Film Review: The Greatest Showman

Film Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2

Image credit: fansided.com

If you loved Guardians of the Galaxy, you will definitely love the second volume!

Film Review: Split

Film Review: Gods of Egypt

Image credit: flickeringmyth.com

After watching the trailer for Gods of Egypt, I thought it looked like an epic film that I really needed to watch. The film follows the battle between two powerful Gods, Set and Horus, for the throne of Egypt.

Film Review: Zootopia

Image credit: comingsoon.net

Film Review: Daddy's Home

Image credit: collider.com

So, when I first saw the advert for Daddy's home I thought to myself "now that's a film I'd like to watch" because I think it looked very funny, and also because Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg star in it. So, that can't be a bad combination, right?

Film Review: Deadpool

Image credit: t1.gstatic.com

Film Review: The Transporter Refueled

Image credit: screenrant.com

The Transporter Refueled (2015) is the fourth film in The Transporter film franchise and it is the first one without Jason Statham playing lead role as Frank Martin. Instead, we have Ed Skrein playing the lead role, and I was quite surprised by how much I actually enjoyed this film because it must have been hard for Skrein knowing he had to fill the shoes of the previous actor.

So, the plot of this film follows Frank as he ends up escorting four young women around as they are looking for revenge against their former employer, a sinister Russian kingpin. Frank takes the contract from former prostitute Anna, who along with her accomplices, steals from a bank and kidnaps Frank Senior in order for him to comply with carrying on with their mission for revenge. During the film, Anna and her accomplices begin to rob the friends of the Russian Kingpin, Karasov, in order to frame his friends against him. And of course, throughout there are scenes of epic fighting as you'd expect from a Transporter film.

I tried to watch this film without comparing Skrein to Statham because I know I love Statham in The Transporter films and it would be unfair to completely write the film off because of this. However, Skrein seemed to have the rough British accent down, and as I was watching it I almost forgot there are previous Transporter films. So, with this in mind I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and when asked what I thought about it afterwards I seemed to keep saying "it's not bad, actually". So, if you are a little unsure of watching it because Statham isn't in it, like I was, then I'd say to give it a chance and you'll probably be surprised!

I would rate this film 7 out of 10. Have you seen this film yet, and what did you think?

Film Review: Southpaw

Image credit: http://t2.gstatic.com

Southpaw (2015) stars Jake Gyllenhaal in the leading role as a light heavyweight boxer Billy Hope. After losing his wife (Rachel McAdams) Billy turns to retired boxer and trainer Tick Wills (Forest Whitaker) to turn his life around and get his young daughter back from child protection services.

Billy's wife Maureen accidentally gets shot following a brawl with a new up-and-coming boxer named Miguel Escobar. After this, Billy goes on a downward spiral abusing alcohol and drugs, and then his young daughter Leila is taken away from him and put into child protection services. Upon this incident, Billy decides to turn his life around and get his daughter back, and seeks help in the form of Tick who later begins to train him. Finally, Billy has the chance to fight Miguel for the chance to win the light heavyweight title, in which he succeeds, and then is reunited with Leila after the match.

It is well and truly an emotionally-fueled film, as we follow Billy's ups and downs after the death of his wife, and losing his daughter to child protection services. I did not expect myself to feel so emotional as I watched it, and it only led me to "believe in Hope" even more as I wanted him to get his life back on track. The tagline for this film is certainly well suited! Also, the film has an excellent soundtrack, executive produced by Eminem, and features some real adrenaline pumping tracks whilst we see some fantastic boxing scenes.

I would certainly recommend a watch to anyone, and would rate this film 8 out of 10.
I was surprised by this film because I actually really enjoyed it! Have you seen this film yet, and what did you think?

The films I'm excited for in 2016 - Part 1

Hey guys!

I have decided to split my "films I'm excited for in 2016" post into a quarterly series that I will do throughout the year because there are just so many films coming out in 2016, and you would probably forget by the time it gets to that date. So, this post will be about the films coming out in 2016 from January to March, and I must note that of course there are many films coming out this year, but these are just the ones that I am personally excited for. So here goes...

My Favourite Christmas Films!

What I love most of all about Christmas is getting to watch lots of Christmas films all snuggled under a blanket nice and cosy because they always have a happy ending. So, I thought I would create a list of my favourite Christmas films to share with you all, and so maybe you can watch them if you haven't already!

Film Review: Victor Frankenstein (2015)

Image credit: www.afrofresh.com

The new film Victor Frankenstein re-tells the story of an old classic about a radical scientist (Frankenstein) and his surgeon partner (Igor) who ultimately create a monster as a result of experimenting between life and death.
I thought the film followed the story of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein very well, but I feel as though every re-telling of the story will be the same for every film, because you can't dramatically change any events from a classic story book. So, I left the cinema feeling like this was just an average film and did not have a lot to say about it really because if you know the story of Frankenstein, then this film is pretty much going to be the same story line.

Also, I was not quite so sure about Daniel Radcliffe's acting as Igor Strausman, as I just found it strange to see him play this sort of character and could not make my mind up whether I liked it or not. However, I did think James McAvoy played Victor Frankenstein quite well, and he even had me giggling at some of his insane and radical moments that is typical of his character.

Next, the special effects of this film were really good, and even quite gruesome especially in regards to the experiments that the partners were performing in order to create their monster in the end. In my opinion, this film is a good modern day re-telling of the classic book with up-to-date special effects, but did not really have the 'wow' factor. However, my opinion cold be a little harsh as I have already mentioned you can't really do a lot more if you're re-telling the same story as others have done before.

I know that there are many mixed reviews about this film, but I do not think it was that bad so I will rate this film 6.5 out of 10.

Have you seen this film yet, and what did you think?

Film Review: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part Two

Image credit: http://zrockr.com

First of all, I haven't read the books to this series (although I really wish I did before I watched any of the films), but I have been a fan since The Hunger Games films franchise began.
I was so excited to watch 'part two' of Mockingjay, especially after how the first part ended. But, I must admit I was left a little disappointed when I left the cinema because I thought there was going to be more of a 'BANG' when it ended, but it seemed to reflect a fairy tale, as in it was too "happily ever after" for my liking, but I am aware that is entirely my opinion.

However, I am also glad that I could see how the rest of Mockingjay unfolded, and what was going to happen to the rest of the characters, and it answered some of my questions such as; was Peeta going to be alright? What will happen to Snow? What was Katniss going to do?

The special effects and graphics were great (I didn't expect any less) and I was given a fright by some awful looking monsters in the film - I was not expecting that. As I mentioned, normally I would have liked to have read the books first so I could also compare them to the film, so I am a little sorry I cannot do that in this case. Nevertheless, I liked the film and I thought it was pretty good, but I suppose my expectations got the better of me, and the year-long wait must have left me a little disappointed when I finally got to see it. Also, I could add that I was a little tired and watched it on a later showing, so that could also be my reasoning for how I felt when I left the cinema.

All in all, it was a good film, especially a good and happy ending to such a huge film franchise. I would rate this film 7 out of 10.

Have you seen Mockingjay Part Two yet, and what did you think?

Film Review: Terminator Genisys

Photo credit: www.theterminatorfans.com

It took me a while, but I finally got around to watching the new Terminator: Genisys film, and it is safe to say that I was actually impressed. When I heard they were adding another film onto the Terminator franchise I was a little skeptical at first because this would be the fifth film in the franchise, and sometimes this can go either way in terms of good and bad. Although, when I found out that Emilia Clarke would be playing as Sarah Connor in this film I was actually a little more excited to see it because I am a massive fan of Game of Thrones, a series in which she stars.

First of all, I thought the graphics were incredible, and the special effects were a lot better than the first Terminator films (as you would imagine). This film is full of explosive action with guns and brutal fight scenes, a real signature with the Terminator franchise. At the beginning of the film I was a little confused as I was lost trying to get my head around what was actually going on. But once I figured out that this Terminator was based along a fractured timeline everything fell into place, and I began to enjoy the film even more.

I think Clarke did a really good job of the portrayal of Sarah Connor's character and really got behind the emotional side of her character, but she was also kick-ass when it came to the action scenes. I think Arnold Schwarzenegger fit straight back into his role as the Terminator brilliantly, and I even found some scenes very humorous, particularly at the beginning when he was trying to smile. Most of all, I loved that the director explored the deeper connection between Sarah Connor and the Terminator, and I thought the fact that Connor had nicknamed him "pops" was the sweetest thing. Because of this connection, the scene near the end had me holding my breath as it was very emotional (trying not to spoil it here). Also, I think Jai Courtney's portrayal of John Connor was brilliant, and he brought a great masculine energy towards the character. Of course, he looked pretty good in all the fight scenes too (I may be a little biased here).

I would definitely recommend a watch to anyone, especially if you are a fan of the Terminator franchise. Of course, I still prefer the first film and Judgement Day, but this comes a close third and is still a very enjoyable watch. I think I will be watching this film again in the near future, and I hope I enjoy it just as much as the first time I saw it.

I would rate this film 3 out of 5.
Have you seen this film and what are your views?

Film Review: Maggie

Photo credit: thingstodo.austin360.com

First of all, quite a few people had told me how great they thought this film was, and how they had seen it multiple times which was what made me inclined to watch this film in the first place. So, the other night I decided to watch Maggie, but I hate to inform you that I actually fell asleep, and I had to finish this film in two sittings. Now this might tell you something about I felt about the film because I tend to love watching films and if they have my attention I don't normally fall asleep.

I thought the concept behind the film was pretty good, but I think it lacked a certain "umpf" because it was not that exciting to watch. It was a very dull film, shot with grey skies and no happy emotions. Arnold Schwarzenegger's character did not seem to speak much, although I did think his portrayal of his connection with his daughter (played by Abigail Breslin) was very good. Next, Breslin's character was infected with a virus that would eventually turn her into a zombie, and she acted some very good scenes where the virus had begun to take effect, and I was certainly left wide-eyed during the scene with the fox (if you know, you know).

So, generally I have no specific complaints with the actors in the film, as I think they portrayed the story line brilliantly, and definitely made you feel the connection between the characters. I thought the special effects in Maggie were brilliant as well because I found Breslin's wound to be particularly gruesome, and her change looked very realistic. However, I stick by the fact that I just found it to be a little bit too boring, without any fiercely exciting scenes as you would expect in a zombie-related film. Also, the film was little too slow-moving which is probably why I fell asleep halfway through. I am not sure that I would be in a rush to watch Maggie again in the near future, but I would definitely recommend you to watch it and come up with your own opinion. I don't think you will be let down by the graphics and the story line, so that's a plus!

I would rate this film 2.5 out of 5.
Have you seen this film and what you do think of it?