Sabotage

***
UK Release Date: May 7th 2014

Members of an elite DEA task force find themselves being taken down one by one after they rob a drug cartel safe house.

Director: David Ayer (Fury, End of Watch, Street Kings)

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Terrence Howard, Josh Holloway, Joe Manganiello, Max Martini, Mireille Enos, Olivia Williams

Sabotage is David Ayer's most authentic cop-drama/thriller yet. No one pulls it off better. Kurt Russell's Perry questions his corrupt decisions in Dark Blue whilst Training Day sees Denzel Washington's nefarious Alonso Harrington increase his fraudulence with time. Ayer wrote the script for both these films, but hasn't driven the same effect for Arnie and co in this 2014 release.  

DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) cops steal $10m from a highly dangerous gang during a bust. When they go back for the money they find it's already been taken. The DEA is on their case, knowing full well what they did, but have no evidence to prove it. Breacher (Schwarzenegger) manages to reassemble his team, but someone has a personal vendetta against them. No one is safe.

An array of macho characters fight to dominate the screen. A battle of wills as they say. The Alpha Males are a bunch of unlikeable mishaps in their own individual ways. Monster (Worthington), Grinder (Manganiello), Neck (Holloway), Sugar (Howard) and Pyro (Martini) join Breacher. The Killing's Mireille Enos is the meanest, damnedest, hardest bitch of them all. Shortly behind her is Olivia Williams' Detective Brentwood, who's assigned to Breacher and his team's case.

The deaths of the crew are well thought out. They're horrible yet gutsy. The forces attributes and personas feel real, even if their leader's acting is (still) a bit ropey. This doesn't stop Sabotage from being Arnie's best post-governor performance. There are fleeting moments of splendour, but his accent and inability to shout favour a humorous side than a serious one. Think Predator crossed with The Last Stand.

Verdict: Not Ayer's best, but a genuine one none-the-less. Arnie rocks, but his team rock the boat.

3/5

The Imitation Game

****
UK Release Date: November 14th 2014

English mathematician and logician, Alan Turing, helps crack the Enigma code during World War II.

Director: Morten Tyldum (Headhunters)

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Charles Dance, Mark Strong

Benedict Cumberbatch has been a busy man the last couple of years. From a crazy sci-fi villian and a genius crime detective to an incestial lover or a frightening dragon, there's no-one/nothing he can't portray. The Imitation Game see's Cumberbatch at his best and most complex. His character, Alan Turing, is an exciting one. This film is just as much about the second world war as it is about his life.

Turing (Cumberbatch) is an unsung hero of WW2. His work on the Enigma code has been kept under wraps until recently because homosexuality was illegal at the time. Turing's superior intelligence and sexual preferences make him a complicated character; one that's hated by his fellow employees for his rudeness and bluntness and one that Cumberbatch hone's in on. Oscar worthy? Yes, very much so.

The Imitation Game is gripping to a fault. The story follows Turing before, during and after the War, from his early school years up to a year after cracking the code. It's clear from the start that he completes his objective. It's Turing himself that we find ourselves interested in. He's just as much an enigma as the German's machine is.

British talent has never been so flavoursome. Keira Knightley's crossword cracker helps Turing in more ways than one, giving her a nod as best support actress. Great support also come from Mark Strong as the government official Cumberbatch and fellow cracker Matthew Goode report to. Same goes with Game of Thrones' Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister), even if his character is similar to the fantasy epic's.

Verdict: TIG is a very insightful film, packed full of history and moral views. Cumberbatch and the other cast-members are an intriguing bunch. They are the heart of it.  

4/5

The Adjustment Bureau

*****
UK Release Date: March 4th 2011

The affair between a politician and a ballerina is affected by mysterious forces keeping the lovers apart.

Director: George Nolfi

Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Michael Kelly, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Terence Stamp

The Adjustment Bureau is just as much a love story as it is a sci-fi thriller. It's here to appease more than one type of audience. It breaks so many genres within such a small time-frame that you'll be left reeling by the end of it. 

Love has come across as cheesy, sickly, weak or unconvincing in the past. Not with this film. Love has never been stronger. Love has never felt so real. 

David Norris (Damon) has lost the running for New York senate. He's rehearsing his losing speech in a mens restroom when a noise from one of the cubicles interrupts his flow. A woman comes edging out, embarrassed that she's been caught listening.

'You're that guy running for Senate', Elise (Blunt) remarks.

'I am that guy yeah. Are you a registered New York voter?', he asks.

'Do I sound like I am?, she replies.

Their chemistry is a force unto itself, from the very moment they meet each other. 

David falls for Elise straight away, but encounters mysterious men who want to keep them apart. He soon learns that these men are hidden from the world, controlling everyone's moves, keeping them in their line of Fate as they see fit. He was never meant to bump into Elise. They are not destined to be together, according to their Plan. David's future has already been set out for him. David's feelings for Elise are too strong to let her slip by. He must decide whether to let her go and move down his predetermined future, or risk losing everything for the love of his life.

David and Elise's love for each other is so gripping it hurts, as if we're feeling what they feel. It must be seen to the bitter or sweet end, depending on the path David takes. It's obvious which path he chooses, but he must suffer along the way before he reaches his goal. 

The Adjustment Bureau is George Nolfi's debut, and what a high flyer it is. Everything falls in to place nicely, from the script to the romance, and the action to the settings. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt make us believe they are perfect for each other, as if they really are together. Their dialogue is perfect, as if every character has honed in on them and made them their own. The weather in NY City changes depending on David's mood, adding depth to his emotions. Blunt is charismatic and funny, whilst Damon is often irrational but charming. Support comes from Terence Stamp, known as 'The Hammer' amongst the Bureau, because he gets the job done swift and hard. An Angel such as Stamp has never felt so intimidating. There's also Anthony Mackie's Harry, who's sympathetic towards David, and helps him along the way. 

The Adjusment Bureau doesn't come without its flaws though. The Bureau, led by Madmen's John Slattery, has proven to David that the Adjustment Bureau have great power to stop him finding Elise, whether it's raising parts of the floor, knocking out phone communications or having taxi drivers ignore him when he needs them. Towards the end they become nothing more than men-in-pursuit. The most obvious flaw, and the most bugging, is why doesn't Elise ring David back after he loses her number? Surely he's the more accessible of the two.

Verdict: Putting its flaws aside, The Adjustment Bureau is a romantic-action-thriller, whatever you call it, you won't want to miss. Damon and Blunt are divine.

5/5

47 Ronin (2013)

***
UK Release Date: December 26th 2013

A band of samurai set out to avenge the death and dishonor of their master at the hands of a ruthless shogun.

Director: Carl Rinsch

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Ko Shibasaki, Min Tanaka, Jin Akanishi, Rinko Kikuchi 

47 Ronin, with a Boxing Day release, bombed at the box office. It took only half of what it cost to make it. Too much money was spent on a film that targets a small audience. 

Here in lies another telling of the forty seven Ronin from 18th century Japan. They are the leaderless samurai, seeking vengeance on those who've killed their leader. Every story told since the event has been twisted. It's more important how the story is told than the true account, but the foundation and principal is still at the heart of every version. This remains so with this 2013 release. 

But not all is well. Keanu Reeves makes a comeback after a few low-key films since 2008's The Day the Earth Stood Still, and what a strange choice to make his return. First and foremost his character, Kai, is completely made up. He's a 'half-breed' as one of the Ronin points out, taken under the wing of Lord Asano (Min Tanaka) after supposedly being brought up by demons. This is what we're told, but unfortunately we don't get to see it. Years later the older and still very reserved Kai is scorned by others. His love for the Lord's daughter, Mika (Ko Shibasaki) only makes matter worse. 'I would rather have been killed by that beast than saved by a half-breed' declares Oishi (Hiroyuki Sanada), the son of Asano as the opening scene depicts a monster wreaking havoc near the city in which they live in. 

The tale, although true to its core, has morphed into a gigantic epic fantasy. A year after the death of Lord Asano, the captured Oishi escapes and tracks down the hidden Kai. They muster their masterless samurai, and encounter many strange animals and beings before their journey's end, from witches and snakes to Voldemort lookalikes and tattooed freaks. There's plenty of entertainment to extract from 47R, like its set-pieces. The fighting and battles are expertly choreographed. Keanu and co are professional fighters who put their heart and soul into their fighting.

The same can't be said for everything else in between. The editing from scene to scene is a little clunky, like a piece is missing from a puzzle, and the Japanese actors that we're all very familiar with (Hiroyuki Sanada from The Wolverine, Tadanobu Asano from Thor/Thor: The Dark World, Rinko Kikuchi from Pacific Rim) struggle with some of the dialogue. It's as if the translation from Japanese to English hasn't quite smoothed out. On the plus side you wouldn't notice it from their performances. It's always an odd one watching an English speaking film when the events contained were in Japanese. Is it trying to make us believe that they spoke a different language? 

Verdict: 47 Ronin is highly entertaining to watch. It's not likely to make your brain ache, but you can't help feeling Keanu Reeves is a bit out of place. 

3/5

The Best of 2014

Here is the list of the top 10 films of 2014, from what's been seen/reviewed already. They're in no particular order because some films were better in certain aspect than others.

1. The Raid 2

Meatier and grittier than the first (is that even possible?), The Raid 2 will smash you in the face over and over again. A strong plot will keep you hooked from beginning to end.

2. Nightcrawler

Take a journey with an odd rookie journalist on the streets of L.A. Jake Gyllenhaal is mesmerising.

3. Guardians of the Galaxy

Incredibly funny and plenty of action. What more do you need from a Marvel film? Easily their best to date. 

4. Interstellar

Will keep you awake trying to figure this one out. Christopher Nolan strikes again.

5. X-Men: Days of Future Past

Bryan Singer is a welcome return as Director. DoFP has a great story involve old and new mutants.

6. The Maze Runner

A quiet surprise this one. One for the young adults that will be around long after The Hunger Games. Bring on The Scorch Trials.

7. Edge of Tomorrow

A breath of fresh air in a year full of sequels. Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt are a phenomenal pairing. 

8. Gone Girl

Ben Affleck is fantastic. David Fincher's never disappoints. Trying to work out who's right and who's wrong in your head is only half the fun.

9. The Lego Movie

Sheer entertainment, whether you're a Lego fan or not. Listen out for the cameos. Arguably the best animation of the year. 

10. The Wolf of Wall Street 

Rude, crude and outright hilarious, Scorsese and DiCaprio are back with this pill-popping, booze chugging party.

Other top films that didn't make the cut are The Grand Budapest Hotel, 12 Years a Slave, 22 Jump Street, St. Vincent , The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

***
UK Release Date: November 20th 2014

When Katniss destroys the games, she goes to District 13 after District 12 is destroyed. She meets President Coin who convinces her to be the symbol of rebellion, while trying to save Peeta from the Capitol.

Director: Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, I Am Legend, Constantine)

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Natalie Dormer

This franchise is feeling the strain that Harry Potter and Twilight have felt before. Part 1 of all three franchises are weaker than their predecessors, and in HP and Twilight's case, far weaker than part 2. This remains to to be seen for The Hunger Games until late next year, when it finally comes to an end. 

There's two reasons why they'd split the last book into two. The first is the final book is usually the biggest, and to pack so much detail in to one film won't do it justice. The second, and the most beneficial to the studios is the money. Some of us might moan about this, but we're too intrigued to bypass a viewing at the local cinema. 

The quarter quell has come to an end. Katniss (Lawrence) has been saved by President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the survivors of District 13. Peeta (Hutcherson) on the other hand, is in the clutches of the capitol. Katniss, after much dilapidation, becomes the face of the District's (13) fight against the Capitol, otherwise known as the Mockingjay. Peeta is the Capitol's tool to get back at the districts. What ensues for the next 123 minutes is a battle of wits through propaganda and media stunts. 

Katniss is able to rally the other districts into joining the rebellion, but finds she's doing less than the people she's rousing. Jennifer Lawrence may be the saving grace in this film, building the suspense when it's needed with some fine acting, but has little to do than watch, observe and speak. Credit goes to Julianne Moore and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman's Plutarch, who breathes new (and old) life in to the series.

If you've read the last book then you'll be pleased with this film's outcome. Some characters (Effie, Caesar, Haymitch) are now intermittent ones. With Peeta out of Katniss's reach, it's time for her and Gale (Hemsworth) to reacquaint. Katniss is constantly torn by her affections for both men. Now would be a great time to develop this like the book does. Time spent with Gale has made us care for him more than the Capitol's manipulated Peeta.

Catching Fire had us by the throat a thousand times over. Mockingjay Part 1 is a slow burner, with little character development and little action. You'll be wanting even more by the end of this one.