The Expendables 2

***
UK Release Date: August 16th 2012

Mr. Church reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on the job, their quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up against an unexpected threat.

Director: Simon West (The Mechanic, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Con Air)

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Liam Hemsworth

The cast of Expendables 2 has grown considerably, but the story, which is a shame to say, has not. The story is just as predictable as the first, and relies heavily on reminiscing on fond memories of the 80's, more so now that Jean-Claude Van Damme has joined the cast.

It's a shame that this film follows the exact same formula. The band of meatheads are hired by Church (Willis). They have to kill someone who is heavily guarded. That much we do know. What should come as a surprise but fails to is the death of Barney's (Stallone) youngest member, Billy the Kid (Hemsworth). 

What should have been a breeze for them immediately turns in to a revenge mission. Liam Hemsworth's character shares stories from the past, and how after this 'last mission' he plans to settle down with the love of his life. It's done with full emotion but would've had greater impact had we not seen it coming. 

The Expendables 2 ups the ante on the shabby dialogue. Some are funny affiliations with certain actors (Stallone: I've heard that you were bitten by a King Cobra? Chuck Norris: Yeah I was. But after five days of agonising pain, the cobra died), but others fizzle out like a dud party popper.

The cast again is too big. Some are reduced to cameos (Li, Willis, Schwarzenegger, Norris), adding them so that popular A-listers are on the bill. Dolph Lundgren is a welcome return alongside Crews and Couture. Van Damme is a hoot and a half. His villain, named Vilain, is just as cheesy as his name implies. What's criminal is the little screen time he gets.

The bottom line is, if you enjoyed the crazy, mass carnage in the first film, this sequel is just as enjoyable, even with countless flaws and cheap one-liners. 

The Expendables

***
UK Release Date: August 10th 2010

A CIA operative hires a team of mercenaries to eliminate a Latin dictator and a renegade CIA agent.

Director: Sylvester Stallone (Rambo, Rocky Balboa)

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Willis, Arnold Scwarzenegger, Steve Austin, Terry Crews, Randy Couure

The Expendables is an action hero lover's wet dream. How did Sylvester Stallone get so many respected action stars in one film? It's hard to believe that none of them were tied up elsewhere. Needless to say, having the cast listed above has attracted plenty of attention, especially when some of them haven't been in films together before. The big question is, does the story match the incredible cast? 

Barney Ross (Stallone) is the leader of a black ops group called The Expendables (go figure). They are hired by CIA agent Church to take down an ex-CIA agent-turned drug lord and the army he controls. That's all there is to it. Simple yet sweet. 

The action in The Expendables comes thick and fast. It's derivative of 80's action classics like Rambo, Predator and Die Hard. Stallone was 64 when this was filmed, so not as able bodied as he once was. That's where the likes of Statham, Li and Lundgren step in, who can keep up with the pace of the film. 

The black ops members have a small amount of character development, but they do gel as a team. Stallone, Statham and Li have bigger parts to play than the others. This works well as too many cooks can spoil the broth. Lundgren, Crews and Couture have smaller roles but plenty of personality. 

It is what it is; a mindless action film for action junkies. The story is pretty straight forward, with no attention to detail. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as director, writer and main actor Sylvester Stallone doesn't try to sugar coat it with twists. The Expendables is predictable but so much fun to watch.

Runner, Runner

**
UK Release Date: September 24th 2013

When a poor college student who cracks an online poker game goes bust, he arranges a face-to-face with the man he thinks cheated him, a sly offshore entrepreneur.

Director: Brad Furman (Lincoln Lawyer, The Take)

Starring: Justin Timberlake, Gemma Arterton, Ben Affleck, Anthony Mackie

It's a shame for Ben Affleck that this is such a flop considering Argo was such a worldwide success. Putting director Brad Furman and a great cast together doesn't create a masterpiece. His film Lincoln Lawyer was always tense and full suspense. Runner, Runner has none whatsoever.

The 91 minute running time seems to fly by with nothing much happening. The script has no depth, making our hero Richie Furst (Timberlake) and villain Ivan Block (Affleck) boring. 

Furst is a desperate student who gambles all of his tuition money away through online poker. He soon realises he's cheated of it all by Ivan Block, the corrupt poker mogul who owns the game. Desperate to get his money back, Richie tracks Ivan down. That's only the start of it as he easily gets roped into being Ivan's personal croney. It gets even more complicated when Block's lover Rebecca (Arterton) and a crooked FBI agent (Mackie) get involved. 

There's no poker playing in Runner, Runner (apart from the huge loss at the beginning). It's focuses on the lose relationship between Furst and Block. The narrative plods along predictably. When Furst gets in to some real trouble, it's impossible to show any interest. Gemma Arterton's character has little input other than to cause a rift between ex-boyfriend and new boyfriend, and Affleck's villain has fallen out of a James Bond film, but isn't as convincing. 

Timberlake has done well as a lead in previous films (In Time, Friends with Benefits), but struggles to find new ground in Runner, Runner. Everything blows over like a soft breeze.

The Internship

***
UK Release Date: July 4th 2013

Two salesmen whose careers have been torpedoed by the digital age find their way into a coveted internship at Google, where they must compete with a group of young, tech-savvy geniuses for a shot at employment.

Director: Shawn Levy (Real Steel, Date Night, Night at the Museum)

Starring: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Rose Byrne

Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn have worked well together in the past. Back in 2005, Wedding Crashers was hugely popular. The duo have a buddy connection like no other, and it reflects in The Internship.

The middle aged pair find themselves in a career block due to the increase in technology usage. They are laid off by their boss and struggle to find something new to do. Owen Wilson's Billy ends up working for his sister's boyfriend (a great cameo from Will Ferrell ensues). Nick (Vaughn) stumbles across an internship for Google and the two try their luck, and what follows is probably the most unconvincing interview ever. 

Whilst the lesson to be learned here involves technology depleting numerous jobs, there's a lot more going on to the naked eye. Billy and Nick may have had a successful interview, but can they keep up with younger employees that know the difference between a C+ and a C++.

If anything The Internship puts a bad light on Google. It comes as a surprise that they've agreed to be a part of this, as the intern's boss, who's a bit of an arsehole from the start, isn't doing them any favours.

The supporting cast have their moments, just like the main men do, especially the interns who are stuck working with them. Englishman Max Minghella, who is in an opposing intern team, is a cliche dickhead, rubbing salt in Billy and Nick's wounds whenever they make a mistake. Rose Byrne is also  reduced to a bit part cameo. 

If you have enjoyed previous films with either Vince Vaughn or Owen Wilson in them, then The Internship will still hit the spot. 

Inside Llewyn Davis

****
UK Release Date: January 24th 2014

A week in the life of a young singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961.

Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (True Grit, No Country for Old Men, Miller's Crossing)

Starring: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, Justin Timberlake

An oscar for an Oscar, or at least that's what it should have been when it comes to Inside Llewyn Davis. Oscar Isaac does this Coen brothers directed film proud. He enfuses Llewyn Davis with melancholic sympathy. He's a homeless man with tons of ambition to succeed, but all he ends up succeeding in is annoying those around him, especially ex-girlfriend Jean (Mulligan).

Like many of Joel and Ethan's films, the central character is a likeable fuck up. It's all about the lead's ability to relate to the audience. Whether it's knocking up (and cheating on) your ex, or jeering at other musicians, Llewyn Davis is someone who we want to see happy at the end. 

*SPOILER ALERT* Unfortunately for us, closure doesn't take place. It stops quite suddenly, with ends very much still lose. 

Isaac's charisma keeps us hooked. Some of the cast get the opportunity to showcase their musical talent. A song will crop up every so often, issuing folk songs containing heartfelt emotion. Isaac surprises with his talent and delivers well.

The supporting cast are on par with Isaac. Mulligans Jean is an emotional wreck constantly moaning at Llewyn. Her on-stage and off-stage partner Jim (Justin Timberlake) is enthralling with a ludicrous song he wrote called 'Please Mr. Kennedy'.

A.consistently pleasing character comes from a feline, not a human. Davis is forced to look after a ginger cat after accidentally letting it out of his friends' house. The cat is a representation of himself. If he lets the cat go, he may as well escape the pressures of life itself. 

Guardians of the Galaxy

*****
UK Release Date: August 1st 2014

Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser.

Director: James Gunn (Slither, Super)

Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, Glenn Close, Benicio Del Toro  John C. Reilly

Guardians of the Galaxy is as weird as it is wonderful, a powerful blockbuster that's as shocking as it is surprising.

Marvel have delved into some risky business with this incredibly fantastic sci-fi. Take five oddball characters, give them all a disturbed past, put them together and they've put together something quite magical.

Chris Pratt may have been in a number of films where his characters cannot be taken seriously, and it's exactly the same in GOTG, but done in a manner that makes his protagonist appealing. 

When a successful looting mission for a mysterious orb goes awry, Peter Quill (Pratt) ends up with some of the most hardened criminals in the galaxy after him. 

Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), one of the bad-ass criminals after the orb, sends out Gamora (Zoe Saldana) the Assassin to do his dirty deed. After a long scrap between Quill, Gamora, a feisty, wisecracking raccoon named Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and his walking tree friend, Groot (Vin Diesel), they all end up in prison. Making up the unlikely team is Drax (Dave Bautista) a muscly dimwit whose one and only ambition is to seek vengeance on those who murdered his family. 

The quintet are a stand-out group with plenty of character, more so than 2012's Avengers in Avengers Assemble. The greatest acting doesn't come from Pratt or Saldana like we'd expect, but from the other three. Cooper voices rocket brilliantly, Vin Diesel, although unrecognisable in voice and physicality, handles Groot's lumbering oaf well, even if he's stuck with a vocabulary made up of three words ('I am Groot'). Dave Bautista shines most. His sarcastic yet blase personality holds the most comedy.

GOTG is a tribute to classic sci-fi films (notably Star Wars) and some of the best music to come out of the 80's. The younger generation will love this new Marvel film and those who were brought up in the 80's will embrace it with open arms. 

Hercules (2014)

***
UK Release Date: July 25th 2014

Having endured his legendary twelve labors, Hercules, the Greek demigod, has his life as a sword-for-hire tested when the King of Thrace and his daughter seek his aid in defeating a tyrannical warlord.

Director: Brett Ratner (Tower Heist, Rush Hour Trilogy, X-Men: The Last Stand)

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Ian McShane, John Hurt

Always take a Brett Ratner film with a very large pinch of salt. He may have found success with the Rush Hour films, but X-Men: The Last Stand was a complete shambles. Thankfully (in a way) Hercules sits somewhere between the two. 

Hercules is neither abysmal or excellent. It's good. Just good. It aims to be entertaining, and that's exactly what it does. The back-story sticks to the legend and the myth pretty closely, but more could be said about the rest of it. Were we expecting to see the twelve labours in action? Yes. Seeing Hercules (Dwayne Johnson) as a hired mercenary? Not so much.

At least Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson puts on a rollicking show. I've heard through word of mouth that this film 'is more about The Rock than it is Hercules'. How that is, I do not know. Yes The Rock has a significantly large role (I wonder why that is?). Actually it focuses entirely on Hercules and his merry men (and woman). 

The battle scenes in Hercules are intense and gripping. CGI is used well here, with the 3D aspect complimenting. The production is flawless, with the costumes, locations and scenery helping us feel like we're actually in their time and space. Brett Ratner has punched above his weight. Let's hope it continues with his next project. 

What If

****
UK Release Date: August 20th 2014

Wallace, who is burned out from a string of failed relationships, forms an instant bond with Chantry, who lives with her longtime boyfriend. Together, they puzzle out what it means if your best friend is also the love of your life.

Director: Michael Dowse (Goon, Take Me Home Tonight)

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Zoe Kazan, Megan Park, Adam Driver, Rafe Spall

What If is an alluring yet conventional rom-com starring The Woman in Black star Daniel Radcliffe and Ruby Spark's Zoe Kazan. Together they create a spark that's beautiful to watch.

The main attraction to this film is the bond between Chantry (Kazan) and Wallace (Radcliffe). The connection they have cannot go any further because Chantry has a long term boyfriend, much to Wallace's discouragement. The biggest concern that Wallace has is Chantry's boyfriend, Ben (Spall), is a pretty decent guy. 

Now, What If doesn't hold any shock twists. It follows a predictable 'rom-com' formula, but it's sweet, warm and a satisfying watch. 

The cast are glorious; Radcliffe is proving he's better (as an actor) than his HP days and improves with every genre. Rafe Spall has some hilarious moments when we're first introduced to him and Adam Driver shines bright as Wallace's inappropriate friend Allan. 

What If is well written and strangely funny. It's a film worth watching, even if you're not a fan of the genre.

The Purge: Anarchy

****
UK Release Date: July 25th 2014

A young couple works to survive on the streets after their car breaks down right as the annual purge commences.

Director: James DeMonaco (The Purge)

Starring: Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zach Gilford

It's not often said that a sequel is better than the first, but The Purge: Anarchy proves us wrong. Where the first outing with Ethan Hawke was confined to a suburban house, Anarchy finally hits the streets. What the first lacked in potential, Anarchy strikes it. 

The plot is deeper and more fulfilled as we get to see what happens to the working class people of America. They are treated like puppets by the high and mighty aristocrats of society. Two of the compadres (that we follow) have no choice but to traverse the urban streets during the annual purge when their car breaks down. Thankfully circumstances have led them to a man only known as Sergeant (Grillo). Unlike the others he ends up with, Sergeant is out to purge. 

Surviving the night is the least of their worries. The story is thick with twists and turns. The survivalists learn the hard way that there's a lot more going on behind the scenes than they thought. 

Sergreant and co are welcome protagonists that are easier to relate to compared to the wealthy family in the first one. Also, not knowing the who, why, how etc (from the previous film) was painful. Anarchy corrects all the problems its predecessor held. It turns an unrealistic idea into a believable one. 

The Woman in Black

****
UK Release Date: February 10th 2012

A young lawyer travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals.

Director: James Watkins (Eden Lake)

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe

My initial verdict when watching The Woman in Black is 'how can this film only be a 12A? For those who have already seen it, you will know. 

Based on a book and then a play shortly after, TWiB is scarey, creepy, jumpy. You name it, it has it. It piles on the horror cliches, but they are done so well they are instantly forgiven. The film's low lighting, reputable production and spot-on camera-work are combined to frighten the living daylights out of you. Anyone close to the age of twelve should rethink watching it though! 

Whenever lawyer turned investigator Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) enters the old manor we become cannon fodder for the ghost's surprise attacks (or frights). Every scare is unexpected and even more powerful than the last.

The Woman in Black is Radcliffe's first film since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. His acting is superb. He has a brooding, unemotional presence. Nothing phases him since the death of his wife.

His age is an odd one. Arthur has been through a lot for someone who's in his early 20's, He's the only young adult in a town full of older residents. Set against the locals, Arthur is the only fresh faced human not effected by the ghost.

It's fantastic to see Radcliffe breaking out of the Harry Potter mould and in to a different genre. This horror is chilling to the bone. If you scare easily, make sure a pillow or cushion is within reach.    

Boyhood

****
UK Release Date: July 11th 2014

The life of a young man, Mason, from age 5 to age 18.

Director: Richard Linklater (Before Sunrise Trilogy, A Scanner Darkly, Bernie)

Starring: Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater

Boyhood is like nothing you've ever seen before. It is an impressive filming project that spans over 12 years. The authenticity cannot be criticised as Richard Linklater manages to meet and shoot with the same cast once a year until its completion.

The film follows Mason (Coltrane) from ages 6 to 18, from childhood to young adult life. Ethan Hawke is his father, Patricia Arquette his mother, and the director's very own daughter Lorelei is his sister. Some age well overtime whilst others grow either out or up. 

Being with this family through the highs and the lows is both horrifying and heart warming. Boyhood gets you as close to fictional character's lives as it can. It's real and gripping within a relaxed environment, even with the coming and going of Patricia Arquette's boyfriends and their drinking problems.

What stops Boyhood having the perfect finish is its running time (close to 3 hours) and the young starlet's acting. Both Coltrane and Lorelei Linklater have moments where they falter. As time passes one shines and the other becomes a whiney anti-semetic teenager who would rather question everything in life than live for the moment. Our on-screen parents are well practiced in their forte, so 12 years is plenty of time to take a leaf from their books.

Boyhood is a fantastic piece of art that most will appreciate, but with its slow pace and long running time, it wont entice all. 

Get Smart (2008)

***
UK Release Date: February 3rd 2009

A highly intellectual but socially awkward spy is tasked with preventing a terrorist attack from a Russian spy agency.

Director: Peter Segal (Anger Management, 50 First Dates, The Longest Yard)

Starring: Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin

Get Smart is basically the American version of Johnny English. Both are are as mindless as each other, a no-brainer that's great fun all the same.

Steve Carell's Maxwell Smart is an intelligent agent who's a fountain of knowledge, but a complete oaf when out on the field. He's forced to be a field agent when the agency's head office is compromised.

Carell's awkward demeanour and a steady dose of action make a healthy mixture that's worth watching. Supported by other talented actors, Get Smart is fun for its antics, not for its plot. The plot is a little slapdash and loses itself as time goes on. 

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Anne Hathaway are cracking supports. The former (as Agent 23) can be as humourous as he is hawkish. The latter (as Agent 99) hates Smart but has no choice to work with him. Their love-hate relationship is an instant profound partnership. 

The Two Faces of January

***
UK Red on a con artist, his wife, and a stranger who flee Athens after one of them is caught up in the death of a private detective.

Director: Hossein Amini

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, Oscar Isaac

Set in 1960's Athens, it fundamentally draws us in to the lives of three people; Rydal (Isaac) an American ex-pat and con-artist who attaches himself to mysterious couple Chester (Mortensen) and Colette MacFarland (Dunst). For the most part this iffy love triangle are on the run. Rydal is caught up in Chester's dodgy past, and the more infatuated he becomes with Colette, the harder it is for him to escape the crimes that surround him.

The Two Faces of January is supposed to be a suspense thriller, but lacks any real suspense. There's plenty of depth and backstory to the trio, but you never quite feel the pain they go through. They not the easiest characters to relate to, as a con-artist and a murderer deserve whatever fate comes to them. Colette is the most innocent of the three. Rydal and Chester's trust is always questioned, whilst Colette is the unaware catalyst.

When the story finally starts to heat up, our minds are already wondering what the outcome of this film will be. There's a few surprise twists, but no time for grief, as director Hossein Amini decides to take a different turn and lead us on a cat and mouse chase. Hitchcock fans will love this especially, as by the end we are left out of their plans as they shape the course of the finale with actions rather than spoken words.

The Two Faces of January doesn't quite grip you when it needs to. The cast is faultless, it's just missing the response from the audience that you grow to expect from a suspense-thriller.

Transformers: Age of Extinction

***
UK Release Date: June 27th 2014

A mechanic and his family join the Autobots as they are targeted by a bounty hunter from another world.

Director: Michael Bay (Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon)

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Nicola Peltz

There's more to Michael Bay than just explosions and major destruction. The previous Transformers movie, Dark of the Moon, lacked character. Age of Extinction has brought it back with its completely new cast.

Shia LaBeouf definitely bought an awkward character to life (he's the only human character that held plenty of interest) in the first film. Little should be said about Megan Fox's acting. Bringing in acting veterans Mark Wahlberg and Stanley Tucci this time round has helped push the humans in front of the almighty robots. Even the Dinobots can't save the day as by the time they arrive it's too little too late.

Cade Yeager (Wahlberg) and his daughter Nicola (Peltz) have a lot to lose. They're struggling to keep up the payments to their home. Stumbling across Optimus Prime (voiced by the legendary Peter Cullen) is about the best thing that could have happened to them (in some ways). Getting caught up with the Autobot's problems is their buy-out clause. Risking their lives for a cause they aren't too sure about is far better and more entertaining than seeing them lose their house. I say near death because we all know Michael Bay's films are predictable. Who's likely to kill off a main character in a film aimed at kids?

Age of Extinction will take up a huge part of your day. This gargantuan film clocks up nearly three hours of time, and it feels even longer than that. The story is mediocre. It's quite rudimentary and mundane when we've already seen plenty of robot fights in the previous outings. If anything the humans are far more captivating than what's rendered by CGI, but at the same time it is hard to knock how glorious and slick everything is.

AOE is an epic blockbuster that will keep the youngsters entertained. It succeeds. That's all it sets out to do.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

*****
UK Release Date: July 17th 2014

In the wake of a disaster that changed the world, the growing and genetically evolving apes find themselves at a critical point with the human race.

Director: Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In)

Starring: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell

10 years have passed since the events inRise. The virus that made apes intelligent has decimated the human population.

A group of apes led by Caesar (Andy Serkis) have built a settlement on the edges of San Francisco. They are aware that humans live in the city, but have no desire to interact with them.

In the heart of the city, the remaining survivors are running low on resources and must find a way to get the city's power back up. In order for that to happen, a small group led by Malcolm (Jason Clarke) must enter Caesar's territory.

Peace is fragile, and both sides have everything to gain, and so much to lose. We spend just as much time with the apes as we do the humans. There's no good vs. evil, only two factions trying their best to get along. Well, most of them try...

Koba, second in command to Caesar, is the apes' dark horse, whilst Drefus (Gary Oldman), the rallying leader of the humans, will do anything he can to save them, even if it costs them dearly.

Now the greatest aspect of Dawn is how heartfelt and emotional it can be. For a film that's up to its eyeballs in CGI, it's absolutely gob-smacking how easy it is to relate to the apes. From the guys at Weta studios to the staff who design the creatures from scratch, you can't help but focus on the small details, like how coarse their hair is, or the different expressions on their faces. Dawn goes to show that CGI can be used wisely.

Dawn keeps you on tenterhooks until the very end. You know there's going to be an all out war sooner or later, but the build up to it is the best part. The unrest within both races is felt throughout, and when the (spoiler) battle finally arrives, it's hard to digest as we can't separate our feelings for them both.  

One standout set piece has a camera attached to the turret of a tank, just after an ape has taken control of it. The turret spins continuously and we are in the thick of the battle with him. This is blockbuster cinema at its most powerful.

Rise gave us a fresh intake of a legendary saga that started over 35 years ago. Dawn has pushed the envelope further by introducing the struggle between man and ape. It will be interesting to see what direction the untitled  third film will take, whether it falls in line with the original, or takes its own path. Either way, I can't wait.