FILM REVIEW: FRANK

When I first saw the trailer for Lenny Abrahamson's new film 'Frank', I had to watch it twice to take it what I had just witnessed.  It's quirky and subtle dark humour urged me to see the film as soon as possible.  Sadly, cinemas near me would rather show films such as Transformers 4 and Adam Sandler's new film than show this.  Fortunately, Theatre Clwyd, which I still rate as my favourite cinema, were having a screening of the film two months after it's theatrical release.  I straight away booked my seat and waited patiently until the day arrived.  Was it worth the long wait? Absolutely!

The film follows a young man named Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) who dreams of making it big as a musician.  He comes across a band who are in need of a keyboard player and Jon straight away agrees to join.  The band is led by a man named frank (Michael Fassbender) who wears a big round paper-mâché head of Frank Sidebottom on his head.  The band then head to Ireland to begin recording their new album, which is where conflict between Jon and the bandmates begin to rise.

What the film manages to succeed in is to catch the audience off guard.  Frank's concept about a band creating music isn't original.  The story is that well known to audiences that it has become slightly cliched.  Frank manages to put this concept on it's head and spin it round until something new and extraordinary comes out.  When you think you know where the plot is taking you it will lead you to a completely different direction which will leave you shocked and intrigued.  

What stayed in my mind for days after seeing this film was how well written each character was.  The three that stand out are Jon, Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and Frank.  Jon symbolises wannabe musicians  trying to make it big in the music industry, whilst Maggie resembles those who would rather create unique and uncommercial music and not be worried if it doesn't appeal to a large audience.  Frank is positioned at the middle of this, who wants to be liked but also wants to create music he had visioned.  This leads the audience to understand more about the title character and realise there is something underneath that papier-mâché head that we don't know about.  The characters are the type that you can't judge by first glance.  

By first glance this may seem to be a comedy and there are definitely laughs included, but as the film progresses and characters start to develop, you begin to understand that this is far from a comedy.  The film is arguably layered and with a second viewing you may see a completely different film because you are aware of film's conclusion.  

Michael Fassbender's performance as Frank is unsurprisingly tremendous.  For many actors, having your face covered throughout the film would make it more difficult to portray the emotions their character is feeling.  Michael Fassbender's performance seems almost effortless when he is wearing the head, managing to portray emotions through voice and body-language (and sometimes cheating when is describing his facial expressions out loud!)

Frank is a weird yet wonderful film.  It won't attract a mass audience but it is one that will hopefully be looked at as a classic in years to come.  The film manages to give a more realistic portrayal of us as human-beings, we are all not perfect but we must follow what we believe in and not let others change who we are. Superb performances, an original take on world of music and one unforgettable soundtrack.

FILM REVIEW: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2

Amazing Spider-Man 2

When I came out from seeing 'The Amazing Spider-Man', part of me felt relieved because it wasn't a bad film but the other part of me felt underwhelmed.  I felt the retelling of the origins story wasn't necessary, I felt that the development of the villain was sloppy and that there wasn't enough focus on Peter Parker's parents past.

Now we have 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2', which was a film that I was slightly worried about during its production.  I thought it was going to be another Spider-Man 3 where the high quantity of villains didn't fit well with  the film's narrative, as well as falling into the silly category.

Luckily, I came out overwhelmed.  'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' is an improvement from its predecessor with both story and action.

Set a few months after the events of TASM, Peter is getting used to fighting crime as the costumed hero.  However, he is still haunted by the fact that he broke a promise to George Stacy, who wanted Peter to stay away from Gwen in order to keep her safe.   He is also faced with another villain named Electro, who can control electricity.  However, on he plus side he is reunited with his old best friend Harry Osborn...but that friendship soon alternates to something else...

Whilst TASM concentrated on Peter becoming Spider-Man, TASM2 sees the masked hero take a back seat in order for Peter's problems to be the centre.   From trying to discover what happened to his parents to having relationship issues with Gwen, the film allows its audience to look deeper into the character of Peter and see when he isn't fighting crime, he really struggles to cope with these mysteries and problems.  Director Marc Webb's speciality is making the relationships on screen feel real and that's exactly what he does here.  It was evident from the first film that Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone were a perfect match for the film's love duo but one relationship that stands out in this film is the one that Peter and Harry share.  Once they're on screen you really do feel as though you are witnessing two old friends reuniting, who at first find it awkward and surreal but soon find that friendship they used to have.

There have been complaints from fans who haven't been too keen of there being too much emphasis on the relationship between Peter and Gwen.  Love is a huge theme in both the Spider-Man films and the comics.  Not just between Peter and Gwen, Mary-Jane etc. but Aunt May also.  There is more to a superhero than fighting criminals.  Their problems also blend in with the story and that's what makes them so interesting.  Though they have these incredible powers, behind the mask they are still humans who face problems.  With Peter Parker, love is his problem.  He wants to have a relationship with Gwen but doesn't want to betray her father, he doesn't want to become distant from Aunt May but he must in order to protect his identity.  From my point of view, if the film was just about Spider-Man fighting crime then after a while it would become boring.

The action is also an improvement from the last film.  Each fight scene is well choreographed and are entertaining, nail-biting and edge of your seat worthy.  The opening chase sequence is a stand-out as it includes good action as well as Spider-Man cracking jokes to the villain he is after.  That is the Spidey that we all know and love.

Are there any criticisms?  Of course.  Even though the story feels bigger and better than the first, the narrative is sometimes all over the place.  Though Electro was advertised as the film's big villain, he isn't included as much as predicted.   It is understandable why he would turn evil, it's one of those cliched origins where an outsider who doesn't fit in gets angry and turns evil.  However, I personally didn't find his motif to be clear.  Why did he want to destroy Spider-Man?   I do feel as though the script could have had a re-write in places so they could have had Electro's character feel more developed.

Putting criticisms aside, I found this to be a worthy sequel and a big improvement from the last film.  Is it the best Spider-Man film?  No.  I still believe 'Spider-Man 2' is a Marvel solo film that other Marvel solo films will have a tough time topping.  But, it makes the future of Spider-Man look positive and I haven't been this excited about a Spider-Man sequel since the credits started rolling at the end of 'Spider-Man 2'.  Let's all hope we won't have another Spider-Man 3 on our hands, people.

Halloween: 35 Years of Michael Myers

It was on the night of Halloween 2004, where my 13 year old self was about to watch a film that would become not only one of my favourite films but in my eyes the greatest horror movie ever made, starring one of cinema's most iconic characters.  This was of course John Carpenter's 1978 film 'Halloween'.  Thirty-Five years on 'Halloween' has influenced other horror directors with their films.  The film has had seven sequels and one remake, which would later have it's own sequel.  But for me the original has always been the stand out and will always be the number one horror film and Michael Myers being the king of all slashers.  

The opening title sequence simply includes a lit pumpkin with the film's theme music accompanying whilst the camera slowly moves closer to the pumpkin.  The reason why I love this opening is mainly because the music.  I find Carpenter's self composed music to really set the tone of the film superbly.  The theme music is now recognised as one of the greatest theme songs of all time and I have to confess Iit isn't the music I would play with the lights off let alone when walking down a dark street!

When we are first introduced to Myers he is just a young child who has just killed his sister by stabbing her to death. It is obviously clear earlier on that the killer is the child when the audience see the small hand reach for the clown mask. Though it is a bemusing and shocking moment when Myers begins to stab his sister, that for me isn't the most shocking bit.  It's when the parents are revealed to us is when the true mystery of Michael begins.  The way the parents are dressed you are under the impression that Michael comes from a good family, so what drove him to commit murder?  The mystery stays within our minds throughout the film and the solution distances itself more and more away from us as the film progresses.  I am aware that the many sequels touch more upon Myer's character but for me that takes away something very unique and special about him, he is a mystery.

What takes the feel of mystery further is the white mask Myers wears after he escapes the mental institution.  The white mask covers the face of a mad man who we do not know much of. 

Though the accompanied music and the unexpected deaths send a shiver down mine and other's spines, personally the most chilling moments are when we see what is happening through the point of view of Laurie or Tommy.  An example is when Tommy looks outside the window and sees a shadow figure outside a house carrying a dead woman.  With the music I found this to be the most frightening shot because there is a sense of realism about it since we are seeing it through a character's point of view.  I find it to be the same with Hitchcock's 'Rear Window', we see the murder take place from a distance giving it a more realistic and spine-tinglingly feel.

21st Century horror sees many films concentrate on how gory they can be and focusing less on plot or character.  Only recently do I believe that horror has begun on focusing on the concept of their films more, with 'Sinister' and 'The Cabin in the Woods' being examples.  But I personally believe that no horror movie will be able to live up to the original 'Halloween'.  This was a film that proved that horror films do not need a high amount of blood and unique deaths to make the genre decent.  Carpenter used the key elements that make horror movies work and what he did with 'Halloween' will no doubt live on to influence more and more film-makers and still be enjoyed by generations to come.

An Evening With Mark Kermode

Earlier this week myself and two friends of mine attended the FACT Picture House in Liverpool to see film critic Mark Kermode talk about his upcoming book 'Hatchet Job'.

Once we were seated the British critic entered the auditorium and a two hour talk about films, critics and Michael Bay began. 

Throughout the evening Mark was never lost for words and it felt as though he could carry on talking until the early hours of the morning.  This comes at no surprise because the man is highly passionate about cinema. And isn't that what we expect from a film critic?

There came a point during the Q & A section where my friend spoke to Mark about Tommy Wiseau's infamous film 'The Room'.  I was curious as to what Mark thought of the film and the response came at no surprise.  He hated it. He explained how he doesn't understand the cult following it has received and after my friend briefly explains what 'The Room' was to the rest of the audience, Mark asked if anybody would sit and watch that film.  The response was a no-thought-for-a-second no.

As mentioned earlier Mark had a section where he talked about the abysmal director Michael Bay.  If you are familiar with Mark Kermode it will have come no shock to you that he finds Bay to be the worst director in cinema right now.  He even described him as "the anti-Christ of cinema".  He mentioned his latest film 'Pain & Gain' where my thoughts of the film shares with his completely.  He even asked who has seen the film and I shamefully raised my hand in embarrassment.

He was mainly discussing film criticism, which is the topic of his new book.  He explained no matter how much he praises a film he will always be remembered for his bad reviews e.g. Pirates of the Carriban: At World's End, Sex & the City 2 and yes, his review of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which involves him banging his head on a wall multiple times to visually describe how much he hated it.  What he said made me think and agree with him. We enjoy reading or listening to bad reviews because they are the funny ones.  They can be offensive but that's why we enjoy them (one reason why I believe Doug Walker's internet character The Nostalgia Critic to be so popular).  When we see a critic release their anger that is when we see the true passion of cinema shown.  Cinema is so important to them that they can be full of rage when someone comes along and ruins it for them.

Afterwards I got the chance to meet a Mark in person and have a chat with him.  Recently this year the great Roger Ebert passed away and his last film review was of Terrence Malick's fantastic 'To the Wonder'.  I personally thought TTW was one of this year's best films and Ebert really liked it.  I had been wanting to hear Mark's opinion on the film and once I asked him he shared his views of the film and his thoughts on Malick.  Though I didn't fully agree with his opinion I was still interested in what I was hearing.  Just having a conversation with this brilliant man meant the world to me and my only regret was not thanking him to introducing me to the bigger and better world of cinema.  

I am currently reading Mark's new book and if any of you love reading film reviews or are interested in film critics then I would highly recommend it.  It is written by a man who not only loves cinema but cares about it and it's future.  I think as film lovers we should too.

Film Review: Pain & Gain

 When I first saw the trailer for Pain & Gain I had nothing good to say about it and thoughtif it wasn't for Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Mark Wahlberg starring in it the film would be a direct-to-DVD.  However, the more I saw the trailer the more I thought maybe I should give the film a chance and not judge it by it's trailer.  So, having that in mind I went to see Pain & Gain and did it impress me and think Michael Bay is finally a talented director? Absolutely not!

The story follows three body builders who decide to torture a millionaire named Victor Kershaw after believing he is a crook.  Actually, why am I telling you this? You shouldn't be interested about this atrocious film!

When you make a film based on a true story you must try to make it believable to the audience.  Argo and The Impossible may have altered the events taken place in the story slightly, however you still felt as though the story that they were telling was true.  Pain & Gain does not do this.  The story that Bay is portraying here may be true but the way he films it makes you feel as though it isn't. Halfway through the film it reminds you that what you are viewing is still true and for me that felt as though Bay and co knew themselves that what they were filming wasn't believable.  

Bay is one of those directors who can't create three dimensional characters and instead has archetypes/stereotypes. He does this again with this film and each and every character is that unrealistic you can't believe for one second that they are non-fictional.  

Besides Rebel Wilson every woman that's included in this film are there to do one thing and that's show how big their breasts are.  That's the only thing I can remember about these female characters because that's the only thing Bay has given to them.  It's exactly the same thing he did in the Transformers films with Megan Fox and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

The film is highly insulting to those who went through tragic events during this period.  It presents these events in such a comical way it's as though they want the audience to poke fun and laugh at them instead of dong the obvious and feel sympathy for them.

I've unfortunately watched many Michael Bay films and if there's one thing he can't do apart from being a good film director it's comedy. You may argue that Bad Boys is a funny film but I believe the comedy was brought to life by the chemistry between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, not by the director. Pain & Gain bounces back and forth from being a black comedy to a spoof comedy.  It's as though throughout the shoot they kept changing their minds on what type of comedy it is.  The jokes were poor and at times felt forced.

I have nothing else to add about this film except to say Pain & Gain is a horrible, vile and ludicrous film that should be avoided at all costs.  It is made by a director who doesn't have an understanding on how to portray a true story, let alone how to actually direct a film.  The man who once directed fairly decent films such as The Rock and Bad Boys has long gone. If there is a worser film yet to come this year then oh boy am I in for a treat...

Film Review: Kick-Ass 2

In 2010 Matthew Vaughn's film adaptation of Mark Miller's graphic novel Kick-Ass took everyone by surprise.  Not only was it violent and funny, it was a film that had an engaging story and decent character study.  With the film being a hit at the box office fans were desperate for a sequel to be made.  Three years later Kick-Ass 2, which is based on Miller's comic-book with the same name, was released with new director Jeff Wadlow.  With a new director writing the script as well many fans including myself were worried on whether Wadlow would be able to create a good movie that's on par with it's predecessor.  So, is Kick-Ass 2 a good enough sequel? It's just a fun and entertaining movie.

The story  begins not far from where the last one ended.  Dave Lizewski (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has now retired from fighting crime as Kick-Ass, but has managed to inspire other normal citizens to become superheroes.  Dave decides to return as Kick-Ass and fight crime along with a team called 'Justice Forever', which is led by Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey).   He tries to encourage Mindy/Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz) to join but she is trying to lead a normal life.  Meanwhile  Chris Damico (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) who now goes by the name of The Motherfucker is forming an army of super villains to bring down Kick-Ass as vengeance for killing his father.

The big difference between Kick-Ass 1 & 2 is the title character himself.  In the first film the character was that bad as a hero that audiences saw the message clearly: if you were an average guy wanting to become a super hero then you would have no chance winning the fight. Both at was one of the first film's main jokes but here it's different.  Both Miller and Wadlow know that the same joke can't be repeated twice and they had to let Kick-Ass become a better fighter and overall a better hero.  That made me feel that this was a new chapter completely in the Kick-Ass series and they weren't tring to do the same film again.

With her witty one liners and gritty fight scenes you'd be expecting me to say that Hit-Girl steals the film but for me she didn't.  It's The Motherfucker and his team of super villains that manage to have the most daft but entertaining scenes. Whether it's just them having a conversation or causing chaos the scenes where they were on screen was where I have having the most fun and laughing. Mints-Plasse's highly entertaining but disturbing take on Kick-Ass' enemy has made me not just see him as McLovin from Superbad and also found this to be a more memorable and worthy performance.

Carrey is terrific as Colonel Stars & Stripes.  For me this is possibly his best performance since 2004's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  Though he brings a tonne of energy to his performance this is one where he manages to keep his energy contained and not go out of control, which he often does.  

Though I say I had a lot of fun watching this film I still felt that the concentration was more on the violence and how rude they could make the script and get away with it.  The first film had a good balance between the story and the violence and it felt as though the characters were realistic. Besides Hit-Girl, the first Kick-Ass had characters who made you feel that they were real and the situations they were put in where realistic.  Here the set pieces are cranked up a gear and become more fare fetched, which made you feel that these characters weren't like normal people anymore.  This is not a huge criticism however.  Having read Kick-Ass 2 I knew that I was going to expect and it did live up to my expectations.

One section where the story seems to slow down is where it focuses on Mindy trying to live a normal life without being Hit-Girl.  These scenes take place at her high school where she joins a small gang of popular girls.  These scenes felt like they belonged in Mean Girls and though there was humour I felt that this section was too long.

Kick-Ass 2 isn't as good as the first Kick-Ass but it's just as entertaining.  Funny, entertaining and extremely violent, Wadalow has managed to pull off a worthy sequel that doesn't try to be like the first.  It's a completely new chapter for Kick-Ass and I'm excited to see what they come up with for the third instalment.

I'm Batman!: Ben Affleck as the New Batman

Some of you may be aware that the new Batman for the Man of Steel sequel has now been cast.  The actor who will be taking on the role of the caped crusader, who was previously played by Christian Bale, will be Ben Affleck. When this was first announced the Internet went wild with negative comments from Batman fans.  Some have said Christian Bale or Joseph Gordan-Levitt should have been cast, and Affleck is nothing but a bad actor.

My honest opinion on Affleck being the new Batman is that he should be given a chance.  Over the past few years Adfleck has proven himself to be worthy as both an actor and a director.  With films such as The Town, Hollywoodland and this year's best picture Argo, Affleck has shown critics and audiences that he has learnt from his mistakes and has matured to become one of today's biggest stars.

Hearing people's negative responses reminds me of 2005 when Daniel Craig was cast as the new James Bond.  Many, including myself, couldn't believe that MGM would cast a blond Bond but I took back my comments when I first saw the trailer for Casino Royale.  I now think Craig is the best Bond.  

The same happened when Heath Ledger was cast as The Joker in The Dark Knight.  People may deny this now but back in 2007 many scratched their heads in bemusement when they heard the star of 10 Things I Hate About You was cast as Batman's biggest and greatest enemy.

It seems as though people are still wanting to live in the late '90s/early '00s period where Affleck's career was failing.  They are still living in the time when comedians like Trey Parker & Matt Stone and the writers behind Family Guy were mocking Affleck.  Even those writers have moved on.  In a recent episode of South Park they even praised the actor for becoming such a talented director and hinted that they were slightly jealous of him.

Whether Affleck will be able to pull off the role as Gotham City's hero is yet to be seen but in my honest opinion I think Affleck will make a great Batman.  He has surprised us before and I have a feeling he will do that again.  

Good luck Ben.

Film Review: Alan Partrige: Alpha Papa

When iconic TV characters move to the big screen for a feature length movie the outcome varies.  With The Inbetweeners Movie being a success, The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse receiving a more mixed response, and The Keith Lemon Film  being one of the worst films ever to be released in cinema history, how Alan Partridge's debut film would be received was a question on every fan's mind.  So, is the Norfolk Radio DJ's film a hit or a miss?  IT'S A HIT!

The plot involves North Norfolk Radio being taken over by a multinational conglomerate and is renamed Shape.  As a result they sack DJ Pat Farrell (Colm Meaney), which leads to him holding the station hostage whilst a party is taken place.  During the siege the only person he will talk to is Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan).  Partridge helps the police to end the siege but does his ego get the better of him?...

One of the best things about the character Alan Partridge is that he can great comic gold just on his own.  He is that strong a character that his mannerisms and odd dialogue create comedy.  With Alan Patridge:  Alpha Papa  the same can be said, however Coogan knows that his famous character can't just be the only funny one.  Although Patridge obviously receives the most laughs there are other characters that also receive a chuckle from the audience and it's their interaction with Partridge that brings out the comedy.

When a television programme is brought to the big screen there has to be a certain purpose.  As well as just for a cash-in there has to be a story that for any reason couldn't be done on television.  With Alpha Papa's plot you could say that it could be done on the small screen however it gives you that feeling that this isn't an episode of I'm Alan Partridge  but an Alan Partridge movie.

Placing a character such as Partridge in a siege situation is an odd but hilarious combination.  I found myself laughing even when gags weren't happening because I kept reminding myself what the plot is and how bizarre it is in an anticipation of the next comical event.

Though the film is very quotable and extremely funny there are moments when it knocks into the silly territory and abandons the plot.  This is only a short section of the film and although it didn't stop me from laughing I wished it would move on with the story.

Alan Partridge:  Alpha Papa  is possibly this year's funniest film with The World's End  following closely behind.  Laugh out loud funny, excellent script and made to please fans.  With The Keith Lemon Film  being an embarrassment to Britain, Alan Partridge's big screen debut allows us to forget that horrible mess and remind ourselves that British comedy is still today clever, witty and very funny.

Film Review: The Wolverine

It's been four years (if you ignore his cameo in First Class) since we last saw X-Men's most popular character on screen.   When I first heard that they were making another Wolverine film I thought that they had already given up after 2009's disappointing X-Men Origins: Wolverine .  When the trailer had arrived it did look like there was a chance of it being good, but I said that about Origins  as well.  So, is The Wolverine  the film we have been wanting from the comic-book mutant?  Well, it's a million times better than Origins .

Set after the events of The Last Stand,  Logan/Wolverine has left the X-Men team.  He now lives as a hermit in Yukon, where he meets a mutant called Yukio (Rila Fukushima).  Yukio works for a  now dying man named Yashida, who Logan saved during an atomic bombing in 1945.  Yashida wants to repay Logan for saving his life by giving him something that nobody else could give him.  But all is not what it seems...

What raised my eye brow was when the BBFC certificate was shown on the screen.  The film that I was about to watch was rated a 12A and not a 15, which I was hoping for.  For me, a character such as Wolverine when having a solo outing shouldn't belong in a 12A category.  It's like having Punisher or Sin City being adapted into a film that has a certificate lower than an 18.  It just wouldn't feel right.  

Though I was disappointed with the lack of gore the action is still well choreographed and very entertaining.  One standing out is a train sequence, which though short still had me at the edge of my seat.  

The film is filled with set pieces, however what it really lacks is character.  The start of the film begins well with Logan's development since X-Men:The Last Stand .  Refusing to ever kill again after the death of Jean Grey the film starts with a promising character study of Logan.  This once changes when the the film's plot begins, when Logan meets Yukio.  After their encounter the film moves from character focus to action.  The character Yukio only seems to be involved in the film when an action sequence is taken place.

The characters may not be well developed but the story does move smoothly.  This is shown during the beginning of the film, unfortunately this drops once the love section between Logan and Mariko (Tao Okamoto) .  This section for me seemed too long and unnecessary.  Logan also has hallucinations of Jean Grey, which I felt was over used and near to the end slightly corny.    

 The Wolverine  is a big improvement from Origins , however it isn't up there with First Class  or X-Men 2.   The action is good enough but half way through I felt as though we had seen everything and wished they story would move forward.  This definitely isn't the Wolverine film I wanted to see but after Last Stand and Origins  I can accept this as being a decent enough X-Men film.  Filled with flaws but still entertaining for most of the time.  

If you're going to see this make sure you stay behind for a mid-credits scene... 

Bring on Days of Future Past 

Film Review: The World's End

After six long years of waiting, the final film in Simon Peggs, Edgar Wright and Nick Frost's Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy  comes to a closure with The World's End .  Many fans, including myself, were worried about whether their third and final film would be able to live up to Shaun of the Dead  and Hot Fuzz  or be another disappointing let down, which third films in a trilogy are usually seen as.  So, did The World's End  manage to bring the series to a good closure?  Yes, absolutely!

The story is about five childhood friends who once attempted to do the Golden Mile, which involves twelve pubs and sixty pints between them.  Unfortunately the friends fail to complete this challenge that is until years later when Gary King (Pegg) plans to reunite with his four friends, do the Golden Mile again and this time actually get to the final pub called The World's End.

If you have seen the trailer for the film you may have been disappointed by the lack of jokes included.   This is something to be thankful about once you've watched the film.  They have avoided showing the best gags in the trailer so audiences will laugh more when they see the actual film.  From start to finish I found myself laughing at Pegg and Wright's hilarious and genius script.  The film does stick to the trilogy's tradition and include a couple of running gags but they are done in a completely new way you don't feel as though they are repeating the same joke.

Not only did I love the script but the characters themselves.  With Hot Fuzz  I felt as though Pegg and Frost's character's relationship was the main focus and as a result it overshadowed other characters.  The World's End  allows other character to share the limelight and as well as the gags.

The film does start at a slow pace and it takes a while until the main plot takes place.  However, the film's slow start allows the audience to have a goo introduction to the characters and for them to have a better understanding of their personalities.

Near the end of the film the story begins to rush but with twelve pubs to get through you can understand why they had to pick up the pace a bit.  This is only brief though and occurs just before a memorable ending to the film takes place, which for spoiler reasons I will not mention.

The World's End  gives you the sigh of relief that The Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy  has ended on a high.  It's definitely the most bizarre and silliest in the trilogy but it's always nice to see a director taking an approach that's different and refreshing if they know how to make it work.  After seeing The World's End  I can honestly say that The Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy is up there with the greatest trilogies made in cinema history.

Film Review: Pacific Rim

For the past few years the biggest blockbusters were superhero movies.  Most of these films found a good balance between character focus and action.  Guillermo Del Torro's Pacific Rim for me was going to be this year's biggest blockbuster.  An entertaining and exciting action Sci-Fi flick with an ensemble of interesting characters.  Did it live up to my expectations? To be truthful the majority of it did.

In the film is set in the not too distant future humanity is under attack by alien creatures known as the Kaiju, who rise from a portal on the pacific floor and attack public cities.  The humans fight back by using big war machines known as the Jaegars, that are controlled by two humans per machine.  That's as much as I want to give away for this film but it gives you the overall feeling the film has.

When a film is directed by Guillermo Del Toro you know that you aren't going to be disappointed by the visual effects.  I tried my best not to watch any trailers for this film and as a result my jaw dropped in amazement when I saw the Kaijus enter the film for the first time.  The visuals for the entire film are outstanding and I found my inner child emerge once the Kaijus and Jaegars fought for the first time.  Having grown up with Power Rangers the fight scenes do remind me of a final showdown between the Power Rangers and their foe but with better effects and the action cranked up to 11.  

The action for me did seem to be the film's main focus and the characters were overshadowed by it.  The three main characters for me were the least interesting characters.  I know they were the three who had the most backstory but I just found myself not very engaged with them.  My two favourite characters were Dr Newton Geizsler and Dr Hermann Gottlieb played superbly by Charlie Day and Burn Gorman.  Both are two mad scientists who play an active role in the film and also bring the best laughs when on screen.  These two actors as well as Ron Perlman were the ones I found to be having the most fun and giving the most energy in the film.

If there is one thing I have to criticise then that's the action itself.  Midway through the film a long and epic fight is taken place and it was that big I thought it was going to be the film's climax.  However, I was wrong and during the film's final battle I found myself being less interested in the film.  I felt as though I was watching the same fight I saw previously but less entertaining this time.  Most of the action takes place at night as well so after a while the heavy use of flashy lights gets irritating but maybe that's just me.

Pacific Rim is an entertaining and exciting Sci-Fi B movie made by Del Toro.  It doesn't try to be smart but at the same time doesn't try to be dumb.  It's definitely going to be this year's best popcorn movie but as this year's best blockbuster I'd say it's far from it.  The action and visual effects are at its best but near the end you find the set pieces getting repetitive and as a result less exciting. The characters are all 3 dimensional but not all of them are really that interesting.  If you're just wanting to be entertained then I would recommend this film.

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Film Review: Despicable Me 2

Frankly, although the summer is filled with many adult blockbusters it is always nice to see a kid's film during this season.  From my past experience there have been many kids summer films that for me were complete failures. With Despicable Me I found it to be in between a classic kids film and a very bad kids film that parents wished they had never took their children to see in the first place.  So is Despicable Me 2 a worthy and better film than it's predecessor? I'd say yes but it's still far from a classic.

In his second outing Felonious Gru (Steve Carell) is recruited by the Anti  Villain League to track down a villain who has stolen a secret laboratory that contained a mutating chemical compound known as PX-41. There is nothing else I want to say regarding the plot in order not to spoil the story for those who have yet to see it.

One of the things I liked most about this film was the publicity and I know when I say that you are raising your eyebrow wondering what I mean.  On previous trips to the cinema this year 9 out of 10 times I would see a trailer for Despicable Me 2 and hardly any of the film was shown. The trailers just presented the overall plot of the film but not revealing anything else.  This doesn't mean that there were gobsmacking moments as the film is very predictable but it was nice to go into the cinema without knowing hardly anything about the film.

With comedies one of the biggest mistakes they do is reveal the film's best jokes, Despicable Me 2 does not fall into this trap and as a result I found myself laughing more than I was expecting.  Though I did laugh throughout the film I still wouldn't say this is the funniest kid's film I have seen.  For me the jokes were more for children and the film would now and then throw in an adult joke just to keep the parents amused.  The parts which I laughed most were the scenes where the main focus was on the minions, who are obviously the stars of both films and have both adults and children laughing together.  Having them playing a key role in the film was a smart move and I believe it's one of the reasons why I enjoyed this one more than the first Despicable Me movie.

The film does move at a fast pace, which is wise especially when the target audience are mainly children.  The film tries to have heart , which include Gru's relationship between his children and his new co-worker Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) and these scenes work well, however they are ended quickly in order for the comical side of the film to return.  My  favourite scenes in the film all ended quickly, including one near the end where I felt the film had just got even better but disappointingly it was over very soon.

Despicable Me 2 is definitely a film that parents will find their kids laughing all the way through.  It's cute, funny and full of energy which is what a child will want to see when they are taken to the cinema.  It is by no means a classic and at times tries to find heart to the film but the gags over shadow it.  It is however, a film where you'll find yourself smiling by the end of it

Film Review: World War Z

With zombie apocalypse being a popular topic discussed right now there is no doubt that World War Z will be a hit at the box office let alone the fact it has A-lister Brad Pitt starring.  But is the film that is based on Max Brooks' novel any good? Well, as an entertaining popcorn summer blockbuster I would say yes.

The story follows Gerry Lane, a former United Nations Investigator who must travel around the world in order to find answers to stop a zombie apocalypse from continuing in order to save his family and humanity.

The start of the apocalypse begins in the film sooner than I expected.  Usually in disaster films the disaster doesn't start until a good 20 minutes in order for the audience to become familiar with the film's main protagonist, World War Z takes a different approach.  The only time we really get to know Lane is literally the first five minutes.  It's as though they wanted to get the back story of a former UNI and now family man out of the way quickly so the zombies could enter and become the film's main focus. The family are forgotten about for the most of the film and turn into useless and unnecessary characters. It really did feel as though the set pieces were the only scenes that I could remember but for a summer blockbuster they are meant to be the scenes you remember most.  The action is highly entertaining, one standing out is one set in Jerusalem.  I won't ruin this scene but for me it was the film's stand out point and the visual effects are pretty impressive.

Half way through the film I did notice a pattern emerging.  They will be in one country, find out more information about what this apocalypse is and whether a cure exists and then zombies attack and it goes round that loop for the entire film.  It felt as though they were trying too hard to express the fact this is WORLD War Z.  However, there is one section set in Wales, which I rather liked since I live there and having zombies attacking there is very cool. 

If you have watched many horror films you may also find this film to be slightly predictable in places ie you know when the zombies are going to appear next.  This however didn't ruin me from having a good time while watching it as I found the zombie attacks to be highly enjoyable even though with having hundreds running at once it looked like a marathon was taking place but going completely out of control.

On the topic of the zombies there was one thing in the film which I found to be funny but odd. When they refer to them they actually for the majority of the time call them zombies.  With the tense tone I couldn't take it seriously when they mentioned the word zombie as it didn't seem to fit and it just sounded funny when they said it.  It's like having Sean Penn and Keanu Reeves doing a Monty Python sketch, it would just seem odd and out of place.

For a summer blockbuster World War Z does succeed in entertaining it's audience.  The action is fun to watch but if you take that away then the film is empty.  It isn't the best zombie film I have seen but it was the first where I felt that if this actually happened then we'd have no chance.

That's A Wrap! #5: Comic Book Heroes, Siths and Meatballs!

Hello and welcome That's A Wrap! The weekly post where I wrap up the film news for this week.

The hype for a Star Wars film has not been this big since The Phantom Menace and with more and more news arriving for Episode VII the excitement is definitely rising.  This week it has been reported that actor  Ray Park has shown some interest in returning as the Sith Darth Maul from The Phantom Menace.  Having heard that The Clone Wars explains how Darth Maul survived after the events of Episode 1 it looks as though it is open for him to return to the franchise.  As much I love this villain and find him to be one of the very few things good about Phantom Menace I still feel as though they should move on and find a new antagonist.  The Clone Wars allowed fans to see this character return and have good screen time but having him in another film may be over milking it. Whatever director JJ Abrams and co. have got planned I'm sure won't disappoint us.

A new trailer has been released for Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2, which reveals more of the plot and how it is connected to the first film.  I can honestly say I am really excited to see this film.  I was a big fan of the predecessor but this one looks as though it's going to be even better. Though the trailer is full of food puns I still found myself full of laughter all the way through and it ended with me having a big smile on my face.  If you haven't seen the trailer yet then I'd highly recommend it.  The film looks funny, beautifully made and is full with genius and bizarre ideas.  

With Man of Steel doing unsurprisingly well at the box office  it looks as though the Justice League movie is getting one step closer to actually being made.  However, one actor who has ruled himself out of involvement in the film is previous a Batman Christian Bale.  I find this to be a very understandable and sensible choice from the British actor.  Though he was fine as the caped crusader I felt as though it was obvious he hung up the cape for good at the end of The Dark Knight Rises.  I found it be a good closer for Christopher Nolan's trilogy and having Bale returning for Justice League may seem  odd.  With Batman they should open a new chapter and find a new actor for both Justice League and the future of the Batman franchise.  Maybe George Clooney will want to give it another go....?

One actor who looks like he'll be returning to his comic book franchise is Ron Perlman.  Reports have stated that he is very keen to return as the anti-hero Hellboy.  Legendary Pictures are keen to have Hellboy return for his third outing with Guillermo Del Toro returning to the director's chair.  However, this may take longer than expected because Hellboy is still owned by Columbia/Sony and buying a property from another film studio isn't as easy as it looks.  Hopefully we will see the "Red Ape" return in the near future.  I was a big fan of The Golden Army (Hellboy 2) and it left me wanting to see more from the Hellboy universe and see what will his fate be, which they purposely left open for a third instalment (watch Hellboy 2 and you'll know what I'm referring to).

More movie news coming next week.  Have a great weekend!

Film Review: Man of Steel

There is no denial that right now comic book movies are the most successful and popular films. With The Avengers and Iron Man 3 both breaking box office records and Christopher Nolan's much acclaimed Dark Knight Trilogy managing to make Batman good again there are no signs of this franchise slowing down or hitting a brick wall.  Now that Batman has finished and Marvel are continuing to release more and more films DC had to find a way to still keep their franchise going. Enter Man of Steel, a rebooted take on Superman.

After Bryan Singer's Superman Returns  receiving a mixed reaction from critics and fans, Warner Bros. decided that they needed to take a completely different approach. With The Dark Knight Trilogy having a sinister and grittier tone to it, which audiences seemed to like, the studio wanted to take a similar approach with Man of Steel.  For me this was a smart move as they know that audiences have moved on and they wouldn't welcome another light and campy Superman film. 

The film focuses on how Clark Kent went from being Kal-El, an alien sent from the planet Krypton to Earth, to being the famous caped hero. Throughout the film we see flashbacks of Clark's younger years  in Smallville that slowly give us a picture of the character's development. For me these scenes were the ones that worked best. Clark's younger years see him trying to find an identity which will allow him to adapt to everyone around him whilst he struggles to not use his powers.  These were the scenes where I found myself most engaged with the film and it's characters, it was a shame that there wasn't more of it though. The couple of scenes between Clark and his father (played by Kevin Costner) was where a strong father and son connection was shown. The scenes were brief but the script and performances are that strong that you do feel a very strong relationship between the two characters.

The antagonist General Zod is played terrifically by Michael Shannon who managed to steal every scene he is in with a bold performance where he realises he is depicting a comic book villain without over playing it.  Once he had entered the film I felt I was enjoying the film a lot more, which is mainly because the pace picked up as well as the fact movies like this always become more interesting when the hero and villain's paths cross.

Henry Cavill fits well in the title character, however what I find weak about the character of Kal-El/Superman is that he has hardly any personality.  Cavill's performance manages to bring charm and at times a hint of cockiness, which made me enjoy his performance.

The one character that I have to critise  is Amy Adam's Louis Lane.  Adams is a fine actress and does give a good performance the best she can in this film. The reason I say that is because there is very little for her character to do except working for the Daily Planet.  She and Kal-El/Superman share hardly any scenes together and when they do I didn't believe that they would soon be lovers. It's not the actress' fault, I just felt if they spent more time balanced the relationship between these two characters with the action then I would have seen it as a better film.

Though the special effects were near perfection with one sequence of Kal-El/Superman flying for the first time to be a stand out it felt as though this was the film's main focus, to entertain and give an amazing spectacle rather than a good origins story.  The last third of the film is where a heavy use of action is included and I honestly found it to be the film's weakest point.  The sequence lasts for at least 20 minutes but half way through I wished the fight would finish and the story would move on.

Man of Steel is no Batman Begins but that doesn't mean it is a bad movie.  For an origins film it is weak but for an entertaining Superman movie it's very good.  Hopefully an improvement will be seen in the inevitable sequel,which may drop hints for a possible Justice League movie.  For the majority of the time the film does entertain but as a beginning for a rebooted take on a well known superhero I feel it only works in places.

That's A Wrap! #4: Sequels! Lots and lots of sequels!

Hello and welcome to That's A Wrap! The weekly film post where I wrap up the news for this week.

It looks as though my worst fears are about to come alive! It has been reported that Liam Neeson will return for Taken 3 after being offered $20 million.  Taken 2 for me was possibly one of the worst sequel let downs in cinema history.  Not only was it tame and less gory but it was such a bore. Even Neeson himself looked bored throughout the whole film and the film must be really bad if an actor looks bored even when knowing he has a big pay cheque for doing it.  For me the only way Taken 3 will work is if Neeson this time is at a fair with his family and he has just won a pet gold fish, which gets taken and Neeson must find and save it using his certain set of skills.  Finding Nemo and Taken are slightly similar so why not mash them together?

It has been talked for a long time now about the upcoming Steven Jobs film with Aston Kutcher starring as the creator behind apple.  The trailer this week was released and if I'm honest it doesn't look like it's going to be another Social Network at all.  The trailer for was too cheesy and it made you feel what was shown in front of you didn't happen at all.  I know in The Social Network they did exaggerate certain sections of the film but the drama really gripped you as an audience member and you wanted to carry on watching.  With the case of Jobs because the film looks too corny I feel as though I'll be rolling my eyes and be more and more less gripped as the film progresses.

The news that's probably attracted the film media most this week is Jim Carrey's withdrawal support for the heavy violence in the upcoming Kick-Ass 2, which he co-stars in.  The Sandy Hook tragedy seems to have changed the comic star's view on the film's high amount of gore, which I find to be totally understandable.  However, it seems as though this unexpected news has disappointed Kick-Ass creator Mark Millar who wrote on his blog:

“[I'm] baffled by this sudden announcement,” said Millar, “as nothing seen in this picture wasn’t in the screenplay eighteen months ago. Yes, the body-count is very high, but a movie called Kick-Ass 2 really has to do what it says on the tin."

“A sequel to the picture that gave us Hit-Girl was always going to have some blood on the floor and this should have been no shock to a guy who enjoyed the first movie so much…” 

“This is fiction and like Tarantino and Peckinpah, Scorsese and Eastwood, John Boorman, Oliver Stone and Chan-Wook Park, Kick-Ass avoids the usual bloodless body-count of most big summer pictures and focuses instead of the consequences of violence…”

Though I see where Millar is coming from, the film is fictional and has nothing do with the Sandy Hook tragedy I still believe an actor has a right to say when he isn't comfortable promoting a film like Kick Ass 2.