Blog #1 - The Xmas Holidays

----- NOT A REVIEW -----


So its upon us! The time of year people sit around, eat, catch up with friends, eat some more, drink and share presents! ...also a time where the family sit down and watch endless amounts of holiday season movies!

- Oliver Twist
- The Grinch
- A Christmas Carol
- Home Alone 1 & 2

and so on.... endless amounts of repeats! *yawn* at most of them!

But this is not the main reason for my blogging - I'm not wanting to complain about repeats. I'm blogging to talk about the last bit of Xmas shopping.
 Are you a Online Shopper or a Window Shopper? (Both similar but one involves leaving your house..!)

Personally I am a online shopper so today, 23rd Dec. ~ Last Minute Shop ~ I went into the city and "hit" the shops as they say. Or as I like to put it.. avoiding being hit by crazy adults who are desperately trying to find the best thing for their children! - Give them Coal! It will suffice. I joke. DON'T you won't be loved any more! But more to the point going into stores like GAME - and not being able to move. Then Primark and just having nothing of any use in there but still trying to find the cheap option for a present; and last to HMV where you have people blankly staring at movie and CD cases thinking "Will he/she like this? I don't know damn Ill ring someone to find out" - Yep I had it done to me for someone else! Just go for it! Buy it and if its wrong then they can go back and get another one.

Anyway enough moaning...

Onto the movie related part of the blog. I had a phone call from a family member going "I don't know what to get *him*" So I listed what I had got them then gave them a few ideas. Its one of those things where you think to yourself.. oh damn, what if already seen that movie and not liked it? What do you do then. My methods if they don't like the movie then get a back up gift ie. For Him - Beer or some alcoholic beverage. For Her - Chocolates. - SORTED. Its a win win situation if they don't want the movie then you can have it and if they do then your present was a success.

So to round off this very unusual attempt at random information - Ie. a Blog - what movies/series/box sets did you get your friends or family? Do you truly think they will like it? Or did you buy it knowing that you could steal it off them once they get bored of it.
 - Admit it. We have all been there brought a gift you can use too. Cheeky.

Joey


Just to add my own little story...
   Today I had the opposite problem to this; rather than worrying whether my mum would like the DVD I got her for Christmas I had to worry about whether she would buy it for herself! And unfortunately today,my fear came true, when she went shopping for some new DVD's for Christmas viewing and I later rummaged through the pile only to find the same one I had got her! Doh!

Jess

Review#9 - Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 1

I think I should start by stating that neither of the cinema addict’s are “Twi-hards”. In fact neither of us have read the books and only Joey has seen the other films the whole way through. Personally Stephany Meyer’s bestselling series nor the following films have ever peaked my interest however, for some reason, Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 1 had something that caught my eye. It seemed dark and dramatic, taking one of nature’s most beautiful miracles and turning it into something feral, twisted and supernatural.

   Well, feral, twisted and supernatural is certainly what I got! After a slow first half of the film seeing an excruciatingly thin Bella being torn open by her vampire lovers fangs to save their half-human, half-vampire child (confusing I know) was a shock to say the least. The blood on Edward’s shirt was a powerful image as it showed what a difficult ordeal he had just been through but how he did not have time to come to terms with it before another problem arises – Joey particularly liked this effect. Despite it being difficult to watch it was definitely the better half of the film; there was a good mix of emotion and action that I enjoyed as it can often be a difficult combination to pull off successfully. *SPOILER* For example the way tension built between Jacob and the baby (Renesmee) both before and after the birth made for a shock twist (to us non-fans anyway) when he in fact ends up imprinting on her.

    The first half of the film however, was a lot less intense. Joey found himself getting a little restless and I must admit that I personally felt this part of the film was drawn out for the sake of the fans who will have been anticipating Edward and Bella’s wedding from the beginning. Time had to be taken on it in order to do Stephany Meyer’s story justice. The intimate close-ups of Bella’s (Kristen Stewart) dress, ring and bouquet gave the wedding scene a much more romantic than most conventional wedding scenes.  There were several artistic scenes, Joey even noticed that sometimes during a close up of the faces the eye colour complimented the colour of the background.

     A prominent feature of the first half that really got on our nerves was the music. It might seem like an exaggeration to say it almost ruined the film but it really did. For starters, the music was not very good. It was soppy and weak; in fact it was the kind of music that might be used in a parody of romantic films but not an actual romantic film! What made it even worse was that it was played all the time! When Bella and Edward kissed, there was the music. When Bella and Edward were talking, there was the music. When Bella and Edward were arguing, (you guessed it) there was the music. If listening to it wasn’t bad enough it was constantly being played at the wrong moment in the film.

   Otherwise, it was hard to fault this film. The acting is not brilliant, the music was grating and the story slow at times but really it boils down to whether you are a fan or not. If you’re not then this is a so-so film to see; something to keep you amused when there isn’t much else to watch. But for those who love the characters and have followed the story of Bella, Edward and Jacob religiously will love the detail the director has paid to the wedding scene, the excellent graphics that make the wolves come to life and the montage of Bella and Edward’s love as they watch her finally becoming a vampire.

    It is clear that Bill Condon (director) had the fans in mind and in the humble opinion of a non-fan, did a fantastic job at staying true to the characters and bringing to life a much loved story. However if you’re not a Twi-hard I wouldn’t recommend it. This film is not going to suddenly captivate your interest or imagination and suddenly get you hooked on a tale you had previously thought senseless, I believe that can only be achieved by reading Staphany Meyer’s books and even then it won’t be for some. As Joey put it quite well “I rate this movie 3.5.  It was the boring first half with the shoddy music that ruined it for me. Simple.”

Review #8 - Contagion

Contagion Review

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS BREIF SPOILERS

“The average person touches their face three to five times every waking minute. In between that we’re touching door knobs, water fountains and each other.”

 A quote that quite simply should make you think about what you last touched and what exactly you’re touching now. Slowly becoming aware of how many times you have touched your face whilst you have sat there and with your ears pricking up when someone coughs. Thinking to yourself about that cup you have was handled by someone before you and you question what they had touched...
Suddenly your thoughts are multiplying like bacteria. Contagion is a movie which scares you by its realism.

The first scenes for Contagion were immediately impacting on the viewer. Shooting all over the world to various cities across the world London, Paris, San Francisco, Hong Kong and more revealing the statistics for the population in those areas. Throughout the movie we get a day count of population statistics to show us how fast a virus can spread. Followed by the first death of the movie and what this epidemic starts we see Gwyneth Paltrow being ill on the plane back from Hong Kong to America. Quickly driving us into the story of Matt Damon and their family and how the epidemic affects them.
 With such big names in this movie: Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishbourne, Jude Law and Monique Gabriela Curnen all playing big parts to this infectious story.

With this said and such big name actors/actress’ in the movie you may believe that having too many gets you confused at which storyline are you meant to follow however this is not the same for this movie. Each storyline is combined by the epidemic and throughout the movie you never feel the need to cross each of the stories as it brings them together allowing you to understand what is happening as the story thickens.  These storylines are merely devices which allow the real story to be told in a serious – almost documentary style.
 The characters throughout the movie were caught in positions where there were choices to be made and you as the viewer can feel the struggle they have to go through when deciding what they will do. With each of the choices made you can really see the different effects it has on others – even though these consequences may not happen on screen within the movie you know at that time what it will do to the people involved. Like everyday each choice you make will affect others and this movie shows that within its storyline on a dramatic scale.

 On the note of seeing the realism within this film of making choices another thing that comes across really well is the fact that all through the movie you see scenes of devastation through people looting, killing, kidnapping and the mobs that follow a serious epidemic such as this which was portrayed really well.  One scene which stuck out most was when Matt Damons character was waiting in a queue for to receive rationed food by the army – and as predictable as it would get – the food runs out. At which point the queue quickly falls into chaos and the mob of people rush to where they think food would be (another truck). Without giving too much away ill end that bit there so you can find out and see the importance of that scene.

 Along with the mobs and so on myself and Jess liked the way that different aspects of an epidemic  were shown such as the profits of drug companies, money involved for projects and the meetings people would go through, the numerous scenes of equipment being used in the lab to find out what the virus was. Even including the internet into the film and see how bloggers – yes this was important to us – use their influence to make people believe certain things. One quote which sticks out and made me laugh was “blogging is graffiti with punctuation”. I think Jess and I agree that this the team behind this move has pulled off scenes that most production companies would have left out.

 With blogging in mind it brings me to Jude Laws part in the film. Both Jess and I found that this particular storyline was a little confusing to follow especially when it is wrapped up towards the end. We were confused to whether he was paid to post his blogs – we got this idea from a few lines through his scenes – as if he was being paid to mislead people. I think I’ll have to re-watch this movie to fully understand what was going on with his role.

One thing Jess had picked up on was the point that this movie even included the humble hero as part of the main story. We follow Monique Gabriela Curnen character that represents all the people who have risked their lives for humanity and she indeed does the same in Contagion. We get a real feel for the selflessness of this character.

One point which Jess was worried about at the beginning – due to the fact we arrived a little late by like 2 minutes - we assumed we had missed the beginning of the epidemic which in fact was not the issue as the last scenes were in fact showing the very start of the epidemic and piecing together everything all in one answering any questions anyone may have had. Both Jess and I loved the fact that this was thought about and myself particularly appreciated the fact that movies make you want to ask questions but then answer them to leave you knowing the complete story.

As the movie comes to an end you realise that how long it has gone on and yet how quickly the virus can spread through populations across the world – slightly worried about how vulnerable we are? Me too! If you are thinking about seeing this movie then do not go for the fact you think it will enjoyable! However if you’re interested in the idea behind the film then do go see it well worth the watch but can feel slow and long through parts of the movie.

 I rate this movie at 4* - watch it and make your rating!

Review #7 - In Time

At first the trailer for ‘In Time’ seems to be promising a thought provoking, stunningly framed exploration of a dark and complex future, but suddenly everything changes and the trailer, as well as the film itself, and becomes something totally different. The concept behind ‘In Time’ - a future whereby nobody ages past 25 but the price to pay is that time itself has become the new currency - is a fascinating, if a little confusing one (people spend their time yet it continues to constantly elapse). However my immediate reaction was that this concept was not explored enough, somehow the film didn’t seem to live up to it’s potential. I have read Brave New World, Nineteen Eighty Four and various other dystopian novels, stories set in a bleak future that teach us something about our lives in the present, and expected a similar plot from ‘In Time’ only to be slightly disappointed. Don’t get me wrong though! The film was great despite this aspect being fully taken advantage of, however what was great could have been fantastic.

   The most striking element of the whole movie is certainly the general framing of shots. Colour and style has obviously been considered very carefully as every shot was very artistic and elegant. Joey noted how the colour scheme was adapted depending on the setting, for example the Ghetto had browns, greens, reds whereas the wealthier New Greenwich had greys, blacks, silvers and so on. A particular scene which caught our eye was that of the ocean scene in which Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) and Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried) hiding behind the rock together with the moon light dropping onto the water and the reflection of their time (the green clocks on their forearms) bouncing off the water onto the rocks and them. The experience for the character Weis was one of taking a risk, making the most out of the time she had despite how much time that was, yet it remained reflected on her face – a reminder that time is always there, ticking away.

    Joey and I were less impressed, however with the limited amount of locations. It gave the film a claustrophobic feel, particularly referring back to the same bridge over and over again. There was little exploration between the two different worlds and perhaps drawing attention to the stark contrasts between these zones would have made the audience feel more sympathetic towards the characters and brought in an emotional element that the film lacked. This would have strengthened the “robin hood” idea that the film develops into with Will Salas stealing time from the Weis banks to give to the poor, the idea being that “No one should live forever if one person has to die”* He seemed to be doing it partly because his father had a similar belief (a sub-plot I feel was never fully explained), partly because he believed people deserved an equal amount of time, partly to save himself and partly for no other reason than he doesn’t have much other choice. He was trying to be a hero and at some points appeared to be so but because his reasons were so blurred I found it hard to really believe in his cause. It was only when the timekeeper mentioned crashing the system that he admitted that he hoped to do so but otherwise it was never really his aim, he just kind of…ended up doing. All that was really needed to pull everything together was a link back to Henry Hamilton’s (Matt Bomer) line “Don’t waste my time”.

    As it happened the film kind of strayed into a strange mixture of action and romance, the romance side of which Joey felt dragged the film down. Joey commented that “The scenes with Justin and his mum were not good at all however the running to each other was fine as the time was running out it was the crying that ruined it- it just ruined the whole bit Justin cannot cry”. I didn’t mind this particular scene too much although I felt it was a little weird to repeat it at the end with his lover, especially when the first scene was confusing enough with his mother looking 25. The action side of the film worked well but mixing it with romance had a peculiar effect especially when the romance is based on a combination of skinny dipping and being kidnapped-an unusual way to fall in love to say the least. Our general opinion was that trying to be a Action/Romantic film did not help the scenes with the action side as when the story was un-ravelling they would split it up by shoving in the romantic scenes. An alternative would have been to explore the differences between the class and the concept of time as a currency, except as it was these things seemed more like a background for the action rather than the focus of the film, had it been, ‘In Time’ could have been a truly brilliant film.

    This films broad range of actors and sleek filming style makes it worth watching. Taking it at face value ‘In Time’ is a pretty good action film and the romantic aspects are obviously there to appeal to a large audience. Yet in the back of my mind I kept thinking  “V for Vendetta was a brilliant film! And In Time could have been a film like this”, especially with such an intriguing concept behind it, however I felt like it fell short of it’s potential. There was so much to be explored that was unfortunately shoved to one side in favour of a simpler, yet slightly more confusing, plotline. I would love to read ‘In Time’ as a novel but as a film it was only good. It just about reaches a cinema-addicts rating of 3.5 stars.

  

*May not have remembered this quote accurately.

Review #6 - Paranormal Activity 3

One of the most important conventions of the horror film is the unexpected, so this review is definitely difficult to write. If we tell you all about our favourite shots and scenes you will see them coming and the effect won’t be the same, so this review is a bit different. If you haven’t seen ‘Paranormal Activity 3’ yet then read part one of the review which includes our general views on the film overall, however if you have seen it (or would simply prefer to know what is coming) then feel free to read part 2 which will be a more detailed account and will contain spoilers. You’ll know when you hit part 2 because it will be in blue, and that’s all you need to know! So read and enjoy!

                  When ‘Paranormal Activity 1’ came out it was definitely something different than what had come before. Yes, handheld filming had been done before but never quite in this way, firstly because Oren Peli (director and writer) has gone to great lengths to make sure that it seems as realistic as possible. In all three films there is at least a minute of complete darkness before the credits appear as if they are reluctant to reveal that it is a fictional film. Watching ‘Paranormal Activity 2’ on DVD I also discovered that the DVD menu is about as simple as you can make it and there is a lack of extras or behind the scenes footage. The more realistic it seems the more haunting it is. 

        The realism of the settings is also an important aspect towards making a film that gets under your skin. The way characters run back to their beds for safety, for example, relates to the moments of fear we all experience in our lives that leave us running for the safety of our duvets and because we experience that in reality, we relate to it in the movie and it has the terrifying effect the director was aiming for. Joey and I both agreed that this feeling, of relating to the character’s fear, is particularly prominent in the final climactic scene.

     In fact compared to the previous films, ‘Paranormal Activity 3’ was by far the scariest. I felt that the first was tense and creepy but had less “jumpy” moments than the third had. As for the second film I actually found it quite boring; many of the CCTV camera shots didn’t actually show anything happening so the tension didn’t build in the same way. Paranormal Activity 3 however, got it just right. There were some very memorable scenes (look out for bathroom scene – that’s all I’m saying), fear was built up over the course of the movie as weirder things keep happening and Joey even went as far to say that “’Paranormal Activity 3’ was in fact the best handheld version film I have seen all together”.
     The paranormal activity trilogy have seen many comments thrown at it before,during and after. I know that during the film people tend to believe that speaking during the showing is not acceptable. Take a step back a moment and think about real life situations which scare or shock you; you need to talk about "oh my god did you just see that?", "it was the scariest thing ever" ...you get the idea. During the Paranormal Activity 3 showing there were certainly moments where people couldn't help but talk after they were scared. In a normal film I would of hated them for it but its all part of the atmosphere to get that genuine feel scared moment which is perfectly added alongside the various filming techniques. 

     My favourite technique used in the three films though, relates to something I’ve always been curious about: Is a horror film more or less scary without music? No music at all could mean that the audience sees the scene in a completely different light and is therefore unafraid, however sometimes music can be overstated and becomes a cue for the ‘scary moment’ therefore making it less effective. Paranormal Activity 3 has got it just right. The only kind of music used is a background ambiance mostly during the night scenes which I feel is much more effective than music; music reminds us we are in the cinema watching a screen but the ambiance is a background noise almost as chilling as the events we are watching.

      I’ll be surprised if you can watch this film without jumping out of your seat at least once! There are several unexpected moments interspersed with those drawn out apprehensive moments and the combination is very effective. It didn’t keep me up at night, or give me nightmares (I am yet to find a horror movie that can do this) but the images did really stick in my mind and I’ll admit I ran for the cover of my bed the second the light was off The cinema-addicts agree that this was definitely four-star film!

      If you have seen ‘Paranormal Activity 1’ and 2 (which I recommend doing so in order for this one to make more sense) you will recognise some similar effects. For example the footprints in the dust that sent shivers down our spines in PA1 was reinterpreted for the third film. This time during an earthquake dust falls from the ceiling onto something standing in the parent’s room. I thought it was good how we got a tiny bit of an idea as to what the demon look like but without actually seeing it (which would have ruined the film).  Joey thought that the dust falling should have been a little more subtle so that not everyone picked up on it the first time round but would be able to see when the characters watched back the clip. I thought that perhaps it should have come later because at that point in the movie they had only heard a couple of weird noises in the night, it might have had a greater impact if it had come after we hear about Kristi’s imaginary friend “Toby” (the demon).

     Other effects that really put the audience on edge include the sound of the creaky door, which signalled when the demon was in the room. You knew he was there but didn’t know where or what he might do. Joey particularly liked that the door was set off screen so that the actors had to walk right up to the camera to speak to the demon, this had the effect of making you feel as if you are the view the camera sees and feel like the demon is right next to you but you can’t see it. Later this feeling of being in the room with something you can’t see is repeated when Katie is innocently playing with her little sister when she appears to run into something invisible. As she slowly turns her face upwards as if she can almost see what is in front of her I was definitely squirming in my seat at the idea of being in such close proximity to this invisible creature. However I was unsure about the demon pulling the girls hair and holding her up by it; although it had the effect of showing the power of the demon and the insignificance of the girl it did also look a bit comical. I was also disappointed that we do not witness the demon releasing her, perhaps that would have made it more effective.

       The most memorable and terrifying scene is without a doubt, the bathroom scene. This is not the same as advertised because Katie plays ‘bloody Mary’ with an older family friend and work colleague of her dad’s, rather than with her little sister. Joey really liked this way of enticing the audience into the film “I really enjoyed the idea of them showing you one thing which makes you want to see the movie but in place having a similar scene that was amplified and so much better”. The acting of both Chloe Csengery (Katie) and Dustin Ingram (Randy Rosen) in this scene was outstanding! The way the Chloe Csengery immediately apologised exactly like a child would do in that situation and burst into tears gave a real sense of fear, and the shaking hands and talking to himself ,“come on randy, come on randy, you can do this”, portrayed by Dustin Ingram were very realistic. There was a sense of being trapped in this scene, and not knowing whether you are trapped with the demon on the outside or on the inside with you. Apart from perhaps the climactic ending, this was probably the most terrifying scene of the movie.

      You might be hoping that ‘Paranormal Activity 3’ will finally explain the happenings of the first two films, and I can tell you that it does go some way towards explaining the events. In a way this is a good thing because it satisfies our curiosity but they kept it realistic by not completely explaining everything, for example, we never find out for definite why the ritual is performed. I didn’t actually like the coven and use of symbols because it took something away from the mysterious hauntings and made the movie come across as a cheap – cult based film like ‘The Last Exorcism’. However they had to explain it somehow and they did so the best they could.

     There is so much more I could say about this film! Some of the techniques and effects used were impressive, the plot, acting and filming was fantastic and most importantly of all, it pretty scary! Don’t miss out on this film, it will make for a perfect Halloween fright fest!

Review #5 - Real Steal

‘Real Steal’ is a fighting film, pure and simple; but it isn’t just about fighting to win, it’s about fighting for happiness, fighting for the ones you love and fighting to better one’s self.  Charlie’s (Hugh Jackman) story begins alone on the road, the bright lights of the carnival reflected in his truck window, a joy just out of reach. Again later, he finds himself looking dismally down into the reflection of his own failure in the spreading pool of oil at his feet. Yet by the end of Charlie’s journey the bright lights are shining down directly on him. It is clear that every shot in this film was carefully constructed to reflect the emotions of the characters in that scene. However it isn’t just good camera work and directing by Shawn Levy that makes this movie so awesome, it’s actors like Hugh Jackman(Charlie), Evangeline Lilly (Bailey) and Dakota Goyo (Max).

    It’s the little things that can make an actor so believable, for example Charlie’s habit of punching the air even when he’s not the one in the fight. I was also impressed by the sheer emotion portrayed in the final scene by all three characters; I imagine it is terrifically hard to cry on demand in the middle of a film set let alone to cry tears of absolute ecstasy. Although the writing was excellent, it’s only half of what a movie is – a movie is visual and an actor’s facial expression and body language helps you read between the lines, something you will definitely be able to do in ‘Real Steal’. Of course the film would not be complete without a romantic kissing scene yet this one surprised me. It was very simple and realistic. There was no Hollywood glamour to it, just a prolonged kiss that showed the history and the longing, more than anything else, between these two characters.

     The real relationship to focus on though is of course the father/son bond. The robot boxing is what brings them together as a common interest but there is so much more to this story and I liked how the film felt equally balanced between the two. It is obvious to the audience that Max has the same reckless nature as his father only this time he has the confidence, if not the skills or the muscle, to back it up - I loved this aspect of the movie; seeing the similarities reflected the son and how Charlie recognises them in himself and changes them for the better. Not only is it entertaining and heart warming to watch their relationship develop as they spend time together on the road, it is also touching to see the personal growth of Charlie both in becoming a father for the first time and as broken man repairing himself.

    ‘Real Steal’ has few faults; the main aspect I had a problem with was the date. I struggled to believe that such advanced robots would exist in 2020. The film would have had nowhere near the same effect had it been set far into the future and been overloaded with new technology, keeping it simple was definitely better. However it is suggested that the first robot fighting emerges in 2016, just four years from now. As far as I know the closest thing we have to robot boxing today is ‘Robot Wars’ which differs greatly in comparison! But the date was the only part of this movie I found unbelievable so in the greater scheme of things it is not a huge complaint.

   Speaking of robots I found that Atom was presented in a very likeable way. With a loveable face and just the tiniest suggestion that there is something else behind his wiring, you can’t help but feel as attached to him as Max is. I walked into the cinema not knowing whether this film was about sentient robots or pure fighting machines and I was kind of glad it was the second. Having an autonomous robot would have over complicated the plot and taken it away from the simple father/son story that it is. Yet the hint of something more (such as Atom looking at himself in the mirror or appearing to listen to Max’s commands to “get up”) is mildly intriguing and makes us see Atom through Max’s eyes: as not just a machine but a friend.

Joey felt that the film’s ending was rushed and perhaps that is why it did not quite feel as epic as it perhaps should have, but maybe you will disagree; With slow motion action shots of Charlie flying through the air, it is easily arguable that the final scene is pretty awe inspiring. [SPOILER] Charlie and his son may not win the competition in the end but they have certainly won in other ways. The emotion conveyed by Bailey and Max, who look on at Charlie as he fights for them, finally the hero they have always wanted him to be, shows them as winners also. And as the light shines directly on the camera blurring the boy on his father’s shoulders with the giant Atom by their side, the three are merging together, it is clear that this victory means more to Charlie than any that have come before.

If you haven’t seen this film yet – you should. 4*

Review #4 - Abduction

There is one sentence that pretty much sums up my views on ‘Abduction’: I’m glad it was “free”! This cinema trip was not taken with my fellow unlimited cinema addict but instead with my orange Wednesday buddy (aka my mother) so luckily no money passed over the counter or otherwise my disappointment might have been so much greater.

    The opening scenes revealed the protagonist (Nathan) as brave, but a little immature; my expectations were not high. I must admit I have not seen Taylor Lautner in any other film but his performance in ‘Abduction’ was less than impressive. The supporting cast were much better actors; in fact the stark contrast between them and Lautner made everything so much worse. The real star however, was Sigourney Weaver, yet despite playing an intriguing character (as an undercover family friend posing as Nathan’s therapist) and briefly bringing the film to life, she occupies a very short amount of screen time.

     It was clear that Lautner was chosen for his “look” rather than having the skills to play this part. He might look great with his shirt off but when you see his ridiculous reaction to finding himself on a missing persons website you will happily swap his looks for someone who can act.

    However the blame is not all on Lautner’s shoulders as he wasn’t given much to work with in the way of lines by the writer Shawn Christensen, including such gems as: “I saw my parents murdered in front of my own eyes”. The plot was stretched pretty thin too, following a predictable action genre storyline of a battle for information and I was disappointed that the “missing persons” aspect played only a small part. When watching the trailer this aspect immediately impressed me, my head buzzing with questions! Why is he on a missing persons website? Has he been kidnapped? If so by who? And why? But as it turns out [SPOILER] the whole thing is just a hoax by the ‘bad guys’ to draw Nathan out into the open. Another major disappointment.

     The one part of this film I actually liked was the use of new technology. It was the first time I, personally, saw an iPad used in a film although it wasn’t used in a way that was integral to the plot it at least reflected how the technology in our lives is evolving. The fact that Kozlow (the villain played by Michael Nyqvist) threatens Nathan via facebook: "if you don't give me the list I'll kill all your friends on Facebook", shows contemporary evil at it’s most amusing.

    Otherwise I remained unimpressed from beginning to end. The very thin plot eventually just withered out leaving Nathan without parents, foster or otherwise, in the picture and nothing better to do than carry on going to school and hanging out with his new girlfriend. After everything this character has been through he does not show a shred of emotion and to be honest by this point the audience isn’t feeling much emotion towards the characters. I will say that if this film is aimed at a younger audience it is probably quite enjoyable, but through my eyes it was terrible. The writing was cringe worthy, Lautner’s acting was wooden and the plot was disappointing. I wouldn’t recommend this film as it barely scrapes 1.5 stars – the extra half a star purely for Sigourney Weavers small, but uplifting part.

Review #3 - The Three Musketeers (2011)

Go with me on this review it is the first. As I try to get our opinions across try to picture the movie from a fresh fun point of view. Forget the other movies which have been made of the tale of ‘The Three Musketeers’ and allow yourself to watch as a new story – if you fail to do that then you will disagree with this review.

                ‘The Three Musketeers’ (2011) movie has certainly cast shadows upon the other movies made from the Book. Paul W.S. Andersons ‘The Three Musketeers’ is not ‘THE’ three musketeers it is in fact ’a’ Three Musketeers movie that has some direct quotes of the book yet somehow it still manages to go off on its own tale to keep it ‘updated’; no point in making a three musketeers movie if it’s going to be the same as its predecessors.
                 I feel this fun, enjoyable movie was created for younger generations and targets an audience that have never heard of the story or seen the other numerous movies before. With beautiful locationsand numerous amounts of props to support scenes the artist view on the movie has certainly captured the time zone and succeeded at drawing you into the environment of the plot.    

 Putting the visuals aside for a moment and taking a view on the cast list of this movie I felt the range of talent from all sorts of entertainment for example James Corden staring as Planchet – really? -  Jess and I had our mixed views on saying that Corden’s role was not needed. With the line repeated “shut up Planchet” was infact over used and was not funny in any way. It – to me – killed Corden’s role as Planchet was a funny role but each time I would laugh at what Planchet was saying it would be killed by the main cast – Matthew Macfayden (Athos), Luke Evans (Aramis) and Ray Stevenson (Porthos) which inevitably became annoying. It seemed that each of the characters seemed melodramatic in what they were asked to do for example D’Artagnan being able to challenge everyone he comes across – of course he has to pull the story together but this kid is a bit bigheaded for his own good. However saying this each of the characters needed to be melodramatic to make their character work without one the others fall apart – much like the Three Musketeers “All for one, and one for all”.
 The introduction to the main characters indeed succeeded in showing each of the main skills of the three musketeers alongside the detail in costume with shots spanning the bodies of each character. The opening scenes for each character are also referred to later in the movie – repeating clips of the scenes to reiterate the moment.

With the story set around action, sword play and explosions there is a meaningful side – the romance. Three tales of love portrayed across the film each one linking to a different pair of characters. I had said after seeing the movie that I did not like the romance scenes when in fact looking back each one had a different persona with the young love of D’Artagnan (actor Logan Lerman) and Lady in Waiting (actress Gabriella Wilde), Athos ( Macfayden) and Milady de Winter (actress MillaJovovich) taking the serious love within after a dramatic scene [SPOILER] Milady choosing to fall to her death instead of Athos shooting her who states she knew he wouldn’t of been able to live with himself if he shot her and saying “she did it for me”. Finally coming to the last romantic couple the innocence of the Queen (actress Juno Temple) – which was beautiful cast and portrayed through her acting – and the King Louis (actor Freddie Fox).

The last scene [SPOILER] does in fact show that Milady survived her fall into the English Channel with her coming around – drenched in her patterned dress – to a young, evil character The Duke of Buckingham aka Orlando Bloom. This quickly leads onto a scene of boats on the water heading to France – to get revenge – before panning up to see the air ships. Leaving us a open ended film which means a sequel in the future – thoughts on this? Well let’s just say I do not think it will/should be any time soon.

Overall I feel ‘The Three Musketeers’ did a very good attempt at explaining the story of the musketeers and their journeys with the enjoyable for all – who have not seen other three musketeer films – but it falls as a movie which you will only ever want to watch just that once; not a movie I would buy on dvd anytime soon.

I rate this movie at 3.5*

Review #2 - Shark Night 3D

I must admit that sitting in the cinema with my malteasers on one side and Joey on the other I remained unconvinced about Shark Night 3D. I suspected that it would be crude and unnecessarily gory without much in the way of a plot. In fact during the opening scene I must admit I laughed at the predictability of the gorgeous girl whose bikini top comes undone during a vicious heart attack. However there was no flash of nudity like I had assumed and ended up appearing to be laughing at a poor defenceless girl being mauled to death by a shark. Oops.

   So as the film continues my hopes are beginning to rise and we are introduced to the main characters (or victims) in short scenes framing them each as stereotypes. There is Malik (Sinqua Walls), as the jock who needs to get his grades up enlisting the help of Gordon (Joel David Moore) and Nick (Dustin Mullingan) the slightly geekier members of the group. Then there is good girl Sara (Sara Paxton) running away from a difficult past but who is [SPOILER] rather obviously the surviving “virgin” integral to this kind of movie. Her opposite is tattoo obsessed bad girl Beth (Katharine McPhee) and finally Malik’s loving and protective girlfriend Maya (Alyssa Diaz). Unfortunately though this is about as much character development to happen during the movie; Joey and I agreed that the quite short film (91mins) would have benefitted from giving us more time to bond with the characters therefore making the audience care more when they got ripped to shreds. However would I really have been able to sit through 30 minutes of typical college party scenes? No not really. But still some time to see the characters as more than stereotypes would have made the film better.

   Soon the characters are speeding along to their beautiful Lake House in the Louisiana Gulf and the audience is taken with them in a wonderful series of fast-forwarded shots. The effect made gave a sense of escapism; it drew the audience into the movie and quite simply, looked pretty snazzy too! Definitely voted best scene by Joey and I! In fact in general the scenes were all rather artistic and it was obvious that a lot of thought had gone into the scenes and how best to incorporate the landscape. The idyllic shots of the Louisiana Gulf at dusk, a lilac sky framed by twisted trees that stand in the lake made the action all the more haunting as the perfect, calm water was disrupted by an ominous fin.

   The worst scene however, had to be that of Malik walking into the water with a spear in his only hand and revenge burning in his eyes. I couldn’t help but laugh at his ridiculous attempt at avenging his loves death, especially when a few seconds later the spear is easily knocked out of his hand by the much more powerful shark (although to give him credit he survives- the shark doesn’t). What made this scene worse however was his friend Nick’s extremely lame attempts to prevent Malik from having his other arm ripped off if not killed! This guy is supposed to want to be a doctor yet I found his morals questionable. Later in the movie he will also set fire to the bad guy before locking him in the shark pool and watching him die! Ok so the bad guy deserved to die, but really, did he have to watch?!

Yet as expected he is the hero who saves Sara and I have to say I was disappointed that conventions were kept in this case. I would much rather have seen Malik walk away with his fiancé Maya, rewarded for surviving their terrible ideal by being able to spend their lives together, instead of being the first ones to die. So yeah the loyal, loving, boyfriend who is trying to aim for more in life gets his arm chewed off then bravely sacrifices himself for his friend whereas the slightly perverted, morally questionable albeit brave Nick gets the girl of his dreams… or at least a very brief, very soggy thank you kiss at the end.

  Characters aside the other important aspect is of course the sharks’, as Joey puts it “I liked the shark scene”! The CGI looked pretty realistic - apart from perhaps the scenes in which they jumped out of the water, which although sharks do really do this, somehow it made the CGI more obvious and therefore slightly less effective. The use of real footage of sharks in the title sequence and credits however, was effective (and awesome) as it allowed you to believe that the sharks in the movie were real. It reminded the audience that sharks are not fairy tale monsters created for the purposes of a scary film but are in fact a real threat.

  Between all the gruesome shark attacks wrapped up in a modest plot it suddenly all got very philosophical with quite relevant points about the immense popularity of Shark Week. The suggestion that we have an obsession with terrifying, deadly shark attacks is then combined with the issue of the availability of uncensored clips on the internet leading to the inevitable conclusion in the sick minds of the bad guys to record the shark attacks. As shocking as this idea is I did think that for the sake of the plot it was a good concept as it kicked the film up a notch and gave it a purpose and a message. Joey was also impressed with the March of the Penguins reference, adding some humour to an otherwise serious message. However this scene could also be seen as a quick throw in in order to add some depth to an otherwise simple film.

  In the end this film surprised me and was not as bad as I expected it to be. I liked some parts and disliked others. If you enjoy shark attack films or Piranha then I recommend this film. The lack of real character development makes it the perfect film to watch with friends as it is funny, thrilling and easy to follow. As Joey put it “Satisfying to watch… but Over all short movie-90min-I rate 3.5 stars”.

Review #1-Crazy, Stupid Love

At the moment I’m sick of rom-coms. Most of the DVD’s on my shelf are rom-coms; you name it and I’ve probably seen it and they are beginning to get boring. The plot is always the same, they are littered with clichés and the characters tend to be rather transparent. So I’m always on the look out for fresh interesting romantic comedies that break the rules and aren’t quite as predictable, and that's how ‘Crazy Stupid Love’ caught my eye.

   I’m not going to lie and say that this film threw the rule book out the window, that it was spectacular and cliché free, but it was funny, surprising at times and true to real life emotions. So something that was refreshing to see was a strong use of body language in this film. The opening scene shows various low angle shots of couples’ feet, all of them tentatively shuffling closer or caressing each other. Suddenly we see our main characters feet: A pair of trainers and a pair of heels, both straight, rigid and miles apart. Usually I would expect the first scene to show me the couple storming home after a disastrous night out, airing all the problems that have been slowly accumulating over the years. This scene would probably have lasted five to ten minutes and bored me to death, instead thirty seconds, no dialogue just feet, told me everything I needed to know about this couples relationship. Of course as the film develops we learn the intricate details of the marriages break down but it is never thrown in our faces.

   In fact the couple, Cal (Steve Carell) and Emily’s (Julianne Moore) marriage breaks down for two very simple-but very real-reasons, firstly they stopped trying and this lead to the second reason: Emily slept with another man. So after all the struggles they have endured one particular scene seemed very intimate although others may describe it as tedious, I enjoyed the subtle use of body language. Emily speaks on the phone to Cal about a household problem not realising that Cal can see her and therefore knows that it was not the real reason she called. What is written between the lines says so much about how much they miss each other but how hard it is to find a way to get back together. It sums up just how hard and complicated love is, and how easy it is to hide your true feelings.

Of course not everything is so subtle and as a rom-com, clichés are to be expected. Thankfully however the characters are just as aware of them as the audience is. At one point both Joey and I sighed at the sudden down pour of rain that started immediately after an argument scene, but to our surprise Cal agreed saying “well this is a cliché”. Others unfortunately were not so well used and although the ending (full of the stereotypical public declarations of everlasting love) was amusing, it could have better.

   A disappointing aspect of the film was perhaps its length. When it began I was impressed that the film was unfolding more slowly and gently than I expected the only problem was that it reached a point where the characters were all rather miserable and the film began to drag on a bit as they slowly figured out how to sort out their problems. However I advice you stick with it because you will be rewarded in the end with one of the most hilarious, if slightly slapstick, scenes of the film. A lot of loose ends were tied together to make a spectacular punch line that neither I or Joey saw coming (although if you paid close attention you are likely to be able to predict it I would recommend you don’t as it takes all the fun away). Unfortunately there was another low point before the end of the film where again it was a bit too slow.

When I first read the synopsis of the film I thought that it was a story about a divorcee who is taught how to be ‘cool’ by a stylish bachelor until he himself falls in love and the divorcee ends up being the one to give the advice; However it turned out not to be quite as simple as that. Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) is indeed a stylish and charming bachelor (look out for the hilariously over done and self conscience shot of him eating in the mall) who gives Cal a much needed make-over but he does not necessarily seek out the advice of Cal when he finally falls in love. He does however develop as a character, his shallow actions in love are reflected in his two dimensional character until the fateful night that a sopping wet Hannah (Emma Stone) storms in and demands him to be in her life and suddenly he is given the opportunity for the first time to reveal his true character both to Hannah and to the audience.

Indeed the sub-plots and exploration of the many different types of love, from those with age barriers to those longing for what they cannot have, only strengthen the film and add a depth to it that other rom-coms are often lacking. The trailers have not really advertised these other characters and their own complicated love lives and I think that is a shame. Each was just as honest and funny as the main characters dilemmas.

  Over all I was very impressed with ‘Crazy, Stupid Love’. I went into the cinema with good expectations and they were certainly met if not exceeded. Both Joey and I laughed from start to finish, the acting was excellent and the body language of the characters really drew you into their emotional journeys, and the self-conscience use of clichés made it more bearable than most rom-coms. The cinema-addicts rate this film as a 4 star with one missing simply because of the slow pace towards the end. Thoroughly recommend this film.