Monday 29 February 2016

X-Men 2

UK Release Date: 1st May 2003

The X-Men band together to find a mutant assassin who has made an attempt on the President's life, while the Mutant Academy is attacked by military forces (www.imdb.com).

Director: Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men)

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Famke Janssen, Rebecca Romijn, Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, Shawn Ashmore

X-Men 2 surpasses X-Men. And sequels never usually do. Bryan Singer has royally upped his game, with a bigger budget, astonishingly in-depth mutants (old and new) and a story thick with layers. Starting fiercely with a mutant attacking the Whitehouse, X2 focuses on Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and his hazy past with military man William Stryker (Brian Cox), who's now against all mutants after the scare in Washington. The mutant/human divide is constantly marred in various ways. The young Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) struggles to maintain a relationship with the familiar faced Rogue (Anna Paquin). He also has to contend with his family discovering his secret. Mystique (Romijn) breaks out Magneto (McKellen) to form an uneasy alliance with the X-Men, and stand against the opposing government and their new anti-mutant laws. All sub-plots are equally distributed. There's a huge amount to process in 134 minutes, with Singer and writing partners David Hayter and Zak Penn creating a superhero sequel others should inspire to be. Now for the grand finale.  

4/5

Wednesday 24 February 2016

X-Men

UK Release Date: 18th August 2000

Two mutants come to a private academy for their kind whose resident superhero team must oppose a terrorist organization with similar powers (www.imdb.com).

Director: Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, Superman Returns, Jack the Giant Slayer)

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Anna Paquin, Rebecca Romijn

Hugh Jackman makes a good Wolverine. His persona is strong. A hard-nut, the anti-hero, the anarchic mutant. The X-Men, led by Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart), want him to join them. One mutant can shoots lasers from his eyes (Cyclops -James Marsden), another controls the weather (Storm - Halle Berry) and two can read people's thoughts (Jean Grey/Xavier). 'What kind of power would I have?' is what I find myself asking often. Super-strength, psychic powers, the ability to manipulate metal? Any of those will do, because the ones with these powers are equally the most enticing. Xavier's old friend Eric Lensherr (Magneto) wants the new recruits, which includes the oddly powered Rogue (Anna Paquin). Magneto sees Mutants as an advanced race, and pursues a deadly course of action in order to prove their class. Bryan Singer hooks me immediately, providing us with characters that need little back-story, actors who relish in their roles and the cheesy dialogue, and a beginning to a huge franchise that won't slow down any time soon.

3.5/5

The Terminal

UK Release Date: 3rd September 2004

An eastern immigrant finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there (www.imdb.com).

Director: Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can)

Starring: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stanley Tucci,  Zoe Saldana

Anything Tom Hanks touches, turns to gold. The Terminal is yet another hit in his incredible filmography. Spielberg and Hanks have worked together before (SPR, CMIYC). We're definitely in safe hands. Viktor Navorski (Hanks) is a Russian man stuck in limbo. The terminal at JFK, New York becomes his home for the foreseeable future. He's not allowed to enter the country or go back to Russia, due government collapse. Viktor strives off the basics; collecting trolleys for quarters, gathering intel for a man in love and having to deal with the jealous manager Frank (Stanley Tucci). Viktor and Catherine Zeta-Jones's constant traveller fail to spark any believable affection, as time is cut short between them, and their opposites barely attract. Hanks is a class beyond reach, but a harmless story doesn't grant him space to bloom.

3.5/5

Tuesday 23 February 2016

Deadpool

UK Release Date:10th February 2016

A former Special Forces operative turned mercenary is subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopting the alter ego Deadpool (www.imdb.com).

Director: Tim Miller  

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller, Morena Baccarin, Gina Carano

I bet 20th Century Fox are kicking themselves that they didn't take Deadpool off the shelf sooner. Big thanks should go to Ryan Reynolds for sticking with it since X-Men Origins: Wolverine. He reprises the role as Wade Wilson (which was considerably underused in Origins) running free in the new Marvel expedition. Profanity follows even cruder profanity, as Wade, or Deadpool, pulls us into a kamikaze of nonchalance and amusement. Rather than follow the same formula as other Marvels, Deadpool starts near the end, backtracking to parts of Wade's life that eventually brings us up to speed. Without the humour, Deadpool would lightly suffer, and blend in with other superhero movies (origin, save the girl, final showdown). Its comedy outweighs its action, but when the action comes round, it flourishes. Deadpool is at its most beautiful and crass when Wade 'breaks the fourth wall', mocking everything these types of films set out to be. The title credits alone let you know what you're in for. And don't forget that end credit scene!

4/5

Saturday 20 February 2016

Zoolander

Uk Release Date: 30th November 2001

At the end of his career, a clueless fashion model is brainwashed to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia (www.imdb.com).

Director: Ben Stiller (The Cable Guy, Tropic Thunder, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty)

Starring: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Christine Taylor, Milla Jovovich

Zoolander is as silly as it is funny. Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) is a fashion icon who's stupidity matches his Blue Steel looks. His competition, Hansel (Owen Wilson) ends up winning VH1's model of the year award, beating Derek to a fourth time. A small blip in Derek's career throws him off the rails. It's all hilariously ludicrous, and it (almost) pains me to admit, because this comedy is quite an average film made good by its gags and cameos. Zoolander's brain-washed, by the evil guru Mugatu (Will Ferrell), to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Take it with a pinch of salt, there's much to enjoy if the mind's in the right place, with the fashion face-off between Derek and Hansel, and Derek's accidental award pick-up standing out the most.

3/5

Planet Terror

UK Release Date: 9th November 2007

After an experimental bio-weapon is released, turning thousands into zombie-like creatures, it's up to a rag-tag group of survivors to stop the infected and those behind its release (www.imdb.com).

Director: Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, Sin City)

Starring: Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton, Bruce Willis, Fergie, Quentin Tarantino

Planet Terror is director Robert Rodriguez's film that's half of a double-film set that pays homage to Grindhouse Cinema. Tarantino's Death Proof is the believable spoof, with nutty people, intense action in and around sexy cars, and an ability to be unpredictable. PT swerves into the zombie apocalypse and survival counters, with over-the-top clichéd characters, and a lead lady with machine gun for a leg. Crazy doesn't cover it, as a band of roughy-toughies fight off hordes of the living dead. What makes Planet Terror extra special is it's weird characters, play on cheap production, gimmicks and general hilarity.

3/5

Friday 19 February 2016

Death Proof

UK Release Date: 21st September 2007

Two separate sets of voluptuous women are stalked at different times by a scarred stuntman who uses his "death proof" cars to execute his murderous plans (www.imdb.com).

Director: Quentin Tarantino (Jackie Brown, Kill Bill: Vol, 1, Kill Bill: Vol. 2)

Starring: Kurt Russell, Zoe Bell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Rose McGowan, Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Now Death Proof is technically Tarantino's 6th feature length, though it's labelled his fifth due to Kill Bill being originally made as one unit. His 2007 excursion is one of two parts also. This time it pays tribute to Grindhouse Cinema (exploitation films), alongside Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror. They overlap in the smallest of ways, and hold many easter eggs to films in their catalogues, the most obvious being Kill Bill. Death Proof follows two sets of girls who're shadowed by a grizzly, despicable stuntman that drives a 1970 Chevy Nova (for the first half of the movie) and a 1969 Dodge Charger (the second half of the movie). One set of girls fair better than the other, trading a conventional lacklustre damsel act for femme fatale's, or what I like to call 'male butt-kicking heroes'. The women are the focal point, with their lively personalities and feisty temperaments, leaving room for the one man. Tarantino supplies the gaff only he can do so well. The final act of each tale without a doubt syphons Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. Death Proof is for the anarchistic, and say no to the traditional ways of cinema going.

3.5/5

Thursday 18 February 2016

Cast Away

UK Release Date: 12th January 2001

A FedEx executive must transform himself physically and emotionally to survive a crash landing on a deserted island (www.imdb.com).

Director: Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, Contact)

Starring: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Wilson

Tom Hanks is an incredible actor. He never ceases to amaze his audience. He's truly alone in over two-thirds of Cast Away. Chuck (Hanks) is a Fed-Ex manager who ends up stranded on a small island after the plane crashes that he's aboard. Much hardship and toil follow, as Chuck tackles with the forces of nature. There are no stand-out scenes, no music, no non-diagetic sounds, only Hanks and the materials he can use around him. It's a absolutely phenomenal performance, sorrowful and weirdly joyful, with Hanks at his best when he's alone. His single friend, Wilson (a football), almost resonates human emotion through Hanks' communication with him. Robert Zemeckis has done well with relying on their solitary performer.

4/5

Monday 15 February 2016

Forrest Gump

UK Release Date: 7th October 1994

Forrest Gump, while not intelligent, has accidentally been present at many historic moments, but his true love, Jenny Curran, eludes him (www.imdb.com).

Director: Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Contact, What Lies Beneath)

Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field, Mykelti Williamson

Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) is sat on a bench waiting for a bus. He's hardly the most intelligent person in the world, but he's definitely the most caring, heart-warming and relatable character to ever appear in film. Gump tells his story to other bus-waiters who come and go and only hear snippets of the whole tale. The path towards present day is packed full of events and achievements, some of which include the Vietnam war, meeting the President (twice), unveiling the Watergate Scandal and running non-stop for over four years. Sounds ludicrous. Above all else Gump has accomplished feats that would occur over many lifetimes. Tom Hanks though, fills Gump's story with tenacity. He has an eventful life, one full of ups and downs. Very sad, but very humorous. A great film controlled by its lead man.

4.5/5

Saturday 13 February 2016

Triple 9

UK Release Date: 19th February 2016

A gang of criminals and corrupt cops plan the murder of a police officer in order to pull off their biggest heist yet across town (www.imdb.com).

Director: John Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road, Lawless)

Starring: Teresa Palmer, Kate Winslet, Gal Gadot, Norman Reedus, Aaron Paul, Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Clifton Collins Jr. 

Triple 9 is one slick, cool film, and quite frankly a surprise to watch. Five guys: two crooked cops (Anthony Mackie, Clifton Collins Jr.) and three crooks (Norman Reedus, Aaron Paul, Chiwetel Ejiofor) complete a audacious heist, obtaining valuables for a Russian mobster (Winslet). This mobster kills one of them and leaves the others sweating. She's not done with them. One more heist and she may let them off her leash. The only way the remaining law breakers can achieve this heist is by killing a cop; calling a Triple 9 ('officer down') so every cop in one jurisdiction heads to a single destination, and give them plenty of time to finish their business. 

Now it's neither immediate or ambiguous how this movie plays out. The A-List cast and their parallel storylines intertwine to make one hugely complex (but compelling) story. Woody Harrelson is the lead investigator. His son, Casey Affleck, is at the centre of it all. He's not liked much by his peers, ruffling feathers by sticking entirely by the book. Heading up the criminal activities is Chiwetel Ejiofor. Personal issues with the mob boss lands his fellow compatriots in trouble, which includes an unstable Aaron Paul. 

The acting cannot be faulted. We're given no time for breathers as powerful scene follows even more powerful scene. Winslet's accent is a tad ropey, but it's very prestigious seeing a female character pull all the strings. Triple 9 had me fully gripped from its opening heist. 

4.5/5

Thursday 11 February 2016

Kill Bill: Vol. 2

UK Release Date: 23rd April 2004 

The Bride continues her quest of vengeance against her former boss and lover Bill, the reclusive bouncer Budd and the treacherous, one-eyed Elle (www.imdb.com).

Director: Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill: Vol. 1)

Starring: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah

Vol. 2, Tarantino's fifth film, follows Uma Thurman's ass-kicking Bride on her revenge mission. Two members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad are down, two (and Bill) to go. Where Vol. 1 was a homage to Asian cinema, Vol. 2 is one to western films of old. Character story is chosen above the action this time, as 'The Bride', gets closer to who main target. Uma Thurman is outstanding. Routing for her until the very end is no issue, no matter the cost or the conclusion. Vol. 2 wraps up this very thick plot ('and so the plot thickens', says Bill) beautifully. It's not easy for The Bride. The harder it is for, the better it is for our viewing pleasure. Tarantino is hit his peak, slapping us in the face with slick music, quick edits and less dialogue than what we're use to.  

4/5

Tuesday 9 February 2016

Kill Bill: Vol. 1

UK Release Date: 17th October 2003

The Bride wakens from a four-year coma. The child she carried in her womb is gone. Now she must wreak vengeance on the team of assassins who betrayed her - a team she was once part of (www.imdb.com).
Director: Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown)

Starring: Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Daryl Hannah, David Carradine, Julie Dreyfus, Michael Madsen

Films number four and five of Quentin Tarantino's, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 are his most racy and daring, and easily my favourites. It's a revenge story at its greatest; Uma Thurman's The Bride (her real name's undisclosed for reasons unexplained) has a list, to kill those who've done her severe harm, starting with the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (who she was a part of), and finishing with their leader, Bill. Nothing will stand in The Bride's way, not even a mother's love for her daughter or hordes of the Yakuza. Blood is shed (lots of it), many lives are lost, all for our entertainment. The story is delivered with panache. Every character is phenomenal, Thurman's being the only we can (and want) to relate to. Vol. 1 is also a homage to Asian martial arts films. It's dark humour and outrageous gore takes the edge off what could be a serious film. Vol. 2, on the other hand, takes a different turn. 

4.5/5

Stand by Me

UK Release Date: 13th March 1987

After the death of a friend, a writer recounts a boyhood journey to find the body of a missing boy (www.imdb.com).

Director: Rob Reiner (This Is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally..., A Few Good Men)

Starring: Will Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, Kiefer Sutherland, Richard Dreyfuss, John Cusack

A timeless classic. An uplifting adventure for four young lads, with many obstacles in their path. Their mission is to find a dead body somewhere in the wilderness before anyone else does. It'll be their discovery, their stamp on history. It's a film for the masses, focusing on an age where childhood merges into adulthood. Will Wheaton's older self narrates (played by Richard Dreyfuss), explaining his relationships with his nearest and dearest. Stand By Me's continual themes of friendship, and dealing with problems way beyond your time are things we can all relate to. The four boys, Will Wheaton, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell and River Phoenix have no trouble making Stephen King's novella a reality.

4.5/5

Bad Bromance (The D Train)

UK Release Date: 

The head of a high school reunion committee travels to Los Angeles to track down the most popular guy from his graduating class and convince him to go to the reunion (www.imdb.com).

Director: Andrew Mogel, Jarrad Paul (

Starring: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor

I'm not sure what to make of The D Train. It's disjointed, senseless and convoluted, but underneath the surface is drama with realistic characters making foolish decisions. Dan (Black) wants to be popular among his alumni peers. His idea of hiring hot shot Oliver Lawless (Marsden) will improve the 'class of 94's' reunion headcount. How he does it though, is both intriguing and bewildering. Dan lies his way through the film. The deeper he goes with his dishonesty, the harder The D Train is to watch. What starts as a man on an immoral mission, ends as a complete infatuation with one person's attention and approval. It's an awkward watch. I never felt truly settled knowing Jack Black's character had to come clean sooner or later.

2/5

Sunday 7 February 2016

The Finest Hours

UK Release Date: 19th February 2016

The Coast Guard makes a daring rescue attempt off the coast of Cape Cod after a pair of oil tankers are destroyed during a blizzard in 1952 (www.imdb.com).

Director: Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl, Fright Night, Million Dollar Arm)

Starring: Chris Pine, CaseyAffleck, Ben Foster, Eric Bana, Holliday Grainger, Graham McTavish

Picture the setup of The Perfect Storm. The Finest Hours is dreadfully similar. A clichéd American civilian becomes a hero by defying the odds (and the sea gods). There's two of them too: the not-so-liked sea-man Casey Affleck who's stranded on a ship in Cape Cod with 31 other men, and awkward coastguard Chris Pine is one of four men braving the terrible storm. The main characters are under-developed, so caring for them is challenging. The high seas are crawl, constantly barraging our saviours with terrible waves. When Pine and his crew (which involves an underused Ben Foster) reach the Chatham bar, the tensity rises and the adrenaline starts pumping. But once it's over, you'll be wishing nature would rise up again, and boost the interest levels once again.

3/5

Friday 5 February 2016

Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse

UK Release Date: 6th November 2015

Three scouts, on the eve of their last camp-out, discover the true meaning of friendship when they attempt to save their town from a zombie outbreak (www.imdb.com).

Director: Christopher Landon (Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones)

Starring: Tye Sheridan, Logan Miller, Joey Morgan, Sarah Dumont, David Koechner, Halston Sage

In SGttZA's, three teenage scouts find themselves trapped in a town full of flesh eating zombies. Ever since 2010 we've been gifted with young adult films. There's little originality here. Zombies have been on the big screen so often it's often boring. Scouts on the other hand, have not. The three teenagers' (Sheridan, Miller and Morgan) many patches on their Scouts shirts get them out of tricky situations. They receive help from older gal Denise (Dumont) who's street-wise and makes the scouts look like a bunch of sissies. A couple of intelligent set-pieces (one including a trampoline) are great fun, not immediately funny but smart enough to put a smile on my face... and the rest of Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse does exactly that. Tye Sheridan is one to keep an eye on for the future. His acting is humble but strong, reserved yet convincing.    

3.5/5

Thursday 4 February 2016

Ride Along 2

UK Release Date: 22nd January 2016

As his wedding day approaches, Ben heads to Miami with his soon-to-be brother-in-law James to bring down a drug dealer who's supplying the dealers of Atlanta with product (www.imdb.com).

Director: Tim Story (Think Like a Man, Ride Along, Think Like a Man Too)

Starring: Kevin Hart, Ice Cube, Ken Jeong, Olivia Munn

Ice Cube and Kevin Hart lacked chemistry in buddy-cop film Ride Along. Ice Cube's 'take no prisoners' approach to Hart's serious (opposite) one actually pays off this time round. They're huge fun in comparison. Ride Along 2 is a significant step upward, but still doesn't pass what Mark Kermode calls the 'six laugh test. I laughed twice. The same joke gets rinsed and repeated; Ben (Hart) wants James' (Cube) affection and acceptance, whilst James belittles Ben round every corner. It's nearing Ben's wedding day, and the 'brothers-in-law' are off catching drug smugglers in Miami. A dialled-down Ken Jeong and strict cop Olivia Munn save this film from drowning, and give it the boost it very much needed.

3/5

Dirty Grandpa

UK Release Date: 25th January 2016

Right before his wedding, an uptight guy is tricked into driving his grandfather, a perverted former Army Lieutenant-Colonel "Special Forces" to Florida for spring break (www.imdb.com).

Director: Dan Mazer (I Give It a Year)

Starring: Robert De Niro, Zac Efron, Zoey Deutch, Aubrey Plaza, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Hough

Dirty Grandpa could possibly be the worst film of the year, and even up for worst film ever seen. This is due to several aspects, the biggest of these and hardest to comprehend is Robert De Niro stooping very low into toilet humour. His distinguished career, which includes Raging Bull, The Godfather: Part II and Heat, is tainted by this monstrosity. Dirty Grandpa is full of jokes about farts, sex, drugs and general stupidity. De Niro's unbearably crass and homophobic. He spends all his time jamming his thumb up his grandson's behind and swooning over young tot Aubrey Plaza, and just a day after laying his wife to rest. 

Maybe I'm getting too old for this kind of humour. All I know is Dirty Grandpa is shamefully racist and misogynistic, and probably without knowing. The black people in this movie are either gangster or homosexual. Hugely insulting. What's even weirder was most people were laughing at the screening I went to. It must be me. 

0.5/5 

Wednesday 3 February 2016

Goosebumps

UK Release Date: 5th February 2016

A teenager teams up with the daughter of young adult horror author R. L. Stine after the writer's imaginary demons are set free on the town of Madison, Delaware (www.imdb.com).

Director: Rob Letterman (Shark Tale, Monsters vs. Aliens, Gulliver's Travels)

Starring: Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush, Ryan Lee

Whether you owned some of R.L. Stine's Goosebumps books or not (I had over 30), it doesn't really matter, as this early 2016 release (Halloween release in other territories) caters to all. Director Rob Letterman and writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (known for Man on the Moon and Big Eyes) create a story that boasts a bunch of monsters from Stine's well-loved children's horror stories. 

Creepy next door neighbour Stine's (Jack Black) daughter Hannah (Odeya Rush) makes friends with newcomer Zach (Dylan Minnette). Believing her to be hurt, Zach and new friend Champ (Ryan Lee) break into Stine's house. Being as inquisitive as youngsters can be, the boys release demons from the author's books, starting with the infamous Abominable Snowman of Pasadena. 

This isn't just a film for teenagers, there's plenty to for all of us to love, starting with a light yet well crafted script. The young trio, Minnette, Rush and Lee are talented stars, the latter wracking up the most laughs for being a giant scaredy-cat. Unlike the 90's T.V. series, Goosebumps is a funny, rollicking adventure, and not scary in the slightest. This is also one of Jack Black's best performances, significantly toned down, and all the better for it. 

Goosebumps has repeat viewing pleasure. Next time I watch it I will pause it on the monsters and see which ones I recognise.

And last but not least, that ferris-wheel scene is breathtaking. 

4/5

Turbo Kid

DVD Release Date: 5th October 2015

In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a comic book fan dons the persona of his favourite hero to save his enthusiastic friend and fight a tyrannical overlord (www.imdb.com).

Directors: Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell 

Starring: Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Edwin Wright, Aaron Jeffrey, Michael Ironside

Turbo Kid exudes the 80's. The music, the low-budget, the sparing yet untidy use of CGI. And it works. A lonesome kid (Munro Chambers), in post-apocalyptic wasteland, is a fan of Turbo Rider, a comic-book hero who eradicates evil. The Kid's new friend Apple (Laurence Leboeuf), and Kiwi hotshot Frederic (Aaron Jeffrey) take on ruthless ruler Zeus (Ironside), who's taken over the wastelands with a small army with a razor-wielding masked man (Edgar Wright). Sounds mad, and it is. The story's tight, flinging out twists and turns down a topsy-turvy path. Laurence and Chambers are cute, their bond growing stronger over a short period of time. Aaron Jeffrey provides the most laughs in this sci-fi comedy. And the blood. The blood reaches ridiculously high levels of insanity.

Imagine Mad Max, Tron, The Running Man and Braindead mixed together. The outcome would be Turbo Kid

4/5

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

UK Release Date: 17th December 2003

Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring (www.imdb.com).

Director: Peter Jackson (The Frighteners, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)

Starring: Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Bernard Hill, Ian Holm, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, John Noble, Miranda Otto, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, Karl Urban, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham, Elijah Wood

In the epic conclusion of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Return of the King sees Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), well, return as the king. Him and his allies attempt to draw out the orcs that surround Mt. Doom, so Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) can destroy the One Ring. 

The last installment upholds the other film's themes, values and reputations. The battle on Pelennor Fields outdoes Helm's Deep's in scope and scale. The film's tone and feel is darker. Brutal enemies lurk the lands, dark and dank locations drain all hope and fills me with despair. The odds are heavily stacked against the remaining Fellowship. 

Howard Shore's score is just as beautiful and emotional as it's ever been. The Return of the King's art and design is intricate work, with incredibly detailed locations and costumes. J.R.R Tolkien would be proud of the coming to life of his book. Not even the long, drawn-out ending can hurt this flawless, incomparable trilogy.

5/5

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

UK Release Date: 18th December 2002

While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard (www.imdb.com).

Director: Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings, The Frighteners, Heavenly Creatures)

Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Bernard Hill, Christopher Lee, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, Miranda Otto, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, Karl Urban, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers immediately starts where The first film ends. The Fellowship have split, Merry (Monaghan) and Pippin (Boyd) are captured by the enemy, with Aragorn (Mortensen), Legolas (Bloom) and Gimli (Rhys-Davies) in pursuit. Ring-bearer Frodo (Wood) and his trusted companion Sam (Astin) continue their quest to destroy the ring. Although the Fellowship's disbanded, they are united under one cause; to prevent the Dark Lord Sauron from taking over Middle Earth.

New friends, enemies and obstacles are met along the way. Men become the focal point in this one, represented by Rohan and Gondor. Are they strong enough to defeat their common enemy? Will old alliance's with Elves and one another come together when they most need it? New themes accompany the old. The few are against many. Even in impossible circumstances the forces of good will try. The love between Aragorn and elven princess Arwen (Tyler) is threatened by morals and a lady of Rohan.

The Two Towers almost surpasses TFotR in terms of quality and depth. Howard Shore's composition is just as powerful than before, and the effects team up the ante with the biggest, jaw-dropping battle to rival Gladiator's or Saving Private Ryan's. J.R.R. Tolkien's work can do no wrong in the hands of Peter Jackson and his writing crew.

5/5

Tuesday 2 February 2016

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

UK Release Date: 19th December 2001

A meek Hobbit and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the One Ring and the Dark Lord Sauron (www.imdb.com).

Director: Peter Jackson (Bad Taste, Heavenly Creatures, The Frighteners)

Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Sean Bean, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee

Some may think this a biased review, but I grew up reading J.R.R. Tolkien's books and watching The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I love them. They have everything I could possibly want out of a story. The Fellowship of the Ring encompasses nine companions; an elf, a dwarf, two men, a wizard and four hobbits (or halflings or small-folk). They're on the biggest fantasy-adventure ever to hit a book or screen; destroy a powerful ring so Middle-Earth (the land in which they reside) isn't covered with a 'second' darkness. The only way they can unmake what has been made is by throwing the ring into the fiery depths of Mt. Doom, but it's not an easy journey, as many troubles hit them, with the ring being a huge burden on ring-bearer Frodo (Elijah Wood). 

There's so many underlying themes that LotR has something for everyone; friendship, love, good vs. evil and facing unbelievable odds are just a few of them. What makes The Fellowship of the Ring so special is Peter Jackson's ability to draw us into a rich world that's a complete, visual masterpiece. CGI is used sparingly, the team behind the magic relying on costume, make-up and locations made from scratch. The script manages to push the story forward, yet give us time to know each member of the Fellowship. Howard Shore's score is unblemished, giving me tingles and  poignantly touching in a way most music only tries to be. For a cast so big, you'd think someone would stand out, but not here. Everyone is superb. The Fellowship of the Ring is a perfect block-buster and start to a trilogy that will be very, very hard to beat. 

5/5

The Intern

UK Release Date: 2nd October 2015

70-year-old widower Ben Whittaker has discovered that retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. Seizing an opportunity to get back in the game, he becomes a senior intern at an online fashion site, founded and run by Jules Ostin (www.imdb.com).

Director: Nancy Meyers (Something's Gotta Give, The Holiday, It's Complicated)

Starring: Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Anders Holm, Adam DeVine

Nancy Meyer's latest film, The Intern, shows the bond between a young successful woman (Hathaway) who owns a online clothing company and a retired man (De Niro) who becomes her intern. It differs from her other movies because love is out of the picture, well with De Niro and Hathaway's characters. A fatherly figure is what Ben is to  (Hathaway), their chemistry honest and pure. The Intern is a sweet film that does no harm, ticks all the right 'enjoyment' boxes, with very few upsets on the way, but nothing that we can't handle. 

3.5/5

Monday 1 February 2016

Spotlight

UK Release Date: 29th January 2015

The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core (www.imdb.com).

Director: Tom McCarthy (The Visit, Win Win, The Cobbler)

Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci

Spotlight is a journalist-drama that the awards ceremonies will love. The content, acting and unbeatable script merge to make a dreadfully compelling story, one that doesn't scrimp or exaggerate its material to avoid hurting particular factions. Spotlight covers a monumental scandal of recent years: the cover -up of child molestation by the Catholic Church. Led by head journalist Robby (Michael Keaton), the Boston Globe's Spotlight team unravel the truth. The script is perfect, giving us information in spurts rather than spoon feeding it down our gullets. Every shock comes at a reasonable pace, dangling that juicy info I want to know. The four journalists in the Spotlight team put in some fantastic performances, but none so more than Mark Ruffalo, whose passion and assurance shines through. This is one of the most tense films without any action you will ever see. 

4/5