I thought I’d do a
quick review round-up of all the films I’ve seen lately.
This is the End
James Franco, Seth
Rogan, Jonas Hill and Danny McBride all play themselves in this
self-depreciating, outrageously funny comedy about the end of days. The funniest scene is where the earthquake
first hits and a load of celebrities fall into a hole with magma at the bottom
- I honestly was laughing so much it hurt my stomach and I couldn’t breathe. It is quite crude the humour and probably a ‘lads’
movie in certain respects but it’s a comedy first and foremost, and has
probably overtaken Airplane as my all-time favourite. 8/10
Captain Phillips
This is a gripping thriller
telling the real-life story of the Maersk Alabama that was hijacked by Somali
pirates. As ever, Tom Hanks gives a
flawless performance but the most incredible part for me was just watching how
the Somalis, with a tiny boat and a rusty ladder, managed to get on board the
huge cargo ship. It’s a really good
film. 8/10
American Hustle
I’d read a lot about
this film before watching it and particularly the amount of awards it was
nominated for. Therefore, I found
myself actually disappointed in the film because it is quite dull, long-winded
and flat. I appreciated the rock-steady
acting of Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, as well as a
few comical moments, but on the whole it falls short of a truly outstanding
film. 6/10
The Purge
I like Ethan Hawke,
mainly his cool name I guess, but he’s the best thing about the film. I like the concept, that one day of the year
everyone is legally allowed to commit crime, but the film was just a bit
boring. The plot twist at the end was
all too easy to see because it was overly hinted at in the early scenes. With a great concept like this, the film
should have been set in an open-world following the nightly mayhem around the
city. There are too many horror films
where the victims are stuck inside a house while the killers try to get
in. 4/10
Riddick
I had never watched
Pitch Black back in the day but this reboot I really enjoyed. The visuals were stunning and the landscape
of the alien planet, and the terrifying creatures on it were impressive. Vin Diesel nails the role, and there was a
healthy amount of gore, cheesy lines and violence to satisfy my action needs. 7/10
World War Z
Note: don’t watch this
on a plane with headphones in and the screen only a foot in front of you. The last time I jumped from shock like I did
with this movie was watching 28 Days Later.
I really enjoyed this film, I liked the fact it focused on Brad Pitt
trying to track down why the outbreak started rather than fighting the zombies,
because nearly all of the time he is fleeing against overwhelming odds of
masses of zombie hordes. I thought it was
a good ending and I’m looking forward to the sequel. 8/10
Fast and Furious 6
I’m a little behind
with this one, but thought I’d mention it.
I love the Fast and Furious franchise, ever since number one (with the
exception of Tokyo Drift). I think it’s
what cinema is made for and what I’m quite happy to depart my ten pound with
for a ticket. It’s pure action,
adventure, cheese, and over-the-top sequences which requires no mental effort
to watch – perfect for escapism. Now,
this 6th installment was the most insane of all of them featuring a runway
the length of Africa and nonsensical jumps from cars leaving everyone
unscathed. But, it’s a good movie and I’m
looking forward to number seven. 7/10
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On a musical note, I’ve
been listening to Absolution by Muse a lot recently. Honestly one of the best albums ever made and
not one track you skip, which is so rare these days because there are always at
least a few rubbish songs on every album.
