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: 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.

Film Review: Fifty Shades of Grey (2015).

So yes I finally saw this after refusing to for ages because I hated the books so much. The sex scenes really didn't bother me apart from a few bits, it was genuinely the awful grammar and spelling mistakes that the author was making and the fact this trilogy made more money than the Harry Potter books which really annoyed me. Because we all know it didn't make money for its storyline.

What's it about?

I don't know anyone who doesn't know what this film is about but if you don't.. Fifty Shades of Grey is an erotic romantic drama film directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson. Based on British author E. L. James' best-selling trilogy of the same name, it is about a college graduate called Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) who meets Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) to interview him for her room mate and eventually begins a sadomasochistic relationship with him.

My thoughts

I'm not going to go on about the books but I have to say after the huge buzz from them and the film being hotly anticipated, this turned out to be a bit of an anti-climax. It definitely doesn't pass as a "romantic drama" and it lacks any psychological intensity that exists in the books. 

Dakota Johnson's Anastasia was a little bit one-dimensional and her acting was a little flat and almost laughable. However there was some scenes and one liners that made me laugh which surprised me so it was nice to have some comedic elements which broke away from the monotonous scenes. But there were definitely some cheesy lines that sounded bad enough in the book let alone in film form.

I really like Jamie Dornan as an actor and he is great eye candy but even he struggled with this role and I don't blame him for any of it. The Irishman had to put on an American accent which he struggled with as well sometimes. The acting was so flat and wooden sometimes that when it came to the emotional and deep-secret-revealing scenes, I didn't feel at all moved and it just failed to do anything for the storyline.

The sex scenes were quite erotic and graphic enough to push the 18 age certificate to its limit for sure but they also fell a little flat if you compare it to the book. When you've read the books, you do expect it to be a lot more than it was. Also I didn't appreciate how the woman is always the one being sexualised more than the man. We saw Dakota's private parts more so than Jamie's, we literally only saw two sneaky glimpses of his before the camera moved away to linger on Dakota's body again.

So I didn't like it like I knew I wouldn't but the comedic one liners and scenes did make me laugh so at least that's something. It was just odd to actually have the book in film form and hearing it sound even more worse than it does on paper. 

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

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

Film Review: Gone Girl (2014).

So I finally got round to watching Gone Girl that came out towards the end of last year and oh my god, I am absolutely kicking myself for not getting to the cinema to see it. This genuinely has to be one of the best films I have ever watched. I will review it and give you as much background as I can without giving any of the film away.

Background

Gone Girl is a psychological thriller film adapted from Gillian Flynn's 2012 novel of the same name. The cast consists of Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry and Carrie Coon. Directed by David Fincher, it is about a man, Nick Dunne (Affleck), on the day of his fifth wedding anniversary who comes home from the bar that he owns to find that his wife Amy (Pike) is missing. The media becomes heavily involved as Amy's parents used Amy as inspiration for their popular Amazing Amy children's books. Suspicions soon arise that Nick killed his wife and his awkward behaviour further contributes to this as he is interpreted by the media and police as a sociopath.

My thoughts

That as much as I can tell you about it without spoiling any twists and the ending. For 149 minutes, this film was incredible and pulled no punches. The twists in the story came so unexpectedly and left me gasping and hooked at the end. The film goes between two time periods and David Fincher's amazing directing works in making neither of them ringing completely true. To do this, he uses the character Amy's diary writing for the past but for the present we are partially relying on Nick's account. I can't actually review some things because they will just give the entire film away but I cannot stress how much you need to watch this.

Ben Affleck was fantastic as Nick Dunne and it was nice to see him in something so gripping and psychologically thrilling. He is certainly starting to age now but my love for him hasn't diminished at all as he leads the audience to believe that Nick could actually be responsible for the murder of his wife through his emotionless awkwardness and violent temper. 

Rosamund Pike was actually something else in this film. She was absolutely phenomenal and being Amy is possibly the best thing she has ever done. Her performance is taut and gives off the vibe of a woman on the edge. Although her voice is sometimes overcome with emotion through her diary entries, her face gives you absolutely nothing which terrified me more than anything. Her bedroom scene with Neil Patrick Harris was especially horrifying and hard to watch but still somehow capitvating. She has been nominated for many awards like the Academy Awards, BAFTAs, Golden Globes and SAGS for this film and rightly so.

This film's suspense and pace never slows and you never find yourself feeling bored at any point. It confuses, scares and amazes you all at once. It is definitely the one to watch when you need a good psychological thriller. Don't do what I did and hold off from watching it any longer, it is one of the best films I've ever seen.

Here's the trailer:

Have you seen it? What did you think?

Thanks for reading.

Laura.

Film Review: The Woman in Black 2 - Angel of Death

Hi everyone. So I finally took a break from revising and the overload of uni work and went to see The Woman in Black: Angel of Death with my brother. I have a little mixture of emotions for this sequel so let's get into it straight away.

The plot:

So The Woman in Black: Angel of Death is a sequel to the popular 2012 film The Woman in Black which starred Daniel Radcliffe. Directed by Tom Harper, this film takes place during the Blitz of World War II and caretakers Eve Parkins and Jean Hogg are taking a group of schoolchildren to the eerie Eel Marsh House which seems to be peculiar and run-down but safe. Of course it isn't long before Eve starts to sense that there is something very wrong about the house and the children begin to disappear. Eventually the house becomes a terrifying place to live in so Eve gets help from an attractive pilot to find out what is happening. Soon it becomes obvious that it isn't a coincidence that Eve has come to live in the house that is inhabited by the Woman in Black.

My review:

So obviously the first film was such a hit that they just couldn't resist making another one, running it dry of its money. I must credit The Angel of Death as it is actually little bit more original than I thought following the first one but it does pay homage to the first film a few times if you look carefully. From the beginning, to me the storyline was pretty predictable - I mean, two women taking a group of CHILDREN to the only apparently safe place in London. Of course it's an instant recipe for disaster as the Woman in Black is well known for being hell-bent on taking the lives of children to get revenge for her own loss of her son but obviously the film has to go somewhere for it to work.

I don't know if I'm just growing up or I'm just used to horror movies using the same old tricks over and over again but most scenes fell a little flat for me. The jump scares get repetitive after a while because as usual it's the same old 'noise ... silence ... SCARY MOMENT!' every 10 minutes and I could pretty much gauge what was going to happen almost every single time. It'd be a nice change if they didn't always use dolls, creaky doors or rusty pipes to do the scaring for them. I've seen it over a 100 times in many other scary films. 

Mind you, a few moments did get my heart racing so it is still creepy at times definitely. I have to admire the camera work as it slowly creeps around the house which really increases the tension of the scene and leaves you watching through your fingers at times. The ending was, again, too predictable for me and you can tell what is about to happen about five seconds before it even does.

I can't say that I'm too disappointed because I sort of went into the theatre expecting it to be rubbish, just another sequel to make more money and to try to follow the first film's success. But I will say it holds its own as a sequel but most of the time I wasn't really that scared but I'd also say it's worth a watch, especially if you liked the first one.

Trailer:

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

Film Review: The Hunger Games - Mockingjay Part 1.

So I finally got to see the new Hunger Games film and I'm so glad to say that it did not disappoint at all. First of all, I love the poster for this movie.. Jennifer Lawrence looks powerful yet somehow still vulnerable being the teenager she is and burdened with the pressure of being the symbol of freedom.

First a bit of background, this is the final instalment of Suzanne Collins's best-selling The Hunger Games, split into two parts. For 123 minutes, the film is after Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is rescued after destroying the Quarter Quell and is adapting to life in the complex beneath a ruined District 13. Her home, District 12, has been bombed and blown to bits while Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) has been brainwashed and taken into captivity by President Snow (Donald Sutherland). During all of this, Katniss also learns of a covert rebellion that is rioting throughout all of Panem and she finds herself at the centre of a plan to bring down Snow.

I've read the books and I think the movie did fantastic to follow the plot and told the story well. The film delves into propaganda and how the media uses images to relay certain messages which is vital for this day and age especially when this film is intended for a young audience. All of the actors did well to play their parts, small or large, and Jennifer Lawrence was always perfect to play Katniss. She portrays the emotions fantastically and in the way any teenager would be going through if they were put in this place. Josh Hutcherson shines in the scenes he has and creeps you out with his cold, dead-like eyes; amazing acting by him. It was sad to watch Philip Seymour Hoffman knowing that this amazing actor no longer walks among us but he was really the driving force of Mockingjay through his performance.

All in all, I absolutely loved this film. It leaves you wanting so much more and the frustration that you literally have to wait another year to see Part 2. Go and see it now!

Here's the trailer:

Have you seen it? What did you think?

Thankyou for reading.
Laura.

Film Review: Transformers - Age Of Extinction.

 

So I finally saw this film last night and I was very disappointed with a lot of things but also still a bit satisfied as I got my fill of robots fighting robots which always seems to be a hit for me. But there were so many things wrong with this film that I literally don't even know where to start.

Well first I'll give you a bit of background if you don't already know yet, Transformers: Age of Extinction is the sci-fi, action film based on the Transformers franchise directed by Michael Bay and executive produced by Steven Spielberg. This fourth instalment had an all new cast unlike those prior and its leading man was surprisingly (or was that just me?) Mark Wahlberg. It takes place after the attack in Chicago five years earlier in Transformers: Dark of the Moon which leaves the humans picking up the pieces. A group of controlling, inventive scientists and businessmen attempt to rid the world of all Transformers, both Autobots and Decepticons, by using their new technology as well as pushing the boundaries on their new creations which are soon out of their control.

The film came out on the 27th of June this year and its reception wasn't the best it has had with its other films apparently. Of course there was the usual admiration for the stunning visual effects and the tremendous action scenes which involved huge robots fighting other huge robots which is pretty much everyone's cup of tea. But it was a very a plot heavy film which soon became tedious and far too long with its run time ending at 165 minutes - even longer than the previous films. 

Mark Wahlberg's character is a Texan inventor called Cade Yeager (yeah, I know.) who is always looking to find junk that he can mould into other things. He finds an old truck which soon seems to be more than a vehicle. To be honest, Cade is probably the only character you just about care for. He is instantly likeable, probably because it is Mark Wahlberg after all, I haven't seen a bad film from him yet. He's portrayed as this underdog who just wants what's best for his daughter who's unbelievably annoying, grating and whiny. As well as her, there was her patronizing and incredibly smug boyfriend played by Jack Reynor. Both of them are so pointless and unnecessary in this film because all the daughter, Tessa, does is whine, scream for help and defy her father and all the boyfriend does is act cocky and push the fact he's dating Tessa and that she's all grown up now in Cade's face while apparently being the only one who can drive really, really well (this will make more sense if you go and see it).

Both of them could have been easily cut out of the film and no one would have missed them. Speaking of characters being cut out, when one of the Autobot favourites Bumblebee comes flying into the screen there is literally no mention of his friend Sam Witwicky who he has been protecting so fiercely for the past three films. Now I don't know if this is because Shia Lebouf has gone all weird recently and you certainly don't miss him in this film but you find yourself wanting an explanation, as it's only been five years in the storyline between the two films, as to why it feels like they're just acting as if the last three films never happened.

While we're on the subject of story-lines, this film was simply stuffed with them. So stuffed that you become confused as to what is actually central to the film and who is being really targeted. They all desperately try to link up somehow and fail to do so, leaving things unclear and not easy to follow. It starts off with the story of Optimus Prime and his crew fighting against the human-hating Transformers seemingly at the centre of the film then it turns to Cade's constant unnecessary battle with his petulant, insufferable teenage daughter and her swaggering boyfriend which had so many pointless scenes, including an ACTUAL scene where they discussed statutory rape laws. Utterly ridiculous. Not only that they then switched to some plot of Transformer hunting for homeland security to then a more bigger, not-introduced-until-the-last-hour-or-so undeveloped plot of Optimus Prime's mysterious beginning and where he came from.

But there was one thing all the way through the film that really got on my nerves and it was Michael Bay's leering camera shots that trailed up and down Nicola Peltz's (Tessa) long legs in those bloody short shorts. Now I don't know if this is just the feminist within me but seriously, it is 2014 people! Why are women still being sexualized in these types of films? Literally ALL of the female characters in this movie were sexually objectified and wore tight, revealing clothes. No women in this, especially the daughter, were of any help and literally ran around screaming and making things worse.

I could rant about women being constantly sexualized but that's another post.. another problem I had was how they used Stanley Tucci's character. Seriously, I love this actor and he completely shines every time in any film but in this he was so annoying and massively unfunny. I don't believe this is his fault but it is of the screenwriter Ehren Kruger. There was just a constant flow of crap jokes and scenes that could've have been easily removed thus shortening the film's length of time!

Not only that, when the fight takes place in Hong Kong (I won't spoil the reasons why they're there) there seems to be a racial stereotype in place. It's suddenly implied that all Chinese people are magically amazing at martial arts. For example, a certain elevator scene with Stanley Tucci and a chinese woman, a bystander in the elevator has no significance but suddenly becomes involved when Tucci and the lady are attacked. Out of nowhere, he seems to be a sudden expert in martial arts and takes out a few of the attackers for no reason at all when it's nothing to do with him. It just seems like a lazy and clichéd plot device which served no purpose at all.

I could go on more about the mistakes in the film but in the end, I just sort of tuned out and just waited for the action scenes. In the end it just becomes a big blur of robots where you can't even make out who's fighting who, falling buildings/bridges and crushed cars. I heard there was supposedly a surprise ending but I certainly wasn't surprised, just disappointed and things were left unclear and it was just a shambles at the end really. Basically if you're a fan of loud, robot fighting action scenes full of effects and nothing else then this is for you.

To tell you the truth, I'm usually a big fan of big action movies and Transformers has always been right up my street and while the fighting scenes were great as always, it wasn't enough to overpower the jam-packed storyline, the annoying characters and the laughable dialogue ("my face is my warrant" "I knew you had a conscious  because you're an inventor like me!" seriously???). 

I'm sorry if this review seems long to you but I can only be honest and I just felt like I was cheated with this film as I was pretty excited to see it.

So yeah go and see it for the usual fantastic, effects-driven robot fighting but don't be expected to be blown away by anything else.

Thankyou for reading.
Laura.

The Inbetweeners 2 Coming This Summer!

 

Is anyone excited about this as much as I am!?

I absolutely love The Inbetweeners and I have followed it religiously grow from a television series to a full blown movie with a sequel coming this summer!

If you don't know about The Inbetweeners already, it is basically about four young lads, foul mouthed Jay, nerdy Will, idiotic Neil and hopeless Simon, trying to fit into a 'cool' society while hilariously failing to do so. The television series was based around their time in sixth form and trying out life as teenagers. The film was all about a massive over hyped lads holiday which all goes down the pan for them! You should definitely check those out and get up to date with what everyone is talking about.

On The Inbetweeners Facebook page they released a new full length trailer where it shows they are now based in Australia on their gap year, a place where they've dubbed it as the 'sex capital of the world'. The writers Iain Morris and Damon Beesley have promised that the trailer doesn't ruin any of the best bits and we will be surprised in the cinema and enjoy it more.

So click on The Inbetweeners Facebook page and check out the trailer!

The film comes out 6th of August.

Thankyou for reading.
Laura. 

Theatre Review: The Lion King!

So I saw The Lion King musical last night and it was literally everything I could've ever wished for. The original film has always been my favourite of all time and it has been one of my dreams to see it in the theatre. 

Produced by Disney Theatrical, it is based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the same name with music by Elton John and lyrics provided by Tim Rice alongside the incredible, dramatic soundtrack created by Hans Zimmer with choral arrangements by Lebo M. Directed by Julie Taymor, the musical has the actors suited up in various animal costumes in conjunction with giant, hollow puppets which were absolutely astounding to see. It is Broadway's fourth longest-running show in history (still running after more than 6,700 shows!) and the highest growing Broadway production of all time, having gross more than $1 billion.

If you don't know already, it is about a young, cocky cub called Simba who is desperate to be like his father, Mufasa, the king. However, Mufasa's brother and Simba's uncle Scar is jealous and resentful of his brother being the king.. and in time, succeeds in murdering Mufasa. Having failed to kill Simba too, he fools the young lion into believing that he is responsible for his father's demise thus making him flee into exile in despair and misery. In his isolation, two friendly characters called Timon (a meerkat) and Pumbaa (a warthog) befriend him and help him learn and grow in his new world. When he becomes a majestic, mature lion his childhood friend Nala finds him and gives him some valuable perspective that makes him rethink about returning to Pride Rock. With a push from his shaman Rafiki, a spiritual baboon, he returns to Pride Rock to challenge Scar and end his tyranny.

The film is full of vibrant, brilliant songs such as; Hakuna Matata, Circle of Life, Can You Feel The Love Tonight? Throughout the years they have won and been nominated for many awards. Elton John's Can You Feel The Love Tonight? won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe while Circle of Life and Hakuna Matata were nominated for both. Hans Zimmer's impressive score earned him an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA nomination.

The musical was absolutely fantastic. They followed the entire script from the film completely with a few changes and a few new songs introduced. The music really uplifted you and really brought home the emotion for certain poignant scenes. Some even brought a tear to my eye just because of how fantastic it was. The actors who played Scar, Timon and Pumbaa scarily sounded exactly like the characters from the film! It all flowed perfectly and you found yourself singing, clapping and tapping along. 

I would not advise you to miss this for anything. Even if you have never seen the film, this is definitely a musical you should put on your to-do list! One of my dreams came true as I have always wanted to see it live on a stage and I go to do so in the prestigious Empire Theatre in Liverpool. It is a night I will always remember. I hope you liked my review and please leave a comment on what you thought of the musical or what you thought of my review.

Thankyou for reading.
Laura.

The Fault In Our Stars Already Breaking Records!

So if you haven't heard already, where have you been?!

John Green's fantastic book, The Fault In Our Stars, has been made into a film and I, amongst many, cannot wait to see it. The book was John Green's fifth novel, published in January 2012 and its narrative is a 16 year old cancer patient called Hazel. She's forced by her parents to attend a support group where she meets and falls in love with 17 year old Augustus Waters who's an ex-basketball player and amputee.

In January 2012, the film rights to the book were optioned by Fox 2000 and eventually on February 19th back in 2013 it was announced that the film would be directed by Josh Boone alongside a great cast; Shailene Woodley (who's also in the fantastic Divergent), Ansel Elgort and Nat Wolff.

The film is only just coming into theaters this weekend and yet has already become the biggest pre-selling romantic drama in Fandango's history! Although they haven't said how many seats have been reserved to see the film but it has now surpassed The Vow, Safe Haven and Dear John at the same point in their lead-ups to release. The previous record holder was the 2012 film The Vow starring Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams which opened to $41.2 million! It is said that The Fault In Our Stars is to debut to more than $30 million just this weekend. 

It won't matter whether you've read the book or not (although I do recommend you do!), it is bound to be one of the best, if not the best film of this year so far. It'll break your heart and those who have already read the book will know what I mean.

I can't wait to see the film and hope it is as exactly like John Green's remarkable novel which is emotional and jarring. His writing was stunning and beautiful, making The Fault In Our Stars one of my favourite books. It is the most talked about book and film right now and I wouldn't advise you to miss out.

Go and see it this weekend!

Thankyou for reading.
Laura.

Lupita Nyong'o and Gwendoline Christie to Star in Star Wars: Episode VII!

 

Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o and Games of Thrones' star Gwendoline Christie have been announced to cast in Star Wars: Episode VII. Lupita Nyong'o's breakthrough performance in 12 Years a Slave saw her receive an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress while Gwendoline Christie currently stars in the hit television show Game of Thrones.

Gwendoline will also appear in the next film of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2. Lucasfilm president Kathleen says she could not be more excited to have Lupita and Gwendoline on board for Episode VII; "it's thrilling to see this extraordinarily talented ensemble taking shape."

The original stars of the saga will be returning also, namely Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker. Joining them will be actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andey Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow and now Lupita Nyong'o and Gwendoline Christie!

Star Wars: Episode VII will be directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, Abrams and Bryan Burk are said to be producing it and John Williams will return as the composer.

The movie will open worldwide on the 18th of December in 2015.

Thankyou for reading.
Laura.

Film Review: A Million Ways To Die In The West.

A Million Ways to Die in the West is an American western, comedy film produced, written and directed by the hilarious Seth MacFarlane (the creative genius behind TV's Family Guy, American Dad and the box office hit Ted) as well as Alex Sulkin and Wellesley Wild. MacFarlane stars in it himself alongside a star studded cast including Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris and Sarah Silverman.

It is about a a sheep farmer called Albert (Seth MacFarlane) who is rather cowardly and has never fired his gun resulting in his fickle girlfriend, Louise (Amanda Seyfried), leaving for another man, Foy (Neil Patrick Harris), who owns the town's leading moustache emporium. Albert ends up accidentally saving a beautiful woman's life, Anna (Charlize Theron), who helps him find his courage and learn to fight for himself, her husband however, a notorious outlaw called Clinch (Liam Neeson), arrives seeking revenge..

I thought the film was pretty good if we're talking about comedy whereas the storyline was obvious and predictable. Nevertheless Seth MacFarlane had the jokes firing in every scene.. I wouldn't recommend seeing it if you're easily offended, just saying. There are a probably few too many fart and diarrhea gags made but they somehow still keep you laughing all the way through. Although MacFarlane had most of the screen time, Charlize Theron really pulled off the jokes whenever she could which leaves you surprised that she hasn't done more comedy films before. Neil Patrick Harris is fantastic as he is depicted as the horrible girlfriend stealer while sporting an amazing moustache I have to say. His wit and moments in the films are really laugh-out-loud and leave you wanting more from him.

There isn't much to say about the film as aforementioned it is predictable and you're aware of this the minute Theron's character steps onto the scene. But there were some random but fantastic cameos that make you enjoy the film for what it is. I especially two or three!

I have been a fan of Seth MacFarlane's Family Guy and American Dad but this film doesn't quite match up to the outrageously hilarious Ted where MacFarlane voices Mark Wahlberg's fuzzy teddy bear friend. This film is obviously a mixed bag but clearly there is a market in which it'll please. There was a quality cast even if the storyline itself wasn't matching the same standards.. but it's worth watching, even if it's just once!

I'm not sure if this will help warm any MacFarlane haters up to him but the guy knows what he does best and what he does best is make shocking and offensive yet witty films and shows and I doubt that is about to change anytime soon. This film wasn't amazing but I don't think it was ever expected to be but I still remain a fan of him and his work. His raunchy parody won't turn many into fans of him but it shows that he's quite the outrageous quick-draw satirist.