Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

I'm going to be upfront, I was never a fan of the first Anchorman film. There were some funny set pieces, like the big fight, but overall I didn't find it consistent. But with The Legend Continues, I feel as though they've made a great comedy from that original concept.

Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) has just lost a promotion as lead anchor on the station on which he works to his wife, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate). He is brought back from the brink of suicide by an offer to be one of the anchors on the world's first 24-hour news channel. First he must bring his award-winning news team back together; Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), Champ Kind (David Koechner) and Brick Tamland (Steve Carrell). Once they get to New York, the team are confronted by Jack Lime (James Marsden), whom they engage in a battle for ratings with.

Overall, this film is much more consistently funny than the first and although it may not be as quotable, it still will keep you laughing. Much like the first film, my favourite jokes come from Steve Carrell's portrayal of loveable weatherman Brick. James Marsden also gives a hilarious performance as arrogant anchor Jack Lime. There is also a huge range of cameos in this film, with everyone from comedy regulars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to serious actors like Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson. Even Drake and Kanye make hilarious cameos.

Most of the best jokes in the film are directed at the 1980s themselves. Hilarious jabs at fashion and hairstyles (keep an eye out for those perms) and historical events, such as the trial of OJ Simpson. These jokes fly under the radar and happen very quickly, but if you can catch them, they are very rewarding.

Verdict: A hilarious film that did a lot better than the first with a fantastic concept.

Philomena

For a very straightforward film, Philomena is an exceptionally hard film to write about. It covers a period of history that I found confronting and hard to forgive.


Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan) has just lost his job as a government adviser and is desperately looking for something to pass the days. He comes across Philomena Lee (Judi Dench), an elderly Irish woman who has just revealed to her daughter that she gave birth to a son fifty years earlier and has been trying to track him down since. Philomena gave birth in an Irish convent, where she worked as an indentured servant, before be forced to give her son up for adoption. Martin decides to help her while writing a human interest story on her to get out of his rut.

For me, I found this story very confronting. I didn't know that young women were abandoned by their families for the shame of having a child out of wedlock. The Catholic Church's stance that what these young women had done is a sin, is a ridiculous concept and results in having people like Philomena Lee keep a secret like this for the majority of their lives.

So its no surprise that an actress like Judi Dench is able to pull off such an emotionally difficult character like Philomena. She is able to put a lot of emphasis on the extremely emotional scenes, as well as be fantastically funny when humour is needed. She was also able to pull off an Irish accent with extreme ease and is entirely convincing.

For someone who has built an entire career off comedy, Steve Coogan slipped into this role with relative ease. At first, I was expecting him to make joke after joke, but without his comedy partner Rob Brydon by his side, that would seem like a betrayal. But his performance as Martin Sixsmith was spot-on and I really felt the anger that he was feeling throughout the film.

Verdict: A extremely well-made film about a time in history that is heartbreaking. Excellent performances from both Dench and Coogan.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

If you ask me, I think that Ben Stiller's work as a director eclipses his work as an actor. That's not to say that he's not a good actor, but the films that really stand out for me are the ones that he's directed. And with his first film since 2008's Tropic Thunder, Stiller has made a heartwarming film about living in the moment.

Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) is a lowly worker for Life magazine, with designs on dating a fellow colleague, Cheryl Melhoff (Kristen Wiig). Walter is prone to having daydreams that leave him zoned out in the real world, much to the discomfort of those around him. One day Walter arrives at work to find that they are discontinuing the printed version of the magazine and are downsizing their staff numbers. The man in charge of this is the abrasive Ted Hendricks (Adam Scott), who wants Walter to track down a missing negative of a photo taken by mysterious photographer Sean O'Connell (Sean Penn).

Ben Stiller is an extremely versatile actor. While he is known for his comedic roles, some of them even bordering on silly (White Goodman in Dodgeball), he isn't afraid to take on more serious roles. Though this film isn't a straight drama, it does have comedic elements to it. But overall, the ultimate message of the film is about living in the moment and discovering who you really are.

Likewise, Kristen Wiig has made a remarkable jump from comedy to the dramatic. Wiig is known for her hilarious roles on Saturday Night Live and Bridesmaids (which she also wrote). But in Walter Mitty she transforms into an actress who can give depth and background to her character.

Adam Scott is hilariously evil in a departure from the usually hilariously nice characters he plays on TV (Party Down, Parks and Recreation). Cameos from both Sean Penn and Patton Oswalt are rewarding.

Verdict: Whilst Walter Mitty is a pleasing ride that does give us some things to reflect on in our own lives, it doesn't really push any boundaries in terms of telling a story.

Delivery Man

Sometimes a movie comes along that is marketed as a movie of one genre, but really works better in another genre. A great example of this is Kevin James' Here Comes the Boom, it looks like a comedy, but it works better as a light hearted drama. The same could be said of Vince Vaughn's latest film, Delivery Man.

Perennial slacker Dave Wozniak (Vince Vaughn) works as a truck driver for his family's butcher business. He owes $80 000 to some thugs and his girlfriend (Cobie Smulders) is pregnant. Just when life seems like it could get any worse, he finds out that he is the biological father of 533 children from a mix up at a sperm clinic that he donated to 23 years earlier. 142 of the children have filed a class action suit to discover the identity of 'Starbuck', the alias he used. Through his lawyer, Brett (Chris Pratt), David gets the profiles of these children and follows them around, committing random acts of kindness.

Unlike previous Vince Vaughn movies, Delivery Man doesn't just rely on comedic situations. At it's core, there are some really touching themes to do with family and parenting and these themes are extremely uplifting.

Vince Vaughn worked really well as David Wozniak. His charm that he brings to other roles, works exceptionally well here. Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) is hilarious as David's best friend and lawyer.

What confuses me about this film however, is that it is a remake of a 2011 Canadian film Starbuck, which was directed and written by the same director as this film, Ken Scott. To me this seems a little redundant, but as I have seen the original, I can't really pass judgement.

Verdict: Overall a funny and heartwarming film about parenthood. A must see for anyone with 533 children.

Filth

The works of Irvine Welsh have always tackled addiction in the most confronting ways. Filth is no different. It has all the hallmarks of an Irvine Welsh story; the snappy dialogue, the scathing commentary on Scottish life and the drugs. Oh, those drugs.

Bruce Robertson (James McAvoy) is a Detective Sergeant in the Edinburgh with high aspirations. After the murder of a Japanese student, he is offered the position of Detective Inspector if he solves the crime. Meanwhile, he sabotages the efforts of his colleagues, who are also after the position, and makes the life of his Masonic brother, Bladesey (Eddie Marsan), hell.

Underneath all the madness, Filth is a pretty funny movie. Bruce is a horrible person, but he is also charming as hell and it's easily understandable how he gets away with things that he does. This is made more apparent by McAvoy's excellent portrayal of the character. McAvoy possesses the right amount of skill to play such a character. His chemistry with the rest of the cast, in particular Marsan, is electric. Never before has there been a more reprehensible corrupt police officer portrayed on film (Harvey Keitel is still playing catch up in my book). Much like how Daniel Craig played a likeable villain before he scored the role of James Bond, I see the same future for McAvoy.

The rest of the cast did a superb job, although they were all relegated to minor characters next to the powerhouse that is Bruce Robertson. Jamie Bell (of Billy Elliott fame) did a superb job of playing rookie cop Ray Lennox, Imogen Poots is fantastic as rival detective Amanda Drummond and stalwart of British cinema, Jim Broadbent is hilarious as Dr. Rossi, who I think was supposed to be Australian, but I'm not sure.

Verdict: All in all an entertaining journey into the messed up mind of a coke addicted cop who needs some serious help. Also has a great cameo with David Soul, who was the original Hutch in the Starsky and Hutch TV series.

The Counselor

The works of Cormac McCarthy have always served as interesting fodder for film adaptations. Indeed both No Country for Old Men and The Road translated his vision perfectly to the screen. However, The Counselor is an entirely original script from him and when you couple that with an immensely visual director, such as Ridley Scott, you get a beautiful film that also has extreme depth and meaning just underneath the surface.

The film is set in the southern United States and it follows The Counselor (Michael Fassbender) as he descends into the drug fuelled world of the Mexican cartels. After a shipment that he had a stake in is stolen, he ends up going on the run, as the cartel behind the other half of the investment believes he is responsible.

The film has many themes and they all seem to be complementary of one another. The largest ones are those of greed and actions and consequences. The Counselor is driven to do many of the things that he wants, primarily by greed. What he wants most is to please his girlfriend Laura (Penelope Cruz) and we can only assume that she is the reason he has driven himself toward this path. That greed also goes hand in hand with the consequences that are a direct result of the actions that he has taken.

All this depth and meaning stems from a superb script from McCarthy. Unlike the other adaptations that I mentioned earlier, whose screenplays had been written by other writers, The Counselor has the unique voice of McCarthy, who has written some wonderfully cryptic dialogue scenes that also appear in his literature.

This film is also spectacular to look at as well and that is largely due to Ridley Scott's amazing vision as a director. The landscapes in the film are amazing, showcasing Mexico and Texas on an intimate scale that I really appreciated.

Finally, the cast of this film is not be forgotten. I know looking at the poster, all you see are the big names and just think it's going to be an empty film. But all the actors are fantastic. I especially want to give praise to Cameron Diaz, as I have not seen her reach a level such as this since Being John Malkovich in 1999. There is also a scene that has cameos from Dean Norris (Hank in Breaking Bad) and John Leguizamo (Luigi in Super Mario Bros., and a ton of other stuff) that I found humourous for some reason.

Verdict: An intense and compelling crime drama that is sure to make you scared of cheetahs and girls on Ferraris.

Paranoia

It's always good to see Aussies working in Hollywood, especially when it's an Aussie director working with an Aussie star, but something about Paranoia seems to miss the mark. Maybe it has something to do with an interesting idea not being translated to the screen in a definite enough manner.

Adam Cassidy (Liam Hemsworth) is a young tech guru working an entry level position for technology giant run by Nicholas Wyatt (Gary Oldman). After a night on the town using the office credit card, Cassidy is blackmailed into spying on Wyatt's former mentor, Jock Goddard (Harrison Ford).

The concept behind this film is excellent, industrial espionage that leads to paranoia from the stress of living a strange double life for the young protagonist. However, it might have come apart in the translation of idea to paper or script to screen. I am inclined to say the latter.

I have to admit that I am not all that familiar with Robert Luketic's work, although I did see 2010's spy rom-com Killers. But looking back at his body of work, he seems to be more at home working in the rom-com genre. He did direct 21, but as I understand it, that was more a heist drama than a complex thriller.

One note of praise I do have is for the performances from Liam Hemsworth and Amber Heard. Hemsworth does have actual talent and is not just swimming in the wake of his older brother Thor as some people would believe. I feel as though a performance in an indie film of some sort would do him good to show off this talent rather than a star vehicle orchestrated by a studio to make cash.

Amber Heard also gives a decent performance and has real talent also. I feel as though many model/actresses are hired more for their looks than for having talent, but Heard has both. She has a real presence when on screen and shows that she can play with experienced actors, such as when she shares the screen with Harrison Ford. I am looking forward to seeing her in the upcoming Machete Kills.

As for Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman, this two actors have been working longer than I've been alive and should know better than to take roles like this. I know they only do movies like this for the pay-check, but a feel as though with their experience and age, they can afford to pick the roles that they take.

Verdict: A premise with potential that just crumbled in the hands of an inexperienced director. Stellar performances from the younger cast members can't really save the film.

Elysium

Neill Blomkamp is a master of modern sci-fi cinema. His last film, District 9, looked at racism targeted at Zimbabwean refugees in the slums of Johannesburg, albeit through the eyes of an alien race that had been stranded on Earth. Blomkamp successfully identifies social issues and presents them in a way that gets the public thinking.

In Elysium, the social messages are a lot more apparent. It takes place on an overpopulated Earth in the year 2154. Max (Matt Damon) is an ex-con working at a robot factory, with the hopes of saving up enough money to buy a ticket to Elysium, a space station that houses the rich and powerful, who are able to stay healthy with the help of med-pods. After an accident at the factory that leaves Max with radiation poisoning, he endeavours to get to Elysium and a chance at life.

Blomkamp tackles social issues such as overpopulation, refugees and wealth disparity perfectly in this film. There are scenes that somewhat humanise the people smugglers and the refugees trying to lead a better life. The other big issue is the overpopulation that some developing nations are experiencing. Some of the film was shot in Mexico City and it is amazing to see the state of how people live.

One of the only issues that I really had with the film was the poor character development. We never really get any time to fully connect with any of the characters or feel for their situation.

That is not to say that there was any bad acting. Matt Damon was fantastic as Max and you could really see his desperation to get to Elysium. Alice Braga (Predators) plays Max's childhood friend and a nurse at one of the big hospitals. Her character felt like a would be love interest for Max, but her sole intention is the survival of her daughter.

Jodie Foster plays the head of Elysium's defences, but she really has her eye on the position of President. She is ruthless and will do anything to get her way, even if it means using psychopathic sleeper agent Kruger (Sharlto Copley). Copley couldn't any farther from the loveable Wikus he played in District 9, in fact he is downright creepy. He has some very cringeworthy moments.

The visuals in this movie are fantastic. Blomkamp and his cinematographer are downright masters of innovation with a camera. There are a lot of techniques that defy explanation and I studied camera work. There were one or two shots early on that were headache inducing, but by and large, it's a visual masterpiece.

Verdict: Blomkamp once again crafts a biting social commentary that will really force you to not just think of the future, but the present as well.

Kick-Ass 2

As much as the original Kick-Ass presented us with what it would be like if there were actually real life superheroes, this film deals us with the consequences of what it is to be a superhero. I can't help but feeling like this film was made as a public service announcement for those people who actually want to do this kind of thing.

Dave Lizewski (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has given up fighting crime as the superhero Kick-Ass and wants to live the life of a regular teenager. Soon he starts training again with Mindy Macready (Chloe Grace Moretz), formerly Hit-Girl. Before long, he joins a group of other superheroes headed by Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey). Meanwhile, Chris D'Amico (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) is still brooding over the fact that Kick-Ass killed his father and vows to kill him as the world's first supervillain, The Motherf***er.

I felt that this movie was just a little weaker than the original film and I have a feeling that this was down to it having a different director. Matthew Vaughn (also known as Guy Ritchie's producer) gave the last film a certain energy that this one lacked. Jeff Wadlow (who also wrote the script) did an alright job at showing us the consequences of being a superhero. I think that I may be being a bit harsh on him, as Kick-Ass is a tough act to follow.

Taylor-Johnson did a great job playing a character who is torn between what he thinks his duty is and what he thinks a teenager should be doing. There are few scenes between him and his father (played by Garrett Brown) that really shows his inner conflict.

Moretz does a fantastic job as Macready, who is trying to learn to be a normal girl after the events of the last film. She has an energy and passion for acting that I really think will pay off for her in the future.

Jim Carrey once again shines in a film. Unlike Burt Wonderstone, where he outshone the stars, he really complements the rest of the cast. A lot of the humour in the film comes from his character's wacky view on being a superhero. It is a shame that he has since denounced the level of violence in the film, but it is good to point out that these violent actions do have heavy repercussions in the film.

There are also some very funny cameos from Donald Faison (Scrubs), John Lequizamo (Ice Age, Super Mario Bros.) and Iain Glen (everybody's favourite khaleesi bodyguard from Game of Thrones) as Chris D'Amico's truly terrifying uncle.

Verdict: The first Kick-Ass did seem like lightning in a bottle, but this film still does a great job with the cast and characters and does have some truly funny parts.

We're The Millers

We're the Millers does an unconventional take on the family road trip movie. There are some elements that people will recognise, but for the most part, you won't.

David (Jason Sudeikis) is a low-level drug dealer working for Brad Gurlinger (Ed Helms), a crazy drug baron who likes to show off his wealth. One day, David gets his stash and money stolen by some thugs and ends up being blackmailed by Brad to do some smuggling for him. He enlists the help of his neighbour, Kenny (Will Poulter), a runaway, Casey (Emma Roberts), and a stripper who lives in his building, Rose (Jennifer Aniston). They pose as a family to bring the drugs to the States from Mexico in a RV. They soon discover that they stole the drugs from an equally crazed Mexican baron, Pablo Chacon (Tomer Sisley), and race to get to Denver before they can be stopped.

This movie is a lot funnier than what I expected. There are a lot of jokes about regular family road trips, but also jokes about how this group isn't a real family. One hilarious ongoing joke involves a weed baby.

Jason Sudeikis (Saturday Night Live, Horrible Bosses) is a great leading man in this comedy and you can see that he is really comfortable doing improvisation, because I'm sure most of his priceless one-liners couldn't be written, even by the funniest comedy writers.

It was amazing to see America's sweetheart Jennifer Aniston play a foul mouthed role. It's always refreshing to see actors go against the grain and take a role that no one's seen them do before. Aniston is  just plain funny as she really gets into the role of trying to be a fake mother to this family. She sort of reminds me of Catherine O'Hara in Orange County.

Will Poulter has been consistently funny throughout his career. He was hilarious in the British sketch show School of Comedy and now he has proven that he can be funny in a feature length film. I look forward to seeing a lot more of him in future.

I know Emma Roberts (Scream 4) has been working in Hollywood for years, but prior to this, none of her films have appealed to me. That's not to say that she isn't a good actress, because this film clearly shows that she is.

Verdict: A genuinely funny and original comedy that will appeal to anyone who's ever been on a family road trip. Or smuggled drugs.

Pain & Gain

Michael Bay and his production company Platinum Dunes have been much derided in past years for his Transformers movies and remakes of classic 80s movies (which I'm not ashamed to admit that I enjoy). But Pain & Gain is different. I think it shows that Bay is a talented director, who just needs to put a little more effort into his work.

The movie follows the unbelievably true story of three Miami bodybuilders, who in the mid-90s extorted one wealthy businessman and killed a porn magnate and his girlfriend. Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) is a lowly gym employee with dreams of greatness. He convinces fellow colleagues Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) and Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson) to help kidnap corrupt businessman Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub) and extort him of his wealth. Soon things start to unravel when greed, addiction and desperation get in the way.

With all the action that is going on in this film, it is hard to believe that this film is based on a true story. But it reminds throughout the film when it occasionally breaks the fourth wall, though only in subtle ways. There was an interesting direction of giving all the main characters a voice over piece at some stage in the film, but it was cool to see the inner workings of these characters.

Mark Wahlberg has always interested me as an actor, taking varied roles in movies (sort of like Nic Cage). His take on muscle-head Danny Lugo is humourous at some points and from the articles that I've been reading, pretty close to the actual guy.

Anthony Mackie has been off my radar and apart from The Hurt Locker, this is the only other film I've seen him in. I feel as though his character just got swept up in Danny's can-do attitude.

Fans of the Rock may be surprised to see a different side to the man. Dwayne Johnson plays an ex-con who finds religion in a big bad way, but soon reverts to his pre-prison days. Johnson really conveys the pain felt by his character when he has his crises of faith.

The techniques picked up by Bay on the Transformers movies really pays off. He knows how to use a camera and constantly uses excited angles and slow and fast motion to convey the action when it happens. All this with the beautiful surroundings of Miami make for a cool movie.

Verdict: Mark Wahlberg and Michael Bay make a refreshing team-up. If you like the 90s, you'll probably like this movie. Most of all, be a do-er, not a don't-er.

Classic Movie Review: Sherlock Jr. (1924)

I'm going a bit old school with this review. I watched this film as a part of my film studies course and I felt as though I had to share my feelings about this comedy classic.

The film follows a lowly projectionist and wannabe private detective (Buster Keaton) as he tries to solve the mystery of who stole his lover's father's watch. The plot of this film is so simple that it makes it easier to focus on the gags that are hilarious.

Most of these gags however, are mind-blowing. Keaton did all his own stunts and some of them are quite hairy. One sequence features him on the handlebars of a riderless motorcycle that careens through unbelievable situations. Another has him jump through both a person and solid wall, a trick which made the entire audience (made up of people mostly under-25) gasp audibly and this is in the age where you can do anything with the help of CGI.

One sequence was also a marvel of editing. In a dream sequence, the projectionist enters a dream like moment and walks into the screen and becomes part of the film that is playing. The film cuts through a number of locations that the character interacts with and in each location he visits, he is in the same part of the frame. This is all happening while we can see the rest of the cinema.

The jokes are the old style of slapstick, but still communicate well with today's audiences. It brings everyone down to the same level, so nobody can say that they didn't get the jokes.

Verdict: A masterful comedy that everyone will enjoy and will hopefully watch with awe. It is available to watch on Youtube and I very strongly recommend that you do.

The Way, Way Back

I'm just going to get straight to the point, this is one of the best films I've ever seen. I'm going to have to go back and amend my top ten list. Written and directed by Academy Award winners Jim Rash and Nat Faxon (Best Adapted Screenplay for The Descendants, 2011), it is probably the best comedy that I have ever seen.

14-year-old Duncan (Liam James) is on summer holiday to his mother's boyfriend's, Trent (Steve Carell), beach house in a sleepy East Coast town. His mother, Pam (Toni Collette), is hoping that the two bond over the summer. Duncan soon becomes frustrated with Trent's cold attitude towards him and adventures to the nearby water park. He is offered a job by the owner, Owen (Sam Rockwell), and soon becomes the hero of the staff.

Duncan has a budding relationship with his neighbour, Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb), whilst his mother's relationship is slowly fading.

This film is an excellent example of character driven comedy. All the characters are fully formed and lead the story in their own ways. Both Faxon (Freeloaders) and Rash (Community) are master writers and although I haven't seen The Descendants I can see that they are great writers, as well as directors. They also play two of the water park's employees and prove that they can achieve a high level of excellence in all fields.

The cast of this movie is amazing. Liam James is a newcomer to main roles in film, but carries the role amazingly. He plays his character so amazingly and the development that he goes through is out in front and fantastic. I expect that we'll be seeing a lot more of him.

Steve Carell (Anchorman) plays against type and goes for a serious role this time. He is entirely believable as the douchebag boyfriend and from the opening scene onward you will hate him. And that's the mark of a fantastic actor.

AnnaSophia Robb (Soul Surfer) is incredible as the girl next door and does play the character in the stereotypical way. Likewise, Sam Rockwell (Moon) is uplifting as Owen and you can really see the connection that he has with Duncan.

I laughed the hardest at Allison Janney (the mum from Juno), who plays Susanna's mother. She is perpetually drunk and is constantly saying inappropriate things to her friends and even her own children, but I can see her as a good mother.

Verdict: A perfect movie. I saw it with a large, varied group and everyone loved it. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves movies and it has a great uplifting message.

The World's End

The comedy team that began with the TV show Spaced, have finally finished their Blood and Ice Cream trilogy with The World's End. I hope that this will not be the last time that Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright team up, because they make such good comedies.

In The World's End, perennial loser Gary King (Pegg), is wanting to reunite his old group of friends from high school to complete a pub crawl that they failed to complete in 1990. He rousts up his friends, including his former best friend, Andy (Frost), and drives them to their hometown of Newton Haven to commence a night of drunken debauchery. The only problem is that they are all in their 40s and have lost the drive to get belligerently drunk.

Once they get back to their hometown, they realise that not is all as it seems. They slowly find out that all the people in their hometown have been replaced by robots. They continue on their crawl and try to get to the bottom of the mystery.

This film is a really fitting end to the trilogy (the other two being Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz). The film did give a feeling that it was slightly similar to the British indie comedy Frequently Asked Questions about Time Travel, but I suppose that only stems from the fact that they both take place in pubs. Pegg and Frost have a great chemistry that has been built up of over a decade of working together. King is character that you almost feel sorry for, even during his most cringeworthy moments. You also feel sorry for Andy being dragged along on his exploits.

The rest of the cast are also fantastic performers. Martin Freeman (The "British" Office), Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes) and Paddy Considine (The Bourne Ultimatum) play the rest of the crew that are conned into coming along. My only gripe with the movie is that these characters are not fleshed out a bit more and given some more interesting backstories. Rosamund Pike (Jack Reacher) also makes an appearance and shows that she has great comedic timing.

For the fans of the other two movies, all the recurring jokes are there, including fence jumping, Bill Nighy and Cornettos. It would be interesting to see how this movie would work as a drinking game, drinking whenever they do in the movie. But I'm not advising it, I think any normal person would die from that amount of alcohol. Also I don't think they'd let you drink in a movie theatre. Unless you're in Amsterdam.

Verdict: A great comedy for all to see, but fans of the trio will feel vindicated. Pegg, Frost and Wright are hilarious.

Review submissions

Don't agree with my opinions on a movie? Want to tell everyone about a movie that you really like? Well I am giving you guys the opportunity to submit your own reviews.

All you have to do is email jacksreviewsubmit@gmail.com with your review and name. You will get full credit for the review. It can be a review of a new release, a classic movie review or your own top ten list.

Also this is not me saying that I am going to stop writing reviews, because that would mean me stopping watching movies altogether and that's never going to happen.

Cheers,

Jack

The Wolverine

Man, Wolverine is so cool. He has like claws and regeneration and mutton chops. What I would do for a pair of those. This Japanese-set, Australian-filmed action movie is unlike any of the X-Men movies that have come before, apart from the fact that Logan is once again the central character (when you look back at it, the only time he wasn't a main character was when Professor X and Magneto were recruiting the initial team in the 60s).

So, this film starts when Logan (Hugh Jackman) is a POW in Nagasaki, prior to the US dropping the bombs that ended the war in 1945. This scene is pretty full on, as we get a ground view of an atomic bomb detonating. Something that no one lives to tell anybody about. Except for Logan and Yashida (Ken Yamamura).

In the present day, Logan is living as a homeless man in the mountains of Canada with his only friend being a bear. He is tracked down by Yukio (Rila Fukushima), a mysterious Japanese woman, who says that her master wants to thank him for saving his life all those years ago. Yashida (Haruhiko Yamanouchi) is now an old man dying from cancer (probably from the radiation caused by the bomb). He offers Logan a way out of his immortality, which he rejects. This film deals with Logan's internal struggle with his mutation.

This movie is really cool in the fact that it's not like the other superhero movies we've seen recently. Although it does revolve around his mutation, it's not the focus of the movie. It's more of just an action movie, where the tough main character has claws. Speaking of his claws, I've only recently been wondering about the blood on his claws and if he wipes them off before retracting them, because that is a really weird hygiene problem.

I don't really need to say whether Jackman is good as Wolverine, because he's played the character in six movies. The only other character that he should be able to slip into with the same amount of ease is Peter Allen.

The real rising star of this film is Rila Fukushima. The 170 cm model is really graceful in her action scenes and has real talent when it comes to acting. Although she has only previously been in a short film and handful of music videos, I can see her having a real future in the industry.

The only other white actor in this film is Svetlana Khodchenkova (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy). She plays Viper, although her character is very different from in the comics. Her character isn't explored too much and I wanted to know more about her background or her in general.

Verdict: A really fun movie that doesn't need background knowledge of the character or any of the previous films. Although it does call back to the comics, especially his use of 'bub'.

My Top Ten

In celebration of getting 1,000 views of my blog, I thought I would tell everyone what my Top Ten films are (just so you can get an idea of what I like in a film). So here they are, in no particular order:

1. Ferris Bueller's Day Off: I first saw this movie when I was ten years old and thought that that was how all teenagers acted. From that moment on I tried to live my life by Ferris' philosophy on life; that if you don't stop and appreciate life, you might miss it.

2. Mallrats: If I tried to live my life like Ferris Bueller, I more than likely ended up living it like Brody Bruce in Kevin Smith's sophomore flick. It is about two guys who spend their day in a local mall trying to get over their girlfriend woes. It has a great early Ben Affleck performance and the debut of Jason Lee.

3. Fight Club: The first time I saw anything to do with this film was when my sister got the VHS back in the day. The only part I saw was a making of segment when that showed the plane crash and final scene. I was so scared of these scenes that I refused to watch the film for years. When I finally saw it, the film changed my outlook on life and David Fincher became my favourite director.

4. Cape Fear (1991): Martin Scorsese's remake of the 1962 cult film terrified me when I first saw it a couple of months ago. Robert De Niro's portrayal of psychopath Max Cady has inspired many satires and parodies since, the most popular being the shot for shot remake in an episode of The Simpsons.

5. Slacker: Richard Linklater's independent classic is a great directorial debut for a filmmaker. Made for only $30 000, the film drifts in and out of the lives of the youth of Dallas, Texas. With no real plot or characters, it is quite an innovative film. This film has inspired many a young filmmaker to enter the industry.

6. Layer Cake: This classy British flick from the producer of Guy Ritchie's London gangster flicks is what I see as a more realistic approach to films about high end drug dealers. At the very least it takes itself seriously and the characters are believable.

7. Scarface: When I first saw this movie, it was the point that I realised that I wanted to be in the film industry. I became entranced with the story of Tony Montana his rise through the Miami underworld. I discovered that you could tell stories that entertained people, whilst still having roots in real life.

8. Requiem for a Dream: When I tell people that this film is on my top ten, most of the time they seem a bit disgusted. It is a very hardcore film about varying forms of drug addiction, mainly heroin. But my love of this film comes mainly from the technical aspects rather than the story, which is still very good. The movie uses a technique called hip-hop montages, which cuts together short two second clips that are used to emote a certain feeling from the audience.

9. Drive: Nicolas Winding Refn's tale of the Driver is an amazing film that has a fantastic 80s vibe, whilst being set in the present day with modern music. The lack of dialogue means that Ryan Gosling works even harder to display his emotions. Bryan Cranston plays an amazing character halfway between Walter White and Hal from Malcolm in the Middle.

10. Pulp Fiction: This modern classic from Quentin Tarantino draws me in every time I watch the film. It is such a triumph of non-linear storytelling and completely captures the vibe of the time in which it's set. The characters are part of popular culture and is insanely quotable. I think that without this film, people would not be impersonating Christopher Walken or his infamous watch speech.

These are my top ten films and my thoughts on them. Hopefully you can see from my list, how I look at movies I watch today. I might start doing more lists like this in the future.

Classic Movie Review: Thursday (1998)

Thursday came in a post-Pulp Fiction era. What may seem like a movie that is just a Tarantino rip-off is actually a lot more ambitious.

Save for an opening scene, the entire film does indeed take place on a Thursday. Drug dealer-turned-architect Casey (Thomas Jane) is trying to adjust to suburban life, when Nick (Aaron Eckhart), Casey's old partner, shows up on his doorstep. Throughout the course of the day, we find out that Nick has stolen a large amount of money and drugs from various people and is tying up loose ends. Meanwhile, Casey is in his house trying to deal with all the people who are after Nick.

The idea of having this film be set during one-day is a really cool idea for a low-budget crime drama. It adds a tension to the film because you can tell that the day is drawing to a close toward the end of the film.

Thomas Jane has always been an enigma to me. He is a critically-acclaimed actor, known for his dramatic roles, yet he is never afraid to poke fun at himself or bow down to fans, as we saw with his short film Dirty Laundry (where he reprised the role of the Punisher). He is really believable as a guy who left his old life behind him and just doesn't want to get dragged back into that world.

I've only ever been a fan of Aaron Eckhart when he's been in lower budget or independent films (Meet Bill, Thank You for Smoking), so he didn't disappoint me in this film. You don't see much of his character, but when you do, you want to know more about this homicidal maniac.

Verdict: A really cool crime movie, where it is more about the consequences of living a life of crime and how you can never really leave. A must watch for anyone who is starting of in the industry and wants to see how a good story can be told with not that much.

This Is The End

I'm going to come straight out and say that this is probably one of the funniest movies I've seen this year. I was going into it thinking that the reunions of Freaks and Geeks and Superbad had joined for a massive after party, but I was wrong.

Jay (Jay Baruchel) is visiting Seth (Seth Rogen) from Canada. After a day of playing video games and smoking weed, Seth suggests that they go to a party that James (James Franco) is putting on. At the party, Jay becomes gradually disconnected with the partygoers and leaves to buy cigarettes. He is joined by Seth. At the shop that they go to, people at the shop are sucked up by blue beams of light. This is the beginning of the apocalypse foretold in the Bible. What follows is the rest of the predictions made in the Bible.

The rest of the group who survive the initial trouble include Craig (Craig Robinson), Jonah (Jonah Hill) and Danny (Danny McBride). This group all have an amazing chemistry and even though I know that they were all playing fictionalised versions of themselves, it was really hard to tell where the characters and real people separated. There are also an huge number of cameos, including a hilarious scene with Channing Tatum and the Backstreet Boys performing their seminal classic (Backstreet's Back, in case you need a reminder).

I was also surprised by the special effects in this movie. There seems to be a large amount of practical effects, instead of the usual reliance on CGI. I was especially impressed with the hell beasts that are featured toward the end. They are all clay stop motion figures that were inserted into the film. Very cool.

Verdict: One of the funniest movies I've seen in a long long time. The only thing that might usurp this title is the upcoming comedy The Way Way Back. One quick reminder that it probably is one of the grossest gross-out comedies in a while, but it has a strangely uplifting message.

The Heat

Much in the style of the buddy cop movies of the late 70s and early 80s, The Heat offers a refreshing and interesting look at the genre albeit in a hilarious gender reversal.

Special Agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) is a super successful member of the New York office of the FBI. When an opening for a senior level position is opened, she naturally goes for it. Her boss, Hale (Demian Bichir) will give her the position if she goes to Boston to solve a set of grisly murders in the criminal underworld, all involved in the drug trade. There, she teams up with local detective Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy), a tough cop who has her own style of cleaning up the streets.

This film really works and is really funny. Good buddy cop movies are really hard to pull off (Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, anyone), but Paul Feig has a comic sensibility that is perfect and I really feel as though he has found a muse in McCarthy (Bridesmaids).

Sandra Bullock has never really appealed to me as a comedienne (although I know she can make fun of herself, having personally received the Golden Raspberry for All About Steve), but she can really hold her own and has a great chemistry with McCarthy.

McCarthy is just hilarious playing this tough cop who will do anything to bring down the bad guys, including playing Russian roulette with a man's balls. Her tough exterior is brought down in her relationship with her drug dealing brother, whom she wants to rehabilitate. The rest of her family is a fantastic caricature of a Boston family unit, complete with everyone dropping their r's.

There is also a ton of great cameos from a range of comedic actors, including Tony Hale (Arrested Development), Kaitlin Olson (It's Always Sunny) and Thomas F. Wilson (Freaks and Geeks, Back to the Future).

Verdict: A hilarious twist on the buddy cop genre with plenty of laughs, but also has a sensitive side to it.

The Lone Ranger

When I first heard that they were making a new film version of the 80 year old character, I was a little dismayed and saw it as a cash grab by Jerry Bruckheimer to make a new franchise to replace the diminishing Pirates of the Caribbean. How wrong I was.

This film deals with the creation of the outlaw (Armie Hammer) and his first adventure with Tonto (Johnny Depp) to take down a corrupt railroad tycoon (Tom Wilkinson) and his criminal henchman (William Fichtner), whose scheme is to steal a large amount of silver and retire to San Francisco.

This movie is actually a lot of fun. All of the elements that go in to make a Lone Ranger adventure are there, including the William Tell Overture, Tonto's broken English and lots of action.

This is the first time I've enjoyed Johnny Depp in a film for a long time. Jack Sparrow began to wear on me after a while and no one can play Willy Wonka like Gene Wilder. But in this, his eccentricities went a long way and in fact I sensed a little Raoul Duke from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. He brings a levity to a film that has a very bleak premise in an unforgiving land.

Of course, I can't talk about a Lone Ranger film without talking about the man that played him. Armie Hammer (who we know from The Social Network) does a great job bringing such a revered character to life. He has a great chemistry with Depp and I feel as though this is the point that his star will rise from, rather than the past films he has worked on.

There is only one problem I found with the film and that is the extreme violence that is juxtaposed with lighthearted and funny moments. I know that this film is marketed to kids, but most westerns are quite bleak and dark at times. It doesn't really take away from the film, but it does make it a bit of a roller-coaster to watch.

Verdict: A genuinely good effort at reinvigorating a story that has been part of the public consciousness for almost 100 years.

Pacific Rim

Is your giant monster making too much noise all the time? Is you giant monster constantly stomping around, driving you crazy? Is your giant monster clawing at your buildings? Think there's no answer? You're so stupid, there is! Giant robots! Is your giant monster fat, skinny or an in between? That's okay because one size fits all.

In the near future, a portal to another dimension is opened in the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean and from it come massive monsters called kaiju (Japanese for monster). Mankind quickly develops a defence in the form of jaegers (German for warrior), giant robots that are piloted by two people who share a neural link with the onboard computer. Although initially successful, the program begins to fail and in an all out effort to destroy the portal, mankind decides to drop a nuclear weapon into it.

The action is visually impressive. Although Guillermo Del Toro usually uses practical effects, he instead opted for CGI as this film is on such a huge scale. The fights between the jaegers and kaiju look really cool and this film is a definite homage to the early Godzilla flicks, mainly Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla (one of the best in the series).

Del Toro is also renowned for creating rich and diverse worlds, especially in both Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth. It is enjoyable to see kaiju body parts being sold on the black market and that whole area of the underworld seems to be a trademark of his.

Most of the cast is pretty ordinary, but the saving grace of the film is Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny). I know I seem to go on about him a lot, but he genuinely is a fantastic actor. He plays a doctor researching the kaiju and he has a manic enthusiasm about the monsters. It got to one stage in the film where I was just waiting for the next scene with him in it.

Overall, the story is pretty predictable and the films two hour run time was a bit too long for me. There is a lengthy introduction to world in which the characters live, which was cool, but once the plot started proper, the film went downhill fast.

Verdict: I feel as though Del Toro has let down his fanbase with this film. I am used to seeing more ambitious smaller films from him and felt as though this film was too big for him to grasp. The majority of my points go to his use of Charlie Day.

Only God Forgives

If you were expecting Only God Forgives to be anything like Nicolas Winding Refn's last film Drive, you'd be sorely mistaken. The only connection between the two is Ryan Gosling and he is nothing like the Driver in this film. In the pre-screening interview, Refn said that this film is like being on an acid trip and not the kind where you go to party and dance it off, the kind of trip that you think you're a part of the furniture.

At it's core this film is all about revenge. Julian (Ryan Gosling), is the owner of a Bangkok boxing club. His brother has just been killed for murdering a sixteen-year-old prostitute and his mother, Crystal (Kristin Scott Thomas) has come to kill the man responsible. That man is Lt. Chang (Vithaya Pansringarm). Crystal and Julian endeavour to take down this powerful police chief.

This movie is ultra-violent. When they spoke about A Clockwork Orange being a detriment to cinema audiences back in 1971, those critics would have no idea about how violent cinema would become in the years that followed. Although, the violence in this film is justified and reasons are given for it.

The cast is incredible in this movie, especially the performances from Thomas and Pansringarm. Kristin Scott Thomas is just unbelievably evil and openly speaks of the distaste she has for her son Julian to every person she encounters. She lets on that her relationship with her first son, Billy (Tom Burke) was a lot closer than a mother and son should have. She is a bit of a combination of Lady MacBeth and Jocasta (from the Greek tragedy Oedipus).

Pansringarm is brutal as Lt. Chang. His character reminded me somewhat of Gene Hackman in Unforgiven, the law officer who wants to do the right thing in the wrong way, except Chang goes about this in incredibly violent ways. Thai culture is really infused into his character, as every time he completes a violent act, he goes to a karaoke bar and sings a Thai folk song.

Gosling plays more of minor character. Yes, he is sort of the main character but he moves the plot along and is a quiet rage machine. Julian has a lot of anger toward everyone in the film as he is in a sort of self-imposed exile. The only other cast member worth mentioning is Ratha Phongam. She is quite a well known Thai actress and I believe that this is her first English language film. Phongam plays Mai, a prostitute who has caught the attention of Julian. She is very beautiful and has amazing talent as an actress.

Verdict: I like this film no matter how much of an acid trip it is, but it's a film that has divided everyone who has seen it. Feel free to tell me on Facebook or Twitter how wrong or right I am, as I know it has already sparked debate with filmmakers and critics alike. It was booed at Cannes but also received a standing ovation in the same screening.

Man of Steel

Did you ever wonder who pays for the reconstruction of a city after superbeings have destroyed it? Have you ever wondered why people don't recognise Clark Kent as Superman with glasses? If you answered no to both of those questions, then Man of Steel is the movie for you.

After a lengthy sequence on the world of Krypton, Jor-El (Russell Crowe), a scientist, sends his firstborn child (and first naturally born child of Krypton in a thousand years) away in a spaceship due to the imminent destruction of his home planet. Meanwhile, leader of a military coup, General Zod (Michael Shannon) fails to obtain a codex containing the DNA structure and ends up getting banished to The Phantom Zone (a type of black hole).

Thirty-three years later on Earth, Kal-El (Henry Cavill), after being brought up as Clark Kent in a small town in Kansas (never referred to as Smallville in this movie), is a drifter, floating from job to job, saving people where necessary. When he hears about a possible discovery of an alien spaceship in Canada, Kent travels there and finds the ship, resurrects his father's consciousness with a key and learns about his origins.

In doing so, Kent alerts Zod, who has been searching for Kent/Kal-El, bringing him to Earth. Zod realises that Earth is a prime location for beginning a new Krypton, thus dooming this film to the Superman curse of all these films being about real estate (seriously, look it up, every superman film has a plot or subplot about real estate).

Although the plot of this film is weak, both the superb acting and striking visuals and action sequences redeem the film. Henry Cavill (The Tudors) brings a depth to Superman that was missing in Brandon Routh's hollow performance. He has a certain charm that I believe Superman should possess and there is a true chemistry between him and his Earth parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane). Amy Adams (Doubt) is the perfect choice for Lois Lane. She is believable enough to play such a strong and independent reporter to Lawrence Fishburne's Perry White.

I found Michael Shannon's (Revolutionary Road) performance as General Zod to be good, although at times I felt his character was annoying, especially at his most persistent moments. On the other hand, Russell Crowe was fantastic at playing a role made famous by Marlon Brando. His gruff Aussie accent was not out of place as the Kryptonian accent was all over the place.

Zack Snyder (director of Watchmen, 300) is great at comic book adaptions and here he does another fantastic job, especially with the backing of Christopher Nolan, fresh of the back of his Dark Knight trilogy.

The action in this movie, especially the fighting scenes between Kent and the other Kryptonians, was believable and enjoyable to watch, although as I mentioned before, someone is going to pay a lot of cash to rebuild Metropolis.

Verdict: An all in all enjoyable movie to watch despite some weak points. I look forward to see what Warner Bros is going to do with the other DC characters ahead of an Avengers-style JLA movie.

Monsters University

I was 10 when Monsters, Inc. came out. Twelve years later, I'm studying at university and this movie comes out. It's great how life comes full circle. I should note that I was the oldest person in the theatre watching this (who didn't get dragged along by a child at least).

The story tells of how James P. Sullivan (John Goodman) and Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) became best friends at university years before they were the best scare team at Monsters, Inc. Their introduction to each wasn't smooth sailing, however. Whilst they are both in a scare class, they get thrown out of the program by Dean Hardscrabble (Helen Mirren) for having a fight. Together they figure out that they can back into the course by competing in the Scare Games, a group of challenges for fraternities and sororities.

I feel as though this isn't really a kids movie, as the majority of the jokes are aimed at a mature audience but at the same time aren't crass. Charlie Day's (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) character, Art, is an obvious stoner type and the film also lampoons the hazing process that takes place in fraternities (there's a great documentary by Todd Philips if you want to know more about that, Frat House). At one stage during the film, the kid behind me started crying.

John Goodman and Billy Crystal were okay in their roles, but since this film takes place earlier than the original film, I thought maybe some younger voices wouldn't have hurt, but since it's only voice acting I don't think anyone would really care.

The other voice cameos are quite a surprise. Apart from the aforementioned Helen Mirren, there is Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation), Alfred Molina (Raiders of the Lost Ark) and Dave Foley (The Kids in the Hall). And of course I get excited when Charlie Day is in anything.

The ending of the film was a bit of let down to me as well. Both Mike and Sully's career within the Monsters, Inc. corporation is crammed into two or three minutes at the end of the film. They could have just left that out all together.

It does kind of bug me that Pixar has so much potential from their roots as innovators for originality, but now I feel as though they're doing the same things over and over (the soon to be released Planes is a perfect example).

Verdict: A decently funny prequel that could have been stronger in terms of story, but will suffice for kids and adults alike.

Also, a bonus if you live in either the UK or Australia (these are the only two countries I know of at present). Prior to the movie actually starting, there is a screening of The Blue Umbrella, a charming love story of two umbrellas that will tug at the heartstrings.

World War Z

This movie is not for the hardcore fanatic of zombie pop culture. It was made for a mainstream audience who might be interested in seeing what this whole zombie thing is about. It's probably best to stick with The Walking Dead if you are a fan.

The plot revolves around Gerry (Brad Pitt), a former United Nations investigator, who, at the behest of his former colleagues, is sent around the world in search of something that will stop the zombies (not necessarily a cure). He leaves his family on an aircraft carrier and flies off around the world, encountering many people along the way. Gerry goes to South Korea, Israel and Wales in search of something to help.

This movie was very intense and chaotic and the setting was unsettling. This came from the fact that normally zombie films and TV take place in a contained environment, such as a shopping centre or prison, but here it was global. The scenes where hordes of the undead are swarming were intense and at times I didn't quite know what was going on.

The fact that the majority of the movie is chaotic makes the ending all the harder to watch. The final 40 minutes returns to a climax that would fit well in any other zombie film. It is the classic stalking of the hallways trying to reach the ultimate goal, but due to the intensity of the first part of the film, it just seems distracting. Maybe this is due to another writer coming in and rewriting the entire ending of the film. Apparently, it was supposed to end with another climactic battle, which would have kept up with the pacing of the entire film.

The cast of this movie is very chaotic as well. Brad Pitt and his family are the only constant. Except we don't see his family all too often, which is good because is wife Karin (Mireille Enos) is one of the most annoying movie characters ever. Matthew Fox (Lost) is supposedly in this film, and quite prominently billed, but I did not see him once, so that's a waste of some cash.

Verdict: Max Brooks' novel did have potential, but it was poorly executed and even though it takes place on a global scale, the world feels kind of empty but not in a I Am Legend way.

After Earth

Just when you thought Will Smith's career had gotten back on track with MiB III, he hits you with a really bad movie. And this time it's not M. Night Shyamalan's fault.

Sometime in the future, Earth has become inhabitable for reasons unknown and the human species sets up a colony on Nova Prime. For some reason there are aliens that smell fear or something, so an army of "rangers" are established. Cypher Raige (Will Smith) is the leader of this supposed peacekeeping army and he has just come home from a long stretch of fighting. His son, Kitai (Jaden Smith), is feeling somewhat sad and his father decides to take him with Kitai to his next posting (supposedly his last). Their ship crashes on the wastes of Earth and Kitai must save them by recovering the emergency beacon in the tail wreckage of their ship.

This movie is so bad, I got bored pretty early and started reading about the production of the film instead. Apparently it was supposed to take place in a modern setting and Will Smith was supposed to take his son on a camping trip, but they have a massive car crash. So basically, the same movie but marginally better. Then Will Smith thought he could make more money by setting the film in space, especially when the opportunity of cross-platform franchising comes up (basically more money).

I should point out the people who financed this movie: Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Caleeb Pinkett (see the pattern). All that for one kid. Who can't act. I am of course talking about Jaden Smith. I'm guessing every producer and director in Hollywood saw that this kid can't act and rejected him, so his parents made him a $130 million movie and hired a director who has made a good movie since 2000 (Unbreakable was a good flick, no matter what anybody says).

But we can't blame all this on M. Night. He didn't even get to put his Shyamalanian twist ending on it. Apparently the only directing he did was telling the cameraman where to point the camera. Smith directed both his son and himself. The other actor's in the film kind of wander around aimlessly. The only good acting came from the only female actors, Sophie Okonedo and Zoe Kravitz (daughter of Lenny).

Verdict: If you want post-apocalyptic Earth, go watch Oblivion. But if you're at that stage, just watch WALL-E instead. Also if Will Smith treats his kid like this in real life, that's one messed up family.