January/February Films

I took a break from reviewing to get over some lovely illnesses over the past month, but before March begins, here are a few short reviews of films that have been released since the start of the year...

DARKEST HOUR

Director:

Joe Wright (Atonement, Hanna, Pride and Prejudice)

Starring:
Gary Oldman (Leon, The Dark Knight, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

Lily James (Baby Driver, Cinderella, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies)
Ben Mendelson (Rogue One, The Dark Knight Rises, The Place Beyond The Pines)

Plot:
During the early days of World War II, the newly-appointed Prime Minister Winston Churchill must face threats from opposing European forces as well as from within his own political party. 

With British forces stuck in Calais and Dunkirk, Churchill must decide whether to enter peace talks with Adolf Hitler or carry on fighting the good fight to the end.

Verdict:
There is no doubt in my mind that Gary Oldman will win Best Actor at this year's Academy Awards for his portrayal of Winston Churchill; he commands the screen whenever he appears, conducts great chemistry with whoever he shares the screen, and dammit he wore a fat-suit, how is he not going to get the Award?!

However apart from his tour-de-force performance, there is not much else to write home about.  A downside to Oldman's scenery-chewing is that everyone else begins to pale in comparison, even the ever-impressive Kristen Scott Thomas feels like wasted talent, and Lily James isn't given enough screen time to show her potential range.  Whilst the film revolves around the powerful man that was Winston Churchill, unfortunately the film is too in love with him to deliver a compelling and interesting narrative outside of passionate and patriotic speeches.

Rating:
5/10

COCO

Director:

Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc.)

Starring (voices):
Gael Garcia Bernal (Amores perros, The Motorcycle Diaires, A Little Bit Of Heaven)
Benjamin Bratt (Miss Congeniality, Demolition Man, Doctor Strange)
Alanna Ubach (Legally Blonde, Sister Act 2, Meet The Fockers)

Plot:
On the revered Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead), Miguel, the youngest of a shoe-making and music-hating family wants to perform at a local music talent show.  However after disrespecting the dead, Miguel is transported to an other-worldly plain where he is able to converse with his dead relatives.  He must now receive their blessing to return home before the sun rises, and potentially discover the reason why music is so forbidden within his family.

Verdict:
This film broke me.  A grown man.  Weeping.  In a packed cinema screen. 

But dammit I wasn't the only one!  A lot of men in that same screen seemingly had 'something in their eye' or 'decided to chop onions' at one certain scene towards the end of the film.

Pixar truly have a knack at replicating real life moments on screen, despite usually featuring fantastical characters and situations, making brilliant movie moments in the process.  One only needs to mention the first ten minutes of Up or Wall-E for examples of how talented they are at telling a story that truly hits home.

The team behind Coco truly took innovative steps with this in terms of the maturity of it's storyline and characters.  There is no Doomsday scenario, Miguel's life isn't in jeopardy and the Land of the Dead's very existence isn't being threatened.  It is a simple story of a man not wanting to be forgotten, and how music can bring a family together rather than tear it apart.

The amazingly detailed and vibrant Land of the Dead had me open-jawed and the story had me interested through-out, even if I did predict some of the plot twists a little early.  The music by Michael Giacchino is heart-warming and toe-tapping, and the artistry is definitely some of Pixar's best.  

After a few missteps, I believe this is Pixar back to their best and would definitely recommend.

Rating:
9/10

THE POST

Director:

Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan)

Starring:
Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia!, The Devil Wears Prada, Sophie's Choice)
Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Big, Saving Private Ryan)
Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, Fargo)

Plot:
Set in the early 1970s, and following America's defeat in the disastrous Vietnam War, The Washington Post's owner (Streep) and chief editor (Hanks) have to decide whether or not to publish The Pentagon Papers, leaked classified documents that paint the White House and America's involvement in the Vietnam War in a less-than-stellar light.

Verdict:
Streep.  Hanks.  Spielberg.

It had all the hallmarks of an instant classic.  But something just didn't work for me.  With this cast and director, I expected a much better film.  Not to say The Post is a poor film, as it is most certainly not.  However, it never really elevates itself over 'competent' and 'entertaining'.  And whilst that's seemingly enough for several Academy Award nominations, I certainly wasn't convinced.

Is the film focused on the female-empowerment of Meryl Streep's Katherine Graham? 
Or the underhanded tactics of Nixon's White House?
Or the Presidents who preceded him with their involvement in the Vietnam War? 
Or the importance of the Free Press in situations such as this true story? 
Or the dangerous similarities to the current situation in America?
Why not all of them at the same time? 

This unfortunately results in a narrative that becomes top-heavy in narrative importance and left me rather bored, which shouldn't be the case in a story that is so relevant and important.

Rating:
5/10

THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX
Director:

Julius Onah

Starring:
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle, Beauty and the Beast, Black Mirror)
David Oyelowo (Selma, The Butler, Rise of the Planet of the Apes)
Daniel Bruhl (Captain America: Civil War, Rush, Inglorious Basterds)

Plot:
In 2028, the Earth is suffering a massive energy crisis.  To combat this, a group of international scientists and engineers board the Cloverfield space station and attempt to discover a source of unlimited energy using a particle accelerator, similar to the Hadron Collider in Switzerland.  However, one of the experiments accidentally transports the station away from the Earth and they must find their way back.

Verdict:
It's a rarity that I speak about 'Straight-to-Netflix' films, but I am such a fan of the Cloverfield film series, I wanted to discuss the latest instalment.  And... it's a weird one.

Whilst I was a huge fan of the original found-footage Cloverfield and appreciated the change in tone and style for 10 Cloverfield Lane, I wasn't too won over by this space thriller.  Critics of Lane pointed to the film existing on it's own terms without any reference to Cloverfield before JJ Abrams suggested bringing it into their Shared Universe, but I didn't see that as a negative.  If anything, I felt as if it added to the tension and the mythos behind the original monster movie.  However, it's more evident here that the film could have been a fine sci-fi thriller without having to tie it to the first two films.

It results in an overly-confusing story, pointless horror moments and a wasted cast that is filled with talent that is under-utilised.

The Cloverfield Paradox manages to be a sci-fi film without grand ideas, a thriller with absurd attempts at tension and a horror without scares.

Must try harder, JJ.

Rating:
3/10

PHANTOM THREAD

Director:

Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood, Magnolia, Boogie Nights)

Starring:
Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood, Lincoln, Gangs of New York)
Vicky Krieps (A Most Wanted Man, Hanna, Anonymous)
Lesley Manville (Maleficent, Another Year, Vera Drake)

Plot:
In 1950s London, renowned fashion designer Reynolds Woodcock (Day-Lewis) creates dresses and garments for women in high society.  However his charisma and talent is matched with a ruthless and obsessive personality.  After debuting his latest outfit, Reynolds meets a waitress, Alma (Krieps), at a countryside restaurant who soon becomes his muse, but Alma finds it difficult to cope with Reynolds' lifestyle and erratic behaviour.

Verdict:
The duo of PTA and DDL working together again would make any film buff start drooling.  Their work on There Will Be Blood is phenomenal and one of my favourite films of the past ten years.  

And now DDL is back portraying a manipulative and obsessive genius! 
In his supposed final performance!  
By one of the great auteur directors! 

...So why isn't Phantom Thread better than it should be?

Similar to The Post, I'm not saying it's a poor film.  I don't think PTA or DDL know how to even spell 'poor film'.  But I was left wanting more.  The components on their own are spectacular.  The direction is brilliant, the acting sublime and the outfits are worthy of highest billing, since the film is all about a fashion designer and his amazing eye for well-made dresses.  But putting them all together just left me feeling slightly hollow.

Perhaps it was the central romance between DDL's Reynolds and Krieps' Alma.  I never truly felt or believed in their chemistry and passion for each other and the film centres itself on this main romance.  

Maybe my feeling is because I seem to appreciate the film as a piece of art more than a piece of cinema.  I feel like the film should be hung on a wall in an art gallery more than at the local cinemaplex.  And that's a compliment, right?

Rating:
7/10

THE SHAPE OF WATER

Director:
Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy, Crimson Peak)

Starring:
Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky, Paddington, Godzilla)
Michael Shannon (Man of Steel, Nocturnal Animals, Revolutionary Road)
Doug Jones (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy, Crimson Peak)

Plot:
Eliza (Hawkins) is a mute, isolated woman who works as a cleaning lady in a hidden, high-security government laboratory in 1962 Baltimore.  Her life is changed forever when she discovers the laboratory's most classified secret; an mysterious, scaled creature from South America that lives in a water tank.

Verdict:
It's a real stupid mistake of mine to constantly forget Guillermo del Toro every time I try and list my favourite directors.  I always think of Fincher, Nolan, and Scorsese but del Toro deserves to be included in that shortlist.  The man just doesn't know how to make a bad film.

Famously, del Toro recounts how, as a child, he was never scared of monsters; he instead wanted to be friends with the monsters, and he has shown that in nearly every film he has made.  He often features other-worldly creatures in his films, and always makes their worlds so inviting and magical that I can't help but want to live there too, especially compared to our grey, boring, non-magical world.  The Shape of Water is no exception.

Del Toro's love for the fantastical is projected onto this film in nearly every aspect of The Shape of Water, as well for the time period (1950's Cold War-America).  The set design, music, costumes... everything is done with such love, care and attention, I can't help but believe that this will win Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards.

The direction seems effortless, the soundtrack is equally romantic and nostalgic, and the acting throughout is sublime.  Sally Hawkins manages to engage and charm the audience without uttering a word.  Michael Shannon does his 'Michael Shannon thing' of being tall and imposing, but in just such an understated and menacing way.  And Richard Jenkins steals the show as the closeted and balding neighbour and I truly hope he gets recognised for a subtle but powerful performance.

I probably sound like I'm rambling over this film but I truly believe it is one of del Toro's best and absolutely worth a watch.

Just remember that fish-men need love too.

Rating:

9/10

Until next time, thanks for reading!

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Inside Out / Song Of The Sea (Two For Tuesday)

A Bittersweet Symphony

Over the past few weeks, I've been a bit backlogged with certain personal situations, so I haven't been able to keep up with some of the more current releases.

However, there are two films which I made special effort to go and watch; the Irish animation Song of the Sea and Disney/Pixar's Inside Out.

I have since watched both of them three times each.

It's no real shock for a film critic to desire to see the newest Pixar film, as their backlog of films more than speaks for itself in terms of quality.  However, I had heard so many fantastic things about Song of The Sea, I felt like I had to try and catch it before it disappeared.

Surprisingly, they share a number of similarities.  Not just in the quality of their respective animation, but the depth of their scripts, the use of music, and the array of memorable characters and unique worlds that deserve to be featured up there amongst the greats of animation.

Song of the Sea begins with a young boy, Ben, in 1980s Ireland.  After his mother mysteriously leaves him and his father with a newly-born girl, Saoirse (pronounced 'Sher-sha'), Ben grows to resent Saoirse, blaming her for his mother's disappearance and is bewildered why Saoirse has yet to utter a single word in the six years since that night.  However Ben doesn't realise that Saoirse is a 'selkie', a human capable of transforming into a seal, who needs to sing The Song Of The Sea so all faeries can return to their home.

Yeah, this is proper fantasy stuff we're talking about.  Yet it is fully grounded in mid-80s Dublin, with most of the humour coming from when the two worlds collide.  One of the most humorous scenes features ancient faeries, clad in rain macs and leaf moustaches, running from owls whilst crossing busy roads to get to their home on a roundabout.  That kind of stuff.  So utterly charming and whimsical.  And it's all the better for it.

Outside of the fantastical elements of the story, the heart of the film comes from Ben and Saoirse as they travel from their Granny's house back to their own lighthouse home.  Over the course of their journey, Ben learns to become the big brother Saoirse has needed whilst growing up, and their back and forth is undoubtedly familiar to anyone with a brother or sister.  Not just the siblings, but every person in this film is given the most subtle of characterisation, making you feel like you know them the instant they appear on screen.

The film's animation is painstakingly created in a craft paper artistic style, and it feels as if this story couldn't have been told any other way, since it seems to have come straight from a child's fairytale book.  The film's earthy and grounded tones helps balance the realistic tone with the fantastical elements and certainly adds to the ancient Irish folklore from which it comes.

I must give a special mention to the film's soundtrack, written and orchestrated by Bruno Coulais (whose previous work can be heard in Henry Selick's Coraline).  Lisa Hannigan's beautifully haunting vocals provide a mystical quality from the very beginning, adding to the film's ethereal magic.  I made sure I went out straight after watching it and bought the soundtrack as soon as possible.

Song of the Sea was nominated for Best Animated Feature this year at the 87th Academy Awards, losing out to Big Hero 6, and I believe the Academy made a huge mistake.  Nothing against Disney or Big Hero 6, but Song of the Sea is one of the most charming, lovely and heartfelt films I have watched in a long time.  The story has a timeless quality to it, bringing the mythical and ancient folk tales and setting them within modern times to a fantastic result.

Speaking of Best Animated Feature, no doubt a favourite for it this year, if not Best Picture, is Pixar's latest gem Inside Out.

Set within the mind of eleven year old Riley Andersen, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions: Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control centre inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life.  As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.

Since Toy Story 3 back in 2010, Pixar have been through an uncharacteristic 'slump'; Cars 2, Brave and Monsters University were fun in places but generally failed to blow anyone away, which is usually Pixar's bread and butter.  However, with Inside Out, the phrase 'return-to-form' is an understatement.

Firstly, whilst the premise is essentially The Numbskulls (shoutout to all you Beano fans out there!), the writer-director Peter Docter (of Monsters Inc. and Up) utilises the setting of the film to it's highest ability and creates a truly inspired and imaginative masterpiece. 

The broad scale of how varied and colourful Riley's mind is truly mind-boggling.  Through unfortunate events, Joy and Sadness get an unexpected tour through Riley's brain, from where her long-term memories are stored, to where her imagination creates French Frie Forest, dancing rainbow unicorns as well as boyfriends that live in Canada and would die for her.

Whilst the script is hilarious and charming in its scope of explaining certain mental phenomenon (Riley's train of thought is an actual train, dreams are produced in Hollywood-style movie studios etc.), the film also tackles complicated feelings but in a way that is incredibly understandable. The entire plot is centred around Joy and the other emotions figuring out the importance of Sadness in Riley's life. Not a light concept and yet Inside Out makes it seem so simple.

Similar to how Up dealt with emotional loss and Toy Story 3 dealt with moving on with your life once being replaced, both Song of the Sea and Inside Out tackle the issues of maturity and the importance of family, but break it down to a level that even young children can understand.

Not only will Inside Out appeal to kids in the audience with their bright colours and silly characters, but it will appeal to them through the relatable experiences that Riley goes through.   The twenty-somethings that have grown up with Pixar's charm and magic filling their childhoods will fall right back into the groove. The adults will again be shown into the hidden world of how kids actually think and the problems they go through.

That's the extra mile that you get with Pixar films; they feel as if every aspect has been slaved over and perfected, leaving you with just a wonderful film.  I can't recommend both of these films enough. They truly are fantastic for all the family and will touch your heartstrings as well as your funny bones.

Until next time folks, thanks for reading!

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The Wind Rises

#6 - The Wind Rises

Released as one of the world's greatest animators Hayao Miyazaki's final film, The Wind Rises is a fictionalised biography of the aeroplane engineer Jiro Horikoshi before and during the Second World War.  It might not sound like an enthralling storyline, but yet again Studio Ghibli manage to turn the mundane into beautiful splendor.

The film is visually gorgeous and breathtaking at times, in terms of style and also subject matter. Touching upon the delicate relationship between Japan and Germany during the Second World War could have been a difficult and spiky topic, but not in the capable hands of Studio Ghibli.  The film's point of view is from those proud people wanting to help their country but conscious of the agenda they are helping to continue.  It comes across not as an apology but more of an explanation that there were still freedom-loving people at such a difficult time in world politics.

This was one of the most touching cinematic experiences I have had in a long time.  The beauty of Studio Ghibli is evident in every frame and whilst the Jiro isn't the most relatable as Spirited Away's Chihiro or Howl's Moving Castle's Grandma Sophie, his story is always interesting, especially when he is forced to help design planes for Nazi Germany, due to their wartime friendship with Japan.

Nearly every Studio Ghibli film has some kind of airplane or flying machine in them.  This is due to Hayao Miyazaki's own fascination with aerodynamics and planes.  So since this film is based off the life of an aeroplane engineer, you can truly feel all of Miyazaki's love and passion went into this project.  

This marks the end of an era in animation, and I highly recommend you searching out this film on DVD and all of his earlier work.  You will not be disappointed.

Everything Is Awesome

#8 - The Lego Movie

When I first heard the idea, I honestly thought The LEGO Movie was gonna be horrendous.  Don't get me wrong, a movie based on a children's toy is not original; just ask Michael Bay.  But a movie based on toy construction blocks sounded like one of the most outlandish and risky ideas I'd had heard coming out of Hollywood in a long time.  It had 'train-wreck' written all over it, and whilst a Lego train-wreck in my pre-teens would have been fun to see happen before my eyes, I wasn't as optimistic in my twenties.

However my worries were lessened when I saw the first released trailer and noticed that the film wasn't taking itself seriously, like the previous ones released under the 'Lego' such as the Bionicle films.  It seemed tongue-in-cheek, fresh and smart, and understandably so.  Coming from the creative team behind such hilarious gems as Scrubs, Clone High and 21 Jump Street (Phil Lord and Chris Miller) was more than enough convincing I needed.

The film is set in the Lego world of Bricksburg, where the evil Lord Business (voiced by Will Ferrell) is planning on unleashing a deadly secret weapon on the town's inhabitants.  The wizard Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman and his magnificent vocals) seeks The Special, who might be the only person capable of stopping Lord Business.  However destiny falls to an ordinary construction worker, Emmet (voiced by Guardian of the Galaxy and Jurassic World's, Chris Pratt).  With the help of rebellious Wyldstyle and her boyfriend Batman (yes that's right...), Emmet must awaken The Special within him to keep Bricksburg free and movable.

Trust me; the amount of negative titles I had envisioned for this review were infinite.

"Some Parts Missing"... "Assembly Required"... "Brick Shithouse"...

However, this was honestly the most fun I've had in a cinema for quite a while.  The humour was sharp enough for adults to enjoy, such as jokes about over-priced coffee, but silly enough for the kids to enjoy; Morgan Freeman's character spontaneously appears on screen quite clearly being hung by a cheap piece of rope in a surreal manner resembling Monty Python.

Despite the previous example, the animation was dazzling and so rich in depth that I'm sure I will see new and hidden jokes in the background on a second and third viewing.  The directors Lord and Miller intended for the film to appear as realistic as possible and as if made via stop-motion technology, despite all being computer-generated and you really can't tell the difference.

What surprised me more than anything about The Lego Movie was the message at the heart of the narrative.  It isn't just an adventure thrill-ride through the Wild West, outer space and Cloud Cuckooland, but also a showcase into the heartfelt love that people have for their collections of bricks and shapes.  I, for one, was never that bothered about creating my own Lego worlds when I was younger.  It probably shows how unimaginative or impatient I was, but I never got the appeal.  Either way, this supposed 'kiddie film' actually gave me an insight into why people love Lego as much as they do.  Quite impressive for a film that I'm sure will be dismissed by many as quick and easily as I did.

Not only does it provide an interesting insight, but it also includes one of the most infectious songs that you will hear in a film all year. Similar to Pharrell's Happy in last year's Despicable Me 2, I was singing "Everything Is Awesome" out of the cinema and the days following.  I challenge anyone to hear it and not be swept up in it's smothering positivity and happiness, even if the original meaning is quite satirical.  So was Python's "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life" and you never forget that catchy whistling.

You can see how much effort has been invested into making the several worlds that feature in The Lego Movie.  Each looks like a child has imagined them, built them and has played with them, and the effect is not lost.  Films with a personal touch such as these and the ones made by Aardman studios (Wallace and Gromit or The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists) are made with such heart and enthusiasm that it completely transfers from the screen, and cinema is a much greater place for them.  Please sit down with your kids and watch this film, if you haven't already.

You won't be disappointed, because don't worry; everything is awesome!

Until next time folks, thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed what you read and you'd like to be kept more up to date with my posts, I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews - if you want to help the site grow, give them a 'Like' or a 'Share'!

Succinct Sunday: 2014 - A Small Summary (Part One)

I, Frankenstein

A pale imitation of the Underworld franchise, Aaron Eckhart plays Frankenstein's Monster, here named 'Adam' as he is caught between the fight between the righteous gargoyle empire and the demons of hell. Both want the seemingly immortal Adam to fight for their side, but since the CGI looks ropey at best, the action is boring and the central storyline wavers and runs out of steam towards the end, you really don't care on which side Adam ends up fighting. A waste of a potentially interesting and exciting concept.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman

Based on a children's stop-motion TV show about an inquisitive child and his talking dog/father-figure as they travel through time and space, learning about historical figures.  Admittedly this is more known to the Americans than us lowly British, but the voice performances are energetic, the animation is eye-catching and most importantly it doesn't talk down to the intended younger audience.  It uses humour to educate the kids as well as entertain.  More stuff like this is needed, Hollywood!

Anchorman 2 : The Legend Continues

Lightning unfortunately continues to not strike twice for Will Ferrell as Anchorman 2 follows in the footsteps of Land of the Lost, The Campaign and The Other Guys in creating a dumb guy-comedy that fails to live up to the unexpected hit that was the original Anchorman. Whilst the up-scaled news-crew battle is fun to watch with it's impressive cameo appearances, I still hope that this will prove to be the last of Ferrell's dumb-guy comedies. Anchorman was a fantastic fluke, and it should have been left like that.

Ride Along 

Newest American hot commodity, the comedian Kevin Hart plays a cowardly video-game nerd alongside tough cop future brother-in-law Ice Cube who takes him on the titular ride-along to show him some real-life GTA and make him prove himself worthy of his sister's hand in marriage. However, they get involved in corrupt police schemes, blah blah blah. The film is boring, repetitive and ludicrous. I honestly don't get the hype surrounding Kevin Hart but maybe I'm just out of the loop. I'd much rather recommend 22 Jump Street instead, but that's still to come...

The Borderlands

Found-footage film based around a supposedly haunted church in the Yorkshire dales. The film is obviously acted by unimpressive amateurs, but the scares and tension are well-constructed and developed as similarities to An American Werewolf in London and Poltergeist start appearing, all culminating in a finale that leaves most baffled.

An impressive attempt, but ultimately disappointing.

Muppets Most Wanted

Kermit and the crew are back, but there is treachery afoot! With the help of Ricky Gervais, a jewel-thief imposter has locked the frog away in a Russian gulag, and is impersonating him as head of the Muppet gang! There is a definite lack of Jason Segel and Amy Adams, instead replaced by Gervais, Tina Fey and the always amazing Ty Burrell, leading to a lack of emotional heart that the first film had in buckets. The resulting film is still warm, colourful and lovely, but a definite downgrade from the revival film a few years ago.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

This film annoyed me more than any other film this year.  It has all the components needed to outdo it's Tobey Maguire predecessor, but again, it fails to connect to the audience at any level and has a laughably weak, badly-written script.  Andrew Garfield is a fantastic Peter Parker, Emma Stone is great foil as Gwen Stacy, and Jamie Foxx gives a brilliant performance as the mumbling and shy Max before his turn into the boring villain Electro.  His origin scene and transformation is probably the best scene in the film, but the resulting super-charged smurf has no real believable motive for the rest of the film and comes across as wasted potential.


That combined with a shoe-horned Harry Osborn story, and the hardly-featured Rhino villain makes the film seem overblown and uninteresting.  A large criticism is that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 simply feels like one big preview for another film.  Similar to Iron Man 2, nothing truly important happens, but sly mentions are given to upcoming villains and story-lines.  It never feels like a film in it's own right and I could never start enjoying it. Too much ominous foreboding, too much nonsensical plot twists and definitely not enough care given to the script.

Stay tuned for more succinct reviews this time next week!  Until next time folks, thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed what you read and you'd like to be kept more up to date with my posts, I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews - if you want to help the site grow, give them a 'Like' or a 'Share'!

Top Five Friday: Best Films of 2014 so far...

Ahh September is here.  Before we know it, December will be upon us, and then 2015!  The summer blockbusters are being removed from the screens as we prepare for the kids to return to school.  And most importantly, since it's officially past the half-way point of the year, it's time for me to list my favourite films of the year so far!

Now admittedly, I haven't had chance to visit the cinema and see some films that I really wanted to see over the summer.  Films that have been critically acclaimed, such as Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Frank and Boyhood have left screens before I found time.  Those that have been critically panned, such as Transformers: Age of Extinction, Mrs Brown's Boys D'Movie and Step Up 5: All In, have stuck around a little longer than the rest, but I still haven't found time to watch those either.  So unfortunately, I'm going to rank those that I have seen, and not yet reviewed.

Starting with....

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

Director: Wes Anderson

Released: March 7th

Wes Anderson continues his fantastic streak of memorable films, with another set of kooky and iconic characters, one-liners and mishaps.  In The Grand Budapest Hotel, we are told the story of how elderly hotel owner, Zero Moustafa, came to own the titular establishment and why he is so against the idea of shutting it down as it decays around him.  We follow the younger Zero as he teams up with the hotel's most prolific and dedicated concierge, Monsieur Gustave H. (played with fantastic glee by Ralph Fiennes) as he tries to prove himself innocent after being framed for a murder.  

Completely madcap and enjoyable, I couldn't take the smile off my face whilst watching this delightful old-fashioned adventure.  The music and cinematography are top notch (as is Anderson's standard) and leading man Fiennes is so dashing and charismatic, I can't imagine another actor taking the role.  He lives the role of Monsieur Gustave and truly brings him to life.  It was a real delight to enter another of Anderson's quirky and inventive alternative realities.

BAD NEIGHBOURS

Director: Nicholas Stoller

Released: May 3rd

Much like 21 Jump St. in 2012, I expected Bad Neighbours to be funny, but I didn't expect it to be this funny.  The story follows a new parent-couple Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, as they battle their new next door neighbours, a University fraternity, headed by jock idiot Zac Efron.  The film begins as most of Rogen's films do; crash sex scene followed by drug-taking scenes, inappropriate conversations taking place in front of babies, and lots of prat falls and slapstick.  But surprisingly, it felt pretty-much new.

Whilst the slapstick and the drug-references do their job, the true surprise came from the effort put into fully fleshing out these two sets of rivals.  The adults see the fraternity as a reminder that they are no longer cool and young anymore, whereas the fraternity see a 'Ghost of Christmas Future' in the boring, old couple next door.  This is especially true with Zac Efron, who gives a stellar comedy performance as Teddy, the frat's president.  He becomes obsessed with destroying the couple's happiness as he knows he has little academic future ahead of him and this is his only influence on the world around him.  Sounds malevolent and seedy, but it's all good fun as some of the pranks are incredibly funny.  Definitely worth a watch.

THE WIND RISES

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Released: May 9th

Released as Hayao Miyazaki's final film, The Wind Rises is a fictionalised biography of the aeroplane engineer Jiro Horikoshi before and during the Second World War.  It might not sound like an enthralling storyline, but yet again Studio Ghibli manage to turn the mundane into brilliance.

This was one of the most touching cinema experiences I have had in a long time.  The beauty of Studio Ghibli is evident in every frame and whilst the Jiro isn't as relatable as previous ones like Spirited Away's Chihiro or Howl's Moving Castle's Grandma Sophie, his story is always interesting, especially when he reluctantly begins helping the Nazis due to their friendship with Japan.

The entire film is based around airplanes, and as such, you can truly see the genius Miyazaki's hand in almost every moment.  This marks the end of an era in animation, and I highly recommend you searching out this film on DVD and all of his earlier work.  You will not be disappointed.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Director: James Gunn

Released: August 1st

I was so nervous when I saw the trailer for Guardians.  Nervous and excited.  How could Marvel, and especially Disney, bet so much money and reputation on this story of relatively-unknown alien mercenaries, battling in galaxies far, far away?  It was either insanity or genius.

Turns out both.

This was such a crazy and wild adventure, it just made me want to watch it again and again.  The story follows Peter Quill, AKA StarLord, a human abducted and raised by a bunch of renegade alien pirate smugglers.  The self-titled StarLord (played by Chris Pratt) quickly finds himself enthralled in a struggle between powerful warlords over a mysterious orb.  He teams up with a green-skinned assassin (Zoe Saldana), a tattooed headcase (Dave Bautista), a giant human-like walking tree (voiced by Vin Diesel) and a talking raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper).

See what I mean by possible insanity?  But it works.  The director James Gunn has history with the surreal, working on films such as Slither and Super, so he manages to create such a believable world that the crazy hijinx that follow feel possible.  The characters are truly three-dimensional, even if the walking tree-man can only say "I. Am. Groot." and every other character's middle name is 'The' (Korath The Pursuer/Drax The Destroyer etc.)  They have back-stories, aims, dreams, flaws, and therefore feel like real people.  The most surprising thing about this film is former WWE wrestler Dave Bautista, who has the most impressive screen-presence and delivers a very unexpected, and yet fantastic performance.

Also, Lee Pace performing as the quasi-Marilyn Manson villain Ronan The Accuser is actually terrifying.  Full plaudits to the man as he could have hammed up the performance and delivered one akin to a pantomime villain, but he truly gets under your skin as a malevolent force and a formidable opponent to the titular Guardians.  Definitely the blockbuster of the summer.

HER

Director: Spike Jonze

Released: February 14th (awww...)

And finally, the film that has impressed me the most this year.  Spike Jonze's her really spoke to me and not because I especially related to Joaquin Phoenix's Theodore or his strife, but the film doesn't patronise or try to scare you.  Instead it almost cuddles up to you as a friend and shows you a warning of our collective future and our relationship with technology.  It just calmly offers advice and tells you it's going to be OK.

Theodore is a professional writer living in 2025 Los Angeles.  The newest upgrade to his phone's operating system contains an artificial intelligence, named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson).  Samantha is a technological breakthrough, having the ability to learn from experience, adapting and evolving in the process.  Through the course of the film, Theodore begins a relationship with the Samantha A.I., causing a rift within his circle of friends.

It's not your typical romantic comedy, and I feel that's why I loved this film so much.  You spend the film watching Theodore fail in real-life relationships, but succeed in his relationship with Samantha.  You desire for them to be together by the end of the film, and despite it's alternative nature, it never feels weird.  Phoenix plays the lovable loser so well that you can't help but want the best for him.  The supporting cast of Amy Adams and Chris Pratt provide essential commentary on the central relationship, speaking for the audience on several occasions, but Theodore and Samantha's partnership is the film's key message.

As well as impressive performances, the film's style of design blew me away in it's subtlety.  The fashion of the future is recognisable, and yet retro; the technology is advanced, and yet accessible.  I found it so intriguing and obviously cared for.  I just loved everything about it.  Especially it's views on our over-dependence and obsession with technology.

I have recommended her to friends and had very different reactions to it.  Some have appreciated it, some found it depressing, some have been impressed and some have hated it.  Whilst I feel like it is my favourite, I understand it isn't for everyone.  But I still think you should give it a go, because you never know, you might love it as much as I do.

Until next time folks, thanks for reading!

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