact that they added some more of it during the end credits is a bonus, however even at less than 90 minutes long, I couldn't wait for this film to end. 3/10

Now You See Me

The concept of going to the cinema without knowing what film you are going to see is a strange one, but one embraced by cineworld unlimited card customers on masse.

The film in question turned out to be Now You See Me which is a film I wanted to see since I first saw the trailer a few weeks ago.

The set-up is very interesting, and involves a magic trick where they rob a bank in Paris from a Las Vegas stage. What follows has more twists and turns than the average rollercoaster, some of which I guessed, and some of which I didn't. The substantive twist on the end I didn't see coming.

The storyline is great, although it takes a while to get going, and there are sections between tricks that are pretty slow, the acting is decent, with the big draw names of Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman playing supporting roles.

On the whole a decent watch, maybe worth watching again once you know the twist. 9/10

Man of Steel

When I reviewed The Amazing Spiderman last year I found myself asking why we needed a new Spiderman movie. With Man of Steel I have no such issues, The original Superman movies were sufficiently long ago, that the time is right for this reboot.

The storyline is excellent, with a deviation from the original  Superman story, at first I was a little unsure of it's flashback style rather than a straightforward chronological story, but it works quite well.

The acting performances are superb, particularly Henry Cavill in the title role, who's performance is full of emotion.

The action set piece fight sequences are also brilliantly choreographed and enhanced.

For a big box office draw, this is an absolute must see, and my film of the year so far 10/10

The Purge

Like After Earth, the Purge fails fro mthe point of view of the way it sets up the plot, there must be better ways of explaining the concept, without just explaining it, someone once said to me, and I agree with this, that the best movies show, rather than tell you what is happening.

The concept of this movie is a great one, for one night a year all crime is legal, sounds like a winner, unfortuneately whilst the concept is great, the movie is not.

This is extremely predictable, with every plot twist telegraphed ages before it happens, if you don't see what's coming then you are not paying attention, and the acting is passable at best.

Once again I find myself quesationing the BBFC on their 15 rating, this is quite a bloodthirsty movie, and in my opinion should perhaps have been an 18.

The best thing about this film is the end scene. slightly better than after earth, but not by much 5/10

After Earth

It's been over 2 weeks since my last trip to Cineworld, so I am going to have to make up for it in the coming weeks, with lots of really good movies out before the end of the Month.

I started with a back to back viewing of After Earth and The Purge, review of the purge to follow, although both films do have similar flaws.

After Earth fails really from its opening sequence, The fact that have to do an awful lot of monologued explanation at the start of the movie, just to get you to understand the starting point is an immediate issue, while some exposition is ok, this movie requires far to much.

The plot is extremely contrived, with sequences that are increasingly unbelievable, especially the relationship between the boy and a bird.

Will Smith plays an emotionless father, against his real son playing his on screen son, Jaiden's performance lacks any clarity, it comes across as far to immature and child like, I know that is part of the point, but it is taken a little to far.

The action is boring, and at times I was struggling to stay awake and follow what was going on.

Bland, boring and contrived 4/10

The Hangover Part III

I am not a massive fan of the hangover movies, and this really emphasises why, this is hangover light. Its a hangover movie without the hangover.

The storyline as ever relies on Alan and Chow doing increasingly stupid and largely unfunny things, with the other 3 characters largely redundant.

If you have not seen the previous hangover films, I suggest you do watch them first, for 2 reasons: 1. This movie makes many backwards references that you will miss half of what is going on. 2. It may be enough to stop you wasting your money going to see this.

The funniest thing in this movie is when they wake up with a hangover, unfortunately that scene is after the credits 3/10

Epic

There has been some great animation so far this year, from Wreck It Ralph and the Croods, and the promise of plenty more to come from Dispicable Me 2 and Monsters University. Unfortunately Epic is not in the same league, I guess I probably should have worked that out when I realised it is by the same people that bought us Ice Age.

This is a terribly predictable film, with the major plot developments signposted incredibly early in the movie, so you can see where the final scene is going long before we get there.

Part of the character arc has been taken from a book, and the rest bolted on alongside. And it is all a bit confused.

There are some good jokes, especially from  Nod and Mub the Slig and Snail, but they are the only highlight in an otherwise fairly drab animation, In a year of great animation this is a disappointment. 4/10

The Great Gatsby

I guess I should start this review by saying that I have never read the book, so went into this movie not really knowing the story.

That said I understand from others that this movie sticks very closely to the novel, and it's easy to see why, with source material this good why would you want to alter it?

Di Caprio and Maguire are superb as Gatsby and Carraway and compliment each other superbly.

My only issue with this movie is the use of modern music in some scenes where 1920's music might have been a better option.

There is so much to take in from this movie, it is a very long film, with its 2 and a half hour run time seeming longer, not on a sense of the film dragging, but I left feeling like I had been in the cinema all day.

I think I might go and read the book 9/10

The Big Wedding

When I first saw the trailer for The Big Wedding I thought it might go the way of several recent comedies, where all the best jokes are all in the trailer, and even those are not funny. However I was pleasantly surprised, this was not as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Not all of the jokes work and it is terribly predictable, with most of the later plot telegraphed very early on in the film, if you don't know what is coming then you clearly were not paying attention.

That said there are some very funny moments, particularly the dinner party scene, and a few of the language barrier jokes are quite funny.

This film is very hit and miss, perhaps a little more miss than hit, but actually a lot funnier than I thought it might be, and a couple of scenes that are hilarious made me forgive some of its faults.
6/10

Fast and Furious 6

Before I post this I should point out that I have never been a fan of the fast and furious franchise, so much so that I have not watched the previous 5 films, so I kind of went into this a bit blind and not knowing too much about the characters, however as it has been heavily trailered, and there was a five minute preview on my showing of Iron Man 3, I knew what to expect from the story line.

On the Subject of the trailer, the idea of a trailer is to draw you into the movie and make you want to see it, without giving away crucial parts of the story. Having now seen the film, the trailer for Fast and Furious 6 includes the end of the film, in fact even though I have not seen the previous 5 films, I almost knew too much about what was happening.

You have to suspend a bit of belief in reality, would you really be able to race cars that fast in London Traffic? and just how long is that runway? but on the whole the plot is good and keeps moving quickly, from one car chase to another, the emphasis of this movie when not on the cars is very much on "we are a family" so much so that it must be mentioned about half a dozen times in between car chases.

A reasonably enjoyable couple of hours, the acting is passable, and as long as you leave your brain at the door and don't question it too much then this is a decent film, although clearly designed just to make as much money as possible rather than make any statement about the world we live in.

Judging by the scene just after the closing credit Jason Statham is already lined up for F&F 7 I'll leave it up to you to decide if that is a good or bad thing, my only major issue with this is that If you have seen the trailer then you probably don't need to see the film 7.5/10

Star Trek Into Darkness

Ever since I saw the first trailer for Star Trek into Darkness I have been looking forward to this one. So much so that I went to the midnight screening last night. I was hoping to come away from it praising J J Abrams on his fine work, but actually find that I can't

If you have seen the trailers, you will know that the film opens with a superb cliff hanger where half the senior staff of Star Fleet are wiped out by a terrorist, and Kirk and the enterprise are sent after him, at this point however the film falls apart, without going into lots of detail and posting lots of spoilers, what follows plot wise will upset a lot of fans of the original Star Trek Movies. In an attempt to pay homage to the original movies, the screenwriter has just gone way to far, and almost ruined it. I really want to explain, but can't without posting major spoilers and ruining the plot for those of you who have not seen it.

I did have a couple of other niggles, particularly in the London sequence at the start, by the time of world and intergalactic government I'm pretty sure the Union Jack will not be flying from buildings, and also a sequence later on in the film where the laws of physics are basically ignored.

On the plus side, Benedict Cumberbatch is superb as John Harrison, as Villains go, its probably the best performance since Javier Bardem in Skyfall.

If you have never seen the Original Movies and your knowledge of Star Trek starts with the 2009 movie, then I'm sure you will enjoy this immensely, The acting is good and the action comes thick and fast, but for any true Star Trek fans the storyline will just annoy you, which is a shame because this really could have been a great movie 6/10

The Place Beyond The Pines

It is extremely unusual for a film to open in my local small cinema 3 weeks after its UK release, the fact that cineworld schedulers saw fit to put this on in Southampton is a testament to how well it has done at the box office in the larger multiplex cinemas. considering this film had little media and trailer coverage its success has been from word of mouth and the draw of it 2 lead actors and rightly so with superb performances from Ryan Gosling for the first hour and Bradley Cooper for the 2nd half. Following his performance in Silver Linings playbook the latter is fast becoming one of my favorite actors.

The performances of the two younger actors, Dane DeHaan and Emory Cohen are also exceptional.

This is a very raw and emotional movie, It is much less pleasing on the eye than other films one for the purists to enjoy the acting ability of its stars. The best film currently in the Cinema 9/10

All Stars

All Stars is one of the latest crop of streetdance type movies. The trouble with this genre of film is that they are terribly predictable, The Youth club is under threat, throw in a love interest sub.plot and you probably know where this is going.

If you enjoy this type of movie, then this is a decent example, The dancing is good, particularly the special effects during the daydream sequences. However like all movies of this genre acting ability is sacrificed for dancing ability.

On the whole despite its failings this is fairly easy on the eye and a pretty decent watch 7.5/10

21 & Over

I have not really enjoyed the Hangover movies, so when I saw the trailer for 21 & over I really didn't think it would be any good. However O was pleasantly surprised.

The narrative arc of the film works quite well and keeps you interested, some of the jokes are funny without being cringeworthy in the same way as the Hangover films.

This does have its problems, the acting is pretty wooden in places, but on the whole its worth a watch, I particularly enjoyed the closing scene 7/10

I'm so excited

Some of the best films of the past 12 months have been foreign with subtitles, Armour, Untouchable and Rust and Bone are all superb films, however these films all have something on common, they are French, and with stories based largely around relationships and acting performances that transcend language.

I'm so excited is a Spanish comedy, and not a very good one at that. I'm sure if you are a Spanish speaker it may be funny in places, but in translation and having to read subtitles the jokes lose their timing and humour.

This is a highly sexualised film, with a lot of homosexual inuendo, and plays on gay stereotyping of male cabin crew.

It is clearly a very low budget movie, so much so that they either couldn't afford or couldn't be bothered with the special effects required to bring us a proper crash landing sequence at the end of the movie.

this is very poor, with much of it lost in translation. With big blockbusters like Iron Man and Star Trek out, this is unlikely to make much of an impact at the box office and will quickly disappear 3/10

Iron Man 3

After the 2 previous Iron Man films and the Avengers assemble, this is a very different movie. It is much less about saving the world, and much more personal.

The lead performance from Robert Downey Jr. is great, full of emotion in a way not seen in the first two movies.

There are a few good jokes along the way, particularly the Croydon reference, probably the first time Croydon has been mentioned in a Holywood blockbuster.

If you are going to watch this, it is worth staying until the end of the credits as there is an additional scene on the end which is worth waiting for.

This is probably the best Marvel film to date 8.5/10

Papadopolous and Sons

The box office wasn't exactly busy for Papadopolous and Sons, as I shared the largest screen in my local Cineworld with 4 other people. Which is a shame as this is better than several bigger films of the past month or so.

This is a tale of a successful businessman who loses everything in a banking crash and ends up finding out what is important in life, family, fun and being a nice person.

It has its faults, some of the dialogue is a bit clunky, and its a little cliché and much of it is very predictable, but on the whole this deserves a much bigger audience than, for example, G.I. Joe Retaliation. 7.5/10

Olympus Has Fallen

The critics are undecided on Olympus Has Fallen, I have read reviews from people who liked it, and several that didn't. I find myself in the former.

This is a fast paced action thriller, with plenty of killing, The opening crash scene sets up the characters nicely and the taking of the white house scene is pretty immense.
I do however have on major issue with the plot of this film, however as it is a fairly integral part of the last part of the film I don't want to ruin it for you. So if you have not seen the film and don't want to know how it ends consider this an official plot spoiler warning...










...Still reading? Towards the end of the film with have the clichéd countdown to armageddon scene, it is based around the ability to self distruct nuclear weapons. However if you built a failsafe system that allows you to destroy a nuclear missile when it is in flight, why would it have a 5 minute countdown? Surely it would be an instant press of a button system as 5 minutes might be too late.

Apart from that major plot fail, this is a very good movie, with a decent performance from Gerrard Butler, which after playing for keeps he really needed. 8/10

Scary Movie 5

This is largely what I have come to expect from this franchise, a mickey take of some of the highest films in the last few years since the last movie. Mainly Mama, Rise of the planet of the apes, Inception and Black Swan with several others along the way.

There are however several issues with this film, firstly because this is the fifth film it is starting to feel like they know what works and are just repeating what has been done before. It needs a bit of a refresh and some new ideas. Also the opening sequence before the titles is so hilariously funny that it sets up expectations that the rest of the film fails to deliver.

If you are a fan of the scary movie franchise then I'm sure you will enjoy this, just don't expect a plot that makes sense 6/10

Oblivion

If you have seen the trailer for oblivion you may think you know roughly what its about. You know nothing! This is a film that keeps you guessing throughout and has more twists than your average rollercoaster. Just when you think you know what's going on something else surprises you.

Tom Cruise is great Mission Impossible sort of way, but also manages the more tender moments of the film with ease.

Perhaps my only gripe is the lack of Morgan Freeman, who despite being an integral part of the film is actually only in it for two short sequences. That said it is nice to see him break from his normal statesman type performance and play someone other than a president.

This is a must see film for all the right reasons 9/10

End of March Review

The End of Another Month, which although I have seen plenty of films this month, with one or two exceptions has been fairly average.

The Croods is easily the best film I have seen this month, and aside from perhaps two great performances from Catherine Zeta Jones in Side Effects and Broken City, there has been very little else to get excited about, with the Majority of films getting a fairly average 6 or 7 out of 10 from me, and most would be instantly forgettable without this blog to refresh my memory.

Worst film of the month has to go to the ridiculously unfunny Identity Thief, although Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters does run it close.

Upcoming in April, several big budget blockbusters, Starting with Oblivion, Olympus has fallen and Iron Man 3, which probably means there will be several smaller films that I miss out on, so I hope to plan another film day trip to Chichester if I can make it work in terms of timing and films I want to see.

The Host

Stephanie Mayer certainly knows how to write a good book, after vampires and werewolves we now get an alien invasion, and a schizophrenic Alien with a human voice in her head, The Storyline and the concept are superb, and visually this film is stunning, but unfortunately I can't help feeling that maybe this movie does not do the book justice (although I have not read the book)

It just felt like there was something lacking from the acting performances, I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Maybe the characters lack a bit of depth, so you don't feel emotionally involved with them, and the "If we are the last man and woman alive" scene, early on in the film, is loaded with so much cheese it is almost cringe worthy. 

I'm sure the Twilight Audience will enjoy this, certainly take your teenagers, but if you are expecting a fully rounded movie you will come away a little disappointed 7/10

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Wat can I say about G.I. Joe? this is a film with issues, mainly the acting, or lack of, from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who should just stick to wrestling, and Bruce Willis who really should just give up with the action movies and retire gracefully, or take on something different.

The plot is extremely contrived, and if you go and See it make sure you don't sit towards the front,  as in several of the fight scenes the camera angles change so quickly that if you are to close to the screen you can't actually process the images fast enough to see whats going on.

Apart from that this is an ok movie 5/10

BBFC classifications

I have just written my review of Trance, if you read it you will see that my enjoyment of the film was limited slightly by my distraction with regard to its 15 certificate, this was also the case with The Master last year.

Is full frontal nudity acceptable for a 15 year old? especially when that full frontal nudity includes a close up of the genital area to emphasise a point.

In the case of The Master, it was a hullucination where he was seeing everyone in the room naked, maybe my objection to that one was that not everyone in that room was as attrative as Rassario Dawson! but that film also included use of the C word, however according to the BBFC "The single use of very strong language occurs during a psychological experiment in which some pornographic prose is read out. This includes the line "I felt his fingers opening the lips of my c**t". The use of the word occurs in the context of a crude sexual description and is not used aggressively or insultingly"

So again is this the sort of thing that a 15 year old should be allowed to see? in many ways the context of the word in The Master, a slang term for the vagina, is, for me, worse than it being used as a insult.

Some may argue that our 15 year olds should be exposed to this, that the vast majority of them will have seen much worse anyway and that they need to experience this sort of thing. if that is the case, why are our rules on TV for channels like Babestation so draconian?

Trance

I was really looking forward to watching Trance, ever since I saw the trailer and then heard that Cineworld were doing a preview, I have to admit I really like Danny Boyle, I guess post olympics he is a bit of a national treasure, but also his recent films Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours are both a superb watch.


Trance is a very good film, and an enjoyable watch, but you need to stick through to the end to really appreciate it in its entirity, about half way through I thought I knew what was going on, I was wrong! the whole thing is quite mind bending in that once you get into the hypnotism section, certain elements are not actually real and are the subject of hypnosis. however the end "reveal" shows how deep that actually goes. (I won't ruin it for you)

My Issue with Trance is the use of nudity, there are several sex scenes, and scenes where people are nude, that are shot so that you don't see anything, (IE head shots and above the waist shots for the men) Then all of a sudden there is a plot device which involves Elizabeth Lamb (Rosario Dawson) shaving off her pubic hair, she goes into the bathrom, you hear the electric razor, but then she steps out of the bathroom full frontal, and to emphasise the point you get a nice close up of her (freshly shaven) vagina.

Now don't get me wrong here, I am a red bloodied male afterall, but a) I wasn't expecting it, b) if you are going to show that, why be so careful for the rest of the movie and c) how on earth can the BBFC justify giving it a 15 certificate?

Unfortunately I came out of the cinema thinking more about BBFC classifications that I did about the film, which is a shame, because had this been an 18, I probably would have enjoyed it more without being distracted by the certificate.  7/10