Pixels

UK Release Date: 12th August 2015

When aliens misinterpret video feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth in the form of the video games (www.imdb.com).

Director: Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)

Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, Brian Cox, Sean Bean

The least convincing aspect of Pixels is Kevin James as President of the United States. Did someone vote for Paul Blart, who thought this was a good idea? Sandler's his dorky friend whose stuck in his old, gaming hay-days. In the late 80's he was a gaming phenomenon, but was out-championed by a cocky kid (later played by the almighty Peter Dinklage). Nowadays, he's a wash out, with no real aim in life. Lucky for him then, that aliens start attacking earth in the form of video games. Video feeds of retro arcade games were sent in to outer space as a peace offering, not a admission of war. Sandler, his geeky friend Josh Gad and nemesis Peter Dinklage are the ones leading the defence. Just as unconvincing is the world relying on three gaming wizards. The acting hits all sorts of levels from mediocre (Sandler), to good (Dinklage, Monaghan), to over the top (Gad). Pixels is a lavish, easy to look at yet underwhelming comedy that's only appealing to gamers. At least we get to see Pac-Man and Donkey Kong on the big screen.

2.5/5

Cake

UK Release Date: 20th February 2015

Claire becomes fascinated by the suicide of a woman in her chronic pain support group while grappling with her own, very raw personal tragedy (www.imdb.com).

Director: Daniel Barnz (Beastly, Won't Back Down)

Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Adriana Barraza, Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy, Anna Kendrick, Sam Worthington 

Cake is far from sweet. Jennifer Aniston, by odd circumstances, gives, doesn't bake... gives a cake to the son of a widow she's become infatuated with. Awkward, as it's the widow of one of Aniston's support group friends. Claire's (Aniston) pain isn't fully realised, only hinted at. It becomes clearer as the film progresses. Claire is Aniston's most vivid, layered character, deserving awards galore. Troubled by pain, dosed up with drugs to the eyeballs, bearing insufficient regard for the feelings of those around her, particularly Silvana (Barraza), her minder. Cake is full of pain and sorrow. Claire's a character stuck in limbo, a mix of sympathy and apathy. One undignified moment sees her pretending to be the previous owner of the widow's (Worthington) house, to get an idea of why her friend Nina (Kendrick), committed suicide. The odd feelings in this scene are felt throughout. Morbidly crisp.

4/5

Happy Gilmore

UK Release Date: 19th July 1996

A rejected hockey player puts his skills to the golf course to save his grandmother's house (www.imdb.com).

Director: Dennis Dugan (Big Daddy, Grown Ups, Jack & Jill)

Cast: Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Carl Weathers

The earlier Adam Sandler films, are the best. All Sandler films are harmless enough. The early ones are comical, joyful and unrealistic. This comedy ticks all those boxes. Happy Gilmore (Sandler) is a terrible hockey player with a mean swing and serious anger issues. Taking up golf under the wing of an expert (Carl Weathers), Happy smashes his way through tournaments to raise money and save his grandmother's house. Current golfing champion Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald), hating the media attention Happy's receiving, plans to cut his golfing time short. Sandler's on top, ridiculous form, his anger delivers the hardest laughs. Happy Gilmore's story produces that comic edge with its unbelievable, can-do attitude, like a script originally for an animation. The comedy heavily outweighs the plot. Happy Gilmore is easy-going. 

3.5/5

While We're Young

UK Release Date: 3rd April 2015

A middle-aged couple's career and marriage are overturned when a disarming young couple enters their lives (www.imdb.com).

Director: Noah Baumbach (Greenberg, Frances Ha)

Cast: Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver, Amanda Seyfried

While We're Young mixes an older generation of folks with a new generation of folks. Josh (Stiller) and Cornelia (Watts) are a couple in their 40's who become enchanted by a free-spirited couple nearly half their age. Jamie (Driver) and Darby (Seyfried) bring out the best (and the worst) in them. They experience things they never considered before, at the expense of their other, maturer friends. There's more to the younger couple than meets the eye, which is painstaking, as it strings us along until it becomes unbearable to watch. Stiller and Watts are tremendous, stuck only by the odd story and its conclusion. Driver and Seyfried are bothersome from the start. While We're Young is about accepting the aging process. We can do anything we put our minds on. 

3/5

Hot Pursuit

UK Release Date: 31st July 2015

An uptight and by-the-book cop tries to protect the outgoing widow of a drug boss as they race through Texas pursued by crooked cops and murderous gunmen (www.imdb.com).

Director: Anne Fletcher (Step Up, The Proposal, Guilt Trip)

Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Sofia Vergara

It's remarkable to see Reese Witherspoon dish out the mediocre performance. It's not wholly her fault. Hot Pursuit is similar to Paul Feig films (The Heat, Spy), but without the punch. Witherspoon and Vergara fly well together. It's an instant connection. The things they do, the words they say, though, are a shambles. Situations occur that are unrealistic. Witherspoon is a by-the-book cop. Her job is to protect a dead drug lord's wife (Vergara) from bad people. Simple, yet ineffective. Witherspoon isn't believable in her role. Vergara fits in hers perfectly. Witherspoon struggles to contain the uncontrollable widow. A few jokes arise amongst the dead ones, conducted by a weak script and poorly executed set-pieces. The lead duo acting as a deer just about sums up the mood of Hot Pursuit.

2/5

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

UK Release Date: 30th July 2015

Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate - an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF (www.imdb.com).

Director: Christopher McQuarrie (Jack Reacher)

Cast: Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, Alec Baldwin

Rogue Nation pushes all the right buttons. It's exactly what's wanted from the MI franchise, and never tries to surpass that fulfillment. Tom Cruise is leaner and fitter than he's ever been, running faster than the speed of light and performing impressive stunts that top Ghost Protocol. SPOILER, the infamous plane scene smashes us in the face before the title credits roll. The IMF (Impossible Mission Force) has been disbanded by the CIA, forcing Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) on the run. Rogue Nation's a double cat and mouse game, with the CIA searching for Hunt, and Hunt searching for the secret organisation: the Syndicate. The plot's topsy turvy, simple to follow but almost, just almost, pointless. The Syndicate, led by Sean Harris' Solomon Lane, is hell bent on taking out the IMF, or rather, Ethan Hunt, because the CIA already took care of that. Brushing this aside entirely, RN is a blast. It's villain is undercast, but the rest of the compliment Cruise. Simon Pegg is back for another round of wit as the tech-guy, used on the field even more this time. New girl Rebecca Ferguson kicks ass, given more to do than Renner and Baldwin put together. The fifth film in the franchise ticks all the right boxes; great, fast-paced action, high speed chases, novelty gadgets and nerve-wracking stunts. Evennn the face masks make a comeback. Let's hope that Jack Reacher director Christopher McQuarrie handles the next excursion. 

4/5

Warrior

UK Release Date: 23rd September 2011

The youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament - a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his estranged, older brother (www.imdb.com).

Director: Gavin O'Connor (Pride and Glory)

Cast: Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Morrison, Frank Grillo

Wow, where to begin? It's hands down the finest sports film since the 80's. The two brother's story is just as enthralling as the mixed martial arts fighting. Clocking in at just over 140 minutes, Warrior distributes time evenly on developing its characters as its does on the fighting.  The two brothers have incredible backstories, neither of which force the viewers bias in any shape or form, making the MMA tournament that they both enter enticing, fulfilling and aesthetic. Tommy Conlon (Hardy) trains under his father Paddy (Nick Nolte), learning discipline and eager to be the best. Brendan Conlon (Joel Edgerton) fights for his family and the money to stop his home from being repossessed. Polar opposite motives and personalities. Their one, common ground lies in their mistrust for their ex-alcoholic father. The Conlon brother's first on-screen meeting's even more suspenseful than De Niro and Pacino in Heat. Warrior would lose points in its one-of-two-ways foreseeable ending if it weren't for how tense it is. A. Must. Watch. 

5/5

Limitless

UK Release Date: 23rd March 2011

With the help of a mysterious pill that enables the user to access 100 percent of his brain abilities, a struggling writer becomes a financial wizard, but it also puts him in a new world with lots of dangers (www.imdb.com).

Director: Neil Burger (The Illusionist, The Lucky Ones) 

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Rober De Niro, Abbie Cornish

Limitless is Bradley Cooper's first crack at a leading role. He pulls it off as a head strong, cocky man, on the upward slope after coming in to contact with a drug that releases 100% of his brain's ability. The drug is the captivating yet corrupt attraction, with Cooper's freshly obtained confidence and comatose knowledge being something we'd love to experience. Blah's (Cooper) rapid ascent has its setbacks though. Juggling a relationship with unchecked intelligence, a crazed Russian on his case and a stock exchange job under Robert De Niro threatens to engulf a simple plot. Instead, director Neil Burger manages to unravel it neatly by soundly crossing them over. The script is direct, aided by Cooper's voiceover and the plot's enhanced by firm acting. Unlocking the brain's full power could take us to places unimaginable. Thankfully a realistic approach is taken to avoid doubt amongst its viewers.

4/5

Southpaw

UK Release Date: 24th July 2015

Boxer Billy Hope turns to trainer Tick Willis to help him get his life back on track after losing his wife in a tragic accident and his daughter to child protection services (www.imdb.com).

Director: Antoine Fuqua (Shooter, Olympus Has Fallen, The Equalizer)

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, Forest Whitaker, Oona Laurence, Curtis Jackson

Antoine Fuqua takes the best of other movies and makes them his own. Southpaw follows in the footsteps of classic boxing movies like Rocky, The Fighter and Warrior with its meaty, sensational fights, and The Shawshank Redemption and The Pursuit of Happiness, for making redemption its focal point. Jake Gyllenhaal seizes to amaze, outshining his work in Nightcrawler and Enemy. He's put himself through physical trauma to entertain at the highest level. Southpaw's an emotional journey, at its lowest when prestigious boxer Billy Hope (Gyllenhaal) loses his wife and the custody of his daughter. The shooting of Maureen Hope (Rachel McAdams) is one of the most terrifyingly real death in cinema history. Feelings run riot and a good deal of squirming in our seats transpires. Gyllenhaal's bulky frame, impressionable acting and connection with youngster Oona Laurence is mesmerising. The mid-section of Southpaw sees Hope fighting battles outside the ring, for his daughter by his side and to rid himself of the guilt he carries. Fuqua has upped the sentimentality, making Southpaw his most engaging film since Training Day. The ending dips in form into the pit when Billy makes his grand comeback, but this doesn't matter too much, as Hope, and Gyllenhaal for that matter, are mainly winners outside the ring. 

4.5/5

Shooter

UK Release Date: 13th April 2007

A marksman living in exile is coaxed back into action after learning of a plot to kill the President. Ultimately double-crossed and framed for the attempt, he goes on the run to find the real killer and the reason he was set up (www.imdb.com).

Director: Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Tears of the Sun, King Arthur)

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Danny Glover, Elias Koteas, Rhona Mitra

Mark Wahlberg's the a bad-ass, cool-ass guy, proving just so in the 2hr duration of Shooter. Antoine Fuqua brings out the best in his chosen actors. Walhberg, for a good third of the film, spends time alone, on the run. Rogue cop Danny Glover and his band of solemn men frame him for murder. Wahlberg escapes, plots revenge and digs around for answers. A rookie FBI agent in the form of Michael Pena believes Wahlberg to be innocent. His naivety's sincere. Both characters have heart, fleshed out by the same goal. Brilliant, undervalued acting and great character exchanges. Shooter is a tight, explosive, and well coordinated. A consistent, must see action film.

4/5

The Haunting in Connecticut

UK Release Date: 27th March 2009

After a family is forced to relocate for their son's health, they begin experiencing supernatural behavior in their new home, and uncover a sinister history (www.imdb.com).

Director: Peter Cornwell

Cast: Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner, Elias Koteas, Martin Donovan

The Haunting in Connecticut, for all its similarities to classic horror films, neither succeeds nor fails. The year 2000 and subsequent years thereon have one in ten greats. Sadly this movie sits square in the middle. There's nothing new. The terminally ill youngster that's exposed to the supernatural entities that infect the families' new house is unpleasant and a big difference from the usual victims. It does comes with some shockers; a scary spirit or two, a good underlying story, an upset, broken family. The mystery room connected to the basement, where barbaric acts took place, is a horror buff's sadistic delight. Once the ticker's calmed down, the brain takes over, and realises we've been there before. The poorly teenager's link to the undead is gratifying, like The Sixth Sense, but not a route it continues on. It sticks to the frights, dwindling further and further away from its strong opening.  

2/5

Mortdecai

UK Release Date: 23rd January 2015

Juggling angry Russians, the British Mi5, and an international terrorist, debonair art dealer and part time rogue Charlie Mortdecai races to recover a stolen painting rumored to contain a code that leads to lost Nazi gold (www.imdb.com).

Director: David Koepp (Secret Window, Ghost Town, Premium Rush)

Cast: Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor, Olivia Munn, Paul Bettany

Mortdecai's like marmite. This movie's a love or hate game. Love to hate it, or hate to love it. Same goes for Johnny Depp. He's one of those actors that draws crowds for reasons unknown. Mortdecai's been shaped to fit Depp's charisma. No one could play it better. Comparable to Johnny English and Maxwell Smart, Charles Mortdecai's an affluent, heavy-handed dolt who deals in the art business. How he came to be cannot be asked because it cannot be answered. His wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) wears the trousers. She's disturbed by the hair on his lip. One of the few overused jokes. Mortdecai's called upon by Mi5 agent Martland (Ewan McGregor) to help solve a murder and find a priceless painting. The narrative's easy to grasp, but burdened by other attributes. Mortdecai's right-hand-man Jock (Paul Bettany) is the only character producing the laughs. The script's sluggish, heavy on under-thought jokes. A forgetful film to say the least.       

2/5

Annabelle

UK Release Date: 10th October 2014

A couple begins to experience terrifying supernatural occurrences involving a vintage doll shortly after their home is invaded by satanic cultists (www.imdb.com).

Director: John R. Leonetti (The Butterfly Effect 2)

Cast: Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, Tony Amendola

Repetition springs to mind. From rocking chairs to creaking doors, Annabelle is full of horror traits done a thousand times over. The doll is creepy and the idea of satanic cultists murdering innocent people and attacking the main couple in the night is frightening. That's as far as the scares go. The Conjuring was a success, amplifying terror tenfold. Annabelle is the prequel, following the doll's dark beginnings to ending up in the hands of the Warren family. Annabelle's been rushed in to, scoring no originality and a story anticipated from a mile off, proving that truly terrifying horror movies are a thing of the (recent) past. It's very similar to Deliver us From Evil, The Woman in Black, Sinister and Insidious, with glimpses of Paranormal Activity. Watch the latter two for greater scares.

1.5/5 

30 Minutes or Less

UK Release Date: 16th September 2011

Two fledgling criminals kidnap a pizza delivery guy, strap a bomb to his chest, and inform him that he has mere hours to rob a bank or else.. (www.imdb.com).

Director: Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland)

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari, Nick Swardson, Michael Pena 

30 Minutes or Less is one short film, but snappier than a angry crocodile. The story's ludicrous, but sustains our suspension of disbelief. An immature man (Dany McBride), living under a strict, wealthy father, plots his assassination. Along with his not-as-stupid-but-still-stupid best friend (Nick Swardson), they strap a bomb to a pizza delivery guy (Jesse Eisenberg), and force him to rob a bank, so they can pay for a hit-man to bump off McBride's father. McBride and Swardson's stupidity match their unquestionable plans. The bank robbery's not exaggerated or understated thanks to the directing skills of Ruben Fleischer (known for Zombieland) and the main man Jesse Eisenberg. Now comfortable in the comedy field, Eisenberg naturally juggles humour with nerves. 30 Minutes or Less is chock-full of humour, action and energetic dialogue, all the while keeping character's traits. 30MoL comes with a weakness though: Danny McBride. He manages to uphold the 'biggest moron' and 'biggest typecast' awards, producing the fewest laughs. Aziz Ansari however, picks up the award for the most. He's the yin to Eisenberg's yang, joining Eisenberg on the nightmare of all days. 

3.5/5

Jack Reacher

UK Release Date: 26th December 2012

A homicide investigator digs deeper into a case involving a trained military sniper who shot five random victims (www.imdb.com).

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Cast: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, David Oyelowo, Werner Herzog, Jai Courtney, Robert Duvall

Jack Reacher upset the fans of the book way before its release date. Firstly, because the film's based on book nine, One Shot, of Lee Child's bestsellers, not the first. And secondly, Tom Cruise is nothing like Jack Reacher's supposed to be: tall, burly, very masculine. Placing this aside, Christopher McQuarrie's action is solid. The 'guess who' investigation focuses on the murder case and the lead investigator. Reacher is mysterious yet likeable, intelligent and tough. An outsider who the women love and the men hate. He's called upon by the suspect of five random murders by sniper. He doesn't believe the suspect murdered these people. Reacher and defence attorney Helen (Rosamund Pike) set out to uncover the truth. Cruise is no newcomer to this genre. Cruise swaps shocking stunts for raw energy. In one scene Reacher's in real danger, having us believe he is rather than think he'll escape unscathed. All aspects of Jack Reacher are executed with precision. There's no room for filler. The investigation is snappy, the action quick but memorable. Rosamund Pike adds emotion when confronting the deceased victims' relatives. Jack Reacher will gain new fans at the expense of its old ones. This is for the first-timers, not the old-timers.

4/5

Better Living Through Chemistry

UK Release Date: 7th April 2014 (straight to DVD)

A strait-laced pharmacist's uneventful life spirals out of control when he starts an affair with a trophy-wife customer who takes him on a joyride involving sex, drugs and possibly murder (www.imdb.com).

Director: Geoff Moore, David Posamentier

Cast: Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde, Michelle Monaghan, Ray Liotta, Jane Fonda

If a movie lacks a certain buzz or thrill, Sam Rockwell can be relied upon to sugar-coat the mess. Better Living Through Chemistry feels bogged down, even when on the surface the plot's intact. Rockwell saves the day, turning a boring character and his day-to-day routine into a life of revelry. His wife's (Michelle Monaghan) portrayed as a spiteful person, their relationship's hitting rock bottom. She's purposely cold and nasty, making the pharmaceutical nice-man the one to relate to, subconsciously pushing our opinions of them down a narrow path. Rockwell's life is spun 180 degrees when he meets Olivia Wilde's wealthy drug addict. They commit adultery on their respective partners, take advantage of Rockwell's medicinal knowledge and inventory, and plot murder. Out of character motives. But it is Sam Rockwell, doing what he does best: engage and amuse. Olivia Wilde's character is flat. Her forte lies in other M.O's. Ray Liotta is Wilde's unsuspecting husband, whose screen time barely reaches five minutes. Jane Fonda's voiceover, accompanying Rockwell's story, is pointless, other than to tell us she was/is one of his customers. If it weren't for Rockwell's class acting, Better Living Through Chemistry would be one to avoid. 

2.5/5

Inside Out

UK Release Date: 24th July 2015

After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school (www.imdb.com).

Director: Pete Docter (Up, Monsters Inc.), Ronaldo Del Carmen

Cast: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling

Pixar are back with a blast. An absolute mind-blast. Inside Out is the most brilliantly thought out, original animation in Pixar's history. For all audiences to enjoy. Centering on a young girl named Riley, there is two sides to her story. The external one is simple: Riley and her parents move away from their home in Minnesota where she grew up, to downtown San Francisco. The internal one is more complex. An assortment of characters make up Riley's emotions. Very similar to The Numbskulls in The Beano comic. There's Joy (Poehler), Fear (Hader), Anger (Black), Disgust (Kaling) and Sadness (Smith). They control Riley's actions and reactions. Her brain is a complex machine. New memories are created, shaped in to colours matching the emotion (yellow for joy, blue for sadness etc.) and filed in to a huge maze-like database. There's the core memories, powering certain parts of Riley's personality. They part from their usual spot that keeps the cogs spinning, throwing Riley's external emotions in to chaos. Joy and Sadness, separated from the brain's hub, need to make their way back before Riley loses her personality traits completely. Inside Out is a joyful experience, even when it's sad. A movie for the masses. A playful understanding on how certain minds work, how families can come together, and how life needs every emotion once in a while. Furthermore, an imaginary friend named Bing Bong's the best imaginary friend ever imagined.

5/5

Blended

UK Release Date: 23rd May 2014

After a bad blind date, a man and woman find themselves stuck together at a resort for families, where their attraction grows as their respective kids benefit from the burgeoning relationship (www.imdb.com).

Director: Frank Coraci (Here Comes the Boom, Zookeeper, Click)

Cast: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Terry Crews, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Bella Thorne

Many years and many rubbish films later and Adam Sandler finally pulls an ace from the deck. Blended is the third time he's collaborated with Drew Barrymore. It's not as meaningful and poignant as 50 First Dates, but it is funny, no matter how stupid it gets. Sandler and Barrymore gel finely together. Their single-parent characters detest each other after a blind-date. Circumstances place them and their kids at the same holiday resort in South Africa, where they no choice but to mingle. Their kids are highly dysfunctional from the lack of a father/mother. Sandler's girls have boyish hair cuts and one of Barrymore's sons needs
a heavy dose of Ritalin. They keep the cogs churning, adding strength to the plot: two families coming together. Sandler hasn't been this funny since 2006's Click. Bend that with Barrymore's sass and you've got yourselves a sweet, belly-aching treat. Unfortunately Terry Crews is wasted in a long, drawn-out gag that sparks tedium after the third round. On the plus side, this is the only negative spot.

3.5/5