The overriding thing i took away from watching Jurassic World was not that the characters were utterly stupid ( they were ) or that the story was dull and predictable ( it was ) , it's that considering this film was made 22 years after the original it doesn't look any better . In fact i would say it looks worse. I was looking forward to watching Chris Pratt again after his brilliant performance in Guardians of the Galaxy but even he was dull in this. This movie was crying out for a Jeff Goldblum , Sam Neill or a Richard Attenborough but what we got was a ridiculously over the top Bryce Dallas Howard and Vincent D'Onofrio. I even wanted the Dinosaurs to eat the kids but we all knew that wasn't going to happen. The only thing i really like about this is who the actual hero in the end is. I thought that was quite clever. I didn't absolutely hate this but i didn't like it very much either.
Child 44 is the story of an ex member of the Russian military police who investigates a series of child murders during the Stalin-era Soviet Union. I am struggling to think of a bad film that Tom Hardy has made . He is currently flavour of the month and quite rightly so but Child 44 is probably the worst thing he has done but it's not his fault. This film is all over the place. It can't decide whether it is a serial-killer thriller or an old-school anti-Soviet propaganda movie and just ends up failing miserably on both fronts. The editing is disastrous. It feels like a bunch of scenes all put together and not always in the correct order . I honestly thought there had been scenes accidentally deleted at one stage it was so bad and at 137 minutes you can't wait for the end credits to roll.
The editing is disastrous. It feels like a bunch of scenes all put together and not always in the correct order . I honestly thought there had been scenes accidentally deleted at one stage it was so bad and at 137 minutes you can't wait for the end credits to roll.
The firefight at the beginning and the mud wrestling at the end...from what I could tell they stuck a camera in a tire and rolled it down a hill
I'm not a big horror fan at all. Not because they scare me but because they don't . Unfriended is different. The whole film is played out on different social networking sites . Facebook , Youtube etc and it's as if you are watching what unfolds on your PC. It's very clever and creepy to boot. The story is about a girl who killed herself because she was humiliated online and someone or something is out to get revenge on her behalf . Although i really liked this i'm about to contradict myself by saying i hope this format isn't repeated again simply because we spend enough time online as it is without us watching on the big screen what we do on the small screen. Well worth watching though.
While We're Young - it's Ben Stiller and Noah Baumbach again (see: Greenberg). It has the plot of a psychological thriller, but it's pitched as a light-hearted, age-related comedy. I thought it was excellent, although I think it'll hit the nose of anyone slightly older than me (early 40s). Adam Driver was especially excellent. Only drawback is none of the characters are particularly likeable, at least until the end. 4/5
While We're Young - it's Ben Stiller and Noah Baumbach again (see: Greenberg). It has the plot of a psychological thriller, but it's pitched as a light-hearted, age-related comedy. I thought it was excellent, although I think it'll hit the nose of anyone slightly older than me (early 40s). Adam Driver was especially excellent. Only drawback is none of the characters are particularly likeable, at least until the end. 4/5
Saw it at Glasgow Film Festival earlier this year- thought it was trying too hard, but maybe I'm too old for it already! Thought the ending especially was corny and predictable. 2.5/5.
I thought the ending was in keeping with the plot;
you knew there'd be a showdown but it played with that convention byhaving everyone react with "so what?" rather than the denouement Stiller's character was after.
Comedian , Amy Schumer is the new big thing in the US at the moment and this is the first time i have got to see her. While i can see the appeal and she has something about her i'm not sure Trainwreck is the film that is going to catapult her into being a superstar. I'm not a fan of director Judd Apatow but this film feels Judd Apatow lite. Which is a good thing. The first half of the film i really enjoyed. Wrestler John Cena is very funny , if not a little disturbing and i really like Bill Hader but as the film goes on , it it turns into it's own title and not in a good way. We get introduced to American footballers and basketball players who i presume are famous in America and because i had never heard of them i felt like i wasn't in on the joke. The end is utterly ridiculous too. There is one scene involving Amy Schumer and some cheerleaders that is so cringeworthy you start to lose the will to live . By no means the worst comedy i have seen recently .
I saw this earlier in the week. Very well made and extremely poignant. What a terrible waste.
The film has now taken over £3.25 million at the UK box office, overtaking 'Senna' - Asif Kapadia’s previous documentary - and it is well on the way to becoming the second highest grossing UK documentary after Fahrenheit 9/11.
I thought the ending was in keeping with the plot;
you knew there'd be a showdown but it played with that convention byhaving everyone react with "so what?" rather than the denouement Stiller's character was after.
Yeah, corny and predictable...maybe I missed the joke?
Well it's a bit of a knowing film. It sticks to the plot conventions of thrillers we've seen before, but finds comedy in each one. If it was in the tone of Kalifornia or Pacific Heights, then the street dance and baby group scenes would've worked just as well when played as uncomfortable or horrific. The ending would've been thrilling or perhaps even shocking. But as a comedy, the joke here was that Stiller and Watts were being idiots and Stiller's dramatic intervention not working was the punchline. But it was resolved positively as they both learned from it, and accepted themselves for who they were.
Copenhagen is the story William an American , William , who is on holiday in Europe and at the same time looking for the grandfather he had never met but he struggles because he has a terrible attitude problem , that is until he meets Effy a young woman who want's to help him. the problem is she's a lot younger than he thought. This is a pretty good indie film that covers a taboo subject very well . The acting is very good , especially from Frederikke Dahl Hansen and although you find yourself really not liking William you do admire the way he handles the predicament he is in.
Everything that needs to be said about Liam Neeson's career path has been said before and with Run All night i was expecting Taken but with a different title. I was wrong. I really pleasantly surprised with this. This looks fantastic. The cinematography was superb as were the special affects. Ed Harris is great ( what's not to like about Ed Harris?) as is Joel Kinnaman and because of these performances , Neeson's growling didn't put me off at all. This is two hours of adrenaline packed fun and is well worth checking out.
I have had to see a number of films through work that I would probably have walked out on in any other context. Vacation is one of them.
I love the original movies. Perhaps to a fault. But this isn't a remake or reboot, or even a sequel. It's a cynical cash grab from a studio scrambling to find a 'property' that could make it some easy cash. It's a string of crap jokes with the occasional nod to the originals. It's more like the writers only saw a trailer for the first movie.
Ed Helms isn't too bad, albeit with one approach to delivering jokes. But the rest of them... the idea of spending 90 minutes in a car with these people is what made me want to leave. The youngest brother is, by far, the most loathsome, reprehensible, spoilt brat child you will ever, ever see in a film. There is no comeuppance that will make up for how much you will hate this child.
The jokes are not jokes - they don't qualify. The gross-out stuff isn't my thing but even still, is delivered so lazily even fans of that sub-genre would not be impressed. The scatter-gun, Seth McFarlane approach to joke-writing is lazy at best. And when Chevy Chase turns up, he actually looks like someone ate Chevy Chase and threw-up the comic timing.
It's the worst film I've sat through since Movie 43. Please, please don't give them your money to see this. Please.
Well it's a bit of a knowing film. It sticks to the plot conventions of thrillers we've seen before, but finds comedy in each one. If it was in the tone of Kalifornia or Pacific Heights, then the street dance and baby group scenes would've worked just as well when played as uncomfortable or horrific. The ending would've been thrilling or perhaps even shocking. But as a comedy, the joke here was that Stiller and Watts were being idiots and Stiller's dramatic intervention not working was the punchline. But it was resolved positively as they both learned from it, and accepted themselves for who they were.
OK, so I did miss the joke - thanks for the explanation ;-)
I have had to see a number of films through work that I would probably have walked out on in any other context. Vacation is one of them.
I love the original movies. Perhaps to a fault. But this isn't a remake or reboot, or even a sequel. It's a cynical cash grab from a studio scrambling to find a 'property' that could make it some easy cash. It's a string of crap jokes with the occasional nod to the originals. It's more like the writers only saw a trailer for the first movie.
Ed Helms isn't too bad, albeit with one approach to delivering jokes. But the rest of them... the idea of spending 90 minutes in a car with these people is what made me want to leave. The youngest brother is, by far, the most loathsome, reprehensible, spoilt brat child you will ever, ever see in a film. There is no comeuppance that will make up for how much you will hate this child.
The jokes are not jokes - they don't qualify. The gross-out stuff isn't my thing but even still, is delivered so lazily even fans of that sub-genre would not be impressed. The scatter-gun, Seth McFarlane approach to joke-writing is lazy at best. And when Chevy Chase turns up, he actually looks like someone ate Chevy Chase and threw-up the comic timing.
It's the worst film I've sat through since Movie 43. Please, please don't give them your money to see this. Please.
1/10
Please don't.
I love National Lampoons European Vacation but as I've got older my sense of humour ( or lack of it) has changed. The idea of a ageing Chevy Chase trying recreate the good times sounds horrible. I Think i will take you're advice and give this one a miss.
To be fair to Chevy he's only in it for five minutes. But he's awful. Really awful. There's loads of people in it for five minutes or less. I dread to think what they get paid for this stuff.
And everyone swears. There's the occasional F bomb in these movies, but this one has a 10-year old kid dropping curses to the extent that it's not a joke, just the way he speaks. Atrocious. Don't get me started again!!
Precinct Seven Five is a cracking documentary. Clever jumps in chronology, twists in the story and absence of a narrator makes it feel like you are watching a crime thriller, but if it were the story would have been a bit too far fetched. Absolutely first class.
The Man from UNCLE is pretty decent but does seem a little unsure tonally - is it played seriously or for laughs or serious but with comedy interludes? It tries all three with the result none are totally convincing. It's also VERY Guy Ritchie with the editing and the shots and editing, though being what it is there is no token cockney character or Vinnie Jones role which I guess is pretty outside the box thinking for Ritchie. If you like his style you'll like this one, if you don't, you won't. Probably a 6 or 7 out of ten - competent but not exceptional.
(Also, it did confirm a sneaking suspicion I've had for a while - I am actually in love with Alicia Vikander. Like, for real.)
Precinct Seven Five is a cracking documentary. Clever jumps in chronology, twists in the story and absence of a narrator makes it feel like you are watching a crime thriller, but if it were the story would have been a bit too far fetched. Absolutely first class.
The Man from UNCLE is pretty decent but does seem a little unsure tonally - is it played seriously or for laughs or serious but with comedy interludes? It tries all three with the result none are totally convincing. It's also VERY Guy Ritchie with the editing and the shots and editing, though being what it is there is no token cockney character or Vinnie Jones role which I guess is pretty outside the box thinking for Ritchie. If you like his style you'll like this one, if you don't, you won't. Probably a 6 or 7 out of ten - competent but not exceptional.
(Also, it did confirm a sneaking suspicion I've had for a while - I am actually in love with Alicia Vikander. Like, for real.)
I went in with very low expectations as 1 it's a Guy Ritchie film and 2 didn't think much of the trailer.
I have to say I thought it was excellent, if you remember the original series then I would say it was spot on.
Comments
Jurassic World
The overriding thing i took away from watching Jurassic World was not that the characters were utterly stupid ( they were ) or that the story was dull and predictable ( it was ) , it's that considering this film was made 22 years after the original it doesn't look any better . In fact i would say it looks worse.
I was looking forward to watching Chris Pratt again after his brilliant performance in Guardians of the Galaxy but even he was dull in this. This movie was crying out for a Jeff Goldblum , Sam Neill or a Richard Attenborough but what we got was a ridiculously over the top Bryce Dallas Howard and Vincent D'Onofrio. I even wanted the Dinosaurs to eat the kids but we all knew that wasn't going to happen. The only thing i really like about this is who the actual hero in the end is. I thought that was quite clever.
I didn't absolutely hate this but i didn't like it very much either.
4 out of 10
Child 44
Child 44 is the story of an ex member of the Russian military police who investigates a series of child murders during the Stalin-era Soviet Union.
I am struggling to think of a bad film that Tom Hardy has made . He is currently flavour of the month and quite rightly so but Child 44 is probably the worst thing he has done but it's not his fault.
This film is all over the place. It can't decide whether it is a serial-killer thriller or an old-school anti-Soviet propaganda movie and just ends up failing miserably on both fronts.
The editing is disastrous. It feels like a bunch of scenes all put together and not always in the correct order . I honestly thought there had been scenes accidentally deleted at one stage it was so bad and at 137 minutes you can't wait for the end credits to roll.
4 out of 10
seeing advanced screening of Fantastic Four tomorrow
Inside Out:
IMDB - 8.6
Rotten Tomatoes - 98%
Metacritic - 94%
Paulie8290 - 0/10
Pixels
IMDB - 5.5
Rotten Tomatoes - 18%
Metacritic - 27%
Paulie8290 - 10/10
Unfriended
I'm not a big horror fan at all. Not because they scare me but because they don't . Unfriended is different.
The whole film is played out on different social networking sites . Facebook , Youtube etc and it's as if you are watching what unfolds on your PC. It's very clever and creepy to boot. The story is about a girl who killed herself because she was humiliated online and someone or something is out to get revenge on her behalf .
Although i really liked this i'm about to contradict myself by saying i hope this format isn't repeated again simply because we spend enough time online as it is without us watching on the big screen what we do on the small screen. Well worth watching though.
8 out of 10
Then each to their own...
Comedian , Amy Schumer is the new big thing in the US at the moment and this is the first time i have got to see her. While i can see the appeal and she has something about her i'm not sure Trainwreck is the film that is going to catapult her into being a superstar.
I'm not a fan of director Judd Apatow but this film feels Judd Apatow lite. Which is a good thing.
The first half of the film i really enjoyed. Wrestler John Cena is very funny , if not a little disturbing and i really like Bill Hader but as the film goes on , it it turns into it's own title and not in a good way.
We get introduced to American footballers and basketball players who i presume are famous in America and because i had never heard of them i felt like i wasn't in on the joke.
The end is utterly ridiculous too. There is one scene involving Amy Schumer and some cheerleaders that is so cringeworthy you start to lose the will to live .
By no means the worst comedy i have seen recently .
6 out of 10
Proper weird. I'm not sure I really know what it was all about?!?
I saw this earlier in the week. Very well made and extremely poignant. What a terrible waste.
The film has now taken over £3.25 million at the UK box office, overtaking 'Senna' - Asif Kapadia’s previous documentary - and it is well on the way to becoming the second highest grossing UK documentary after Fahrenheit 9/11.
Copenhagen is the story William an American , William , who is on holiday in Europe and at the same time looking for the grandfather he had never met but he struggles because he has a terrible attitude problem , that is until he meets Effy a young woman who want's to help him. the problem is she's a lot younger than he thought.
This is a pretty good indie film that covers a taboo subject very well . The acting is very good , especially from Frederikke Dahl Hansen and although you find yourself really not liking William you do admire the way he handles the predicament he is in.
7 out of 10
Run all night
Everything that needs to be said about Liam Neeson's career path has been said before and with Run All night i was expecting Taken but with a different title. I was wrong.
I really pleasantly surprised with this. This looks fantastic. The cinematography was superb as were the special affects.
Ed Harris is great ( what's not to like about Ed Harris?) as is Joel Kinnaman and because of these performances , Neeson's growling didn't put me off at all.
This is two hours of adrenaline packed fun and is well worth checking out.
8 out of 10
I have had to see a number of films through work that I would probably have walked out on in any other context. Vacation is one of them.
I love the original movies. Perhaps to a fault. But this isn't a remake or reboot, or even a sequel. It's a cynical cash grab from a studio scrambling to find a 'property' that could make it some easy cash. It's a string of crap jokes with the occasional nod to the originals. It's more like the writers only saw a trailer for the first movie.
Ed Helms isn't too bad, albeit with one approach to delivering jokes. But the rest of them... the idea of spending 90 minutes in a car with these people is what made me want to leave. The youngest brother is, by far, the most loathsome, reprehensible, spoilt brat child you will ever, ever see in a film. There is no comeuppance that will make up for how much you will hate this child.
The jokes are not jokes - they don't qualify. The gross-out stuff isn't my thing but even still, is delivered so lazily even fans of that sub-genre would not be impressed. The scatter-gun, Seth McFarlane approach to joke-writing is lazy at best. And when Chevy Chase turns up, he actually looks like someone ate Chevy Chase and threw-up the comic timing.
It's the worst film I've sat through since Movie 43. Please, please don't give them your money to see this. Please.
1/10
Please don't.
And everyone swears. There's the occasional F bomb in these movies, but this one has a 10-year old kid dropping curses to the extent that it's not a joke, just the way he speaks. Atrocious. Don't get me started again!!
(Also, it did confirm a sneaking suspicion I've had for a while - I am actually in love with Alicia Vikander. Like, for real.)
I have to say I thought it was excellent, if you remember the original series then I would say it was spot on.
You're obviously all better judges of a film than me