Movie Review: Battle LA

Based on a supposed World War 2 air raid after several unidentified objects were spotted, (It turned out to be a false alarm),  Battle Los Angeles is the latest Alien invasion film to be churned out by film makers who know it is likely to bring in money for them.

Battle LA is different from the others as it is basically a war film. There is not much science fiction on show as the film follows a group of U.S Marines during an alien invasion as they try to fight the invasion.

Aaron Eckhart stars as Michael Nantz, a U.S marine staff seargent who was planning to retire but as the invasion broke out he has to put that to the side as he joins a platoon in charge of evacuating citizens from an occupied area.

Battle LA is a thrill to watch and the adrenaline charged action is on show fromthe Alien invasion to every battle scene. The charracter development may be limited which is a setback when emotion is supposed to be conveyed in the film however, there is plenty of fun to be had from watching this film.

The action films are realistic and are impressive for a film with a 12A, the action is not limited and unlike films like Monsters and Cloverfield which it is nothing like but has been compared to, Battle LA is actually good.

Another film it has been compared to District 9, mainly because it is an alien invasion action film and there is more in common with District 9 than other two but althought not as great as District 9, Battle LA is not as far away as thought it would be in quality.

Not all reviews have been great but when positive they have been really positive and this review is no different. Battle LA is guns, aliens,testosterone, action and much more and it would do no harm to at least watch this once which will likely lead to repeated enjoyable viewings.

8/10

Movie Review: Adjustment Bureau

Adjustment Bureau:

I have to be honest and say going into Adjustment Bureau i did not expect much apart from maybe an Inception rip off from the way the posters made it look and the trailer.

I was wrong.

Adjustment Bureau is about David Norris played by Matt Damon, a politician running for senate who on the night of the election meets a ballerina dancer called Elise(Emily Blunt) and there is instantly a connection which is there when they keep randomly meeting however there is a team of mysterious agents watching over Norris and trying to keep him away from Elise for mysterious reasons.

Matt Damon is great as Norris and he is very likeable. So is Emily Blunt as Elise and the supporting cast is great which adds to the many reasons why Adjustment bureau is so enjoyable.

The story is intriguing and i was hooked from the start and the mysterious Adjustment bureau kept a sense of intrigue throughout as David tries to be with Elise as the agents put as many blocks in the way as they can.

Adjustment Bureau is a great, enjoyable film that had me interested from start to finish and when it ended i was only disappointed as i wanted it to go on for longer i was enjoying it so much!

8/10

Movie Review: Unknown

Unknown Review:

From the advertising campaign and promo trailers you wouldn't be blamed for thinking Unknown was an all out action film like Taken and seems to be sold that way however Unknown is completely different.

Unknown is a clever thriller that is the story of Dr Martin Harris, a scientist who travels to Berlin with his wife for a conference where he is speaking but he is in an car accident and wakes up four days later to find out someone else is saying they are him and everyone is playing along so he sets out to prove he is Martin Harris.

Liam Neeson like always is great to watch as Dr Harris and although he is surrounded by solid performances this is a Neeson show.

Unknown is clever and enjoyable however there is little action which wouldn't be an issue if it had not been sold through the trailers as an action film and there are very few action scenes in this film and i was confused why they had just tried to cash in on Taken's hype by making it look like an action film instead of shocasing in the promos the fact this is a good thriller movie.

Unknown is enjoyable and fun to watch however there was a few points of the film were i was hoping for maybe a little bit more. An interesting twist sets up a good final third of the film.

Unknown is certainly good enough for a watch or two and will be enjoyable however anybody looking for an all out action movie will be a little disappointed.

6/10

Movie Review : Drive Angry

Drive Angry:

Leave your brain at the entrance at the cinema when you go to see this.

If you do then you will be entertained by this action packed film starring Nicholas Cage and Amber Heard which does not take itself serious at all and that is the best part of it.

Cage plays John Milton, a dead man who escapes from Hell to seek revenge on Jonah King, a cult leader who killed Milton's daughter and kidnapped her baby. Along the way he meets Piper played by Amber Heard who joins him on his mission of revenge as the Accountant played by William Fichtner tries to find Milton and take him back to Hell.

Cage is fun as Milton who is a bad ass who will do anything to get King and the body count grows as he goes out his way to find him. This includes a funny scene were Milton kills people while having intercourse which is funny if not seeming like a rip off from the much more entertaining scene in Shoot Em Up.

The lovely Amber Heard holds her own on screen as a tough women that she plays well and Heard and Cage work well together .However the star of the show is Fichtner's accountant.

The Accountant is the calm dangerous threat to Milton’s revenge plan that works well as he is the opposite of Milton's angry nature that makes lots of noise. The accountant is a cool character that steals every scene he is in.

From gun fights during intercourse to 3D bullets piercing through body parts Drive Angry is a fun ride that straps you in and takes you along for a ride and apart from a third quarter that goes a bit too serious for its own liking, Drive Angry is a fun action film that if you don't take it seriously then you will enjoy the ride.

7/10

Movie Review: Paul

Paul:

After success working with Edgar Wright on the tv show Spaced and the films Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have made their first film without Wright and Paul is that film.

Paul tells the story of Graeme(Pegg) and Clive (Frost). Two English Comic book nerds who travel to Comic Con in America for the first time and travel round famous UFO spots in the U.S.A which leads to them meeting Paul.

Paul is an Alien (Seth Rogen) who is not the harmless type of Alien like E.T. Paul smokes and swears among many other things and he is on the run from an Agent (Jason Bateman) who is trying to catch him after he has escaped from where he was being held captive.

Frost and Pegg have trheir typical on screen chemistry which works so well and them being best friends means they are great to watch and have great comedic timing.

Rogen's voice is also funny as Paul and Paul is the real star of the film as you would expect with the name of the film being Paul.

Kirsten Wiig is also good in the film as Pegg's chrisitan one eyed love interest which leads to one of the funnist scenes of the film when she meets Paul (God bothering cyclops) and the two agents who follow Bateman's agent around are very funny as the slapstick part of the film.

Paul is a sci film full of references to many other famous sci fi films and basically every single Spielberg film is referenced in some way. Pegg and Frost show their love for the genre with a funny Sci Fi film that is worth at least one viewing although most will watch countless times like the other Pegg and Frost movies.

It may be missing that added spark that Edgar Wright adds but Frost and Pegg show that they can still be funny without Wright and this all adds excitement to when the three make the third and final part of the Blood and Ice Cream trilogy.

7/10

Movie World awards:

As the Oscars approach here is Movie World 's not so illustrious version:

Best Director:

 Danny Boyle - 127 Hours



Best Actor:

Colin Firth- Kings Speech

Best Actress:

Natalie Portman- Black Swan

Best Supporting Actor:

Christian Bale- The Fighter

Best Supporting Actress:

Amy Adams - The Fighter

Best Animated film:

Toy Story 3

Best Film:

Inception

Movie Review

Mechanic Review:

The Mechanic is a remake of a 70s action movie of the same name starring Charles Bronson as Arthur Bishop, a professional assassin who specializes in making his hits look like accidents,suicide etc.

Jason Statham plays Arthur Bishop , who is told by his employer about a failed mission in South Africa and is ordered to murder his mentor Harry (played by Donald Sutherland) which he reluctantly follows.

Harry's son Steve (played by Ben Foster) sees Arthur at his dad's grave and asks him to teach him how to be a 'mechanic' which sets up the storyline of an assassin teaching a rookie the tricks while trying to hide the fact he killed the rookie's father.

The Mechanic is a good solid action movie which is enjoyable due to many reasons:

The action throughout the film is done well and in some parts brutal with particular deaths or moves in fight scenes very unexpected.The action is impressive in this movie when used.

The action aside which you expect in an action movie, the plot is actually pretty solid for an action movie and the cast works well together with Jason Statham and Ben Foster working well together .

Jason Statham is now an established top action star in the film industry and he seems happy to continue making action films which is not a bad thing if they continue to be at least as good as this.

Ben foster is also good in Mechanic as the grieving son/ training assassin and his characters interaction with Statham is funny and solid.

The Mechanic doesn't disappoint as an action film and is a solid addition to Statham's list of action film appearences and is enjoyable to at least once which will probably lead to as few more watches if you are in the mood for a good solid action movie.

7/10.

Review - Gnomeo and Juliet

Gnomeo and Juliet review:

An animated film based on Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet seems a bit weird but don't worry, it has been changed to make it kids and family friendly.

Gnomeo and Juliet tells the story of two garden gnomes from opposite sides of the war between the red hatted gnomes and blue hatted gnomes who fall in love and try to make their love last as their rival gardens feud.

Directed by Kelly Asbury who directed Shrek 2,set to the music of Elton John and featuring a great voicing cast ranging from stars like James Mcavoy and Michael Caine to Jason Statham and Ozzy Ozbourne, Gnomeo and Juliet is a fun family film that is fun while it's on and has fun references for the adults that keep them entertained for the length of the film.

While not the best animated film that has been released and won't be regarded a classic it is fun enough and is a typical fun animated film that will keep you entertained for at least one watch of the film and a top voice cast helps this.

Gnomeo and Juliet may not be a classic but it is still a fun film that is enjoyable enough and should at least put a smile on your face a few times. At least when you hear Jason Statham and Michael Caine as Gnomes!

6/10

Review - The Fighter

The Fighter:

Of all the Films that have been made about sports, Boxing seems to be the sport that has the most memorable and great films. Raging Bull and the Rocky Films (well most of them) are examples of great films that have been acclaimed by fans and critics. The Fighter had been built up to be the latest great Boxing film and it did not disappoint.

A stellar cast is the main reason why the Fighter is a success but there are many reasons why. The fighter was entertaining,fun,uplifting and captivating with the main cast deserving the praise they are receiving.

The Fighter tells the true story of Mick "Irish" Ward, a professional boxer played by Mark Wahlberg who under the management of his mother (Melissa Leo) and his big brother Dicky Ecklund (Christian Bale) who was a boxer with his claim to fame being he once floored the great Sugar Ray Leonard.Ward's career is going downhill and after meeting Charlene (Amy Adams) and a few problems and changes, he tries to get his career moving under a new management.

Wahlberg is in fine form and is a surprise he hasn't been nominated for the major awards as his performance as Micky is a great performance which helps show Wahlberg at his best and Amy Adams is great as his girlfriend and there is a noticeable chemistry between the pair which makes their relationship believable and adds to interest in their characters.

 Melissa Leo's mother and Christian Bale's Brother are the two performances drawing the most praise and rightfully so.Melissa Leo is great as the mother who favours Dicky over Micky and although she cares for both her sons, she always seems to come across as wanting the best for Dicky over Micky which helps add to the intruiging relationship between the main characters and will probably bring her a deserved Oscar for Best Supporting Actress while Bale will most probably win a deserved Best Supporting Actor award.

Christian Bale's performance is fantastic as the crack addicted ex fighter Dicky Eklund and grabs the audiences attention every time he is on screen with a superb performance. Bale lost a lot of weight like he did for the Machinist to play the drug addicted character and it paid off as Bale surely secures his position as one of the finest actors around with another great performance.

The Fighter is not just a boxing film. It is a film about a family and their relationship with others and each other as well and the first part of the film has a good slow build up with an introduction and insight into the characters compared to a great second half which picks up the pace and there are more fight scenes as Ward tries to kick start his career towards a World Title shot.

The Final fight was exciting and captivating  and like all fight scenes was very realistic and looked like they were real fights.

Overall a Fine cast and great story of a boxer and his quest for glory while keeping relationships in his Family sweet means the Fighter was a joy to watch and i would highly recommend the Fighter to anybody who is thinking of seeing it.It is another fine entry into what is starting to shape up in the early stages of the year as a very good year of Films.

9/10

Review- Tangled

Disney's latest animated film is the second most expensive film of all time which shows you Disney were hoping to go back to making the animated classics of the past and the ambitious Tangled certainly feels like an animated classic and probably the best Disney animation since the Lion King.

Tangled is a retelling of the German fairy tale Rapunzel which it was originally called but was changed not long before it's release. A princess with magically long hair is locked in a tower when she is a young girl after being kidnapped by the evil old women Gothel to keep her powers but just before her eighteenth birthday is accidentally found by a thief called Flynn Rider and she convinces him to take her to see the "floating lights" that are in the sky every year on her birthday.

Tangled is a funny,charming film and disney are on top form with their latest offering which is very funny and the two funniest characters never utter a word!

Pascal the Chameleon and Maximus the Horse are very funny characters that are up there with Timone and Pumba and the Genie in Aladdin with their comedy and the impressive thing is that all their comedy comes from their facial expressions or actions.

The characters who speak in the film are also funny and good characters and Tangled is a funny and charming Disney film that is a joy to watch. Disney will no doubt make millions from the movie and the merchandise and no wonder when the film is this enjoyable for all ages. The cinema was roaring with laughter from the kids to the parents laughing at the antics of the characters and everybody left with a smile on their face.

8/10

Review - N.E.D.S

N.E.D.S or Non- Educated Delinquents is the story of John Mcgill, as he grows up in Glasgow in the 1970's while trying to keep out of trouble and be successful unlike his father or big brother.

The film starts with John Mcgill finishing primary school as one of the most successful students and looking forward to secondary however he is threatened by a n.e.d who threatens to beat him up over and over at secondary. This threat is sorted out early when his big brother Benni is told and he violently warns the aggressor away from John and John's first few years at secondary go well despite initially being looked down upon because of his big brother.

The film starts well and John Mcgill is shown to have hope that he will overcome the odds and actually make something of his life. Peter Mullan who directs the film as well as starring in the film, as John's alcohol father, makes an impression earl on despite not being in many scenes.

The film moves on and as John tries to keep his head down while meeting other intellectual friends, he is looked down upon by a stuck up mother which after this he is "jumped" by a group but they stop when hearing who is big brother is and John begins to become part of the group of "neds"

This is where the film becomes undone as John's transformation from perfect school kid to troublemaker seems rushed and unbelievable and from here on the film moves from scene to scene without fully explaining if John is good or bad as he continues to make no sense with his actions.
A few comedic scenes involving the character Wee T and then an amusing fight between John and Jesus carry the film as it begins to draw to a close however the end of the film is a little silly and leaves the viewer's questions unanswered on what Joohn is really like.

N.E.D.S does not deliver what it was hyped up to from the trailers however Peter Mullan's film is enjoyable and amusing in parts and is an ok film to watch once to see the good performances from actors and actresses who are all unexperienced which is quite impressive. A second viewing may be too much but if you are into films like this then you may find more from this film than I did.

5/10

Review - Black Swan

Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky’s latest film, the Black Swan is a psychological thriller that during this Awards season is going to be very busy with nominations and awards being given to this film all over the place.

Black Swan is a psychological thriller that just like Aronofsky’s last offering the Wrestler which starred Mickey Rourke, is very much a film that is a success and driven by a superb performance from the main character which in this case is Natalie Portman.

There is a great supporting cast on top form with Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder and Barbara Hershey all putting in great performance, however Natalie Portman steals the show as Nina Sayers, a hard working ballerina who is chosen to be the lead in a new version of Swan Lake by her ballet production. She is perfect as the innocent White Swan however she struggles to portray the evil Black Swan and this leads to a conflict with the growing part of her that can be the perfect Black Swan and seems to be the evil within her.

Natalie Portman is superb as Nina and like Colin Firth in Kings Speech, is surely going to win the Oscar for best actress after a great performance as Nina’s good side and bad side. She plays the innocent Nina perfectly while showing the side of Nina that desires to be let out and seems evil and what Nina doesn’t want to be.

Vincent Cassel is creepy and interesting as Thomas the Ballet director who is intrigued by Nina and want her to loosen up while being the Black Swan as he knows she can do it. This leads to an interesting conflict as he supports Nina while also showing support to the dancer Lily played by Mila Kunis.

Lily is a new dancer to the production and while she may not be technically as good as Nina she is the perfect Black Swan and it comes natural to her. Nina is worried by Lily and thinks she is after her role which leads to a difficult relationship with her. Nina also has a complicated relationship with her mother.

 Even though she loves her and they get on,  Nina’s mother played by Barbara Rafferty is a failed dancer and is forcing her child to become what she wanted to be and this leads Nina to feel obliged to succeed which leads to problems when she struggles as the Black Swan.

Nina fears she may end up like Winona Ryder’s character who is Beth, the successful dancer who was replaced for the upcoming season and struggles with the fact her career is over. Beth may not be in many scenes but she leaves an impression of how harsh the world of Ballet can be when you are “finished” and this leads to  an interest and a belief that if Nina is replaced as lead that may be her finished.

As Nina faces the evil inside her as the innocence battles the evil as well as sexual desires she has that has blocked out, however it leads to creepy hallucinations throughout the film and views that Nina is struggling in her role.

Black Swan seems to move effortlessly scene by scene leaving you intrigued and captivated for the whole film and the ending is the perfect ending to a great film.

Black Swan is a must see and is up there for the top awards this awards season and rightfully so.

9/10

Review - King's Speech

The King’s Speech:

A drama about the soon to be King and his efforts to try and overcome a speech impediment with the help of a speech therapist is not usually the type of film that I watch or go to the cinema to specifically go to see. After all the positive reviews it has been getting and the positive media coverage it was becoming too hard to resist the Kings Speech and I eventually decided i would check it out to see if it was worth all the praise.

Going to see the King’s Speech even though I had earlier doubts may be one of the best choices have made in a while when going to see a film at the cinema.

The King’s Speech is a must see stylish drama that does turn out to be an intriguing plot but the even though the plot is strong the film is elevated to a must see by the superb performances by every single actor and actress who graces the scene.

To name a few of the great performances ;Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth, Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill, Michael Gambon as King George V and Guy Pearce as King Edward VIII who has a short reign on the throne. Every performance in the film is worthy of praise and Geoffery Rush is great as Lionel Logue the speech therapist teaching King George VI to overcome his stammer.

Geoffery Rush plays Logue the Australian speech therapist who has a different style to the other therapists and treats everybody as equals, from kid patients to Royals. Rush is on top from and any other film this performance would be the best performance by miles in a film, however Coli Firth’s performance as King George VI is an incredible performance that has surely won Firth an Oscar.

Despite great performances from others such as James Franco in 127 Hours, Colin Firth’s performance is superb and arguably the best of his career. Firth manages to make the audience feel for “Bertie” as he struggles with his stammer which he has had for so long he can’t remember not having it , yet at the same time makes you see his courage and bravery while looking weak and you believe in him that he will overcome his stammer.

The film moves along perfectly well and the stylish movie is a joy to watch. The plot at points may become predictable but that is normal with historical films and even when this happens those performances pull the film up when it slows down.

The Kings Speech is a must see and I am glad I went to see it even though I had a few doubts to begin with superb performances from the cast with Geoffery Rush and the superb Colin Firth, The Kings speech is stylish, classy and a great drama and story of fighting to overcome your fears and problems.

8/10

Review -The Green Hornet

The Green Hornet:

Before seeing Green Hornet I will advise one thing: Switch your brain off for a few hours. If you turn your brain off and sit back and relax then the Green Hornet will be a blast to watch.

Based on a character which was originally a radio series or as most remember, a TV show starring the Late Bruce Lee as Kato, the Green Hornet film is the story of Britt Reid, a socialite who has a rich dad and because of this lives his life as a non stop party . When his dad dies suddenly due to an allergic reaction from a bee sting, Britt Reid is left in charge of his dad’s newspaper.

After some events and with a help from Kato, a martial arts expert who is also very good with technology and worked for his dad before his death, Britt proceeds to fight crime while posing as a villain known as the Green Hornet to the media so he can take crime down from the inside.

Seth Rogen stars as Britt Reid the socialite turned superhero vigilante and Rogen does what he does best and provides the laughs which is no surprise as he also co wrote the script. Rogen lost thirty pounds to play the Green Hornet to make it more believable and the slimmer Rogen portrays Britt Reid as somebody who after a few mishaps has taken his life for granted but when given the opportunity he sees the chance to make up for that and start helping the world albeit under the guise of a masked vigilante

Seth Rogen’s character develops and gets most of his laughs through interaction with Kato played by Jay Chou. Chou puts in a good performance in a role that was always going to be difficult as many link Kato with the great Bruce Lee so Chou was up against it from the start. Kato is the side of the partnership that provides most of the action and his characters is the brains and most of the muscle in the partnership. This is interesting to watch as Reid gets all the glory as the Green Hornet while Kato does all the work.

Cameron Diaz pops up as Lenore, the love interest the pair fall for however, her character although entertaining to an extent is underused and the same can be said for the Oscar winning Christopher Waltz as the films villain Chudnovsky.

Although entertaining Chudnovsky only seems to be there for most of it just to provide a villain for film and the character although entertaining, is under used and is not developed as much as he could have been although he shares two entertaining scenes with Edward Furlong as a meth dealer and James Franco as a rival dealer at the start although Franco is not credited for this role.

The action scenes in the film are crazy. Some of the scenes look as if they have been written as a joke to see if it was possible but they are very entertaining and the “Kato cam” when Kato is attacking is interesting and reminded me of the recent Sherlock Holmes with the way every action is planned and he is looking for every danger instead of just attacking like Rogen’s character.

The Green Hornet may not be everybody’s cup of tea and if you over think the film then you will be left let down however, if you ignore this. Relax and don’t think about it then the Green Hornet is a blast and is the type of movie that is usually released in the Summer. If you are looking for a couple of hours watching a fun movie in the cinema then the Green Hornet is well worth a look.

8/10

Review - 127 Hours

127 Hours:

Danny Boyle’s films are not usually your straightforward films. Boyle’s films do not sound like must see films that critics and audiences seem to love however from a dead body with a case of money in Shallow Grave , Heroin takers in Trainspotting and a contestant on the Indian version of Who wants to be a Millionaire in Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle likes to make films that don’t sound great but turn out great in most cases and 127 Hours is no different.

Based on the horrible situation Aaron Ralston ended up in when exploring 127 Hours is a great film which is a moving film that is up there with Danny Boyle’s best work and rightfully so.

Boyle has managed to make a movie that is basically just one character for the whole film and make it into a great film which is up there with Boyle’s best films and any film that has been released this year or last when in contention for the Oscars and all other awards this current awards season.

The film triumphs due to Boyle’s directing, A.R Rahman’s score and a superb performance from James Franco. Rahman who also created the award winning soundtrack for Boyle’s Slum dog Millionaire and he reunites with Boyle by creating a very powerful and tense soundtrack that is perfectly used in the movie and in certain scenes.

James Franco as Aaron Ralston is also worthy of at least contention for an Oscar. Franco plays Ralston perfects as a normal guy who is enthusiastic, brave and a quick thinker but is not a hero as his bravery and enthusiasm is also his downfall and leads to him being in the situation he ends up in.

With Boyle at the helm, Rahman on the music and Franco giving the performance of his career so far mixed in with a few flashbacks and fun encounter at the beginning between Ralston and explorers, 127 Hours plays out and keeps the audience interested the whole time with a mixture of intrigue, sadness, some humour and tension which builds up to the talked about moment where Ralston’s desperation to survive leads to a grisly high.

The scene is tense and a little uncomfortable to watch however what follows is one of the happiest and moving endings to a film you will see and will make you think if you are living your life as much as you can and what would you change?

Danny Boyle has impressed again with 127 Hours and his next film will again be looked forward to with hope that it delivers like most of his others have and on the evidence of his career so far, it probably will.

9/10