Everest

UK Release Date: 18th September 2015

A climbing expedition on Mt. Everest is devastated by a severe snow storm (www.imdb.com).

Director: Baltasar Kormakur (Contraband, 2 Guns)

Starring: Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Emily Watson, Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Jake Gyllenhaal

Everest stars Jason Clarke and Jake Gyllenhaal, two tour leaders who band together on the lucky day of the year (10th May) and tackle Mt. Everest. Various A-listers are amongst them, some making the ascent (Josh Brolin, John Hawkes), others are part of the story in different ways (Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley). The two groups face peril when a storm hits. You can see where this is going. Disaster are on a middle level scale. Everest is gorgeously shot, the mountain friendly during the day, by night an active presence waiting for its next victim. The snow is blinding, and the sheer steeps and drops will put off any acrophobian. The A-listers' performances are just as grand as the mountain, but almost no emotion is sent their way because their numbers outstrip our emotional demand. In the end Clarke and co. never get the recognition they deserve.  

3/5

Testament of Youth

UK Release Date: 16th January 2015

A British woman recalls coming of age during World War I - a story of young love, the futility of war, and how to make sense of the darkest times (www.imdb.com.)

Director: James Kent

Starring: Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington, Taron Edgerton, Emily Watson, Hayley Atwell, Colin Morgan, Dominic West, Miranda Richardson

Testament of Youth is a worldwide best-selling autobiography by Vera Brittain, played by Alicia Vikander in this film adaption. It's her account of her life during World War I. There's a melancholy vibe floating through the air; Vera, her family and friends are on tenterhooks, knowing the inevitable war will change everyone's lives. ToY shows that all those left behind were effected as well. Vikander is phenomenal. She single-handedly expresses the terror bestowed on the world, giving up her passion to study and becoming a nurse instead. Vera sees just as much horror as the troops sent away. Her brother (Edgerton), close friend (Morgan) and new love (Kit Harington) end up on the frontline. Vikander and Harington's relationship is the weak point, never given the chance to flourish. It doesn't have the effect on the audience that it should. Once Harrington's gone he's forgotten. The moment is Vikander's, the bleak story hers alone.

3.5/5

Home

UK Release Date: 20th March 2015

An alien on the run from his own people makes friends with a girl. He tries to help her on her quest, but can be an interference (www.imdb.com).

Director: Tim Johnson (Antz, Over the Hedge)

Starring: Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin, Jennifer Lopez

Jim Parsons and Rihanna. A nerd and an r&b musician. An odd mix. One that's portrayed in Home. It doesn't quite fit well. Parsons voices Oh, the small, purple alien, on the run from his own kind for alerting his race's enemy of a party on earth, where they've taken sanctuary. His voice isn't like the colour of his body, which matches the emotions he's conveying at the time. Not a bad character, just not as cute as the Fox's Minions (if that's what they were going for). Rihanna is Tip, the only human left on earth after the Boov's took everyone off the planet to make it their own. Her only objective is to be reunited with her mother. Her and Oh don't get along at first, but soon become unlikely friends. Rihanna also delivers a few original scores in the soundtrack. She's a big part of this movie. She's from Barbados, just like her character. It's practically her life on screen. Putting their unlikely coupling aside, Home will undoubtedly amuse its young audience. Oh's automatically appealing because he's the bad egg. There's a cute, loveable Calico cat that acts like a dog, following Tip everywhere. The Boov are funny where Oh struggles to be, led by their Captain, Smek (Steve Martin). Home lacks originality, but proves to beat expectations.  

3/5

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

UK Release Date: 10th September 2015

After having escaped the Maze, the Gladers now face a new set of challenges on the open roads of a desolate landscape filled with unimaginable obstacles (www.imdb.com).

Director: Wes Ball (The Maze Runner)

Starring: Dylan O'Brien, Ki Hong Lee, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Jacob Lofland, Rosa Salazar, Giancarlo Esposito, Patricia Clarkson, Aidan Gillen, Barry Pepper

Note: May contain some spoilers.

The Scorch Trials: the second film of The Maze Runner trilogy. 20th Century Fox's answer to a young-adult series, similar to The Hunger Games and Divergent. The Maze Runner has a compact storyline, telling us all we need to know without revealing too many secrets. The Scorch Trials, on the other hand, loses the thread in its script. Piecing the puzzle together's the hardest part, unless the book's been read prior. Sitting back and enjoying the action's the easy part. Thomas (O'Brien) and the Gladers escape the clutches of WICKED, only to find they've walked right back into their hands. The Scorch is the Gladers' new task, set by WICKED leader Janson (Aiden Gillen). At least that happens in the book. In the film, Thomas and company seeks safety, which is inconveniently past the Scorch, in the mountains, unaware that it's a new test. They face new challenges, mainly zombie-like humans, adverse weather conditions, and the enemy constantly on their tail. It hardly feels worth it by end. The Gladers get no where, the trial opening up dilemmas, solving nothing on the way. The action at least keeps us entertained for the majority of the movie. Overall though, a disappointment after a successful start to the trilogy.

3/5

Legend

UK Release Date: 9th September 2015

The film tells the story of the identical twin gangsters Reggie and Ronnie Kray, two of the most notorious criminals in British history, and their organised crime empire in the East End of London during the 1960s (www.imdb.com).

Director: Brian Helgeland (Paycheck, A Knight's Tale)

Starring: Tom Hardy, Emily Browning, Taron Edgerton, Christopher Eccleston, David Thewlis

Two doses of Tom Hardy. Can't get any better than that, right? He's got the looks, brings the power, exudes fear. He is the right man for this role, and proves it just so. The Kray brothers are notorious gangsters, running the underground scene of London in the 1960's. Ronnie Kray (Hardy) is unhinged, sporadic and very open with his sexuality. Reggie Kray (Hardy) is the balanced one, collective, calm, but quick to anger. Legend covers their tremendous rise to their speedy decline. Hardy manages to portray two separate personalities without effecting the other. Ronnie is funny, Reggie is serious. Both personalities are as astounding as the other, neither outdoing the other. Legend is a gangster film at heart, putting family above all else, full of honour, intimidation and violence. Gangster fans, rejoice, Legend is amongst the best of its genre.   

4/5 

Just Go With It

UK Release Date: 11th February 2011

On a weekend trip to Hawaii, a plastic surgeon convinces his loyal assistant to pose as his soon-to-be-divorced wife in order to cover up a careless lie he told to his much-younger girlfriend (www.imdb.com).

Director: Dennis Dugan (Big Daddy, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Grown Ups)

Starring: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Brooklyn Decker, Nick Swardson, Nicole Kidman 

Just Go With It sits in the middle of the best and worst Adam Sandler films this side of the millennium. Many, considerable pitfalls exists. Sandler piles on the lies to get his girl. Firstly, pretending to have an ex-wife (Jennifer Aniston), because Sandler gets caught wearing his old wedding ring that scores him many girls (in his dreams). Secondly, having two children when he has none. Thirdly, his cousin Nick Swardson enters the fray, pretending to be Aniston's new German backpacker boyfriend. The lies are awful and flimsy. The charade's kept up for the entire movie. It'd be convincing if Sandler was only trying to get his leg over. Some laughs come from it, just not many memorable ones. Aniston is the prize winner here. She's the good in a jumble of mess. This film is aptly named, as if it's telling us just to go with it too. 

2/5

Sinister 2

UK Release Date: 21st August 2015

A young mother and her twin sons move into a rural house that's marked for death (www.imdb.com).

Director: Ciaran Foy 

Starring: James Ransone, Shannyn Sossamon, Robert Daniel Sloan, Dartanian Sloan

Sinister isn't the first horror film to spring to mind that's gained a sequel. Read this review on the basis that you've seen the original. Ethan Hawke and his family are long gone, the evil bogey-man and his evil children relocated to other properties, including one residing a woman and her two sons. The policeman from the original, weirdly named Deputy So & So (James Ransone), investigates the property and its inhabitants. Unlike Hawke's excursion, So & So's casts the bogey-man in light for all to see. The shocks are erratic, neither heavy or light, yet quick off the mark. Sinister 2 engages well, putting the Collins' family in the heart of everything that takes place. The murderous history comes across stronger than ever, pushing the sick and twisted envelope to the max. Both the son's acting are dark, the cop turned private investigator the weakest for being weak. Sinister 2 upholds the original concept whilst making its own way through the horror scene. Expect a third, or even a fourth film very soon.

3.5/5

No Escape

UK Release Date: 4th September 2015

In their new overseas home, an American family soon finds themselves caught in the middle of a coup, and they frantically look for a safe escape in an environment where foreigners are being immediately executed (www.imdb.com).

Director: John Erick Dowdle (Devil, As Above, So Below) 

Starring: Owen Wilson, Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan

No Escape is a high-octane, off-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller. Jack Dwyer (Owen Wilson) moves his family to an unknown destination in South-East Asia for business purposes. A coup eventually breaks out, with locals targeting and killing foreigners. The Dwyer family, which includes Lake Bell as Jack's wife, must find safety if they're to survive this ordeal. It's a simple plot, but an effective one, constantly intense after the first 15 minutes. We're with them, routing for their safety. Even the kids, who're a little insufferable in the toughest of times. As enthralling as No Escape is, it does come with one inconsequential flaw: it's predictable. Although the suspense never wanes, and the family feel legitimately in danger. Owen Wilson and Lake Bell are incredible, staying rock solid for their kids. Pierce Brosnan's character tilts No Escape into the improbable, and the Dwyer sisters act as youngsters do when they're too young to know any better. Brushing that aside, No Escape is a beguiling and gripping film that's comfortably one of the most memorable of 2015. 

4.5/5

Hitman: Agent 47

UK Release Date: 27th August 2015

An assassin teams up with a woman to help her find her father and uncover the mysteries of her ancestry (www.imdb.com).

Director: Aleksander Bach

Starring: Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware, Zachary Quinto, Ciaran Hinds

Eight years have passed since the abysmal adaption Hitman. Timothy Olyphant's agent was bland, clunky and awkward. Rupert Friend's agent fairs just as bad. He's the 47th human that's been genetically enhanced since birth, brought up to be a contract assassin, killing with no emotion. Emotions have been stripped from 47, making him the least affectionate character in film since the 2007 excursion. 47's helps a woman (Hannah Ware) find her father and discover the truth behind her dark past. Others are out to find her father and kill him, including crooked agent Zachary Quinto. All characters are bland, including Hannah Ware's Katia, the only one showing any emotion, made weak by a boring script. There's plenty of action, though. The kill count's high and the blood runs deep but the choreography's regimented and robotic. 47's never in danger. A few well-done set-pieces occur in Hitman's 90 odd minutes, just enough to keep the mind occupied.

2/5

Trainwreck

UK Release Date: 14th August 2015

Having thought that monogamy was never possible, a commitment-phobic career woman may have to face her fears when she meets a good guy (www.imdb.com).

Director: Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, This Is 40)

Starring: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson

Trainwreck's leads, Amy Schumer and Bill Hader, are placed in the different gender's shoes. Amy sleeps and boozes her way round New York, caring little for her nearest and dearest. Aaron (Hader) is the sensible, kind-hearted sports surgeon looking for a woman to settle down with. Aaron's presence threatens to turn Amy prim and proper, which scares her. With Judd Apatow directing and Schumer putting pen to paper, there's a level of assumption. The laughs come thick and fast and the serious moments are dappled with genuine humour. Schumer, Hader and Schumer's on-screen sister Brie Larson are compelling, in-depth characters, the latter two the likeable ones of the trio. Schumer pushes the character-audience relationship to the edge, bombarding us with a mixture of feelings. She's at her best in the serious sections, at her worst (spoiler) when scene-stealing WWE star John Cena breaks off their relationship. Schumer is the human definition of a trainwreck. She's is the most unlikely of leads, but that's why this is memorable and enjoyable movie.

4/5

Self/less

UK Release Date:

A dying real estate mogul transfers his consciousness into a healthy young body, but soon finds that neither the procedure nor the company that performed it are quite what they seem (www.imdb.com).

Director: Tarsem Singh (Immortals, Mirror Mirror) 

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Ben Kingsley, Matthew Goode, Natalie Martinez

A super rich real estate businessman by the name of Damian (Ben Kingsley) is dying. With a decent chunk of his money, Damian decides to transfer his consciousness to a new, younger body (Ryan Reynolds). There are side effects, really important ones that are kept secret until after the transition. The modern, healthier Damian erroneously bumps in to these well kept secrets, changing his whole view on life and death. Ben Kingsley, for the first quarter of Self/less, is first-class, unveiling Damian as a man with power and notoriety. When Reynolds enters the fray, his personality doesn't match, as if the two didn't taken the time to fit in the character's affinity. The story barely breaks the surface of a good idea. Asking the right questions, but not filling the answers. Matthew Goode's head scientist of the underground company feeds us this information. The action and the flow of the story are thrilling enough, but not to the point of caring for the lead. 

3/5

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

UK Release Date: 23rd September 2011

Tucker & Dale are on vacation at their dilapidated mountain cabin when they are attacked by a group of preppy college kids (www.imdb.com).

Director: Eli Craig 

Starring: Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk, Katrina Bowden

It's best to approach Tucker & Dale vs. Evil on a whim. Having previously watched horrors like Wrong Turn and The Hills Have Eyes will add significant satire. Tucker (Tudyk) and Dale (Labine) are your average red-necks; harmless on the inside even if a little intimidating on the outside. They're on vacation at their new 'cabin in the woods'. Travelling in their proximity is a group of college kids who think Tucker and Dale mean them harm. The key message here is to not judge a book by its cover. The preppy youngsters attack the hillbilly duo because they think they're attacking them. The events that unfold thereafter mock all serious gore films. It's genuinely funny, sporting the look of a horror and the feel of a comedy. The freak accidents threatening to kill off all the preps will have you in stitches, whilst Tucker and Dale are blissfully (or stupidly) unaware of how bad things are getting. The film's consistent, playing against all traditions. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil isn't one to miss. 

4/5

What We Did on Our Holiday

UK Release Date: 26th September 2014

Doug and Abi take their kids on a family vacation. Surrounded by relatives, the kids innocently reveal the ins and outs of their family life and many intimate details about their parents. It's soon clear that when it comes to keeping a big secret under wraps from the rest of the family, their children are their biggest liability (www.imdb.com).

Directors: Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin

Starring: Rosamund Pike, David Tenannt, Billy Connolly

For the children in this particular family, telling their fellow school friends what they did on their holiday would be hard, if they weren't so upbeat in every situation they're in. Outnumbered writers Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin direct, giving Tennant and Pike's delightful children freedom to spitball their lines. For the most it works, juxtaposing nicely against their parents' bickering. Abi (Pike) and Doug (Tennant) are on the verge of divorcing, trying to keep it secret from the family as they head to Scotland to visit Doug's sick father (Connolly). Obviously it doesn't go their way, as arguments break out. The adults of the family all have their own personal attributes, Doug's brother is a stingy, obsessive-compulsive and his sister in-law suffers with depression. Pike and Tennant bounce off each other like a real relationship. The ones worth the watch are the three children and Billy Connolly, who hold a fine level of satire and seriousness. The middle act dips in form because of its astonishing play-out and the ending dips in to the safest of territories. Other than that What We Did on Our Holiday is hugely enjoyable, even if the subject matter is not.

3/5

The Man from U.N.C.L.E

UK Release Date: 14th August 2015

In the early 1960s, CIA agent Napoleon Solo and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin participate in a joint mission against a mysterious criminal organization, which is working to proliferate nuclear weapons (www.imdb.com).

Director: Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows)

Starring: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Hugh Grant

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is your typical action film. A number of aspects make it a cut above the rest. Firstly, is the relationship between the two agents, American CIA smooth-talker Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and Russian KGB mad-man Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer). Their connection and mockery towards each other is witty. It's their job to protect the daughter of a nuclear weapons expert and bring down those who intend to make them. Alicia Vikander is simply sexy without trying, making viewers melt with her looks and accent. Henry Cavill can't help but look like Superman in disguise, but plenty for  women viewers to swoon over too. The story frays, stretching out to last, but the trio of actors keep U.N.C.L.E smart and bright so it doesn't bother. This film and the Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes films are marginally different from Snatch and Lock Stock in context, but far more PC. Guy Ritchie does, however, keep us infused with a decent script, fantastic production and intelligent action, giving Mr. Bond a run for his money. 

4/5