Do you think I want to go an watch the One Direction Movie?
Thursday, 29 August 2013
Monday, 26 August 2013
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
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
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
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
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
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
Monday, 19 August 2013
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
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
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
Thursday, 15 August 2013
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
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
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