Anchorman 2- The Legend Continues

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elczv0ghqw0

Anchorman- what I would call one of the biggest comedy films of the noughties- if not the biggest. When you think about it not many comedies of recent times have been quoted  quite as many times as the original film and that's quite an achievement. I'm surprised a sequel didn't get produced sooner. As with all sequels, Anchorman 2 has the potential to ruin the first films reputation entirely so I can understand the hesitation. The result? Gotta say, it's a mixed bag.

Anchorman 2 goes for the 'more of what you like' route from the very beginning and the laughs, initially anyway, come big and very frequent. There's repeatable quotes, hilarious little set-pieces and scenarios and dialogue that has me laughing just remembering it. I found most of the big laughs came from Steve Carrel's Brick but Will Ferrel and...the others get their moments too. There's a very wide range of humour here ranging from the most basic 'Brick is acting stupid, LOL' to some more subtle dialogue that takes a second to sink in. Even in a cinema of 30 people tops the auditorium was filled with laugher for the majority of the film and this is definitely Anchorman 2's strong point.

What does it do wrong then? I can pinpoint it exactly- the last third of the movie. It's as if everyone who wrote and created the first two thirds just passed everything to some new unfunny amateur guys and said 'just do what you want, that's at least an hour of good stuff'. When the film is about journalism and the story focuses on live news it's in an environment that allows for jokes to be in context and give the film an on-running theme. As much as there's a lot of basic humour there's a pretty good story about the news becoming more than a vessel of information and more about entertainment and power similar to the News Room or Citizen Kane. That stops at a precise point and what we get after that is random unfunny humour that leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth when you leave the cinema.

It's worth mentioning opinion is divided on this matter. I've talked to people that prefer the last third and thought is saved the film. For me however it just felt forced and laugh-free.

Back to the good though, Anchorman 2 starts great and maintains a rapid stream of laughs to warrant admission fee. For fans of the original there's a lot of throw-backs to the original film and if you were a fan of the characters initially you'll like them here as well.

My favourite bit of the whole film was the maybe 5 second clip that started 'here's my face when I see a snake made of candy'. It features Bricks new love interest in the film and had me in stitches for a reason I couldn't put my finger on.

It's a shame that Anchorman 2 ends the way it does but it's by no means a complete failure. When it's good it's definitely good. But when it's bad it's almost abysmal. It certainly doesn't stay classy. I'm sorry.

7/10

The Hobbit- The Desolation of Smaug

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPVWy1tFXuc

Movie dragons, I can think of a few. The Hungarian Horntail in Harry Potter, the Eragon dragons...Donkey's love interest in Shrek. The Desolation of Smaug is a very important film when it comes to the subject. It introduces us to the character in the title, Smaug- the dragon to make you forget about every other movie dragon in history. The dragons mentioned above look like the reptile tank at Pets at Home in comparison.

The Desolation of Smaug follows on straight after an Unexpected Journey left off. The main difference between the 2 films is where the pacing issues lie. Last year's Hobbit seemed to take an age to finally take off before it delivered us some epic fantasy goodness. This time we're thrown straight into the action with 2 great action pieces that will have you smiling ear to ear happening early on. It slows down in the middle this time but really kicks back into gear for the film's grand finale.

We'll get the second Hobbit film's only problem out of the way early on- it still feels a little too long. It's not a 'oh hurry up and finish' long but the gap between the amazing opening scenes to incredible finish is really felt. You know there's a battle with a dragon coming up and you just wish they'd get out  of 'Set-up for the Third Movie Town' they visit at the movie's mid-point and get to the action.

Dat action though. Starting with the journey to the Lonely Mountain- the barrel scene you see in the trailers is so much better than you imagined it would be. It steps it from from just a goofy little thrill ride down a river that uses 3D to make you feel like it's a theme park attraction. There's gorgeous sweeping shots of chaos happening all around the river and some surprisingly gory combat and archery thanks to the reintroduction of Legolas from Lord of The Rings. And Kate from Lost.

Legolas's inclusion confused me a little seeings as the Hobbit happened 60 years priot to LOTR but I was informed that elves don't age the same as hobbits and dwarves. Convenient. I'm glad him and Kate (sorry, Tauriel) are in the film though as it freshens up the main-to-sub character list and adds some younger blood to the mostly older mains. It also allows the film to add some great fight scenes while touching on a potential love triangle. The relationship aspect isn't hammed on as much as you'd maybe expect but the subtlety of it works and  I'm sure it'll develop in There and Back Again.

And onto Smaug himself. It's a great indication of what the word 'epic' means in this age of cinema. The film gives us a lot of Smaug and I never wanted it to end. Bendict Cumberbatch as Smaug is a great move and gives him character. A very intimidating character. I cringed a little when I learnt the dragon talks in the Hobbit but now I can't imagine it any other way. It never feels silly and gives us some of the most stunning cinema I've seen this year.

The Desolation of Smaug ends the year of franchise blockbusters on a high and as much as I was in the cinema for more than 3 hours I didn't want that end scene to finish. I won't spoil the film's cliffhanger but I can assure you you'll wish Christmas 2014 was much sooner.

The mid section does take it's toll on the film as a whole but it can be forgiven due to the rest of The Desolation of Smaug being  really quite fantastic. An improvement on the already great first film and helps affirm the Hobbit as a movie franchise into one of the best of modern times

9/10

Saving Mr. Banks

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5kYmrjongg

Behind every great story there's often an even greater story behind it. It's a much used phrase when it comes to the film industry but nothing is more true when it comes to the story of Mary Poppins. Fans of the history of Walt Disney- this is your perfect film. It's interesting, funny and  has a whole tonne of heart.

The writer of Mary Poppins, PL Travers, was famously unhappy with what Walt Disney turned her beloved book into. Saving Mr.Banks explores the feuds and negotiations between Disney and Travers while creating the motion picture of Mary Poppins while looking into why the original story meant so much to it's writer.

The whole film gives an incredibly interesting and sometimes brave insight into the Walt Disney company at the time. It's a story that shows the sometimes difficult relationship between the stuffy British and 'y'all have a great day now!' Americans. It isn't just a series of interactions between Emma watson's wonderful grumpy portrayal of PL Travers with the various OTT Americans she meets however. The film goes much deeper than that.

The most impressive feat the film pulls off is Tom Hanks's uncanny role as Walt Disney. It's as if the man himself has been brought back to life and his jolly, happy nature is captured perfectly as well as his ruthlessness and determination. That's the thing about Walt Disney- as much as he had that joyful exterior he's a man who got what he wanted at any cost.

Saving Mr.Banks uses a series of flashbacks to show the back-story of PL Travers and help build up the picture of how Mary Poppins came into creation. The only criticism I'd give of the film is that they are perhaps a little over used but I still feel they are essential to the film as the story builds to it's super-emotional finale. To have an entire audience in tears over a story about the creation of a fictional character really takes some skill.

The whole tone of the film feels upbeat and whenever we're shown either the the Disney Studios or theme park there's a sense of magic felt similar to the feeling you get when you go to a Disney theme park yourself. At it's very core it's a story of someone who is immune to that Disney magic and how Walt tries to help them let it in.

It's funny as well with dialogue that had me laughing out loud. The Sherman brothers in the film provide much of the laughs as their Americanisms clash with Travers's stuffiness but they're by no means just a comedy aside. There are no filler characters here and everybody in Saving Mr.Banks plays an important role in the story.

Heartfelt and insightful, Saving Mr.Banks perfectly captures the story that lead to one of Disney's biggest films. It gives us an often unseen look into Walt Disney Studios at one of their peaks and delivers a story that will stick with you for a long long time. .

If I was incredibly corny I'd say it's practically perfect in every way.

10/10

Carrie

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdoVioPv0fs

I'm not familiar with the original Carrie film but I'd be interested to see how it compares to this 2013 remake. The story of Carrie really drew me in and was clever in the way it made me question who was actually good and who was bad. It's a shame this version is dressed up in cheap teeny horror clothing which gives Carrie a very confusing tone.

Those unfamiliar with the story, think of it as if Roald Dahl's Matilda had a very religious mother, had made it to high school and got picked on a lot. It all builds up to a cruel joke being played on her at prom at which point shit starts to go down as she's pushed too far. That in a nutshell is the story of Carrie.

For what it is it's fun to watch. The film moves along swiftly introducing us to all the one dimensional characters and when action happens it's big and bloody. As much as all the other characters don't have an awful lot to them the theme of not quite knowing if Carrie is good or not is present throughout the film. There's an obvious bitch character and an obvious good girl character but Carrie herself is more complicated. You certainly feel sorry for her a lot of the time but as the film progresses you start to wonder if you do want Carrie to make it out alive.

This of course is most likely a compliment to the source material and not the film I watched recently. I've said before I'm no cinematographer but the film feels very cheaply made. I lost count of how many continuity errors there were, characters looking one way in one shot and looking in another the split second after. It's really not something you should continually notice in a film and it does cheapen it a lot.

The target audience of Carrie is aimed at what I'd call the 'Final Destination' crowd. They don't want to grow deep feelings for the characters on screen, they just want to see them die in horrific ways. People up for that kind of film will be at home here as there's a lot of violence in Carrie for the sake of violence. About 20 minutes of the film is changing set-ups for the next death of bit-characters. I just feel the film could have gone down a much more clever route, focused more on the relationships Carrie has with people etc.

What we get though is still fun while not doing the original story full justice. It's worth noting that Chloe Grace Moretz is great as Carrie and really stands out as the only real acting talent in Carrie.

It's worth watching in the background but you won't be thinking about Carrie days after viewing.

6/10

Don Jon

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6615kYTpOSU

Don Jon, a film that deals with porn addiction and the big question 'is it okay to look at girls on the internet while in a relationship?'. Mum, Dad, this is your cue to stop reading, go read my Catching Fire review, it's nice and tame. 

I'd describe Jon Don as a romantic comedy that goes a little bit deeper. It's even brought up in the film itself how romantic comedies always follow the same story, fall in love, break up, get back together, no complications. Don Jon almost is that film but set in a real world where sex online is sometimes a little more appealing than the real thing. There's a fantastic monologue where he compares the two that gave me a good laugh. 

Talking of laughs, Don Jon does have funny moments but it's not a laugh a minute riot. It's okay though because that's not what it's supposed to be- it goes more down the drama-dy line of looking a little deeper into the characters' stories and replacing comedy set-pieces with scenes of relationship dynamics where the comedy flows naturally. 

There's strong performances all round- Joseph Gordon Levitt becoming ever closer to the biggest name in the modern film business. He wrote and directed the film as well and as a first attempt I'd say he can pat himself on the back. 

It's not exactly a masterpiece however and as much as the film is only 90 minutes long it does lose steam especially in the third act. I feel that certain parts of Don Jon's story could be elongated and other parts cut shorter. It throws us into the story of how he got into a relationship with a very attractive women while keeping up a porn addiction very fast but leads us out rather slowly. 

Overall though it's stylish, fun and brings up a few moral dilemmas often missing from other rom-coms. I'm sure it'll lead to many a conversation between couples around the world, probably all starting with the girl casually asking, 'so you don't watch porn do you?'. 

7/10

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keT5CRhhy84

I remember the first time I heard about The Hunger Games. It was described to me as a 24 person death match with children in an arena made to kill them. It's not a premise you'd expect to see in mainstream cinema, especially one aimed at teens and families. I hadn't a clue how that would work as a franchise.

Well 2 films in I can safely say I'm very happy The Hunger Games franchise exists. The story of rebellion flows smoothly into Catching Fire and picks up almost right where we left Katniss and Peeta at the end of the first movie. There's no signs of weak sequel syndrome here. Catching Fire is every bit as good as the first film. 

I'll try to keep the review as spoiler free as I can for the series in general but as always a lot is given away by the trailers. The film starts with us seeing Katniss and Peeta struggle to deal with life after the games and also highlights how the world they live in is changing. The 'Victory Tour' they go on is a genius mechanic to reintroduce us into the world of the Hunger Games and recap everything that's happened before. Whereas the first film had quite a slow start Catching Fire is far more interesting in the way it sets up the story. 

President Snow, the kind of 'man behind it all' figure, is understandably a little pissed off about the whole possible rebellion thing so in a harsh move makes Katniss and Peeta fight in the games again with past winning tributes. I was a bit put off by the whole 'it's the Hunger Games- AGAIN!' premise initially but it's quite different this time. It does feel a bit samey in parts; getting chased round the jungle, fighting other tributes etc. But there is something a little deeper going on this time. Something I'm not going to spoil for you. 

The atmosphere of Catching Fire is fantastic. Moments of total silence lead to dialogue that really pierces the air. The villains in the capital feel as foreboding as ever and the tributes that want to rebel deliver speeches that are powerful and effective. I found myself really backing what Katniss and Peeta are fighting towards and wanted to see the whole system taken down.

The overall bleak tone of the film is done well with the colour scheme being very grey and gloomy in the lower districts and the film's score matching it perfectly. It shows what a horrible world they're living in and what the tributes are going through. 

The games themselves are as exciting and action packed as ever. It doesn't feel as fresh and there's the lack of chaos present from the first film but their struggle to stay alive is still gripping. It's not so much tributes vs tributes this time as it is The Capitol vs tributes (vs some other arsey tributes I suppose). I personally could have gone for more fighting between tributes but it is still present at least and the huge set pieces and chases they face from their environment make up for it. 

The main negative is that the film doesn't have a grand finale as such and doesn't have the satisfying ending you'd hope for. You're left wanting more and to see the story continue further which to be fair isn't a bad thing. It shows that the film has had you totally invested in it for the past 2 and a bit hours. It's by no means a disappointing ending, it's still pretty spectacular, but it's certainly surprising and doesn't wrap everything up nicely. We all know there's a third movie being made- you could say the ending of Catching Fire is the bridge leading into it. 

A strong story that loses none of the first movie's good points, Catching Fire is a fantastic continuation of The Hunger Games series. It may still be a little early, but Christmas definitely has it's first major blockbuster.  

9/10

published 4.15am 21/11/13

The Butler

Trailer- Coming soon

Fun fact before I get to my sirius review of a sirius film. Butlers are called butlers because they buttle people. Yeah buttling is actually a thing. And possibly my new favourite word.

The Butler is a film based on a true story about a black butler who worked for the president for maneh maneh years from the 50s to early 80s (I think). It deals with his life and his family as well as black people's civil rights in general while also dabbling a bit in other American politics of the time.

 It's not something you'd usually see me review under Elephantchris reviews; my film taste is often a bit lighter. But I'm glad I saw The Butler. It started really strong, the anti-black issues of the time were very well dealt with and was for the most part very interesting. It's just a shame it's let down by a weak finish and long run-time.

I found the best part of the film was when it dealt with Cecil's (the butler in question) rise from slave to hotel worker to white house butler and his initial time there. It's interesting to see how the world reacts to him and how he's overwhelmed when he gets to serve the president for the first time. There's a heartfelt family story behind it all and it all feels very human. I love rooting for an underdog and Cecil is definitely that. He's a hugely disadvantaged man who's been given the chance of a lifetime.

The 'black power' aspect of the film is dealt with through a sub-story with his son joining a group at university to stand up for black rights. This is where I think the film is most clever. It would have been easy to ham up how badly black people were treated and the film to scream 'LOOK HOW BAD THE WHITE MAN TRIED BLACK PEOPLE!'. But it doesn't.  There's tense scenes where they are treated like crap by racists and at one point the KKK but it also shows how in their defiance the movement they created went a little too far at times. As the film goes on you find yourself not fully backing Cecil's son, you disagree with the things they do. It's a risky move that really pays off, until they almost ruin it at the end of course.

If it sounds like I'm siding with the KKK there I'm not- you'd need to see the film to understand. Or maybe I'm just a massive racist.

There's a boatload of celebrities in the film and it is a little distracting. No one does a bad job but when Robin Williams turns round as president Eisenhower it's not president Eisenhower. It's Robin Williams.

As said above the film really starts to drag after about the 90 minute mark and the stories they tell after some of the bigger stories they tell in the 60s-70s seem totally uninteresting. If it had stopped at the start of the Nixon administration it would've been perfect.

That's when the film nearly ruins itself by prolonging the story right until near present day and loses it's initial message and subtlety. It doesn't ruin the film that's happened before it but it comes close.

The Butler is well worth seeing but just be prepared to be in the cinema a little longer than you'd want to. If the film had kept up the momentum it had at the start it would be a must-see.

7/10

Gravity

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiTiKOy59o4

Well as the green witch from Wicked would say, Sandra Bullock defies gravity in this new hugely acclaimed space thriller directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Or rather she doesn't as Gravity does not actually feature in the film much at all. In fact there's less gravity in Gravity than possibly any other film I've ever seen. Misleading titles, what can you do.

In all seriousness Gravity is seriously impressive. If you weren't told it's just a movie you'd assume it's all real from just looking at it. Space looks authentically like space and it's immersive as hell. It's also helped by some subtle but very well done 3D and some breathtaking goosebump inducing panoramas of Earth below. In a word- Gravity looks beautiful.

The sound, or rather lack of it, really helps Gravity to become the realistic space experience it is. There's a lot of action and explosions in the film but you hear absolutely none of it. It makes the moments of peril seem more dangerous as it's so unfamiliar to see such huge action going on around you in silence. Similarly the feeling of isolation felt by Bullock's character is translated perfectly to viewers by the surrounding silence. She's by herself up there, no one can hear her- that over used Alien quote 'in space no one can hear you scream' has never been more true than in Gravity.

The main character's could be a little more interesting but they do their job okay. George Clooney does a good job of playing a seasoned astronaut and 'kind of' love interest. Bullock maybe just touches on being a little irritating with her constant panic but to be honest there's no other way she can react to what's happening to her. The atmosphere created in Gravity is terrifying.

So film of the year right? It's what the posters say? I thought Gravity was great...but not perfect. It's not a constant thrill ride and there are moments of slow down. For what it is it has a perfect run-time of 90 minutes which is good as there's only so much you change in terms of setting in Gravity. Gravity is like Paris for me. When you get there it looks incredible, you're overwhelmed by how nice it all looks. But once you've been there a while you get used to it and progressive gets less impressive. If it were any longer my attention would definitely start to drift.

It's not trying to be sci-fi though- Gravity is outer space at it's most real and any major change of setting (scenes on earth, flashbacks) would take you completely out of it.

The constant struggle to stay alive and the frustration of Bullock's character makes Gravity almost constantly gripping other than the occasional slow moment and I'd highly recommend Gravity to just experience the outer space atmosphere the film makers have created. See it in 3D and in the cinema or not at all.

8/10

Captain Phillips

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3ASoBrFGlc

I love when a film does so well based on how good the film is as opposed to who's in it or how it's advertised. Sure Tom Hanks is a huge star but he puts on arguably the performance of his career in Captain Phillips. The whole film is tense as hell, the whole story is excellently told and the whole thing just feels so...real.

The film starts by introducing us to the Captain Phillips himself as well as the Somalian pirates which surprised me a little. The film isn't just told from one side here- we're introduced to the pirates as actual human beings and find out a bit about them and their motives. It's an excellent touch and when shit starts going down on the ship it makes them seem all the more terrifying that you know a little more about them and you understand their desperation.

The film doesn't take it's time in getting right to the action and the panic and fear felt on-board the ship is shared equally with the cinema audience. My heart sunk as they started to board the ship and I bit my lip as the took the captain's men hostage with guns to their heads. It draws you right in and puts you right in the crew's shoes.

The whole film is essentially a hostage situation and as much as the story weakens in terms of interest near the end before the grand finale the tension is set on full for almost all of the film's 135 minute duration. The pirate characters seem so wild and unpredictable sometimes you're kept on the edge of your seat constantly at the prospect of what they're going to do next.

The acting in this film is in my opinion the best of the year. Every cast member feels genuine- especially Tom Hanks. He doesn't over-play the character, he just plays him as an authentic human being. A heroically brave one at that.

I always say that films based on true stories have a tough job sometimes on translating a real life story to one that's almost constantly interesting and gripping but Captain Phillips nails it. There are parts of the film where not much happens at all- just interaction between characters while they wait for things to happen but it's never a bore to watch. True some of the scenes near the beginning are more powerful than some of those at the mid-end point but I never felt like the film dragged.

It also has very broad appeal with a load of action, wonderfully acted drama and a load of heart. You invest a lot of emotion in Captain Phillips and as the film ends that emotion is likely to come gushing out.

One thing- every scene seemed to end with a rising  trumpet- like the end of an episode of Lost. Pretty sure no one else noticed other than me but I was at least a little aware of it and distracted me a little.

Captain Philliips is deserving of the praise it's come to receive in the past few weeks and is very much a must-watch for 2013. Let's just hope Hanks can make it a double with Saving Mr.Banks.

9/10

Bad Grandpa

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvXHbJzWMqI

Do not watch the trailer for bad Grandpa. I've even taken away the temptation by replacing the trailer above with a video of a basket of kittens. If you're one of the lucky 10 people in the world that haven't seen the trailer you're in for one of the funniest films of the year. If you have seen the trailer- you've basically seen about 80% of the film. 

Bad Grandpa is funny and in many parts side-splittingly so. The stunts the Jackass team have dreamt up are hilarious and seeing people's reactions had me laughing out loud minutes after the scene had ended. There's not a single stunt that falls flat and there's never any slow-down in the laugh department. 

Both Knoxville and the little boy have serious guts for getting themselves into the situations and there are times it's often too cringey to watch. It's certainly not the cleverest film in the world but it is an interesting look at America sometimes, how they just accept old people being hugely inappropriate as 'cooky old-person behaviour'. It also has an almost heart-warming story and the relationship between Knoxville and the child is quite sweet.

It is a bit odd at times as the film makers try to tell the story while also acting in the real world environment. I'm glad there is a small story about the boy getting back to his dad and that but it does feel a bit clunky and put-on. When you're watching the stunts it's funny because you're in on the joke- you know they're just actors. But to then be asked to believe them in their little moments of bonding doesn't feel right- it doesn't feel genuine. 

The story is hardly why you came to see Bad Grandpa though and it doesn't take away from the laughs at all, just gives the film an extra element. 

Now the main problem- if like most of the population you've seen the trailer for Bad Grandpa you know what is going to happen in every scene. The scene in the beauty pageant is the film's grand finale for god's sake- it's like putting a book's final chapter in the blurb. I found myself leaving the cinema feeling a little let down. 

It's still hilarious though, even if you have seen a lot of the film already. It doesn't have the crazy shock value of the previous Jackass films but it's still outrageous. Ryan Dunn would be proud. 

7/10

Ender's Game

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP0cUBi4hwE

Something that confuses the hell out of me at the moment is how they film zero gravity scenes in movies and TV. You've got Howard floating about in The Big Bang Theory, the fittingly titled Graviry next month seems to be shot all in zero G. And now there's Ender's Game where they have games of laser tag in a massive realistic no-gravity bubble. I don't know where this magic anti-gravity stage is I'd do anything to have a go on it.

It's one of quite a few very cool scenes in Ender's Game and it surprised me how enjoyable it was. ITS HARRY POTTER MEETS STAR WARS screams the trailer and as much as  it didn't click with me at the time, that's exactly what this film is with an added level of sternness.

The film takes itself very seriously but it's still fun to see the young cadets going to space-school and gasping in surprise as they float around in the no-gravity room. The child actors are a bit hit and miss but there's no truly cringe-worthy child-acting moments. It does feel sometimes like the children could easily be replaced with adults and it still be a legitimate film but the fact everyone is younger does make the film feel lighter. The classroom scenes and cliquey bully-boy tactics save the film from becoming a very dry sci-fi story.

There are some notable talent when it comes to the adult actors as well. Harrison Ford plays his grumpy self which is all well and good but it would have been nice if they'd given him at least a tiny sense of humour. The massive black guy who acts as drill sergeant to the recruits is basically a cartoon character which compliments Ford's super moody realistic performance by reminding viewers it's still kinda a kids film.

Ben Kingsley is in the film as well but I don't really see why as he doesn't serve a purpose. He basically does Harrison Ford's job again but with a funky pattern on his face.

The film's finale is big, epic and explosive and it's such a shame it gets followed by the worst ending I've possibly ever seen in a film. There's just 15 minutes at the end that almost sour your experience of Ender's Game just because it's so unnecessary.

Forget about the disappointing finish though and you'll have a good time with Enders Game. The whole thing could maybe be given a humour-injection but it's still a fun journey and is a great example of a family film that doesn't have to rely on cartoons and basic humour to get people interested.

7/10


Thor 2 review- http://www.elephantchrisfilmreviews.blogspot.co.uk/

Thor: The Dark World

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bFZJ-3zNFg

Poor Thor, he's no ones favourite Avenger (well, apart from one person I know). He's not Hawkeye level unpopular but still he's never going to be in the direct forefront on the posters to Avengers 2, he'll be nestled behind Tony Stark and maybe even The Cap. With the odds against him Thor: The Dark world still delivers a very enjoyable Marvel movie with  great action, heart and load of unexpected humour.

To avoid using the incorrect terminology and get attacked by comic book fans the story goes that Thor's girlfriend stumbles across something on Earth that some bad alien-people want so Thor makes sure she's safe and they don't get it. That sounds patronisingly simple but that's the jist of it. It's dressed up in a very grand mythical setting with the start of the film dragging a bit with gods and other important people getting a bit into the politics of the situation.

Once the action starts and it starts to feel more human, with the inclusion of Natalie Portman's character's romance with Thor, the film really finds its stride. The film's 'comedy aside' character along with the return of the fan-favourite Loki deliver solid laughs that make the film a little lighter and stops it getting bogged down in the otherwise super-serious setting and story telling. I'm sure there's fans out there who would prefer the story was told with perhaps a little more 'respect' but for the every-man it leads to a movie that can be enjoyed by a much wider crowd.

Getting back to Loki- he's still the best bit about Thor and Tom Hiddleston steals the show again as the coolest villain Marvel have ever introduced. He's got personality and there's a clear darkness behind his expressions. His dialogue is great and could give Tony Stark a run for his money in terms of wise-cracks but they never feel forced. The film makers decision to use him not just again in the Avengers but also in Thor 2 was a good one.

It's also a marvel (lololol) to watch with some of the best action scenes on film this year. I can't remember who but someone involved in Game Of Thrones was involved in the creation of Thor 2 and it shows- the breakneck brutality and fluidity of the fight scenes is a joy to sit back and take in.

Two weak points. Christopher Eccleston is completely wasted as the villain as you can barely see his expressions under the prosthetics and alien make up and  he delivers about 3 words of dialogue in English with the rest coming out a foreign language. He's uninteresting and there just so the film can have a main  bad guy as opposed to lots of characterless alien enemies.

The other is that the story gets a little confused with itself. I found myself asking a few times what was going on and why things were happening but it didn't really matter as it was all looking super impressive.

I've never left a Marvel film without a smile on my face and Thor 2 was no exception. It maybe lacks the pizazz (legit word apparently) of the other Marvel hero movies but Thor will always struggle to stand out next to such big characters. It's epic, fun and has made me look forward to my next Marvel fix with Captain America next year.

8/10

Machete Kills

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO1WwOQowlg


Terrible cliché dialogue, stupid over the top plotlines and cheesey fake looking special effects.  Machete Kills features all of these and is a very enjoyable film because of it. It doesn't take itself seriously and is a film that almost takes the piss out of itself.

Machete Kills is essentially a series of OTT fight scenes split up by corny dialogue and celebrity cameos. There are a load of recognisably faces here, from Danny Trejo from the original, Breaking Bad and...the fajita adverts, to Lady Gaga, Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson -the list goes on. It's funny to see so many well known faces in a film where the production values are so (purposfully) low.

I feel the film is at it's best when it's at it's most ridiculous. The intro scene which I won't spoil is one of the funniest parts of the movie and sets you up for the general tone of the film ahead. I just wished they maybe kept the same level of silliness up as it times the laughs do dry up and the film forgets what it's supposed to be.

There's gore a-plenty, there soley to get a reaction. There's nothing scarring, just a lot of unrealistic blood splatter and organs plopping to the ground. It's not one to watch with Grandma or on date night but as a film to watch in the background with a few friends you could do far worse.

The film is shot in grind house style but it's not shoved in your face as much as you'd think. It's an exploitation film but I feel it could have maybe been a little more shocking or a little more 'bad' to get that status. There are moments of 'this is crazy' but maybe not as much as you'd hope. A few more laughs and few more 'ewws' wouldn't have gone a miss.

Machete Kills is a fun 'popcorn movie' that won't have your sides splitting but will put a smile on your face. Watching it with a few beers in you as a warm up to a night out or something is probably the best way to digest Machete Kills. It's good stupid fun.

7/10

Sunshine on Leith

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74WEwUnmH-Y

I'm a bit of a musical connoisseur - is the most homosexual thing I've  ever said. To be fair though I have probably seen more musicals than your average straight 22 year old man and a lot of my favourite films feature the characters bursting into song. So here's a smash hit musical that I'm sure to enjoy, a tale of two soldiers coming home from war and adjusting to life all set to the wonderful tunes of...The Proclaimers. And here's my problem.

There's a time and a place for the Proclaimers. The end of weddings, chanting drunkenly on nights out etc. When it comes to trying to tell beautiful stories of life and love though, naaaat so much. The Proclaimers also have a limited library of music which forces the narrative to awkwardly fit round the song lyrics. For 'Letters from America' to work at all they need to force one of the characters to move to America. For 'Oh Jean' to work there needs to be a character called Jean whose life just happens to fit the lyrics of the song. It just feels so awkward and I don't think it flows at all- changing the story here and there to set up the lyrics to the next song.

The songs themselves also appear really suddenly and out of place which can be a big problem with musicals taking you out of the film and characters lives every time they start singing a Proclaimers song at the end of their sentence. It's not even made well with the characters' lips not even moving in time with the lyrics. I said a few weeks ago that Filth was an example of a film being stylish and well made. Well Sunshine On Leith is the exact opposite. Terribly made and the feeling of being very corny.

There were parts I accepted as being okay. The opening scene is almost well done and a rare case of where the lyrics fit whats going on in quite general terms. 'It's Over and Done With' or whatever the song is called is cheesey as anything but it is pretty fun and works with the whole crowd of people singing it. That's how Proclaimers songs are sung best- by mobs of pissed up people.

The finale is also enough to gauge a smile, partly due to '500 miles' being used as a super serious love song.

The Proclaimers themselves also make the worst cameo to happen in film history. If you could see them in the background or do something clever it'd be good but as it is they walk out a pub half way through a song and more or less look directly into the camera and scream 'LOOK WE'RE IN THE FILM TOO BECAUSE IT'S OUR MUSIC, LOOOOOOK!'.

Call me anti-Scottish but this is like watching Children In Need when it cuts away from the celebrities and star performances happening in London and you instead get Sean Batty singing a funny song about weather for money. A lot of people seem to be getting some enjoyment from it but it's definitly not for me. If anything it's a bit of stupid fun that atleast tries to make the songs of the Proclaimers into a legitimate story. Even writing that sound ridiculous though.

4/10

How I Live Now

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSaxm68PPT4

A reason this film wasn't as popular as it might have been is because no one I know really knew what it was about. Another poster/trailer rant here but the poster makes it look like a coming of age indie film and and the trailer makes it look like Twilight. To be fair however it is hard to market How I Live now as just one genre. It is a teen romance, mixed with a war drama, mixed with an arty indie coming of age film. Throw in some horror and make parts of it look a bit like Midsomer Murders and you have How I Live Now.

The film follows a girl who comes over from America to stay with her cute little English relatives out in the countryside. What makes things a little more interesting is that World War III is kicking off somewhere in the distance and when it reaches them it hits them hard. The film quickly goes from being very 'Famous Five' and first love to an actually pretty harrowing struggle to stay alive.

The shift in tone is pretty jarring but in that way it sort of works. To go from all smiles and niceness to such horribleness makes the struggles of Ronan's character harder to watch. The film sets her up to be this horrible bitch of a girl and the 'war changes people' message is a little obvious and a bit hammed on. But as clunky as the storytelling is I did end up really liking her character.

What's not so great is when the film tries to be much more arty than it is. There's a lot of inner monologues and 'close ups for some reason' at the start of the film which thankfully become less and less as the story grows darker. Whenever the sound goes all rumbley and she starts spouting out crap that's supposed to mean something in her head 'TAKE RISKS, AVOID CONFRONTATION, DON'T BE HELD BACK' it feels pretty self indulgent and more than anything just annoying.

When the film is best is when it feels like a ITV daytime war drama but set in modern say times. At pointss it does feel like it's based on a book and you're almost aware of it going chapter to chapter. The book it's based on I assume is very enjoyable though because the journey Ronan's character goes on really sucked me in. The death and darkness was probably less startling in the book than it is the film, but in that way I suppose it hits harder. There's a difference in reading about a boy getting shot and actually seeing it (as much as it's all 'pretend') which makes watching scenes How I live Now a little more shocking than you'd expect.

It's a film that could be enjoyed quite universally I think and one that'd be easy to watch with the family at Christmas if you can handle the later scenes. It sort of feels like a really good TV movie and would recommend a watch if you can ignore some of the mentioned flaws.

7/10

Filth

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tymWDB7gtK4

Here's my thought process through watching Filth. 'This is so funny! This is going to be such a laug...oh...oh jesus...wow...just...what?'. It's dark, super intense and I don't think my head could handle a repeat viewing in the immediate future. But Filth was certainly original and actually a hell of a good film.  

James McAvoy plays an Edinburgh policeman  who is after a promotion and then proceeds to go totally insane in the process. And boy do we go on that journey into madness with him. Scenes happen at random here and there which are partly explained as the film goes on but are still very jarring when you see them at first. When I found myself slipping out of being totally fixed to Filth I couldn't help but look around at my fellow cinema-goers who all had a similar confused expression on their face and just thinking 'what the hell is going on here'. 

It does work though. It's creepy shocking imagery gets into your head and it's as if you're going just as mad as McAvoy's character. You're slowly drip-fed his back story as well which gives a satisfying insight to what has caused this psychotic episode to happen. 

But it's a comedy right? Well it is in parts and when it is it's jet black. The first 10 minutes set it up to be a surreal Mighty Boosh style event but then the moments of random humour start to become few and far between as the themes of Filth become more troubling. 

There's plenty of British talent on offer here and I was recognizing actors from here there and everywhere either as cameos or full characters. I often feel when any media comes from Scotland it comes off very unprofessional and cheesy but Filth is the big exception here. It's stylish as anything and the acting is top notch. To steal a line right off a review featured on the poster - McAvoy indeed gives the performance of his career. He's on a role at the moment. Trance was great and so is Filth albeit not quite as interesting. 

It's a unique and intense journey but maybe the story could have been more stable. It's great that the story of McAvoy's character is almost told backwards but it does leave the viewer confused for quite a long part of the film. There's enough twists and reveals in Filth to keep it entertaining and clever but maybe some of the story telling could have been more conventional. 

I think Filth is the closest thing to Trainspotting that has happened since...well Trainspotting so if you could handle and enjoyed that you'll most likely enjoy this. Be warned however- it's not the wacky Scottish comedy it's been made out to be in trailers and on posters. Filth is twisted and intense but is a darkly unique experience I'll remember for a long while. 

8/10

Rush

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05rzPnZ6lxw

A film about a Formula 1 driver? How unbelievably boring. Is what I would say if Rush was boring. As it is it's a fast paced thrilling biopic with quite a touching emotional backbone. The story of James Hunt was never one I was desperate to know about but I'm really glad I now do.

It probably had the potential to be a snore-fest but everything about the film is just excellently done. We're given the stories of both James Hunt and Nikki Lauda, two racing rivals in Formula 1. You're given both sides of the story and a look into how each driver is so different. It'd be easy to present one as the outright villain and the other as the hero you back from beginning to end but both characters have their likable points and flaws and the fact you go between wanting each driver to win makes the film far more interesting.

Formula 1 is also presented in a way that makes it seem like the most exciting sport in the world. If actual Formula 1 was shot like that; the close ups of the pistons rising and falling, the roaring engines and tense expressions, I'd watch it all the time.

I really liked both of the characters and when they clashed it was a joy to watch. Dialogue was well-written and believable and when things get a little bit deeper near the end of the film it feels genuinely heartfelt. It's very often feel good and just as often puts a lump in your throat.

But look at me raving on, lets think about the not so great parts. As with all biopics there's only so far the story of the two race drivers can deviate from the truth to throw up dramatic exciting moments. Most races are just summarised in fast montages with the words 'Hunt 1st Lauda 2nd' written on screen as scenes of each race play. It would have maybe been nice to see more of the races themselves but to be fair the film isn't about the racing itself - it's about the relationships and changes the characters go through.

It's otherwise quite hard to fault. While not the most earth-shattering film this year it's certainly deserving of it's all round critical high praise and big box office figures. You don't have to be a big racing fan to enjoy this; just a fan of well put together, fantastically acted cinema.

8/10

R.I.P.D

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X07xNrVd7DU

Imagine if Men in Black but instead of aliens it was characterless undead monsters they were chasing. Now remove wise-cracking Will Smith and the rest of the stuff that made Men In Black such a success and you have R.I.P.D.

R.I.P.D starts with Ryan Reynolds dying only to be recruited in the afterlife by the Rest In Peace Department who hunt down people that for some unexplained reason have died but have now become monsters. It starts off quite strong; its an interesting and fun enough premise and when we're introduced to Jeff Bridges, his cartoon character cowboy sidekick, it looks like there'll be laughs a plenty.

Everything remotely funny is given away in the trailer unfortunately like the reveal of what they look like to other people. There were awful moments of silence after they tried to pull off funny dialogue as if they expected the audience to be rolling around laughing in the aisles unable to catch their breath.

I think the film-makers expected humour to come from the monsters themselves just by their gross appearance but I didn't see why a monster looking a bit disgusting is a big laughing point. By that logic the Resident Evil games would have people giggling uncontrollably through them.

The biggest surprise was that Kevin Bacon was in the film as the main bad guy. His character does an alright enough job at being a villain but it's kind of like he doesn't really care. It almost seems like it might've just been a pay-cheque-job for him.

If you are curious about the film it has some parts that sort of work. It has big smashy action scenes and the relationship between Ryan Reynolds's character and his still alive ladyfriend gives the film at least a slight backbone to stop it being totally stupid and unwatchable.

I can imagine much younger people enjoying this- 12-13 year-olds I mean. They'll like the gross-ness and the level of humour more but I get the feeling the film wasn't supposed to be solely targeted for them. There's jokes about coyotes making love to a corpse for example- it's not PG.

It looks like a fun little film from the trailer and synopsis but is sadly very disappointing.

5/10

Riddick

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH3O-CeZckE

Just how am I going to use this 'riddick-ulous' pun I've been saving up since I left the left the cinema. I don't think Riddick is riddickulously good but i don't think it's riddickulously bad either. I'll call it a riddickulously  just above average suspense action film. And also promise to stop saying riddickulous.

After a bit of thought I'd call Riddick a mix of Alien and Batman- in particular the Arkham games. This makes it sound absolutely boss but it's obviously not done as well. The majority of the film is centred around 2 teams of bounty hunters [at least one team are bounty hunters anyway] who land on this pretty baron planet to hunt Riddick. This leads to a lot of pretty tense stealth kills as Riddick proceeds to pick them off one by one.

It was initially quite fun but the problem is we're introduced to Riddick in quite a lengthy intro sequence that gives his back story and shows him adapting to this new planet he's been abandoned on. We're asked to be scared of what's hiding in the dark but we actually already know. By following his recovery it sort of gets us on Riddick's side, especially when he adopts a cute canine companion. If you want the viewer to like a character just show them being nice to cute animals- they are now a hero.

It's clear some of bounty hunters are bad but what's confusing is that some appear to be good guys- I didn't really know who to root for.

The film does have some very nice moments. When either Riddick or anyone else go head to head with the planet's monsters it's always action packed and well choreographed. Fans of monster movies will have a good time here I think. It's a shame the monsters aren't more varied but the main design of species that always seem to be going for them is pretty intimidating and creepy.

It won't go down as the most memorable sci-fi of the year but it has some nice moments and is very tense for most of the film. Without sending sexist it's very much a guy-film in the way that chick flicks also exist. It's got a main badass, it's got action and horror elements and a load of gore.

7/10

The Way Way Back

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qoaVUdbWMs

The Way Way Back- a title that annoys me possibly more than any film I've seen this year. I'm trying to link it to the film somehow but I just don't see how it relates. It also makes no sense, why the extra Way? Maybe I've missed something here. Despite the douche title the film is pretty good.

It's one of those indie 'coming of age' films where the main character goes on an emotional journey and learns something along the way. It's full of lots of silence between dialogue and lots of staring at the camera while soft acoustic guitar music playsmin the background. A bit Little Miss Sunshine, a bit Jeff Who Lives at Home, if you saw that the 7 days it was in the cinema last year.

Its a heartwarming journey for the most part. It's nice to see the main character Duncan go from being so miserable in a world that he doesn't fit in to to being so contented in a place he loves. It reminds me of going on a summer holiday when you were younger and meeting new friends and being really gutted when you had to leave them. This only happened once...but it I remember it well. It's actually really similar to that episode of the Simpsons when they go away to the beach cabin and Lisa meets cool new friends that accept her. The Way Way back is basically that episode of the Simpsons in film version with added family issues.

It's unusual to see Steve Carell in such an arsey villain role but he really pulls it off as Duncan's obnoxious step dad. Gone is the goofiness and silliness and instead there's a certain darkness that really makes you despise him. It's nice to see him play a role so different to what you usually see him as and even better to see him play it so well.

As nice as the film is there are a few moments that made me cringe a bit. There's a scene where Duncan is suddenly accepted into a group of kids who are all street dancing even though everyone else in the film so far has been hostile towards him. There's no reason why these people are any different but they all just seem to accept him as being cool as he starts dancing with them. Similarly there's no real reason for some of the characters to suddenly start being so friendly to him but they just do. Its a bit 'I've just met a weird kid who hardly speaks...let's be best friends and give him a job in my water park.'

I also find the style of these types of film a bit annoying. I find the scenes of silence and staring as if something deeper is happening just a little self indulgent.

It's a good example of a 'coming of age' film though and is very heartwarming. It's not so full of human emotion that it'' make you burst into tears but enough to absorb you into Duncan's world and feel the same feeling of acceptance and happiness he feels when things start to go right for him.

7/10

Elysium

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QILNSgou5BY

Cool sounding names. Elysium could be a film about the life of a lolipop man or documentary on cardboard and I'd still say 'ooh Elysium, sounds intriguing!'. As it it, Elysium is some pretty bland sci-fi that had me pretty underwhelmed.

I'm not sure what I'm missing here because the general consensus is that it's fantastic. The premise is indeed intriguing- Elysium is a spaceship where rich people live in the future, a bit like the one in Wall E but only poshos are allowed in. Everyone else scrabbles around on a browny-grey Earth and dies from cancer and things because for some reason all the anti-cancer machines are kept up in space. It's Matt Damon's job to get up there and spread the wealth.

Most of the film is set one Earth which is a little disappointing seeings as how muddy and bleak it all is. There's plenty action scenes but they all have such a dreary backgrounds and all characters involved are just buffed up thug-types. Even when it moves to Elysium itself its all a bit dull with fight scenes taking place is standard star-trek style corridors and what I imagine any factory in the world looks like. It's exciting enough but hardly jaw-dropping.

Almost all the characters I found to be pretty forgettable with the one massive exception being the films bad guy Kruger- the guy from District Nine. As far as villains go he's pretty terrifying and puts on a fantastic show. When he was alone with people I was just waiting for something horrible to happen to them. There's real menace in his voice when he talks and I don't think it'll be too long until he's snapped up by Marvel or DC to be a villain in one of their films.

Matt Damon puts on a good acting performance but he's hardly the most complex of characters. His relationships with Jodie Foster and the little girl in the film are quite heartfelt and believable but nothing gut-wrenchingly emotional. There's a nice meerkat and hippo analogy said by the little girl which stuck with me and was quite clever and made the film seem a bit deeper than it was.

I don't have that much more to say about Elysium to be honest. I saw there watching it thinking it was fine enough but it wouldn't be the end of the world if I missed the end. If the action was more spectacular and setting less bland I would have probably enjoyed it more- the story was pretty absorbing. It just fell a bit flat for me and was a bit of a letdown.

6/10

The Summer Film Roundup July-August

...I'm sorry.

I could blame my lack of reviews on many things. Moving into my new flat, having events on like a wedding and Leeds festival- but more than anything it's probably been laziness. It's a shame really because I have seen a shitload of films in the last few months and I'd feel bad giving them full reviews now seeings as they're not fresh in my head.

What I thought I'd do instead is give a summary of the films I've forgotten to review. Nothing in depth but I'll still give a score. It'd just feel wrong missing them out- I'm a bit anorak-ey in the way I like to keep track of what I've seen. This blog is for me as well as the 4 other people that read my posts.

So what have I seen? The list goes

The Heat
The Lone Ranger
We're the Millers
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
Kick Ass 2
One Direction- This Is Us

Just kidding with the last one. Maybe
I also just saw Elysium but that'll get it's own review.

The Heat

A cop film mixed with Bridesmaids- it's unexpected but works quite well. It's a film to watch with your Mum- she'll find it totally outrageous and you'll laugh along as well. There's nothing too serious here, it's very much a 'throw 2 opposite types together and see the keraaaazyness unfold' but I laughed quite a bit and walked out smiling.

Both characters can get a bit irritating sometimes, they play up their roles of 'the worrier' and ...well 'obnoxious person' to the absolute max but it's good to see both actresses putting their all into it.

You could probably watch it in the background and laugh along as you dip in an out. Just be warned, it gets surprisingly gory at one point in particular. Other than that I can't imagine anyone hating it.

7/10

The Lone Ranger

Some rather unfair reviews meant this film was overlooked somewhat. There was parts where it was a bit confusing- I wasn't expecting so much spiritualism and magic to be involved in what I thought was just an over the top western. It's also too long and could have a huge chunk shaved off the middle.

When the action gets going though it's a joy to watch. When it doesn't get bogged down with magic horses and immortality-for-some-reason the scenes on the train and basic good guy vs bad guy showdowns are an absolute thrill ride. A well thought out Disney thrill-ride no less; the last scene almost feels like you're riding Thunder Mountain.

Johnny Depp is also on form as much as he's kinda just a native American Jack Sparrow.

A middle-class family watch that's worth sticking with through the confusing slow bits.

7/10

 We're The Millers

So watch The Heat with your Mum, The Lone Ranger with your family and watch We're The Millers with neither. Its not obscene but the humour is pretty crude. Luckily it also happens to be very very funny.

The first 45 minutes is where the film really shines. Every single line Jason Sudekins's character said had me fully laughing out loud for almost half of the film. The main feature just seems to end half way through however and the rest is kind of filler to make up the ninety minute run time. It's still funny filler- just not flawless like the first half.

One of the best comedy films of the year that loses steam just a little bit as it goes on. It also doesn't take itself seriously and is a pretty silly yet still highly enjoyable good time.

8/10

Alan Partridge- Alpha Papa

Advertised as the funniest thing to ever happen to your life, this disappointed me a bit. Alan Partridge is an acquired taste and as much as I did laugh a considerable bit I did find some of it a bit bland and the big laughs stopped pretty quick once you got used to his bumbling character.

It also gets pretty dark with the whole hostage and mad gun-man situation not lightened up any. It adds to the tone of the film though and is very British with it's humour. If you're a big Partridge fan you'll probably love it. Personally I was a bit let down.

6/10

Kick Ass 2

I thought the first Kick Ass was good but overrated. I went into Kick Ass 2 with mediocre expectations. And was blown away. People have disagreed with me but I think Kick Ass 2 improves on the original in every way. I loved seeing Hit Girl trying to fit in with other teenage girls and how society reacts to real-life super heroes. It was all stylish and over the top but still believable.

It's also much darker with the film throwing the occasional truly shocking curve ball which makes it seem a little less fun. I personally like the added darkness though and feel the film is pulled off near flawlessly. I was completely glued to Kick Ass 2 start to finish and didn't want it to end.If it kept up with its hugely stylised fight scenes it could have happily had a 4 hour run-time.

This is the film of summer I feel and one of the few truly great films to come out in the last few months.

9/10


And there we go. I promise from here on to keep up to date with my reviews. There's a lot of films out there and I plan to review as many as I can.

The World's End

Trailer-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFo7eJR2cvc

I wasn't completely nuts for Shaun Of The Dead or Hot Fuzz. Both were funny but weren't my favourite films in the world. So how does The World's End compare? I gatta say- I was pretty impressed. Still not blown away though.

The biggest plus point for the film is that it's laugh a minute funny with it's dialogue from the very start. Simon Pegg plays a lovable idiot with Nick Frost taking the role of serious businessman which is a nice role reversal from the previous 2 films. They work very well together onscreen as do all the rest of the guys on the pub crawl. I'm a big Martin Freeman fan after The Office and his performance in The Hobbit so it's good to see him doing a good job here returning to his comedy roots.

The film is by far at it's best in the first half when there isn't a whole lot of sci-fi and weirdness. When the aliens appear the laughs do slow down a bit but it's still a fun little ride. The physical humour still gets a laugh as much as it's not quite as clever and  there's still over the top 'gore' as much as there's very little blood.

I wasn't a big fan of the ending. The film seems to go from down to earth hilarious-level funny to a little weird to outright madness. I'd have preferred a much simpler ending to be honest but the ending they give it is certainly different at least. It's far from cliche anyway.

It's definitely a film to see with a few beers in you. It'll make the first half seem even funnier than it is and the weirdness of the second seem more normal.

It's a shame it kind of loses momentum as it goes on but I think it's just as good as the other 2 films. The humour is very British which for me is always a big plus and I'd go as far as saying it's probably the funniest film of the year so far. Unfortunately funny doesn't always mean exceptionally good.

7/10

The Bling Ring

Trailer- Coming Soon

Misleading trailers. It's becoming an on-running trend in my reviews. The Bling Ring almost looks like a comedy chick flick with the scenes of Emma Watson playing the role of stupid Beverly Hills teenager and generic pop-dance soundtrack.

What The Bling Ring actually is is a dark snapshot look at teenage celebrity worship and disregard to morals and reality. It's a documentary about a group of teens who rob a whole load of celebritys' houses in Beverly Hills with not a lot of fucks given but played out like a drama. There's laughable parts but it's far from a comedy.

My main problem had with The Bling Ring was that the story it was based on wasn't quite interesting enough to warrant an entire ninety minute film. When a drama is based on reality like this it's hard to add plot twists and story arcs when they didn't actually happen. The film is just a series of scenes of the teenagers robbing celebrities' houses shot in different ways. There's only so many times I can watch girls get excited over finding shoes without getting bored. There's probably a whole celebrity fashion element I missed being...well a man but I suppose some people might get a kick out of seeing Paris Hilton's wardrobe. It's like those middle pages of Heat magazine I have no interest in.

And then they get caught [no spoiler, it's one of the first scenes] and not much else happens. It comes down to the characters being interesting which they aren't really with one main exception.

Emma Watson saves this film from being mind-numbingly boring. She plays her character great and it's just nice to see Hermionie Granger being a stuck up bitch. On a deeper level it's through her we see how some teenagers actually are with her self-righteousness and snobbery which is the main point of the film I think- to show how these people actually live.

I also got a small kick out of some of the thumpy music montages of teenagers living life to excess. They're like the old Skins adverts and look pretty cool. They add nothing to the characters themselves or the situations happening but it's visually and audibly quite pleasing.

Finding out about the true story of The Bling Ring was interesting enough but just not quite enough to keep my attention for an entire movie. I think if it had just been a basic hour long documentary on TV I would have enjoyed learning about the group more.

5/10

Monsters University

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBzPioph8CI

Before I start I'm gonna go ahead and say that Disney and Pixar can just go ahead and stop making feature length films now if they want and just keep making those animated shorts at the beginning of their films. Paperman at the beginning of Wreck It Ralph put a lump in my throat and The Blue Umbrella at the start of Monster's University did exactly the same. I won't include it in my final score but please pay to say this film to see the Blue Umbrella at the start. It's 10/10.

And onto the main feature- Monster's University. It's the origin story no one particularly wanted but are happy enough it exists. It's an important film for Pixar as it follows their recent wobble in truly incredible film-making. Cars 2 let the world down. Brave was better but didn't blow me away. Monster's University is where Pixar return to form....right?

If by return to form you mean a film that carries such an emotional punch it'll have grown men crying like in Toy Story 3 and Up you'll be let down here. It has it's heartfelt moments in the form of the relationship between Mike and Sully but nothing that will have the tears rolling from under your 3D  glasses. [top tip, go see sad pixar films in 3D and you can bawl your eyes out without people seeing].

If you want a top quality animated film that is miles ahead of most other animated rubbish that comes out every kid's holidays however then Monster's University is Pixar back on top. It's a charming genuinely funny film that doesn't actually need that strong emotional backbone to make it a good experience although admittedly the lack of it is just a little disappointing.

To be honest if the film didn't feature the familiar faces of Mike and Sully and the plot wasn't set in the Monsters world it would be just as good. As much as the monster world aspect is key to much of the film I feel like they're in this film just to sell more tickets as it's taking familiar faces from a classic film and sticking them on this as well. The references to the first film are a nice touch but it does feel a tad forced.

This is Pixar's take on a College Movie dressed up in Monsters Inc clothing so you should think about it as that rather than just another monsters inc film for some quick cash. The guys at Pixar put their heart and soul into their films and it's evident throughout. I can almost imagine the marketing department shouting at them to make it more Mosnters Inc-y though and to create more sellable characters. I'm stealing this from somewhere else but it's Walt's dream of heartfelt beautiful animation and the Disney Company's greed for money mixed together.

I understand I've not talked about the actual film much but it is really fun and a cut above most other animated films. Pixar don't quite have their flawless crown back on their head yet but they are certainly getting close.

8/10

Despicable Me 2

Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwXbtZXjbVE

Sorry to be a grumpy cat but I wasn't  a big fan of the first Despicable Me. I thought it was pretty funny and did have genuine heart but wasn't quite worthy of the huuuge following it got. I wouldn't compare it to Pixar for example [excluding Cars 2, I know]. After watching Despicable 2 however I have to say my feelings towards the franchise have...stayed exactly the same.

It's sounding like I really hated Despicable Me 2 but that isn't the case. I laughed out loud at a lot of the minion stuff and again it had an emotional backbone. With kid's films I feel there's those made for just kids and those made for the entire family and Despicable Me 2 probably falls just short of the 'mum and dad will love it as well' category. The humour is all slapstick but that's not really a bad thing, the minions fighting and blowing raspberries is actually the best bit about the film.

Then there's Agnes, the little girl from the first one, who wins the award for cutest character in a film ever. Every scene involving her gets a big laugh followed by an 'awww'.

I feel the film could have flowed a little better. The rapid comedy is kind of forced into every single scene and  it does start to feel a bit repetitive. I can watch  an episode of Looney Tunes for example for 15 minutes and love it with it's constant slapstick and people getting blown up and falling over but probably not for 90 minutes.

Like the first one I just feel like there's something missing to make the film really get to the level of a truly memorable animated film. It's good that it's set in such a zany world and gives the film character but it does make the film seem a bit more childish than say Toy Story or Up.

I usually stay away from going to see films during the day due to there being potentially noisy kids there but if you go see Despicable Me 2 I'd recommend going on a busy Saturday afternoon when there will be kids there. Their laughter will probably rub off on you and you'll enjoy the film more.

Despicable Me 2 is a good effort and a lot of fun. I'd say it's better than the first one but I don't think it's quite as good as everyone says it is. Maybe Despicable Me 3 will finally make me get on the series fan train.

7/10