22 Jump Street

****
UK Release Date: June 6th 2014

After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt and Jenko when they go deep undercover at a local college.

Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs)

Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Wyatt Russell, Peter Stormare, Nick Offerman

22 Jump Street follows exactly the same formula as its predecessor. For once a sequel manages to pull of playing the same stunt twice, but for Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum), high-school is over and they're off to college. 22 has a few twists that makes it unique (as sequels go). High-school was a breeze for them and they soon realise it's not easy repeating the same actions.

22JS focuses on Schmidt and Jenko's bromance and it gets a little silly at times. Jenko's new best friend Zook (Russell) spoils their love as the football player who shares a similar taste with Jenko and accepts him in to his friendship group but leaves Schmidt out. Ice Cube returns as Captain Dickson, stealing every scene he lands in.

This sequel has the ability to take the piss out of itself, which works well. 'The Koreans bought the church back, so we had to move across the street... to 22 Jump Street', a Vietnamese church with a Vietnamese Jesus.

You'll have no problem loving 22 if you loved 21. All I say is bring on 23. 

21 Jump Street

*****
UK Release Date: July 9th 2012

A pair of underachieving cops are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring.

Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs)

Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Dave Franco, Brie Larson

21 Jump Street probably holds the best cop duo since Rush Hour. If you, like me, think Tatum and Hill are an odd pairing, prepare to be mistaken. Tatum fits into the comedy aspects very well and Hill, who helped write the script, peaks with his performance.

A flashback to high-shcool allows us an insight on their friendship. Eminem wannabe Schmidt (Hill) is a social recluse and gets picked on by meathead Jenko (Tatum). Fast-forward in time and they become friends and partners.

After an unfortunate attempt at a drugs bust, Jenko forgetting his Miranda Rights ('you have the right to...suck my dick, motherfucker!') and a public embarrassment, they are both assigned to 21 Jump Street, an undercover operations unit for youthful looking officers. Run by angry Captain Dickson (Ice Cube), the pair are off to high-school to 'infiltrate the dealer' and 'find the supplier' of a drug called HFS (Holy Fucking Shit).

School isn't how they remember it being. Schmidt is now in with the popular kids and Jenko is forced to hang with the chemistry nerds.

There are too many funny moments to pick out any particular one. 21 Jump Street steers clear from the original series enough to warrant its own credit, but doesn't stray too far by having minimal references and great cameos that any fan of the series will be delighted with.

It's not all about Hill and Tatum, as a great supporting cast have their moments to. Dave Franco is fellow cool kid and dealer Eric and Bridesmaids' Ellie Kemper is Ms. Griggs who's infatuated with Jenko and his mighty abs. Ice Cube is a scene-stealer with his take no shit attitude.

21 Jump Street is hilarious, a breath of fresh air (even with its gross-out moments) and highly entertaining. It's one of those comedies that's memorable from beginning to end.

Edge of Tomorrow

*****
UK Release Date: May 30th 2014

An officer finds himself caught in a time loop in a war with an alien race. His skills increase as he faces the same brutal combat scenarios, and his union with a Special Forces warrior gets him closer and closer to defeating the enemy.

Director: Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Jumper)

Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson

Tom Cruise's career has taken a huge turn. He was in drama after drama in his early days, but since the 2000's he's become one of the biggest action heroes there is. It seems that he has an interest in sci-fi, with Oblivion and a new Van Helsing falling either side of Edge of Tomorrow. EoT is a welcome sight in an industry full of sequels and do-overs.

Cruise completely shocked me by playing a character who's not cocksure and not arrogant from the beginning. Instead Lt. Cage is a cowardly fool that, after disobeying orders, is forced in to the front-line of an all-out battle with aliens. It's definitely Groundhog Day science fiction style. Cage has to replay the same day again and again, but has to die each time in order for the day to start again.  

Edge of Tomorrow is filmed and scripted so well that even we are left out of the loop, constantly wondering what Cage and hardened battler Rita (Emily Blunt) have already experienced, if they've experienced it at all. It works amazingly well as Cruise and director Liman keep the loop spiced up so we experience something different every time Cage's day resets. There's a level of humour too; Cage's deaths all vary. The next one is always gorier than the last. Cage goes through the same day so many times that he says or does things before others do. A very annoyed Master Sergeant Farell (Paxton) is one to watch out for.

Emily Blunt gets to kick as much ass as Cruise. The limelight is not being hogged by Cruise this time. Rita AKA Full Metal Bitch plays a vital role, helping Cage until the end. Their relationship works surprisingly well under circumstances. Cage knows Rita well but Rita has just met Cage for the first time (again and again).

The ending (set in Paris) may feel a little rushed but that's a little gripe from a film that's fresh and one of Cruise's best since 2011's Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. This is a film that should be put on repeat.

A Million Ways to Die in the West

***
UK Release Date: May 30th 2014

As a cowardly farmer begins to fall for the mysterious new woman in town, he must put his new-found courage to the test when her husband, a notorious gun-slinger, announces his arrival.

Director: Seth MacFarlane (Ted)

Starring: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, Giovanni Ribisi, Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Silverman

Seth MacFarlane is a master of voices. He's the voice of not just Ted in Ted, but many characters in Family Guy including Peter, Brian and Stewie Griffin. If you're a lover of his previous work then you're bound to love AMWTDITW. 

The film's humour breaks the suspension of disbelief that would usually be maintained in a western. It's silly, the gags are crude, and they come thick and fast. Some are memorable, such as the references to other films and some great cameos, but others fester, like the long running joke between Albert's friend Edward (Ribisi) and hooker/fiancee Ruth (Silverman) who's pulling the cord of around 10 different men a day.

Although the film might not suit her acting capabilities, Charlize Theron keeps Macfarlane's first live action appearance above water. Neeson isn't in it long enough to make his stamp. A few How I Met Your Mother jokes are thrown in to the fray with Neil Patrick Harris' character Foy (Louise's new love). The weakest link has to be MacFarlane himself, gawping at things more often than not.

AMWTDITW isn't as funny as Ted (a sequel to Ted has been announced for a 2015 release) and will more than likely warrant interest with fans of Family Guy than newcomers.

Moonrise Kingdom

****
UK Release Date: May 25th 2012

A pair of young lovers flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out and find them.

Director: Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox)

Starring: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Bob Balaban

Wes Anderson has a very familiar way of presenting his work. His films stand out by their sweeping camera shots, far-fetched storylines, low budget settings and dry humour.

The A-List celebrities in Moonrise Kingdom (Willis, Norton and Murray in particular) are supporting actors. The focus is on newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, who play runaway lovers Sam and Suzy respectively. They are ones to watch out for. Their quirky mannerisms and awkwardness around each other hold a chemistry unlike any other. Their homes are on an island, so there's only so far they can run from their friends and family. A great scene worth mentioning sees the young lovers square off against Sam's fellow scouts.

There are no boring characters in this film. Everyone has an agenda and everyone stops what they're doing to look for Sam and Suzy. Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton) and his scouts are standouts as well as Bruce Willis' Captain Sharp who's having an undisclosed affair with Suzy's mother.

MK's pace is swift. There's no messing around. It's consistently funny from beginning to end. Wes Anderson is one of the best directors out there when it comes to pure entertainment.      

X-Men: Days of Future Past

 *****

UK Release Date: May 22nd 2014

The X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants.

Director: Bryan Singer (X-Men, X-Men 2)

Starring: Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage, Halle Berry, Nicholas Hoult

X-Men: Days of Future Past is the best to come out of the X-Men franchise yet. Bryan Singer has made a welcome return and in doing so has created a masterpiece that holds mutants old and new.

This time the enemy is far bigger than both humans and mutants realise. The year is 2023 and robots known as the Sentinels have ravished the world of all (or most) mutant life. The humans that are helping mutants have also suffered. The world is an apocalyptic wasteland, a massive, foreboding spectacle.

Thus far only a handful of mutants have survived. Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) sets the tone with his mighty voiceover, talking about hope, glory and despair. With him is Magneto (Ian McKellen) and it's taken years of turmoil for them to realise that they need to work together in order to stop this ominous threat.

They must send Wolverine's (Hugh Jackman) consciousness back to 1973, where the First Class team is at its most fragile, reunite them (somehow) and stop them from heading down a gloomy future. Stopping Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) kill Sentinal creator Prof. Trask (Peter Dinklage) is vital.

The original X-Men cast take the backseat (Stewart, McKellen and Berry) and the First Class mutants are at the front. Even though Wolverine was the one sent back, he's in no way the centre of attention like previous X-Men outings. All of the FC team get their fair share of screen time.

Relish in the fact that this film manages to render X-Men: The Last Stand pointless. There are plenty of surprises to come, with an end credit scene worth watching for the major comic fans. Some mutants have little screen time (Shawn Ashmore's Iceman and newcomer Bishop to name a few) that I'd like to have see more of but too many characters can spoil the party. New additions have a chance to shine, but it's Lawrence, McAvoy and Fassbender that keep this party going.

Stay in this until the end, the story is intricate and well thought out, similar to the new Star Trek's alternate reality. DOFP is amazing. Let's hope Singer's around to stay.