Film Review – About Last Night (2014)

Location Watched – Cinema

Director – Steve Pink

Starring –  Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Regina Hall, Joy Bryant

Synopsis – Follow two couples as they journey from the bar to the bedroom and are eventually put to the test in the real world. (provided by IMDB.com)

(there could be spoilers)

REVIEW 

Kevin Hart continues to make his mark on the 2014 Box Office, with his third film outing this year, with this remake of the 1986 Bratpack movie of the same name. Will this be another example of his rising star or should we just stick to the original?

I have to say that I haven’t seen the original, so this won’t be a review loaded with comparisons, but I hope that the original had more substance than this version did. The center of the film is based around Debbie (Joy Bryant) and Danny (Michael Ealy) who after a one night stand turn their sexual relationship, into a serious one. The problem is that during the film the pace is quite fast and scenes are short between these two, leaving us with no real emotional meat for the audience to get into. What we get is the usual run through from “are we in a relationship” to “are you ready to get a dog” to “I want to hang with my boys” but with additional RnB songs whenever they think a scene of substance is on.

On the flip side of this relationship, is a couple made up of Bernie (Hart) and Joan (Hall). This is a couple filled with so much passion that it can manifest to sex or arguing. Its these guys that save the film for me as they bring real chemistry to the screen and with these guys, alot of humor. It’s not that we can’t see the signs of how this couple is going to end up, its just that between them they add the spark needed for the film. Kevin Hart always brings funny, but with Hall he has someone to bounce off and willing to go anywhere where the scene takes them. Trust me you won’t look at a chicken the same way after one revealing scene between them.

VERDICT 

Most people will be here for Kevin Hart, and for that reason they won’t be disappointed.

RATING

Please feel free to comment below if you have any opinions regarding this review or film.

5 STARS = EXCELLENT

4 STARS = VERY GOOD

3 STARS = GOOD

2 STARS = POOR

1 STAR = TERRIBLE

Film Review – A Long Way Down

Director – Pascal Chaumeil

Starring –  Imogen Poots, Aaron Paul, Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Rosamund Pike, Sam Neill.

Synopsis – Four people meet on New Year’s Eve and form a surrogate family to help one another weather the difficulties of their lives. (provided by IMDB.com)

(there could be spoilers)

REVIEW 

So for the second time in a month I’ve viewed a film starring Aaron Paul and Imogen Poots. This time though, the film is based on a novel by popular writer Nick Hornby and not a video game. So it has to be better right? It must be….?

I haven’t read the novel that this film was based on but, with an interesting premise and good cast, my expectations were high. This was until I viewed the first act and saw that expectation bubble burst.

The film gets straight into it, with Brosnan’s character. We meet him on route to the roof but before long he is joined by the other three. Its from this meeting that their pact is formed and from where the film lost me. The director has gone for a light hearted tone from this initial meeting and its from here on in that the group go along from one set up to another without any real substance at all. During these scenes the characters barely show anything touching on the grief that brought them there and by the end of the film I didn’t really care for any of them.

Like in “Need For Speed” I think the teaming of Imogen Poots and Aaron Paul really were the best things in this film. Poots stars as Jess, and I must admit irritated me in the first few scenes as the “say it as it is with no boundaries” kind of girl but thankfully settled down during the film, with Poots as interesting as ever. In a difference from “Need for Speed” Aaron Paul does use some of his talent to try to give his character some dimension but without any real dialogue I think he was wasted. Toni Collette and Pierce Bronsnan would probably be the most recognizable to most people watching the film, but neither are given anything other than boring stereotypical characters, that are instantly forgettable.

Overall this film could have been alot better, with the film “50/50” a good example of taking an unpleasant situation but filling it with enough humor and emotion to make it a very good watch. I can only think that as its Director Pascal Chaumeils first English spoken film that he lacked the confidence for real dialogue driven scenes and ensured the film at least looked good.

VERDICT 

My mom would enjoy watching this, on a lazy Sunday afternoon but for me it was a big disappointment

RATING

Please feel free to comment below if you have any opinions regarding this review or film.

5 STARS = EXCELLENT

4 STARS = VERY GOOD

3 STARS = GOOD

2 STARS = POOR

1 STAR = TERRIBLE

Film Review – Need For Speed (2014)

Location Watched – Cinema

Director – Scott Waugh

Starring –  Aaron Paul, Imogen Poots, Dominic Cooper, Michael Keaton.

Synopsis – Fresh from prison, a street racer who was framed by a wealthy business associate joins a cross country race with revenge in mind. His ex-partner, learning of the plan, places a massive bounty on his head as the race begins. (provided by IMDB.com)

(there could be spoilers)

REVIEW 

With Fast and Furious earning the big bucks for over 10 years at the box office, it was only a matter of time before a different studio tried to get in on the act, and why not use the fanbase of the worlds most popular video game. Well we all know how poor video games adaptations have been at the box office, and well, how poor the actual adaptations are. Does Need For Speed change that? I’m afraid it doesn’t.

Firstly most video game adaptations at least have a starting point of characters and plot to get them going, the filmmakers of this need to build this from the ground up. The film seems to be designed to show off the action but give very little else in terms of character or story. An example of this would be when Aaron Pauls character Tobey goes to prison for after the death of his best friend at the hands of Dominic Coopers character Dino. Well we get a little montage to show time passing, then he is out of jail and wants to avenge lil’ Petes death by racing in the De Leon (winner takes all race that Dino will race in) yes this is as deep it gets.

After his Breaking Bad success it was only a matter of time before Aaron Paul was turned into a leading man on the big screen, unfortunately this isn’t the vehicle for him to show off his leading man credentials. The filmmakers have opted for a “Drive” style leading man that is full of steely determination but doesn’t say much and lets the driving do the talking for him. He does improve a bit more when Imogen Poots is in his company, as does the film, because she is the only one that seems to have fun with her role. The bad guy duties go to Dominic Cooper as Dino but i’m afraid I find a bout of hiccups more menacing than Dino was, plus why would you leave damning evidence on your computer desktop?! A special mention should go to Michael Keaton who does his best to make it fun as the organizer of the De Leon race, a race so secret that he has a live webcam feed showing a map and location of it.

With the filmmakers believing that you are only here for the car driving action then I have to tell you, the action is quite good. The car action does zip along with a feel of speed (apt considering the title) and they throw in some good stunts. I always enjoy when I see actual stunts on the big screen, instead of reliance of CGI, and the actors do look the business when it comes to driving. That being said after awhile there’s maybe too much driving on screen as it leads the filmmakers down the path of putting unnecessary stunts into it, like refueling whilst driving, why? I really don’t know..

Overall its not a terrible film and can definitely find an audience, as soon as they finish school for the day but does feel like a missed opportunity for all involved.

VERDICT 

If this was a race with Fast And Furious then Need For Speed would be handing over their pink slips.

RATING

Please feel free to comment below if you have any opinions regarding this review or film.

5 STARS = EXCELLENT

4 STARS = VERY GOOD

3 STARS = GOOD

2 STARS = POOR

1 STAR = TERRIBLE

Film Review – Non-Stop

Director – Jaume Collet-Serra

Starring –  Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Scoot McNairy, Michelle Dockery, Lupita Nyong’o, 

Synopsis – An air marshal springs into action during a transatlantic flight after receiving a series of text messages that put his fellow passengers at risk unless the airline transfers $150 million into an off-shore account. (provided by IMDB.com)

(there could be spoilers)

REVIEW 

Sometime in 2008 we all heard Liam Neeson speak those words, you know the words, the ones that end with ” I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you”. Not since Matt Damon turned badass in the Bourne series had I seen a great actor deliver lines and believably kick ass. Although it appears that since that turning point Damon has been better at choosing the new found scripts coming his way than Neeson has.

So lets start with the script, as this B-movie thriller does have a solid premise that kept me interested for the most part of the run time. In truth though its not down to cleverly written characters outwitting each other, its down to a lot of red-herrings being thrown on the screen and a series of events held together in the hope they look like a clever master-plan. Talking of red-herrings even now I don’t know why, for example, we get to see characters like Lupita Nyong’os air stewardess, who just randomly disappears/appears on a flight, even though everyone only seems to be only in two compartments of the plane.

I will admit though that despite all this I thought it was good silly fun, that is until the final act unravels and the mastermind is reveled, At this point it dropped down a notch and made me question all the circumstances running up to it, and believe me you will find yourself questioning the circumstances in the plot.

Non-Stop sees the director Collet-Sera re-team with Neeson after their previous film “Unknown” and in character Bill Marks they manage to tick, not one or two but all the stereotypical traits a character would have in these films. Ok here goes has a dependency on alcohol (tick that box), divorced (tick), personal tragedy (tick) and scared of flying (massive tick) to name a few. Neeson is still the best thing in this movie but in truth you spend the whole time hoping for a memorable line or quote but it never happens.

VERDICT

Its no “Taken” but then again even “Taken 2” wasn’t. Hopefully we can go back to Liam Neeson getting better character driven scripts and not wasting his big screen talent.

RATING

Please feel free to comment below if you have any opinions regarding this review or film.

5 STARS = EXCELLENT

4 STARS = VERY GOOD

3 STARS = GOOD

2 STARS = POOR

1 STAR = TERRIBLE

Film Review – Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Director –   Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Starring – Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L Jackson, Robert Redford, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie

Synopsis – Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and battles a new threat from old history: the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier.(provided by IMDB.com)

(there could be spoilers)

REVIEW 

This week it was confirmed that Captain America 3 would be hitting our screens in 2016, without part two being on the big screen. This is a bold statement from Marvel considering that I (and i’m sure everyone else) was disappointed by the first film. So where has this vote of confidence come from, well it could be down to the fact that this film is very good.

Well firstly I have to get something off my chest regarding the recent promotion of this film, why do we need so many exclusive clips of this film? First we had a 6 minute clip of a great action scene, followed in the last month by the first ten minutes, yes ten minutes, shown before the recent “300: Rise Of An Empire” film. Throw in the multiple trailers and it would be hard for anyone to not feel like they’ve seen the whole thing before sitting down before this film. Were Marvel worried that the audience doesn’t want to see another Captain America film? Well I would like to throw this plea out there, stop showing these extended clips!

Marvel have always thought outside the box when it comes to choosing directors and the Winter Soldier is no exception, they have chosen prolific television directors Anthony and Joe Russo. These guys have a track record in comedies but apparently were hired on the basis of their excellent action packed paintball episodes of the television show “Community”, For me this is a master stroke as the action in this film is some of the best i’ve seen in a Marvel film. Captain America. In the previous movies the shield has been used as, well a shield, but in this one its all part of his offense. The fights are fluid and well paced with Cap now able to call on a wide spread fighting styles to take down an opponent and its definitely impressive, enough so that I had a good smile on my face and found an occasional “whoa” whisper out my mouth.

As with most the films in this Marvel Universe Cap isn’t alone when action is required. In this film he calls upon the services of Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and introducing Anthony Mackie as The Falcon. By now we all know what the Black Widow brings to the table, but it’s the first time we really get to see what Nick Fury is like under attack without his super buddies around, and its pretty badass.

As a character Captain America isn’t going to be the lighting up the screen with witty remarks every two minutes, Marvel have Iron Man for that, but what you do get in this film is plenty of heart. Briefly in “The Avengers” we got a feel for how Steve Rogers felt after waking from his cold sleep, its not the advancement of technology or the world thats different but the people in the world that he has the biggest issue with . This is a man that was willing to sacrifice everything to put an end to evil, but found out it changed nothing.

The Winters Soldier is the first film in the series that is more of a conspiracy thriller than a Superhero piece. This works well for the first half of the film, as its action packed and fast flowing whilst giving the audience a good amount of character building. Its inevitable then that things slow down in the second half, with alot of information being thrown at the screen whilst Cap goes undercover to find the truth. This is all before it turns into a formulaic end battle that we used to seeing from Marvel, I think this is the forth Marvel in a row that ends with some sort of battle in the sky, this please has to stop.

What about the actual Winter Soldier though? Well its not a spoiler to say that the Winter Soldier is Steve Rogers childhood friend, Bucky, who was presumed dead in the first film. We get a little exposition as to how he survived for this long, but not a great amount. The Winter Soldier is alright as an evil Captain America clone (possible future clue) but overall he is a little disappointing in terms of villainy.

All this doesn’t matter too much though as Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a very good film that tries something different, even if they don’t go the whole way and change the final act template that the company obviously pulls out on every script meeting they have.

VERDICT

A very good film that attempts a different tone from the other heroes films. A good sign as phase two of Marvels expanding superhero world, comes to an end.

RATING

Please feel free to comment below if you have any opinions regarding this review or film.

5 STARS = EXCELLENT

4 STARS = VERY GOOD

3 STARS = GOOD

2 STARS = POOR

1 STAR = TERRIBLE

Film Review – The Grand Budapest Hotel

Director – Wes Anderson

Starring –   Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Jason Schwartzman, Léa Seydoux, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson

Synopsis – The adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend.. (provided by IMDB.com)

(there could be spoilers)

REVIEW 

Every couple of years we get a new film from the vision of director Wes Anderson and I always look forward to this occasion. For me, if Wes Anderson were a character in the Lego Movie then he would be a “Master Builder” for this man creates otherworldly environments for his great characters to inhabit. Grand Budapest is his eighth movie, yet I don’t think he has dropped the ball once on the previous seven movies! Is there a more consistent filmmaker out there? Well after all this praise is TGBH the first one to let me down, of course not.

For each film Anderson has always put high production value in creating his wonderful looking sets (my favourite being the cut out set of the submarine in “This Life Aquatic”), but from the opening credits this is the first one where he creates a whole new world, the Republic of Zubrowka. The Grand Budapest Hotel is set up in the snowy mountains high above the town and a wonderful little 2D animation shows us the hotel in all its artistic glory, complete with funiculars running to the hotel. Throughout the film there’s

The director has become his own genre of film now “The Wes Anderson film”, this one sees all his trademark camera moves such as title cards, whip pans, characters directly addressing the camera and wide angle lenses. I can always go to an Anderson film and know one thing, he has planned everything and is making the film that he wants to make. He always fills every shot with as much detail as possible because in his films the locations are as much a character as the people on the screen, there’s never really a dull moment.

A few years ago Ralph Fiennes made me laugh as a sweary gangster in “In Brugge” but it was so over the top that not alot of credit was given for his comedic value. Well this is the film where we can finally introduce Ralph Fiennes as the comedy star. He is the biggest delight of the film as his character, Gustave, is a man that is full of funny quips, deadpan humor, and always possible of swearing like a sailor without losing his English charm.

With Norton, Defoe, Brody and Murray returning (Bill Murray is always welcome on the big screen) Its not hard to see why Anderson can always attract a five star cast, its because each actor is given a full character to embody. In Anderson’s world he creates characters full of personality, little quirks, and individual costumes to aid them (even if they are only on screen for 2 minutes).

VERDICT

Another success from the director that constantly produces on the big screen. Deadpan humor, glorious visuals and great acting, if you weren’t an Anderson fan before then this could be the one to change your mind.

RATING

Please feel free to comment below if you have any opinions regarding this review or film.

5 STARS = EXCELLENT

4 STARS = VERY GOOD

3 STARS = GOOD

2 STARS = POOR

1 STAR = TERRIBLE

Film Review – Cuban Fury

Director – James Griffiths

Starring –    Nick Frost, Chris O’Dowd, Rashida Jones, Kayvan Novak

Synopsis – A former salsa prodigy attempts a comeback years after his career was ruined.

(there could be spoilers)

REVIEW 

Ten years ago the powerful film team of Pegg, Frost and Wright hit the cinema screens with “Shaun Of The Dead” and well, things have never been the same since. Frost recently came into my cinema to do a special screening of this film, followed by a Q&A session afterwards.  About half way during the film, he elected to secretly stand in the screen to see and hear the audience reaction. This is because for the first time Cuban Fury sees Nick Frost take on a lead role, based on his idea, and its all about dancing.

Frost stars as Bruce Garrett, a former Salsa Dancing child prodigy now leading the dull life designing machinery. Its another good turn from him continuing his great work in “The Worlds End”, he is charming, sweet and understated. The cast around him is just as good with Chris O’Dowd bringing the funny as the self absorbed love rival. They work well together and between them Frost and O’Dowd star in the best scene from the movie, a fast and funny salsa dance-off in a car park.

A mention should be made for Kayvan Novak, as in all his scenes he brought the house down, as still fanta loving Bejan. The film suffers abit from adding too many characters and not concentrating on the leads relationships. This means the rest of the cast doesn’t fare so well with Ian McShane and Rashida Jones, as the mentor and love interest, largely underused. This a big shame as I always find Rashida very likable, so hoped we would see her bounce off the guys more, but instead is left with the generic love interest role.

The film doesn’t bring anything new to the rom-com genre but it is a good watch for all ages. It proves Frost as a leading actor can bring funny, bring emotion and soul as he continues to grow as an actor. It now might be good to see more of this cast leading their own films.

VERDICT

Great talent ensures more than a few laughs in a good film. It’s a good watch for all, but be warned as your partner will want to look up Salsa classes once outside.

RATING

Please feel free to comment below if you have any opinions regarding this review or film.

5 STARS = EXCELLENT

4 STARS = VERY GOOD

3 STARS = GOOD

2 STARS = POOR

1 STAR = TERRIBLE

Film Review – The Lego Movie

Director – Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Starring –  Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson

Synopsis – An ordinary LEGO minifigure, mistakenly thought to be the extraordinary MasterBuilder, is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil LEGO tyrant from gluing the universe together.

(there could be spoilers)

REVIEW 

I remember as a child that I had a very large box of lego, 1000’s of pieces, and would sit for hours building whatever my creative mind would allow. After viewing this film I can tell you that I hate that I no longer have that box, I want that box back, that’s how good this film is.

“A film about lego, how will that work?” was my first question on hearing there was to be a Lego movie. Well their first master stroke was to get director team Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, hot off the success of 21 Jump street, to sign on board. These guys have proved that they know how to bring the funny in every film they have done.

These guys have created a glorious looking film but one that is also incredibly funny. The Lego Movie is packed with so many beloved characters from Batman to Star Wars, with this many jokes you may need to watch it a second time to catch all the references that you may have missed. The actors on voice duties make sure they bring the funny with soon to be huge Chris Pratt continuing to bring his comedic timing with him. Liam Neeson has recently invented himself as a action hero but his voices for the good cop/bad cop had me in stitches, sounds like he had a great time voicing them.

The filmmakers used a combination of specials effects and stop-motion to make a beautifully looking film. Everything on screen looks glorious with every backdrop filled with Lego detail. The characters move with the restricted movement that you would expect, although we get a little more facial detail on the screen than in real life.

If you haven’t seen the film then please don’t read this paragraph, if you have then read on. The film might be very funny but in the final act you find out what the actual heartbeat of the film is, its a beautiful father-son story. Its a high five for actual bonding sessions between families in a world where its too easy to put on computer games or television for children.

VERDICT

A great film that has something for everyone, if you don’t come out of it wanting to buy Lego then there actually could be something wrong with you (great boost for sales) as they say “Everything is awesome” (sorry can’t get that song out my head)

RATING

Please feel free to comment below if you have any opinions regarding this review or film.

5 STARS = EXCELLENT

4 STARS = VERY GOOD

3 STARS = GOOD

2 STARS = POOR

1 STAR = TERRIBLE

Film Review – Robocop (2014)

Director –  José Padilha

Starring –  Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish.

Synopsis – In 2028 Detroit, when Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) – a loving husband, father and good cop – is critically injured in the line of duty, the multinational conglomerate OmniCorp sees their chance for a part-man, part-robot police officer.

REVIEW

So only a month into 2014 and we get the first big reboot of the year in the shape of Robocop.

The original was such a film of its time but managed to stay top of peoples favorite Sci-fi films throughout the years due to subtle satire and great level of violence, with this  thus leading to this reboot. Would it be unfair to compare these films though? I don’t think so because all involved in the production are banking on the love for the original to get people into the screens.

If I were to compare the two versions then this version looks to have done away with the satire of the original in favor of adding political undertones, mostly in the shouty form of political news correspondence Pat Novak (played by Samuel L Jackson).

We also get a Robocop that is less robot and more of human in a suit, played by Joel Kinnaman. I’m afraid though that we don’t get to see much personality of the actor in the suit or out of it. We do get much better fair from Gary Oldman and Michael Keaton, who deal with the films bigger themes and raise the film anytime they are present.

The film and special effects do look good, but they should when you look at the films alleged £100+ budget. I always state though that good special effects don’t make a great film, and this film is quite dull. A big problem is that the film gives a large amount of time to the origin of Robocop and creating this hero, but whats the point if there’s no great villains for him to go against.

VERDICT

A film that suffers when you compare it against the original, then suffers again if you compare it on its own merit.

RATING

Please feel free to comment below if you have any opinions regarding this review or film.

5 STARS = EXCELLENT

4 STARS = VERY GOOD

3 STARS = GOOD

2 STARS = POOR

1 STAR = TERRIBLE

Film Review – Grudge Match

Director –  Peter Segal 

Starring –  Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Kim Basinger, Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin 

Synopsis – A pair of aging boxing rivals are coaxed out of retirement to fight one final bout — 30 years after their last match.

REVIEW

The film starts by showing us how these boxers of the past are today. De Niros character Billy “The Kid” McDonnen is on stage cracking jokes and Stallones character Henry “Razor” Sharp working down at the dock yard. Both actors are famous for their previous boxing movies (you know the ones) and this film can be seen as a nod of the head at these legacies, but should fans of said films want to see this film.

I have grown up with Stallone and De Niro leading films, many films that people would consider classics, so I still make sure I watch their new releases at the cinema as I continue to support them. That said, not all their films still carry the quality of their earlier work as they lose their leading men credentials but I sat all the way through “Expendables 2” and “The Family”. Whenever they are sharing screen time the film works so much better. They work well bouncing off each others insults and throwing out one liners, both seem to enjoy sharing the screen with each other.

The filmmakers don’t stray too far away from the tried and tested for this genre, and on a whole it doesn’t excite. The characters do have some funny lines throughout but the expectant cliche scenes do drag it down. There’s only so many montage scenes and reconnecting family members that we need.

VERDICT

A good Friday night film for anyone wanting to see Stallone and De Niro bounce off each other on screen. You will laugh throughout but don’t expect another Rocky, it lacks the spark of any of those films.

RATING

Please feel free to comment below if you have any opinions regarding this review or film.

5 STARS = EXCELLENT

4 STARS = VERY GOOD

3 STARS = GOOD

2 STARS = POOR

1 STAR = TERRIBLE