Film Review: Finding Dory (2016).

Hey everyone. Sorry I've been so AWOL, I've been busy celebrating my graduation and I haven't felt the motivation to blog recently. Anyone felt like this lately? Any tips to get me back into blogging?

While I wait for answers, I have a film review for you! And it's for Finding Dory, of course. I cannot even tell you how long I have waited for a sequel to Finding Nemo and it's paid off.. after 13 years (OMG WHAT), the blue fish is back and making me cry with laughter once again. So, let's get into the background and the review (without spoilers)!

The Background

Finding Dory is the sequel to Finding Nemo and follows Dory's new adventure, a blue tang fish who suffers from short-term memory loss. The only thing she can remember is that she somehow got separated from her parents when she was a child. With the help of her old friends, Marlin and Nemo, as well as some new friends, she sets off on a new adventure to find them again. Her journey takes her to the Marine Life Institute, a conservatory that saves and looks after different species of animals from the sea.. and somewhere her parents are trapped in there.

My Thoughts

13 years is a long, long time to wait for a sequel especially for a very popular film such as Finding Nemo. But Finding Dory was absolutely fantastic! But 10 minutes in and I was already emotional, sending me some flashbacks to the first film! Goddamnit, Pixar you know how to pull on my heartstrings.

Disney/Pixar

Baby Dory is possibly the cutest thing I have ever seen! Oh my god, throughout the film you get flashbacks to her and she just made my heart melt every single time. She was absolutely adorable and her story is heartbreaking.

ninjaturtlefangirl.deviantart.com

Older Dory is just funny as always with her one liners and just her personality in general. It was great hearing Ellen Degeneres voicing the fish once more. Her journey took her to a marine conservatory which had Sigourney Weaver's voice over the intercom, telling guests about the sanctuary which added SO many laughs to this film!

The film is basically like the first one with Dory trying to find her parents just like Marlin did with Nemo. But this story really holds its own with old favourite characters coming back but also with some new hilarious additions to the cast. 

Hank the octopus... oops, the septopus, according to Dory, because he's missing one tentacle! He was a grumpy but hilarious character, helping Dory navigate her way throughout the sanctuary. Destiny the whale shark (who is short sighted) and Bailey the belgua whale (who has a brain injury) are absolutely fantastic. It's revealed that they're Dory's childhood friends which helps her remember more of her past life with hilarious consequences. 

Besides all the witty one liners and recurring jokes, the story has a wonderful message alongside it. Sure, Dory is very forgetful! Sure, Destiny can't see very far and Bailey's echo location doesn't work anymore but they're still helpful in their own way. The film teaches us that no matter what your limitations are, if you believe in yourself enough, you can do anything which is proven by Dory herself. It is a beautiful message and one I hope that children understand and apply to their own lives. It really is a great family film and a positive, good enough sequel to the first film. 

Ooh, there is also a short film called Piper before the film which was just adorable!

Have you seen this film yet? What did you think of it?

Let me know!

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

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Film Review: X-Men: Apocalypse (2016).

Hey, everyone. I'm back!

I decided to take a break these past couple of weeks because I was SO busy with my end of year uni assignments and I handed my last one EVER on Monday. So I'm done with uni forever now so I can get back to regular blogging. I have missed it! Let's go!

So, I finally saw X-Men: Apocalypse last night with my brother and it was pretty good. I'll tell you what it's about and what my full thoughts were on it.

The Background

The first and most powerful mutant, Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) has been worshipped as a god since the beginning of humanity. After being awakened after thousands of years, disillusioned, he recruits a broken-hearted Magneto (Michael Fassbender), Psylocke (Olivia Munn), Storm (Alexandra Shipp) and Angel as his four horsemen. He and his gang of mutants are ready to create a new world and they want to destroy the current one which brings Professor X (James McAvoy) and Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) together to lead a team of young, teenage X-Men to stop their seemingly immortal nemesis from destroying the world. 

My Thoughts

Overall, I thought the film was pretty good and the special effects were spectacular as usual. However, the storyline was fairly standard and nothing new at all. It's the same-old thing of a guy trying to take over the world and it somehow involves Magneto as always. The storyline lacked a little bit of punch or originality and I felt like it was hastily and messily put together to be able to climax for the final fight. Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse was incredibly intimidating and he scared me a few times actually! His powers were epic and he was definitely someone to be wary of. 

Character-wise it was really great to see some new characters and some familiar ones but in their teenage years. The four horsemen were pretty cool but I felt like Angel did not have enough fight scenes and wasn't used to his full potential. Kodi Smith-McPhee was brilliant as Nightcrawler as was Tye Sheridan (Cyclops/Scott), Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique/Raven) and James McAvoy (Professor X). 

Michael Fassbender as Magneto was heartbreakingly good. His acting skills always blow me away and you actually feel some sympathy for his character in this film (I won't give anything away!). But Sophie Turner as teenage Jean Grey and Evan Peters as Quicksilver stole the show for me. To the delight of fans, there is a another slow motion scene where Quicksilver is involved. I won't spoil anything but it was really funny and so, so cool! His one-liners and humour are nice touches to the film. Sophie Turner did really well as Jean Grey, especially in the final fight which was just awesome. To bring Jean Grey and her inner demons to life is probably hard to do but Turner did a brilliant job and I loved her in the final scenes.

There was a certain cameo too by a beloved X-Men character which was fabulous to watch, I won't spoil it unless you've seen the trailer and you know exactly who I'm talking about. The film itself was actually a bit more graphic and bloody than the previous X-Men films! There was times where I genuinely winced and squirmed at some of the scenes. But I pretty much liked it overall, X-Men films are something I'm always going to go and see I think.

The ending and after-credits scene led me to believe that we haven't seen the last of the X-Men clan yet. But I'm hoping they will do better storyline-wise but I know I can't get enough of mutants and their powers so I'll be sure to see more future X-Men films!

Check out the trailer:

Have you seen it? What did you think of it?

Thankyou for reading.

Laura. 

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Film Review: Captain America - Civil War (2016).

Hi everyone, hope you're good. I finally saw Captain America: Civil War today.

I've been so excited to see it so let's get straight into the review! (There may be some spoilers)

The Background

Civil War is about a political system that pressurises the Avengers to take accountability for their actions that have caused collateral damage and the death of innocent civilians. The Accords Act splits up the team with Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) believing that superheroes should remain free to defend the world without government involvement whereas Iron Man/Tony Stark massively disagrees and supports the Act. The debate escalates into an all-out free-for-all between the superheroes, making the likes of Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) pick a side between their friends.

My Thoughts

I liked this film ALOT, I had no doubt that I would. It was a little different and hard to see the superheroes fight each other rather than come together to take down an evil force. I really liked the fact that all the way through the film, you are never 100% what side you are on. For most of it, I was on Cap's side but then there were moments, particularly towards the end, that made me sway towards Stark's side. There was a few cameos that were great such as Martin Freeman turning up as Everett Ross and with the almighty Stan Lee as always.

The two new characters: Black Panther and Spiderman made a hell of an impact.

Spiderman's introduction was great. At first, I wasn't too sure about the casting choice but Tom Holland proved what a fab, new addition he is. He brought something different to the film and also integrated some comedy proving how young and nerdy he is which works a treat for the Spiderman fans. I haven't watched any other Spiderman films, Tobey Maguire was Spiderman for me but it was refreshing to see a new take on the superhero.  

Black Panther was a force to be reckoned with in this film. His introduction was absolutely fantastic and he was silent, lethal and unbelievable to watch. Chadwick Boseman did a fabulous job bringing the character to life and his storyline. The chase scene between him, Bucky, Captain America and Sam Wilson/Falcon was pretty thrilling!

The two major fight scenes between the teams were great and different for various reasons. The first big face-off, a mass battle in a German airport, was pretty cool. Steve Rogers had Hawkeye, Ant-Man, Wanda, Sam Wilson, Bucky and Tony had War Machine, Vision, Black Widow, Black Panther and of course, Spiderman. This fight was pretty great and hilarious. Alongside the punches and kicks, there were some great one-liners which toned down the seriousness of the fight. It became more of an Avengers film rather than a Captain America one, although Hulk and Thor (I'm assuming he's fighting his own battles which we will see in Thor 3!) were nowhere to be seen and were only mentioned briefly. 

Spiderman really came into his own here and excelled his fighting skills but also showed how naive and innocent he really is as he doesn't stop to listen to Cap's side. Ant-Man was still great to see after his own solo movie went down a treat with me. I felt like he could've been used more in this film, there was so much potential for him and I don't think they used him as much as they could have. 

The second fight was between Stark, Rogers and Bucky which was much more intimate and genuinely more painful to watch. It was hard to see your favourite characters go head to head with each other and really throw some hits that make you wince. There was no comedy here, just pure raw emotion and pain. It was an emotional climax to the entire film and you find out and see some things that really shock you. 

However, I felt like the ending was a bit anti-climatic after such emotional scenes and it felt a little rushed but it was a cliffhanger which makes you think what state are the Avengers in now? The film could have been wrapped up a little better and the entire film did not seem like a civil war really, it was more of a squabble between superhero friends which turns more serious and emotional later but not into an all-out war. Perhaps I am the only one who feels this way but I still loved the film.

I left the cinema feeling like I was on Team Cap and so did my brother. It was a great film but Steve did make me wonder about how far he would go for Bucky which was scary at times but I also understood his position more than Stark's. It was a great film and the actors, who are now so in tune with their characters, each played their scenes so well. Even when they were being overshadowed by Cap or Stark, the supporting cast such as Black Widow, Hawkeye, Ant-Man, Falcon etc. each did well and added their own humour to the scenes.

Also the two post-credits scenes were great to watch, so stay for them!

Have you seen this? What did you think of it?

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

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Film Review: Deadpool (2016).

Hello, everyone. I am so excited to finally review Deadpool! 

I know it's already been out for a few weeks but I've been ill and busy with uni work so I couldn't see it sooner. But I went last night with my brother and we both loved it, it was so much better than we expected. So, let's get into the review because it's a long one!

The Background

Directed by Tim Miller, Deadpool is Marvel Comics' most unconventional anti-hero and this film tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson. This film follows Wade as he fights to live after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Desperate to find a cure and live a life with his girlfriend Vanessa, Wade goes ahead with treatment that he believes will cure him. Instead, he is subjected to a number of excruciating experiments that leaves him with accelerated healing powers and a whole new look. With his new abilities and dark, twisted sense of humour, he adopts the alter ego Deadpool to hunt down the man who nearly killed him.

My Thoughts

First of all, I didn't realise this was an instalment of the X-Men series despite the fact there was two X-Men characters in the entire film. I also didn't know much about Deadpool himself but I got really, really excited about going to see the film. I mean, before the film even came out, you must've seen the marketing for this film! It is easily one of the best marketing schemes I have ever seen for a film. Taking the mick out of Hollywood cliché film posters (particularly spoofing Nicholas Sparks') and more, have a quick look:

   

    

Anyway, back to the film! The opening credits were enough to make anyone laugh/quickly become engaged. Normally, when you have names pop up who were involved with the making of the film, you have some pretty big names when it comes to a Marvel movie. Not Deadpool. The opening credits literally listed the people as such: "some douchebag's film, produced by asshats, starring God's Perfect Idiot, a hot chick, a British villain and a CGI character, directed by an overpaid idiot". How cool and unique is that?!

The entire film was fantastic, funny and action packed. I've never read the comics for Deadpool but apparently it stayed true to its spirit and Ryan Reynolds amongst others worked so hard to get this film made (11 years, yo!). This is a film I recommend to anybody, a fan of Marvel films or not just because of its humour. That being said, it is definitely NOT a family friendly movie. I saw a mother trying to get her kids into the film when I was buying my tickets.. like lady, you don't understand. It's rated 15 (UK rating) for a reason!

First of all, there is a shed load of blood and gore in it. For Deadpool to work, it had to be R-Rated and my god, it worked. The fight scenes were beautifully and amazingly choreographed - I was blown away by Deadpool's fighting style. Literally, at one point, he cut someone's head off and kicked it at another person. The violence was so gritty and very realistic and really shook up the superhero category. The film is also FULL of bad language and controversial jokes as well as some brief but intense sex scenes which to be honest is NOT a good thing to be watching with your older brother in all honesty!

There's a fair bit of nudity with all genders and to be honest you don't bloody complain when you see Ryan Reynolds naked. Seriously. This man is a god! Also, you see his nether-region in a certain of the part and I almost died. 

What I also loved about this movie was the incredible, badassery of the women in it. 

First of all, Wade's girlfriend Vanessa totally holds her own and isn't just some same-old, boring love interest. She is funny and banters with Wade Wilson so easily. The end fight scene really shows off her skills too. Go, girl!

      

Secondly, Angel Dust is an awesome mutant that has you gobsmacked when she completely bitch slaps Colossus and shows him she's not worth messing with. Their fight scene together is cool as hell and it's great to see her give just as much as she takes.

Lastly and definitely not least, Negasonic Teenage Warhead held her own as well. I thought she'd annoy me as a stereotypical teen but she was actually quite funny and badass too. Her super power is epic and completely not what I expected. She can kick arse and does so! Thankyou to the Deadpool team for showing that women are just as cool as the guys can be.

As far as origin stories go, Deadpool is probably my favourite. It jumped from the present to his past and then back to his present situation in a quirky way. Some moments had me squirming and cringing in my seat because I'm not used to seeing so much blood in a superhero movie and I've been a fan of Marvel for a long time now so this was something new. But what it confirmed for me was that, it was how EVERY superhero movie should be. That may be a controversial thing to say because kids obviously love these movies too but it did make me think how some Marvel films could've been so much better if they were R-Rated. However, Hugh Jackman's last Wolverine movie in 2017 is reportedly going to be R-Rated after Deadpool became such a huge success so that's something.  

In conclusion, Deadpool is worth seeing in the cinema but only for people over 15!! It's not for young kids who sneak in or lie to their parents, trust me. Some of the torture scenes were harrowing and it could be potentially disturbing for kids to watch stuff like that. But other than that, it is an incredible movie and it has already crossed $500 million at the global box office in less than 2-3 weeks despite only having a mere $58 million budget. If that isn't persuasive enough, then I don't know what it is. Join the hype like I did, y'all!

Here's the trailer

Have you seen the film? What did you think of it?

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

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Film Review: The Revenant (2016).

Hello, everyone. Hope you're well. Sorry I haven't posted anything for a few weeks. I had four deadlines for one day for uni and it genuinely wiped me out and I wanted a break from being online. But I'm here now and I've got a film review for you all.

So, I've just been to see The Revenant and I enjoyed it alot more than I thought I would!

The Background

Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, a hunting team are explore the wilderness of America when Hugh Glass, explorer and father, (Leonardo Dicaprio) is violently and horrifically attacked by a bear. Left dead by his team members and betrayed by his confidant John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), he must fight his way back through a brutal winter to live and get his revenge. It is an embellished version of apparent true events.

My Thoughts

Before I even got to the cinema, I'd read and heard different things about this film. The cast and crew went through a turbulent time filming it. The director, Alejandro, insisted that the film should be shot with natural light which only occurred during 90 minutes per day which obviously slowed the process down. But it was dramatic and stunning! 

DiCaprio's character goes through ALOT, such things like; eating raw fish and bison liver, dodging bullets, being mauled by a bear, riding a horse over the edge of a cliff, sleeping in animal carcasses. DiCaprio really immersed himself within the role by doing the frozen river stunts himself and actually biting into bison liver (his real reaction is caught on camera and kept in the final cut). Although, he isn't the first actor to get into film roles like this (just look at Daniel-Day Lewis) but the finished project is absolutely unreal and you really admire DiCaprio's dedication and performance here.

But, apart from that, there isn't that much more to his character that you can connect with. He is a father in this film but it doesn't really complicate things as much as you'd think although the story is about revenge, life and family. His story is gripping from the beginning to the end but perhaps not entirely in the way, DiCaprio and the director wanted it to be. You're more interested in what painful thing is going to happen next to Glass rather than the actual reason why he's crawling across open plains in agony.

Tom Hardy as the strong-headed, opinionated Fitzgerald was intriguing too. He played him perfectly as always. He's one of my favourite actors and this film is just another reason why. However, I did struggle sometimes with the way Hardy spoke in a mumbly fashion and the accent he was using so I missed out half of what he was saying sometimes but overall he did a fantastic job. Even when his character is saying nothing, his eyes are doing the talking and they are saying a thousand words when he isn't.

The cinematography was visually stunning and took my breath away. Each step of the journey feels treacherous mixed in with the beautiful and terrifying nature of the harsh winter. The storms are scary to watch and Alva Noto's musical score accompanying it drive home the terror. Not only that, the bear scene that has everyone talking is just as horrifying and chilling as you'd expect. It is unreal how they filmed it because although they used a CGI bear, it is a scene that has you recoiling in your seat and terrified for Glass. 

This film is terrifying, beautiful and amazing all in one. It is very graphic by the way so if you're sensitive to blood and gore etc., it isn't for you. DiCaprio and Hardy are both nominated for Oscars for this and they are truly deserved! If DiCaprio doesn't win for this genuine endurance test, then I don't know what it will take for him to win.

Here's the trailer

Have you seen this? What did you think of it?

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

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Film Review: Paper Towns (2015).

Hey everyone, I spontaneously went to see Paper Towns the other day and I thought I'd give you all a review of it. Perhaps it can help you see whether it's worth watching or not. 

The Background

Paper Towns was originally written by John Green in 2008 and became this mystery, comedy-drama film directed by Jake Schreier. It is about a young boy called Quentin (Nat Wolff) who falls in love with his neighbour Margo (Cara Delevingne) who moves in across the road from him. Margo recruits Quentin to help her prank her friends who had betrayed her. Margo mysteriously disappears the next day and Quentin feels it is his duty to go and find her. With a few friends of his; Ben (Austin Abrams), Marcus 'Radar' (Justice Smith), Angela (Jaz Sinclair) and Lacey (Halston Sage) they all set off on the mission to find Margo using the clues she's left Quentin. 

My Thoughts

I'm in a bit of a predicament here because I haven't had the chance of reading the book before seeing the film and I always like to read books before the film adaptations so I know what they've missed out and what they've done right/wrong etc. Clearly, Paper Towns was made in the wake of the huge hit The Fault In Our Stars (which I also reviewed here) and there is even a cameo from a certain star from that film too. However, I have to say this film was one of the most blandest, weirdest and most boring films I have ever watched. I just didn't.. get it.  

There was a huge buzz around Cara Delevingne being cast as Margo but this model turned actress just did not impress me one bit. I didn't feel like she was bad at acting either but she didn't stun me with anything else either. She plays some kind weird rebel who just disappears literally half an hour in and becomes some sort of cliché rather than a girl who actually thinks and feels things. Possibly the result of being written by a male, I think.

The film just plods along with Quentin running around with puppy dog, loved up eyes looking for clues and dragging his friends on some ridiculous road trip to find her. It's portrayed to be some sort of comedy film.. I did not laugh at all once. One of Quentin's sidekicks, Ben, is seemingly placed in the film to throw out these one liners and act like some player who sleeps with loads of girls. He was not funny one bit and in all honesty, made me cringe for pretty much all of the film. 

The ending of the film was even worse and just left you thinking, was there even a point in making this book into a film? I think the answer is no. Clearly, The Fault In Our Stars was a big hit with young, starry-eyed teenage girls who believe in all the stupid cliché's and quotes from these books which they plaster all over their Facebook and Twitter so they made Paper Towns with the same hope. I just thought the whole thing was boring and pointless. Perhaps the book has something more to it but the film hasn't left me wanting to read it right now.

Here's the trailer

Have you seen this? What did you think of it?

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

Film Review: Ted 2 (2015).

Hello everyone. I have another film review for you today and it is Ted 2! I know I have done a few film reviews recently but I have a few other different posts coming up soon. But first, let's get into this review.

The Background

Ted 2 is the sequel to the 2012 first Ted. It is a comedy directed and written by Seth MacFarlane, creator of Family Guy and American Dad. He also reprises his role as Ted as does Mark Wahlberg as Ted's best friend John Bennett. This time life has changed for the thunder buddies as Ted gets married to Tammi-Lynn (Jessica Barth) and John Bennett is newly divorced. However, problems arise when Ted ends up fighting for his civil rights when he attempts to adopt a child as authorities rule that he is property rather than a person. Angry, he seeks the help of a young lawyer (Amanda Seyfried) and a civil-rights attorney (Morgan Freeman) to get justice. But because he is now deemed to be property, he is once again at risk from his stalker Donny (Giovanni Ribisi).

My Thoughts

I personally enjoyed the film a lot and found it really, really funny. I will admit some of the jokes were similar to those in the first one - drugs, sex, gay and racist jokes. In some parts, it is definitely ruder and funnier than the first one. If you're easily offended by dark comedy, I certainly wouldn't recommend this film because there are definitely moments where even I squirmed a bit in my seat watching. There have been some criticisms about how racist, homophobic and transphobic Seth MacFarlane is considering some of the jokes that run continuously throughout the film. I wouldn't consider this to be true as Seth is an advocate for gay rights in real life and it is just a comedy film at the end of the day.

I did find the film tended to drag on a bit sometimes, the storyline plodded along a little bit in some places. It also felt a little similar to the first film with Amanda Seyfried replacing Mila Kunis as John Bennett's love interest because I think this was the time Mila went off and had a child. Also Donny (Ribisi) was back as Ted's stalker which he was in the first film so a few things felt a bit stale. But other than that, it's worth a watch and very funny.

Here's the trailer

Have you seen it? What did you think of it?

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

Film Review: Antman (2015).

Hi, everyone. I have a film review for you today! I went to see Ant-man last night and I have to say it really blew me away with how brilliant it was. I'll have to be honest, even though I'm a big fan of anything Marvel, I wasn't that impressed or too bothered about seeing this at all. A lot of people claimed it wouldn't be good at all but I do believe they said that about Guardians of the Galaxy and look how that turned out. One of the, if not THE, biggest film of 2014. 

So here's my review for Ant-man:

The Background

Dr Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) is forced out of his own company by his former protégé Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) and in desperation, he seeks the help of Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). Scott Lang is a master thief just released from prison and is trying to fight to see his daughter. He becomes Ant-Man after stumbling across the suit and gets trained up by Pym and his daughter, Hope (Evangeline Lilly) to get acquainted with the suit that allows him to shrink to the size of an insect, possess superhuman strength and control armies of ants. He needs to use these skills to prevent Cross from perfecting the same technology for another suit and using it as a weapon for evil.

My Thoughts

Now, I'll have to admit. The concept of Ant-man sounds ridiculous when you talk about it out loud but on screen it actually works! Of course there are some criticisms which we will get to later but let me get through the positives first. 

Ant-man was just.. enjoyable! The plot-line/science of the suits made sense all the way through and the CGI was absolutely fantastic. When Lang became Ant-man, it was truly thrilling. This was something new and never-seen-before. The action scenes weren't too long and didn't overpower the film's storyline or any characters and their developments. Marvel did a really good job in tying Ant-man into the Avengers for future films as well and there were a few great little cameos from some well-known superheros as well which you should look out for. ALSO there are two mid and post-credits scenes which are definitely worth sticking around for. 

Personally, I thought Paul Rudd was fantastic as Scott Lang. Sure, it was the same usual 'average white guy is the chosen for some reason and just happens to be down on his luck as well' but he was a great choice. I've always liked Rudd especially in Friends, This Is 40 and I Love You, Man. He is a naturally funny person and his type of comedy is what I like. He plays Lang very well and blends humour and drama perfectly in Ant-man. And might I add, that man has not aged a day and is looking fiiiiine.

But now we come to some criticism. Although I liked Evangeline's character, I felt like Hope was casually pushed out of being able to do the mission and became a B-list side character. As explained in the film, she is trained in martial arts and knows Darren Cross inside out but for some reason Scott Lang is more capable than her. Plus, she is reduced to becoming a love interest for Lang; the same, usual, BORING story for a woman. The chemistry between Rudd and Lilly just wasn't there and fell a bit flat for me. 

It annoyed me a bit more here as well because she was clearly a strong independent woman who could take on the bad guys just as easily as Lang could. Thankfully however, one of the end credits scenes show she's going to become something bigger and more important so Marvel kind of covered themselves in that regard.

So apart from that, it's an entertaining and visually stunning film that is suitable for anyone. It's a great laugh and easily proves everyone wrong who said it'd be really awful. It isn't as charming as Guardians of the Galaxy and I don't think it'll be as big but it is a brilliant film to add to your Marvel collection.

Here's the trailer

Have you seen it? What did you think?

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

Film Review: Jurassic World (2015).

Hey, everyone. So I finally got to see Jurassic World last night and I am here to review it for you today. I hope you enjoy reading it, let's get into it!

The Background

You must be living under a rock if you don't know what the Jurassic franchise is all about but if you don't, I'll tell you what this one is about. Jurassic World is a direct sequel to the first film Jurassic Park and it ignores The Lost World and Jurassic Park 3 completely which is a smart move really. 

Located on the original island, Jurassic World had been active for a number of years, following in the footsteps of John Hammond before becoming 'boring' for tourists who were tired of seeing uninteresting dinosaurs. To boost attendance again, a team of scientists design an array of genetically engineered dinosaurs including an enhanced hybrid called the Indominus Rex who inevitably escapes, causing chaos. Its escape sets off a chain reaction, resulting in other dinosaurs running amok and it is up to former military man and animal expert Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) to use his skills to save two young children and the rest of the park from the slaughter.

My Thoughts

Jurassic World was great and as action-packed as I expected. The first moment of hearing the iconic soundtrack of the original Jurassic film gave me goosebumps and made me feel incredible nostalgic. It was more suspenseful and scarier than I expected, especially with the scenes of the towering Indominus Rex, prowling and stalking. What also surprised me was the fact Jurassic World was increasingly self-aware and thoughtful throughout the film but of course the film had its flaws.

But first, there were a few blasts from the past running throughout the film with quite a few recognisable dinosaurs as well as the new ones. Also, (a possible, minor spoiler), there is a part in the film where the two children (Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins) stumble across into the visitor's centre from the original film which has long become run-down and out of use. However, they come across some iconic items like Timmy's night vision goggles and the old Jurassic Tour Jeeps. The constant throwbacks to the 1993 film are beacons throughout film even getting one of the characters, Lowery (Jake Johnson), to wear a Jurassic Park t-shirt which he got from e-Bay. All of these meta moments just shows how much Jurassic World feeds off on our love for dinosaurs but also on our love for the film Jurassic Park. This constant nostalgia as well as the new, introduced themes/dinosaurs/people blended well together and was great to watch. 

The only properly fleshed out characters were the dinosaurs, I felt. The once terrifying Velociraptors became heroes of the story as they are trained by Chris Pratt's character to follow his orders and go against all rules of nature. Chris Pratt was actually pretty good as Owen, obviously. To be honest, that man could play a tramp and I'd still find him incredibly attractive! He's not necessarily the lead actor but he definitely steals every scene he's in either with action packed moments, one liners or his raptor training. Unfortunately, I felt like Bryce Dallas Howard struggled with her uptight, wooden character Claire who is constantly worried about profits, park attendance and investors. The initial hour or so of her made me feel frustrated and not at all connected to the character but at the very end, she truly became an empowered, incredible woman who literally saves the day.. IN HEELS. 

However, I do have a problem with Jurassic World as it often abandoned characters and subplots for more dinosaurs. For example, at one point the two kids' parents (who weren't there, they are Bryce Dallas Howard's character's nephews who were visiting her) were apparently getting divorced but this subplot is randomly dropped and never spoken of again even at the end of the film so it felt a little pointless because it was clearly only used to give these kids some kind of emotional arc. 

The messages about the dinosaurs being genuine animals in the film were great and could definitely apply to real life as to how we treat animals. Especially the part with the huge dinosaur in the water which eats a great, white shark in the trailer: it has a SeaWorld-esque feel to it and how this incredible animal is reduced to being a public attraction and only thought of in financial terms.  

Another few things that I loved about Jurassic World was that there was tons of racial representation rather than the usual white, male characters. Yes, Chris Pratt was technically still the white, male 'lead' BUT there were subtle differences that I really enjoyed. Claire was a woman of power, rather than a victim and she wasn't as sexualized as much as she could have been. Plus, the only 'villain' wasn't actually a dinosaur, it was a corporate, white man planning to take the dinosaurs off the island which really reinforced the message that the dinosaurs are animals and are trapped in captivity rather than seeing them as the terrifying monsters we had gotten used to from the first film.

Here's the trailer:

Have you seen it yet? What did you think of it?

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

Film Review: The Avengers - Age of Ultron (2015).

This is probably one of the film reviews I've been so excited to post all year since I am such a Marvel fan. Hopefully you enjoy reading this and love the film too!

So I saw this film the day it came out (23rd of April) and absolutely loved it. It was full of action, heart racing moments and good old superhero goodness.

The Background

The Avengers: Age of Ultron is the sequel to 2012's The Avengers and it was directed and written by Joss Whedon once again. It features an ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey Jr (Tony Stark/Ironman), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/The Hulk), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye) and two new characters, brother and sister; Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). Also James Spader voiced Ultron and Paul Bettany who voices Stark's A.I. companion J.A.R.V.I.S also voiced The Vision. 

In this, they team up together to defeat Ultron who is technological enemy that Stark and Banner accidentally create after finding an artificial intelligence located within Loki's scepter from the first film. They use it to try and create Stark's 'Ultron' global defense program which inevitably goes wrong as Ultron gains self-control and is hell-bent on bringing "peace" to Earth by ridding it of all human life.

My Thoughts

This was indescribable! It literally kicks off and doesn't hold off introducing the avengers all at once as they battle in a forest against a terrorist group that is affiliated with Hydra who were discovered in Captain America 2. It is a spectacular introduction and you're instantly on the edge of your seat.

Whedon yet again indulges us in a good old fashioned superhero film and saturates it with subplots, cameos, character conflicts and the cramming of each character's own individual storyline. This goes swimmingly for Whedon as he writes and directs this so well that for two and half hours you're back and forth between characters while also centring on Ultron's plan of destruction but also getting to know two new characters. It doesn't fall apart at all and seems to be all glued together by the avengers' chemistry and tension with each other.

Speaking of the two new characters, we had a glimpse of the orphans Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in last year's X-Men: Days of Future Past but in this film they really shine - especially Olsen. They're brother and sister and become sidekicks for Ultron. Quicksilver uses super speed to quite literally pull the carpet from under the avengers' feet and Scarlet Witch uses her mind control abilities to mess with the avengers' heads which is how Stark comes to his plan of building Ultron as she shows him an illusion of a possible future where he betrays all of his friends and destroys them.

Of course I have a few criticisms but they're only small and easily surpassed by the thrilling action and subplots. There are few cheesy moments which drag out a few scenes unnecessarily especially between Black Widow and Bruce Banner as a surprising romance springs up between them which I am very unsure about. It did change my mind a little because I've never really been a fan of Scarlett's acting but she was better in this one and you see more into Black Widow's story. Also I didn't really like how quick they built and introduced Ultron because it didn't really stretch out enough tension, it just felt a little bit rushed. However Spader really induces fear as Ultron and plays him well. 

However the rest of the film surpasses all of this as it was action packed and absolutely fantastic. We even got to see more of Clint/Hawkeye's character development and we found out more of his background which blew us all away in the cinema. It was a nice touch as he was mind controlled for most of the first film although he proved important in the fight. Another character I've been impressed with is Captain America. His character development has been very significant, he is central to the team and really keeps up the morale despite all of the criticisms from his own solo films especially the first one.

It all seems a bit chaotic and mad but it systemically works well and the final confrontation seems a little familiar to the first one but Whedon writes it well and has you gasping and cheering right to the end.

Trailer

Have you seen it? What did you think?

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

Film Review: Cinderella (2015).

Hi everyone, I am so sorry for being absent on here for literally an entire month but I've had lot on due to my health and I had to have an operation which I'm still recovering from but I have a film review for you today!

I went along to see Cinderella because I love Disney so much and the 1950 cartoon version was lovely and beautifully animated. I'll give you the background like I usually do and then give you my thoughts about the film.

The Background

2015 Cinderella is a romantic fantasy film from a screeplay written by Chris Weitz. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, the film stars Lily James as the beautiful Ella ('Cinderella'), Cate Blanchett as the Wicked Stepmother, Richard Madden as Prince Charming, Sophie McShera as Drisella, Holliday Grainger as Anastasia and Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother. The films follows and uses many of the same elements from Walt Disney's 1950 animated film of the same name but with a few differences.

Ella, as a young child, lives with her parents in a beautiful house in a quiet kingdom and from a young age she is taught by her mother to believe in magic, fairy godmothers and to be courageous and kind. Through this she is able to befriend animals on the estate, mainly the mice and become kind and caring. However the tranquillity is broken one day when her mother tragically dies and her father, years later, marries Lady Tremaine (Blanchett) who brings along her two daughters who are unpleasant to Ella despite her determination to remain polite and welcoming.

Tragedy strikes again and Ella's father dies while travelling and Ella is left to become a slave for her stepmother and her two daughters. One day, upon meeting Ella in the forest, Prince Charming sends out invitations to everyone to the kingdom to meet her again. When Lady Tremaine and her daughters force Ella to stay at home, she seeks the help from her Fairy Godmother who helps her go to the ball to meet her destiny.

My Thoughts

I absolutely loved the film although it was a little cheesy and twee at times but I quickly remembered it was pretty much a child's film. It left me nostalgic for my own childhood and it completely re-invented how I always saw Cinderella. Lily James was very beautiful and probably perfect to be Cinderella but her acting was a little airy and fairy sometimes however she completely changed my mind at the end when she stood up to the Wicked Stepmother and got her well-deserved happy ending. 

I was pleasantly surprised to see Cate Blanchett take on the role of the Wicked Stepmother as I had absolutely no idea who was going to be her. She absolutely shone in her role and really made you believe she was completely vile and wicked. Her costumes throughout the film were absolutely stunning and I really wanted to be wearing them myself! The stepsisters added a nice comedic element though-out the film also.

Helena Bonham Carter is one of my favourite actresses of all time and she was exquisite and dazzling as the Fairy Godmother like I knew she would be. She narrated the film throughout and made the transforming scene hilarious but magical and magnificent. 

The film's visual effects and costume design were definitely Oscar worthy because I could not take my eyes off Blanchett's dresses and Cinderella's dress was a dazzling blue that sparkled throughout Lily's scenes. Kenneth Branagh, as the director, completely transformed Cinderella and proved that Disney has not lost any of its magic.

Have you seen this film? What did you think of it?

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.