tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20337039447880748392024-02-07T21:34:35.062+00:00Chris' Movie BlogMy guide to most of the new cinema releases.
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Easy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.comBlogger294125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-75343417816547866732017-02-02T09:45:00.000+00:002017-02-02T09:45:44.754+00:00302, T2 Trainspotting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><u>After a 3 year break </u></b>its time to re-launch the blog and what better way than going full circle to one of the movies that first made me really appreciate cinema as a medium of story telling unlike no other and T2 completely solidifies my love for the art.<br />
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T2 takes place 20 years after the original movie ended and before the full opening credits you get a quick run down of events for Renton, Sick-Boy, Begbie and Spud all following immediately on from Renton's betrayal with the £20k he stole after the drug deal that ended the first movie. <br />
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No spoilers from me on this bit but its good to see how each have dealt with the fallout of that night. <br />
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Its hard to not speak highly of the way the 2nd movie seemingly brings the audience straight back into the fray and even if you haven't seen Trainspotting for 20 years - the way the movies connect make it easy to recall events and well placed flashbacks further assist in remembering the story links for each character as you literally re-live the original movie step by step. You HAVE to watch the original to fully enjoy T2 - so much of the nostalgia will be lost if you go into this cold and seeing as C4 / Film4 have been playing it quite regularly right no - there's no excuse.<br />
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Having watched all of the lead cast mature in different roles over the years it was amazing how easily they all fell back into character. McGregor was immediately Renton all over again - the accents (not too hard I suppose) but the look, the clothing - very much a mirror image of his younger self however for me, having watched Elementary for a few years - seeing Johnny Lee-Miller revert back into Simon with the hair - the accent - the general charismatic approach (even with James Bond references still present) was brilliant. <br />
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One of my favourite scenes was the pair of them having a boozy time reminiscing about the 90's - all to the total confusion of Sick-Boys 'friend' Veronica who just laughs along at the boyish charm and bromance being rediscovered by the long time friends after such a long break.<br />
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There are a lot of references that go back even further than the original - you hear how Renton and Begbie met, how Sick-Boy and Renton saved up for their first hit and how other characters not in the main group have also developed such as Mikey Forrester, Diane and Renton's Dad.<br />
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For me, it was all about the history - there is a great scene where (old) Spud finds himself back on the road from the original opening titles (the chase where Renton hits the car and laughs) and has a moment of reminisce as a very subtle, slowed down version of 'Lust for Life' kicks in - albeit cut short but for the real nostalgia you have to wait until the very last scene!<br />
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This was a beautiful movie - one filled with flashbacks and in my mind, every single story line opened in the original gets complete closure which is totally satisfying and as a duo of films, these two compliment each other like salt and pepper. I couldn't think of a better way to close a 20 year story who, for a 20 year old at the time - and a 40 year old now, completely appreciate as not only a change in the times but also as a tale of maturity. It was my coming of age movie, one that I connected with and to see it finally finished was awesome.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-53538955079090185852014-01-20T21:49:00.000+00:002014-01-20T21:49:35.180+00:00293, Thor: The Dark World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For those of you who haven't kept up with the with the recent spat of Avengers, Iron Man, Thor movies and feel you need to get back in the loop, Thor 2 takes place chronologically after the Avengers movie - albeit 1 to 2 years later.<br />
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I too was wondering why after such a gap our blond hero didn't even bother letting his earth girlfriend know he was back in town, leaving local news bulletins to break it too her but luckily they were quickly answered with a slap to the face within the first 10 minutes of meeting up and a very speedy "you're forgiven" but I suppose the lure of a handsome God knocking on your door is enough not to warrant breaking up over!<br />
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Well, there is no doubt that Thor is back with a bang and offering his girlfriend a free trip to Asgard I'm sure was a highpoint in any love stricken woman so when she is possessed and a new (albeit ancient) enemy of Dark Elves rise up against humanity and threaten existence, Thor has to once more bring the Thunder as he did in Avengers to defeat evil once and for all.<br />
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Obviously this blog is coming out quite a while after Thor 2 hit the cinemas back in October (but even the best of us need a break!) and in all honesty - the entire plot line is now a bleary pre-Xmas blur however I do recall London getting mostly annihilated, Christopher Ecclestone playing a blinder as Dark Elf Malekith and Tom Hiddleston reprising his fallen Loki role, this time - forced into helping those he previously tried to destroy all for the greater good - enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that.<br />
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I am confident that the visual spectacle of Thor 2 will amuse the most hardcore Marvel fan base as and with most of the characters and relationships already in place - it doesn't take too long for familiar faces to reignite on the big screen.<br />
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As a Marvel fan myself I wont ever slam a Stan Lee inspired movie and seeing that most of my Christmas Stocking comprised of Marvel goodies - who am I to judge?<br />
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Oscar winner it isn't - but its damn good fun regardless!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-84305354127831915632013-11-17T18:02:00.001+00:002013-11-17T18:02:22.535+00:00292, Ender's Game<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is another of the movies that crept up silently, without a single trailer or clue what it was about before I came to watch it. I literally knew that Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley headed up a pretty slick cast list about a space age generation, locked in battle with an alien race.<br />
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After coming close to extension - the bravely on one warrior, Mazer Rackham (Kingsley) gave his life to save the human race. 50 years on - and expecting a retaliation attack, Colonel Graff (Ford) is heading up an elite force of teenage warriors - leading the way with game strategy and computer based warfare intelligence to create a 'remote controlled' army - set to destroy the enemy race - The Formecs.<br />
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Don't get me wrong - its not all kids in-front of TV screens - there is some actual training and one-on- one combat between the trainee troops but its the skills of youngster Ender Wiggin, played by Asa Butterfield that catches the Colonel's eye and Ender is quickly promoted through the ranks to officer training and with his own battalion of like minded youths.<br />
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The final training scenario sees a now hardened and strategically advanced Ender take on Bonzo - leader of the Salamanders and as such - promoted to lead (albeit remotely) the potential attack on the Formecs.<br />
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I wont go into to many details about the end of the movie as there's a cheeky twist that see's Ender and his troops come to realise exactly the situation he's advanced himself to with devastating effects however on the whole, this was a new twist on an old story and one that was well acted and well received.<br />
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Ford & Kingsley head up the cast in roles that I wouldn't have guessed either would be interested in. Maybe Ford is getting used to begin back in space ahead of his (rumoured) Star Wars return in Episode VII, due 2015. <br />
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The special effects were standard to any other space / alien movie but you have to award this one to the kids, with the exception of Bonzo, who just sadly came across as annoying. Ender, Petra, Bean & Alai all seemed to revel in their roles and under the leadership of Ford and Kingsley made this movie a nice little surprise that was a definite one to watch on the run into the Christmas blockbuster season.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-82905351011918822262013-11-10T20:24:00.000+00:002013-11-10T20:24:56.225+00:00291, Escape Plan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Those who have read this blog from Day 1 will know my love of 80's Action heroes. Stallone, Arnie and the like and with Expendables 1 & 2, my childhood memories of huge explosions & 1 man armies was easily realised which meant that although being on a smaller scale - two of my all time favourite action stars teaming up for an intelligent 'prison break' styled movie was one I couldn't wait to see.<br />
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Sly plays Ray Breslin - the leading authority on private security and the type of guy who gets locked up (under cover) in some of the worlds toughest prisons, just to break out of them.<br />
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Breslin is seduced by the thought of topping his career by breaking out of the worlds toughest prison - location unknown, no safe words - a real lock down, but it soon becomes apparent that this ruse to get Breslin locked down is a set up and with no way out he has no choice but to defeat the most secure facility on earth - along with its own private army of guards.<br />
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Whilst inside he teams up with another aged but respected inmate (Arnie) who he manages to bring on-side with a promise of freedom if he helps Breslin crack the security protocols. The guards (which include Vinnie Jones) are led by softly spoken Hobbes (Jim Caviezel) who although controlled and well mannered, shows an almost sadistic nature in his hold over the inmates and rules his prison with an iron fist.<br />
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The movie does plod along quite nicely and as with the Expendables - there are plenty of old age pranks between them both and a far more realistic and less 'gun-ho' approach to battle than their previous solo lone wolf outings. <br />
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Caviezel is a new favourite of mine after the watching him in the brilliant TV show - Person of Interest and he is the perfect choice for this role however Vinnie Jones as the right hand 'hard-man' did seem to lower the tone ever so slightly - sorry Vinnie! <br />
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On the flips side however - Sly's own team on the outside consist of Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson - who is actually entirely watchable and very impressive as the I.T brains of the business Breslin runs. A far cry from the expected 'Gangsta' persona and one he'd do well to reprise if given the chance. <br />
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The plot is cleverly thought out and delivered smoothly - the thought behind the prison itself, once identified is a brilliantly perceived the escape plan itself - helped by a secret Arnie is hiding throughout the movie, only realised right at the end is a welcomed unexpected twist.<br />
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If you love your action heroes then it doesn't come bigger than these two but there's as much clever escapology and logic as there is fisticuffs and that makes for a believable and realistic movie that should go down well with fans of the overpowering twosome.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-18220116116180067072013-11-10T19:30:00.000+00:002013-11-10T19:30:06.840+00:00290, Captain Phillips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jKy1iNY2MX42rnagrgX2bKAkxIoo2vHdeTOn1MRPgx5UuIsAMkIP8FVQQET3eJsJ3r82Ltx7Hs10-vAZqmYHo9N2BeQaC3DFLxQ-Arid8s-0a3yFRWg80JqAvPZxNJm7SWxLeQ9fHk0/s1600/philips+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jKy1iNY2MX42rnagrgX2bKAkxIoo2vHdeTOn1MRPgx5UuIsAMkIP8FVQQET3eJsJ3r82Ltx7Hs10-vAZqmYHo9N2BeQaC3DFLxQ-Arid8s-0a3yFRWg80JqAvPZxNJm7SWxLeQ9fHk0/s1600/philips+1.png" /></a>Captain Phillips charts the true story of Richard Phillips, Captain of the U.S flagged MV Maersk Alabama who was hijacked by Somali Pirates, the first American Cargo vessel hijacked in over 200 years.</div>
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Hanks plays Phillips in what most are saying is the role of his life and I for one have to agree. The sheer scale of this film is firstly spectacular. The opening scenes show Hanks preparing for the voyage, going through the motions of standard preparation and the journey to the airport where he meets up with his vessel & within 20 minutes we are on board and on the seas with a vigilant Philips questioning the pirate security measures, seemingly overlooked by a quite despondent crew.<br />
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Only after noticing a few small blips on the radar do the crew actually start to realise the potential danger they are in and in a brilliant first assault - the brave crew manage to fend of the Somali's - hell bent on securing the vessel for ransom.<br />
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Its Phillips leadership that manages to turn a handful of 'union' deck hands - initially stating they didn't sign up for heroism duty to man up and after a more successful 2nd attack - the ship is boarded and Philips taken captive while his crew hide out in the depths of the ship.<br />
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The movie is fast paced and punchy and only half of is it aboard the Cargo ship - the final half takes place on a tiny lifeboat - launched clear of the Maersk after the crew tactically overthrown the pirates but with a fear for his life - Philips ends up aboard the escape vessel with some quite panicked but committed pirates - led fantastically by Muse (Barkhad Abdi).<br />
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What goes down between the Pirates, Phillips and the US Navy is simply awe inspiring - edge of the seat stuff that sees one of the most dramatic ends to a movie I feel you will see all year. Hopefully - this story is well known so no need for spoilers but the final scenes of the movie - with Hanks in the medical bay are some of the most moving moments you will ever see on film and will bring a tear to the hardest of eyes.<br />
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Best film of the year? Well, Hanks certainly once more proves he is the stuff of legends and the 2hrs 14 minutes fly by in what seems less than 90. The overall scale of this movie is fantastically mastered by director Paul Greengrass and if Hanks isn't given the best actor nod then I'd be very surprised - but who knows what else is to be released state side between now and the Academy getting together.<br />
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I cant fault this film in any way. A true thriller with everyone turning in a fantastic performance and Hanks - the centre piece of my favourite film all year.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-23295130357544117442013-10-27T19:49:00.003+00:002013-10-27T19:49:55.682+00:00289, Blue Jasmine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sadly - I've never really been a Woody Allen fan. I know this will probably cause uproar from some of my readers but I'm just not.<br />
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I understand the man stands close to genius when it comes to previous movies and his work is highly regarded by many but I find them a little slow and meaningless. Whimsical romantic stories with stunning and notable casts but just aimed at an entirely different audience that that of myself.<br />
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So - when I sat down to Blue Jasmine and having no actual clue what it was about my heart sank when I saw it was written and directed by the man above.<br />
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This movie is a 50/50 mix between present day and flashbacks of a life led by Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) having to rebuild her life after hubby Hal (Alec Baldwin) is outed as a fraud and subsequently banged up. <br />
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Now homeless and seeking refuge from her far less wealthy sister who she's ignored for years to the point of actually losing them a lottery fortune when she advised her sister and hubby to invest in a hotel of Hal's that went 'unexpectedly' under but refusing to take any blame - Jasmine plods through life supposedly unaware of her wandering hubby and his dodgy dealings and their life together makes up half the story with the other half coming to terms with having to work and find new love.<br />
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Basically - that's covered it. Jasmine's fear of being alone and not looked after means she falsifies her life story to impress new weatlhy suitors in a bid to gain back her 'Gucci' lifestyle, to the point of even convincing her sister she can do far better than new beau - who she paired up with after the hubby left as a result of the lottery loss.<br />
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On the whole - Jasmine comes across as a deluded wannabee - expecting everything to be handed to her without lifting a finger to help anyone and by the time the movie ends - she gets her just desserts.<br />
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That's it for this blog - Woody Allen fans will love it I'm sure but sadly, I'm not one of them.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-87358410435477117992013-10-27T19:29:00.003+00:002013-10-27T19:29:43.385+00:00288, Filth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I wasn't entirely sure what to expect with this new movie starring James McAvoy. <br />
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The trailer plays out like a fast paced hallucinogen - bouncing from scene to scene in seconds and portraying an 80's themed Trainspotting revival (after all - it is written by the same Author - Irvine Welsh) but what you end up with is something completely unique.<br />
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McAvoy stars as Bruce Robertson, a drinking, drug taking dirty cop who starts the movie dreaming of promotion but pitted against a handful of other officers in his department needs to make sure he does what's needed to secure the much sought after job. You're also introduced to Robertson's wife Carole, although she's only seen in apparent dream sequences and sultry seductive images - and never with Bruce - instantly opening up the question of is she alive or not?<br />
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If ever a movie was hard to explain on paper then this is truly it! Although I loved the film - being able to come away and write about it proved extremely difficult as I've never seen anything like it before. Its rude, crude, funny, explicit, weird, confusing, sickening and in some elements, sexy but when I found it difficult to actually place the movie in any kind of time frame i.e 80's dial phones paired with flat screen TV's, Cars with 'S' reg plates but suits and sideburns from the 60's I felt it was in a limbo on genres, making it even more confusing but enthralling at the same time.<br />
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McAvoy spends the whole movie dealing with his tortured past and misdirected future. The story of his wife plays throughout and culminates with an amazing twist that I worked out about 15 minutes before it made apparent. McAvoy's betrayal of everyone he knows - from his colleagues (that include Jamie Bell) to sleeping with another's officers wife, causing conflict amongst the ranks in a bid to secure his own promotional successes and his 'Freemasons' connections and apparent best pal Bladesey (Eddie Marsdon) who he not only bullies constantly but also makes a play on his wife but in a far darker sense of the word.<br />
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Then there is the Jim Broadbent character who as the shrink, comes across in an almost freakish capacity with hallucination's playing a massive part as a result of all the drugs.<br />
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Then there is the violence, sex and language that accompany the dirty cop side of the movie and a disturbing scene involving a 15 years old girl and McAvoy's relentless disregard to for decency.<br />
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There is so much more to this movie that would take me hours to write down but basically - its everything the trailer promises it to be with an unexpected ending that does eventually tug on the heartstrings.<br />
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To sum up - with everything said and done (to the best of my ability) I totally loved this movie. Completely unique & totally questionable in every way I promise you wont have seen anything like it before and wont do for a while to come.<br />
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If you want a movie that will most definitely take you way outside your own comfort zone - then Filth is for you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-39468312486324622512013-10-27T19:00:00.003+00:002013-10-27T19:00:42.057+00:00287, Runner Runner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa-8FNZviFjhw137faGfU75W_2bI0cKjSopEqdyixUu2kI1-_SDmwHlUZJBSU5ju5Lbut75Djip3CDclNQI0PzVZ8Um8C9TfGaMJ2jQlPbA52rWTn_lSvbEFemfeY8b1DilRlQhjgEds/s1600/runner+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa-8FNZviFjhw137faGfU75W_2bI0cKjSopEqdyixUu2kI1-_SDmwHlUZJBSU5ju5Lbut75Djip3CDclNQI0PzVZ8Um8C9TfGaMJ2jQlPbA52rWTn_lSvbEFemfeY8b1DilRlQhjgEds/s1600/runner+1.jpg" /></a>Runner Runner is a quirky little no brainer that sees University student Richie Furst (Justin Timberlake) as a broke student - desperate to get through to graduation but with funds causing a problem - and the Dean looking to bring an abrupt halt to his dodgy casino referral business on campus he has no choice but to gamble his remaining few thousand dollars on a bid to secure enough cash to finish his degree.</div>
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With a flair for numbers - Furst is confused when his early winning streak on a certain on-line gambling blackjack site takes a turn for the worst and after being outplayed at every hand - decides to look a bit deeper into the website, only to discover a fix in the program - cheating him out of his college fund.<br />
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In a weird plan to seek out the site's owner and resident multi millionaire Ivan Block (Ben Affleck), residing in Cuba and basically ask for his money back, Furst (after discovering the supposed 'bug' in the software) ends up being offered a 7 figure salary to work with Block as the local numbers guru and cash runner between Block and the authorities that allow him to keep his under the table operation running but wanting to have his cake and eat it - Block has his own plan to swindle the local authorities and make off to another non extradition country, leaving Furst as the fall guy for the whole operation.<br />
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Affleck and Timberlake are just standard in this movie although the supporting cast of Gemma Arterton as Block's right hand lady and object of Timerlake's desires Rebecca Shafran and the FBI lead agent on the Block case, Agent Shavers (Anthony Mackie) do manage to shine. <br />
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I'm not sure if I was just expecting more from the two male leads but this movie just comes across as a time filler. A quick pay check for those involved as they all gear up for bigger and better things over the next few years.<br />
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This film does have a lot of good things about it though - Arterton for one just keeps getting better and better and as expected - dazzles on the glamour front, furthering her own career I'm sure in the process, as well as breaking even more hearts along the way.<br />
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The story is fast paced and punchy and Timberlakes character is soon faced with the imminent threat of danger - forcing him to make his own plans to ensure he's not left holding the baby when it all goes tits up!<br />
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The only thing I have an issue with in this movie was the ending, which is sad as it takes the entire pace out of the film. Block - an international gambling entrepreneur and general Mr Nasty just seemingly appears to give up in a very much - "Oh blast, you got me" scene that you expect so much more from and it just doesn't come.<br />
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That aside - getting there was fun enough so lets forgive the lame finale. On the whole, an enjoyable and unexpected film that crept up on me with no real prior knowledge and one I'd recommend if you're after a no brainer, light hearted thriller with a few smiles along the way.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-11473795287856858632013-10-27T17:59:00.004+00:002013-10-27T17:59:58.527+00:00286, Prisoners<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Prisoners is the chilling story of two young girls who go missing after walking between their two houses literally within 100 yards of each other during Thanksgiving in a leafy American town.<br />
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The families, celebrating at the time believe all is well, knowing the neighbours, living so close and once reality kicks in that they've potentially been abducted you can feel the panic set in and the movie plays out with a real conflict between two types of parents - those who want to let the authorities do their job and those who want to take matters into their own hands.<br />
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Hugh Jackman plays the latter - Keller and once the police quickly arrest a potential suspect who was seen lurking around at the time it doesn't take long for the story to unravel but with a lack of evidence and no sign of the girls he's released on bail - something Jackman protests greatly and deciding to take matters into his own hands, seeks to imprison the oddly behaved and seemingly guilty suspect Alex (played by Paul Dano) much to the disbelief of best friend and other parent Franklin Birch - played by Terrence Howard.<br />
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The involvement of Jake Gyllenhaaal as Detective Loki is a fantastic casting as the overworked and seemingly lonely officer assigned to the case and his determination to help the families sees him having to question if Keller's involvement is one step too far, in a way - making the victim a suspect in his own right.<br />
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This movie will leave most who watch it on a knife edge between what you would do for your kids and what's right in the name of the law. The difference of opinion between the two families seemingly covers every base and with an immediate suspect in the frame - means there is no real guesswork as to who the guilty party (or parties) are although with that said, they have still managed to throw in a fantastic twist at the end that you wont see coming.<br />
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The sleepy and dismal setting of this movie does make for a visual dud in my opinion but the story doesn't really give way for light and cheerful scenarios and although the story is captivating - wanting the audience to make sure the girls do make it out alive it does seem to drag on somewhat.<br />
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There is no hidden agenda with this movie. Its a moral standing on what's right and what's wrong, surrounding a potentially hideous crime that would make all parents sick to their stomach. Your heart goes out to the families in this and although I wont give away the ending - you make your own mind up if Keller's or Loki's / Birch approach is one that you would take.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-8751836293370657872013-10-27T17:10:00.002+00:002013-10-27T17:10:28.772+00:00285, Rush<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have never claimed to be 'sporty' in any way shape or form and in some ways, the same can be said of cinema (apart from movies based on American football). Historically - sports films normally fall at the first hurdle. <br />
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However - take an old school rivalry from the 70's & super fast cars that defied most current safety laws and you have the stunningly exciting sport of Formula 1, bought magnificently to the big screen by Director Ron Howard, who charts the epic on (and off track) battle between James Hunt and Niki Lauda in the 1976 Championship. A Championship that saw Hunt win his one and only title and that saw Lauda a victim in a horrific fire - but still battled through to a final race showdown.<br />
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'Senna' started it all off with the documentary on probably one of the greatest drivers ever but it was just that - a Documentary - this is a movie - and what a movie!<br />
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I don't even believe you have to like or indeed know anything about F1 to enjoy this film. Howard has captivated the essence of the drama and action seamlessly with fantastic cars, great settings and what seems like real footage cut in amongst the 70's TV visuals of the races as they happened.<br />
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For those who don't know the story - James Hunt is the playboy racer, Lauda - his more reserved, professional nemesis and in the early races easily wiping the floor with Hunt until a crash and fire that sees him carried out of his car and for most, completely written off for the season - sadly the victim of terrible burns still seen to this day.<br />
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In Lauda's absence - Hunt 'wow's' the crowds - clawing back points from the absent Niki and its these wins that spur Lauda to recover and get back in the car for the finale - that actually sees him retire from the final race that could secure him the title had it not been for terrible weather conditions.<br />
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Hunt - with victory in his sights wins the race and takes his only title - something that he claims was through skill but in hindsight - something he would never achieved had Lauda remained competitive for the whole season (but you try telling Hunt that!)<br />
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Its the characters of this film that make it a winner - superbly portrayed by Thor himself Chris Hemsworth and his racing counterpart Daniel Bruhl as Lauda. Their on and off track rivalry shows Hunt as the womanising, drinking party boy and Lauda as the reserved professional, with a fantastic final scene at an airstrip with Lauda questioning why Hunt wasn't testing and preparing for the following season, one Lauda went onto win himself and Hunt's response "I'm just enjoying being the Champ - you should try it" something Lauda went onto do 3 times in his career and one that Hunt never managed again.<br />
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At the Indian Grand Prix this weekend, Lauda was on camera saying he loved the film - a fantastic portrayal and something he was proud of, wishing Hunt had been alive to see it and that's good enough for me.<br />
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Being born in 1976 to a dad to loved F1, I too watched these races from as early as I can remember (and still do to tis day) but this year is one I wish I'd been able to see with my own eyes - stunning, adrenaline filled bravery and determination, something that just wont ever happen again with the Health & Safety and Rules and Regulations of today's quite tame comparison but I'm sure the drivers of today would state its even tougher out there now.<br />
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Having this movie made seems to have captured the essence of the 1976 season and I'm glad it was as good as it is. If Niki Lauda approves - who am I to judge?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-84534500871389944772013-09-20T21:49:00.003+01:002013-09-20T21:49:21.036+01:00284, White House Down<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You would be easily forgiven for thinking that Hollywood have gone MAD! "Hang on - haven't I just seen this movie" I hear you all cry? but panic not - We've seen this before, quite a few times.<br />
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White House Down isn't the only movie that's easily comparable with another recent release (in this instance, Olympus has Fallen). The other notable doubles are Liberty Stands Still (Phone Booth?), Day and Knight (The Killers?) and Oblivion (Moon?). All have extremely similar plot lines and each released over an easily comparable time frame and I'm sure there are many more that I've missed so seeing as these two have both been blogged by me, which stands out as the 'must see?'<br />
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Well for me. Olympus has Fallen is the better movie and I'll explain why. <br />
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The North Koreans bringing 'Shock and Awe' back to Washington by pounding down the White House font door with nothing but big brass balls and epic force far outweighs the sneaky 'bomb in a bin' technique orchestrated by the Presidents own trusted allies (no spoiler alert - its obvious who's in charge from the first 5 minutes) used in White House Down.<br />
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I know - before you all moan - the Bomb was in the Capital Building but its what started the events and although far more believable - just lacked that big screen presence of its predecessor.<br />
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Then there is the cast, Tatum and Foxx are by far the bigger of the Hollywood players right now and I'm guessing more of a draw than comparable portrayals by Gerard Butler (Secret Service) and Aaron Eckhart (President) but that's what made Olympus so awesome - you weren't drawn into ego's which I feel you are with this newer rendition.<br />
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White House Down shows a wannabe Secret Service agent (Tatum) dreaming of getting the big gig and after failing the interview, ends up taking his daughter on a tour of the White House when it all kicks off. After they end up separated, he seeks her out and after managing to rescue the President along the way realises his dream job is happening right now and with his family at risk as well as the safety of his boss, has to kick ass to save the day - single handed.<br />
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The stand out performance in this though isn't from Tatum or Foxx but Tatum's fantastic political geek of a daughter, Emily (played by the ever so cute Joey King) who's sheer belief in the Presidency and all it stands for give her balls of solid brass when squaring off with some pretty vicious terrorist, although funnily enough, one is played by StreetDance 2 star Ash / Falk Hentschel, but no pirouettes or jazz splits on show here! and he's not in the least bit scary.<br />
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The rousing finale which involves a limo chase across the White House lawn and a geeky President managing to lose a Rocket Launcher doesn't hold a candle to the bravery of Emily and her sheer determination - even after getting a proper whack from lead baddie Jason Clarke (Stenz) to raise the Presidential flag just as the bombers are set to obliterate the White House is close to tear jerking for the most hardened action nuts among you but other than the last 25 minutes - Olympus has Fallen wins the Action fest hands down.<br />
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Tatum is just a little bit too methodical and Foxx tries to offset his lack of hardness (he's more a number cruncher than warrior) with comedy and sadly fails. Even the choice of the Presidential Nike Air's? when making a quick change just took it one step too far for me.<br />
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There is plenty of Bruce Willis style Die Hard 'vests' on show for the Channing Tatum fans but if you want true, non stop action that impresses on every level then the Gerard Butler version if far better, (Even though the Emily / Flag scene is one of the most moving things I've seen on screen this year).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-84767961983432373822013-09-20T20:57:00.005+01:002013-09-20T20:57:54.438+01:00283, Riddick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnURKeU8A9vaUMQK5v4w491IplQmc7ycHbFX7O8hJ4qSjopw2cHSgdH2MIRF_G5baECx6VprUgnsyGxEsOV8YgzrIhdXkFXExZUPbie1yKIKZxbIbDyd4hVEnlmIpZ6hWrG_zlIBe8Zo/s1600/riddick+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnURKeU8A9vaUMQK5v4w491IplQmc7ycHbFX7O8hJ4qSjopw2cHSgdH2MIRF_G5baECx6VprUgnsyGxEsOV8YgzrIhdXkFXExZUPbie1yKIKZxbIbDyd4hVEnlmIpZ6hWrG_zlIBe8Zo/s1600/riddick+1.jpg" /></a></div>
This is the third outing for Vin Diesel's apocalyptic styled character Riddick, who always seems to end up abandoned on desolate planets, fighting to protect himself from creatures of the night, helped only by his unique sense of survival, supreme fighting skills and an ability to see in the dark.<br />
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Maybe I should have paid closer attention to the other movies Pitch Black (2000) and Chronicles of Riddick (2004) as well as a TV movie?? & games of the same name but sadly I didn't, so when this third outing started offering flash backs I had no idea if they related to any previous movie and as such - was totally lost for about the first 30 minutes of this film. Sorry! <br />
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So - possibly offending the 'Die Hard' Riddick fans out there I'm going to casually skip to where I managed to gain focus which is when Riddick activates an outpost beacon, knowingly drawing two ships of bounty hunters to his destination to chase his well sought after bounty and assuming they want his head - sees this as the only way off of this abandoned and horrific planet and has to either win their trust, or defeat them trying!<br />
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This wont be the longest blog every written as the movie really does just plod along aimlessly. Funnily enough I'm going to compare this to Predator (Schwarzenegger - 1987) and bear with me but you'll see why in a moment...<br />
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You can easily tell who's going to get picked off next and seeing the cast include one female (she'll obviously survive) a number of goofy ex marines (they'll die) and Batista from the W.W.E (who manages to hold them off a little longer, but also dies) you quickly realise that in all honesty - its just a space aged version of the Arnie classic, but with worse acting! (Predator had Jesse 'The Body' Ventura, also W.W.F - in its day) Comparable? you decide.<br />
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The saving grace is the monster effects - Riddick's the pet Hyena / alien dog (?) although weird is quite endearing but even that is drastically let down by the awful CGI of the 'Harley Davidson' styled hover bikes / speeders that in all honestly look like they have been superimposed on backdrops with blu-tac and being even more honest - with today's technology available, the 'Return of the Jedi' Speeder chase through the Ewok's Forrest moon of Endor (filmed 30 years ago) was far more believable! Shame on you!<br />
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Like I said, If I had paid more attention to the earlier movies then I may have a better word to say but don't get me wrong - I'm still loving the Diesel and Fast & Furious 7 (2014) and xXx: The Return of Xander Cage (2015?) are right at the top of my watch list.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-49007569225648217822013-09-20T20:23:00.001+01:002013-09-20T20:23:14.037+01:00282, We're The Millers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcbrKNbatPeArW-hgVaoNf0_QkJazz9uLKjJpDYwezOYTDk64c5MAUH0LUyKfa28tL78I95EemGEdJgceorG9FaZXBZ04iBObv7sW90sQmWcV3_3tyEOz9sBip04Zs3aZZFL-MSRw8-8/s1600/miller+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcbrKNbatPeArW-hgVaoNf0_QkJazz9uLKjJpDYwezOYTDk64c5MAUH0LUyKfa28tL78I95EemGEdJgceorG9FaZXBZ04iBObv7sW90sQmWcV3_3tyEOz9sBip04Zs3aZZFL-MSRw8-8/s1600/miller+1.jpg" /></a></div>
'We're The Millers' for me is one of the stand out laughter fests of 2013 so far. Not really sure what to expect, I was brilliantly surprised when what appeared to be a good old fashioned comedy road movie quickly turned into a well written and brilliantly thought our plot line with a fantastic cast.<br />
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Firstly - if you've seen this movie then you'll easily forgive me for getting straight to Jennifer Aniston. As in Horrible Bosses, this +40 year old still manages to <em>wow</em> a crowd by stripping off and in this she doesn't disappoint again! Lets just say she leaves most of the 20+ year old's trying to compete for leading roles standing and seeing as she's still 'got it' she's more than happy to flaunt it.<br />
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The rest of the cast are led by Drug Dealer David (Sudeikis) who after taking a dodgy deal to transport a bit of weed from Mexico to the U.S by totally over the top businessman (and prolific weed baron) Brad (Ed Helms) who has an Orca in his fish tank (amazing) decides to rope in a makeshift family to reduce suspicion by hauling the dope across border patrol in a bog standard R.V.<br />
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The family include the aforementioned Aniston as his fake wife, the brilliant Emma Roberts as Cathy, Daughter / homeless girl and the star of the show, Kenny (Will Poulter) as the obnoxious but innocent neighbours kid who after his mum disappears after a 3 day bender - tows along for the ride.<br />
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Poulter is the stand out star of this show, his Brit innocence shines through in this against the hardened yanks and after his initially annoying role in The Narnia movie, really comes into his own in this. Also - it cant go unnoticed that although weird (as on the outside its his Mom and his Sister) he gets to mosh lips with Aniston & Roberts as they teach him how to kiss, 'passionately' and taking it in turns the young actor certainly get the 'Lad' nod from me, as well as envy from all the male cinema occupants - albeit in the story the hilarity of getting caught supposedly French kissing his Mum & Sister (with his Dad watching) to the unaware is comedy genius!<br />
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When the 'tad' of weed turns into a few tonnes - the epic road movie and journey home becomes one of the funniest things I have seen since the toilet scenes in Bridesmaids and the fake family group have to actually stand together to get through it, something that warms the heart at the end when the final scenes are made clear and all will admit - it all works out in the end - for everyone!<br />
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The Shark / Orca hunt in the fish tank is an immediate & unexpected addition that you'd never guess and although only a few seconds long - it fantastically conceived and that matched with Aniston having to 'prove' she's a stripper really tick all the boxes that go towards making a good film great.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DoBcnLURePqJtLS5gfrvWXxwDiulL3CTl6mfMWlLpIwjz_RWRieCKzkQ1tedi6NmP5IN_J3gpKFZRuIl8X2jm6EjV0EpvVDT3-eaa_e1pSe4bigOLqP-W_R5nI93UJbQXZwHg7_7vvk/s1600/Miller+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DoBcnLURePqJtLS5gfrvWXxwDiulL3CTl6mfMWlLpIwjz_RWRieCKzkQ1tedi6NmP5IN_J3gpKFZRuIl8X2jm6EjV0EpvVDT3-eaa_e1pSe4bigOLqP-W_R5nI93UJbQXZwHg7_7vvk/s1600/Miller+6.jpg" /></a></div>
I'd recommend this to anyone who likes a good old belly laugh and for those like me who got annoyed with Poulter's portrayal of Eustace in 'The Dawn Treader' will see a naive comedy genius in the making.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-54816829943278882082013-09-13T20:30:00.004+01:002013-09-13T20:30:58.506+01:00281, Pain & Gain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyza1VNnrJgfy0671B6-PNkUiJMQxpoXvm1yfy3EkIlHtF_XVSqYnhBKOdjk2EN4o81HDqqpecOSwG-7a2dKf8h0MDoucZ8ZxjpGZSTHYukuB5feK9pbihtss5QXkIvIGd-AvYijssIk/s1600/pain+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyza1VNnrJgfy0671B6-PNkUiJMQxpoXvm1yfy3EkIlHtF_XVSqYnhBKOdjk2EN4o81HDqqpecOSwG-7a2dKf8h0MDoucZ8ZxjpGZSTHYukuB5feK9pbihtss5QXkIvIGd-AvYijssIk/s1600/pain+1.jpg" /></a>From the trailers, this movie looked to me like an absolute hysterical riot. Then you realise it's actually based on a <em>true</em> story and wonder that if that's the case - how funny can the kidnapping, torture and extortion of a businessman really be?</div>
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Well - the easy answer is about 3 minutes of funny. The Trailer.<br />
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Sadly, if you are expecting a fun filled party with Wahlberg, The "Rock" Johnson & Anthony Mackie bowling around as three goofy body builders trying to make a quick buck then like me - you'll be in for a shock. <br />
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The comedy moments are all in the cinema trailer with the initial fancy dressed kidnap attempt including a Samurai and Green Ninja mixed with The Rock's loss of his big toe are two of the stand out laugh out loud moments but what's left is easily described as quite a violent and brutal portrayal of how three guys played the criminal system for about a year resulting in life sentences for two of them and a number of murders along the way.<br />
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Dwayne Johnson is by far the stand out casting for this movie. His character is the ex drug addict / re-born Christian who once the money rolls in quickly picks up his old habits making himself an obvious weak link in the secretive chain but he will have you in stitches doing everything from barbecuing corpses hands in front of Police to wearing a Crockett styled Miami Vice suit and getting ink bombed with a secure cash bag stolen from the high street.<br />
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Wahlberg is the brains of the operation, albeit completely botched from the start and Mackie's relationship with the brilliant Rebel Wilson will have you weeping with laughter into your popcorn. Things start to get serious when retired Detective Ed Harris gets involved with the claims of criminal activity and as soon as someone with half a brain gets involved - the crew are taken down almost instantly.<br />
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No need for spoilers here as this was a well publicised case in the USA with one of the trio already out of prison, the other two facing death row for their actions and a few more who didn't make it through their sentences.<br />
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Its hard to question 'real life' movies as its only going to be as captivating as the actual events and it was nice to see the mug shots of the real criminals at the end which does bring a large element of realism to the whole movie but if I could hand on heart say that I got what I was expecting when I watched this film then I'd be lying.<br />
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If 'dramatisations' of real life crime stories are your thing then you'll love it. I did enjoy it but only after reality kicked in that this wasn't just a straight forward comedy gangster movie. If I'd known it had a violent plot, backing up the 'A List' cast then I would have gone in with a completely different frame of mind but now, looking back - its a real look at a hideous crime that took place not too many years ago and with that in mind (& considering one of them is now out of prison). It was great :)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-60803460287087748842013-09-13T19:43:00.000+01:002013-09-13T19:43:15.476+01:00280, Elysium<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicTizH3Ijqoim6xBaPM31tDiBungpfrq6WgOnB81BBlRtQZiP1GLkXm4Lb9l3hOk5-SbcgOSC1XhErp2EC3QLzjmZcaFfjGzXHmyQBE2g3kzFIjlfl835WIAmG2QJwx3fZzy2erJz1UCs/s1600/elysium+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicTizH3Ijqoim6xBaPM31tDiBungpfrq6WgOnB81BBlRtQZiP1GLkXm4Lb9l3hOk5-SbcgOSC1XhErp2EC3QLzjmZcaFfjGzXHmyQBE2g3kzFIjlfl835WIAmG2QJwx3fZzy2erJz1UCs/s1600/elysium+1.png" /></a></div>
For those who saw and fell in love with the backdrops of Oblivion (Tom Cruise) then Elysium looked set to take it to another level. <br />
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A diseased and ecologically ruined planet earth remains home for those who don't have the money to vacate its dying atmosphere and move to the ever hovering Elysium - a space station styled oasis that lets the rich and affluent live in perfect bliss with not only a fantastic climate and living quarters, but a disease free existence thanks to the help of some pretty impressive machinery that are capable of ridding cancerous cells and other ailments including everything from the common cold to broken bones.<br />
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Matt Damon is brilliantly cast as a normal working citizen who after a radioactive work accident is literally being given days to live with his only hope of survival being a healing booth on Elysium and without the acceptance of a citizen, faces certain death.<br />
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In a make or break dash to save his life he falls in with a group of rebels who have the means to convert him into a citizen but having to hijack a ship and break through the heightened security of Elysium, headed up by the ever sincere Jodie Foster proves no mean feat and once there - realises he has the chance to change the Elysium source code to make every human on earth an Elysium citizen and finally bring peace, harmony and most importantly - perfect health to a dying race.<br />
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What a story! I totally loved this movie. The special effects are second to none, even with today's high standards and the casting is epic from every character listed. Damon and Foster head it up but there are plenty of easily recognisable faces including the fantastic Sharlto Copley (Murdock / A-Team) who is almost unrecognisable as battered but devastatingly destructive Hitman, Kruger.<br />
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I don't want to give too much away regarding the plot but its one of those movies where you get a funny feeling someone is going to have to suffer for the greater good but as the movie pans out you end up wondering if its as straight forward as initially thought.<br />
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If Sci-Fi movie are your thing then this is definitely one to watch. The Spaceships, Weaponry, Medi-Vac Doctors and most importantly Damon's exo-skeleton suit are fantastically designed and brilliantly conceived which makes for a cracking side story into Damon's own issues on a physical level as one as a medical and mental one.<br />
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I think many of you will find it hard to fault this one. Yes, there will be comparisons to almost every futuristic movie made in the last 5 years which will include Dredd, Oblivion, Total Recall etc but this one really does shine in comparison and I urge you all to see it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-39334103582759820842013-09-03T20:19:00.005+01:002013-09-03T20:19:48.417+01:00279, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAGFRVPnoN8DjtdmYt7jCXE6f7yQV0Z1f8Qk1c1UEuiPmyd59PHaRhUzrZetcSfwQwgu28dPWB2kh175ciD-1Q8Hrtoe9JXtgURckqbVQJne4OFyQgnTVEuAL0TB99DhZDJlGuQ5R-a4/s1600/bones+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAGFRVPnoN8DjtdmYt7jCXE6f7yQV0Z1f8Qk1c1UEuiPmyd59PHaRhUzrZetcSfwQwgu28dPWB2kh175ciD-1Q8Hrtoe9JXtgURckqbVQJne4OFyQgnTVEuAL0TB99DhZDJlGuQ5R-a4/s1600/bones+1.jpg" /></a>Its about time another Teen Fiction Fantasy made it onto our screen after the success of Harry Potter & Twilight (not for me you understand!) but for all those lost kids needing a new focus on life. Luckily, the Author of the Immortal instruments saga really listed and paid attention to what's already proved popular as this movie has a little bit of everything, let me explain.</div>
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Its got Werewolves, Vampires, Magic, Hidden Castles, Warriors, Demons and much much more. The story is quite simple. After seeing a murder take place in a club that apparently is lost on everyone else, Clara (Lily Collins) discovers she is the most recent descendant in a long line of Shadow Hunters (defenders of a dark realm) and after the disappearance of her mother realises its time to take on her own destiny as she joins a band of warriors takes with keeping the demons at bay.<br />
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Its a great idea and one that is executed brilliantly. As you've most probably guessed - I haven't read the books but it didn't matter. I heard it on pretty good authority from a 'reader' that in all honesty, the movie is a really good adaptation. All of the basic requirements are covered and it quickly gets into the 'who's who' of the storyline. Clara heads the pack, with her 'bestie' Simon (Robert Sheehan) playing the besotted puppy following her every move, albeit nicely. They team up with the Warriors - Jace, Isabelle & Alec played by relative unknowns but all of them brilliant.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhcfOfo7alYjx5AupBOoFi_DDuwvDVPtgArlgF4nXOFrc0Cr6DPwpUt-yKqBlKF_lh1rly0vimqSWFISq9SMfdoq-cK0arF49Xv9_KtAPAaYFaGxeAeV4_n5L4KrikFm4Zx7ulDqd2Ug/s1600/bones+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhcfOfo7alYjx5AupBOoFi_DDuwvDVPtgArlgF4nXOFrc0Cr6DPwpUt-yKqBlKF_lh1rly0vimqSWFISq9SMfdoq-cK0arF49Xv9_KtAPAaYFaGxeAeV4_n5L4KrikFm4Zx7ulDqd2Ug/s1600/bones+2.jpg" /></a>The bad guys are led by the ever impressive Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Valentine) who's right hand man Pangborn (Kevin Durand) reprises a role similar to the one he plays in 'I Am Number Four', just without the teeth! There are plenty of others characters but to name them all would wipe out the rest of this blog!</div>
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What I loved about this movie is it takes the best bit of all the preceding franchises seen over the past 10 years, drops the pointless parts and focuses on all the good stuff. Its got all the magic and captivation of the Potter films mixed seamlessly with a Twilight styled (and albeit brief) love story that soon comes to a crashing irreversible halt (you'll see). The Vampires are more like Zombies than sweet an innocent 'day walkers' and the Werewolves proper 'Hulk' out when needed. <br />
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The Demons are quite startling, taking form from everything from the sweet old next door neighbour to a snarling Rottweiler. These are brilliantly hidden from the outside 'mortal' world leaving the Warriors to wherever possible deal their destruction in the shadows.<br />
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Lily Collins is fantastic and the 2nd part is already in pre-production for a 2014 release date so hopefully, we will get one of these a year to see the saga through and with each book taking a different direction I am hoping for a good run of films, each improving as they go. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgff4EgqA-af_UaIORcQri2L6oRNBWw0FAyOKF9aeJR_c5pOiLBzC9pTah5S-0yHbAdSk9TeKStZ5ycaRzdCetqwLCdA4vJQhRU2GVdIv8YF2sa03B4LWeurXr9d1UF8bVTcgDejQoDtnk/s1600/bones+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgff4EgqA-af_UaIORcQri2L6oRNBWw0FAyOKF9aeJR_c5pOiLBzC9pTah5S-0yHbAdSk9TeKStZ5ycaRzdCetqwLCdA4vJQhRU2GVdIv8YF2sa03B4LWeurXr9d1UF8bVTcgDejQoDtnk/s1600/bones+4.jpg" /></a>To be honest - I was expecting a lame Twilight rip off but this takes out all the fluff and really gets down to a cracking story line with more violence than you'd expect and a great twist that flattens any kind of romance before it really gets going, Who wants romance in a Vampire / Werewolf / Demon / Warrior movie any way?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-60586439094497276102013-08-25T19:24:00.002+01:002013-08-25T19:24:35.842+01:00278, 2 Guns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8OKYMFH9CulZvEmnCfiJOJwSofu-3AGEufiACP1XDOGIA8Mk_s5yaHIBrMvn9O0gZxIBi4E5-Afn2EXZs6OXGLdgKdjd6FCMR4aA9LFotod-RRwZzYx_S8P9iliKp5Ee86WHXiD1QRs/s1600/guns+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8OKYMFH9CulZvEmnCfiJOJwSofu-3AGEufiACP1XDOGIA8Mk_s5yaHIBrMvn9O0gZxIBi4E5-Afn2EXZs6OXGLdgKdjd6FCMR4aA9LFotod-RRwZzYx_S8P9iliKp5Ee86WHXiD1QRs/s320/guns+1.jpg" width="202" /></a>Any movie starring Denzel and 'Marky' Mark Wahlberg for me has to be a winner. The sheer on-screen presence of Washington, paired with the humorous quips expected from Wahlberg make 2 Guns an exiting and action packed thrill ride that everyone will enjoy.</div>
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The movie opens almost immediately prior to the Bank Robbery the plot is focused around, only then jumping back a week for a back story to bring you up to speed. Initially, both look like hardened Bank Robbers but slowly as the story unfolds you find out that one is DEA, the other Naval Intelligence and unbeknown to each other - believe the other to be an actual criminal.<br />
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When it turns out that the expected $3m haul is nearer to $40m, suspicions between the two grow as to they have ripped off and why and when each of their own sides turns on them - they only have each other to fall back on and find out who the money belongs too and why they are being framed.<br />
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The double act of Washington and Wahlberg is fantastic. There plenty of one-liners as well as edge of the seat action scenes and the pair just bounce off each other brilliantly. Denzel is by far the more aware, sincere of the two allowing for Wahlberg to play the more jovial of the pair and over the course of the movie you can see a real bond grown between the two that just wasn't there in the early stages. <br />
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I thought the remainder of the cast was also fab. Bill Paxton's over the top ruthless as CIA agent Earl and Bobby Trench's (Washington) girlfriend / colleague Deb (Paula Patton) play great supporting roles and you'll see X-Man Cyclops (James Marsden) play a but of a baddie too which was a nice change to his normal clean cut image.<br />
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But if I was to sum this movie up, in my mind this ones all about Wahlberg. He will have you in fits of giggles and does the best in mixing comedy with fast paced action. From placing a fart in a car boot to the cheeky winks bestowed upon all the pretty ladies he comes across, This for me adds another great movie to his CV and makes me want to see Pain & Gain even more than I already do!<br />
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The action is slick, car chases are brutal and Denzel shows off a bit of that hard man image seen in Training Day and Safe House which he plays on so well. Both brilliant in their own roles but if you want to see a little piece of movie magic - then make sure 2 Guns is on your watch list.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-80571630188150246782013-08-17T14:39:00.000+01:002013-08-17T14:39:15.124+01:00277, Grown Ups 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wq_ovO4KKrrLIJCUbXTaDaErbM-_ywFeIDKDdzzgHr22Hzl3qfNS9q-3ilS7oSyRR4jODGdO-UQGUOnUTS4movROiCqw1lXQIXe5eAEF5ccFL9O0tkQjG7gx_jG7Ywga8NJmzO7mgxk/s1600/grown+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wq_ovO4KKrrLIJCUbXTaDaErbM-_ywFeIDKDdzzgHr22Hzl3qfNS9q-3ilS7oSyRR4jODGdO-UQGUOnUTS4movROiCqw1lXQIXe5eAEF5ccFL9O0tkQjG7gx_jG7Ywga8NJmzO7mgxk/s1600/grown+1.jpg" /></a></div>
I have to admit that looking back - Grown Ups (Part 1) did have me in momentary fits of giggles and I suppose with the sequel I was hoping for more of the same. Unfortunately - in this it seems they've tried too hard to cram as many one liners as they can into the early scenes and as such - I just felt the first 20 minutes was entirely cringe worthy.<br />
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The story basically kicks off about a year after the first movie - Lenny Feder (Sandler) and his family have moved back to his home town to raise his kids the old fashioned American way. Sadly, there is no real point to this film other than our 4 Grown Ups (Rob Schneider is absent) acting up again and after a run in with a College Frat pack end up having to prove their 'machoism' to them as well as face off with their own childhood bullies, resulting in an 80's party at the Faders that ends up in a Grown up vs. College brawl in the back yard.<br />
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There are few sub plots along the way, the arrival of Higgins (David Spade) unknown and wayward son, Faders & Mckenzies (Chris Rock) own brood experimenting with 'College girls' and Lamonsoff's (Kevin James) continued 'mummy's boy' lifestyle he cant yet walk away from.<br />
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All the wife's are back as is the regular 'Sandler' movie appearance for Allen Covert but the best two additions to the cast are Faders own old school bully, Cavanaugh (Played by WWE star 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin) and older brother to Fugly Mob member Malcolm, Officer Fluzoo, played by the enormous NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal. In my mind - the best two parts in the whole movie.<br />
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The third notable addition is frat leader Andy, played by Taylor Lautner who's only redeeming feature in this movie is his impressive arsenal of martial arts roundhouse kicks and his side kick - TV 'Heroes' star Milo Ventimiglia is even worse.<br />
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Unbeknown to me at the time - the whole Sandler brood (wife & kids Jackie, Sadie & Sunny) appear as the Tardio family and the original 'opposition' team are all back too - with the brilliant Steve Buscemi reprising his role as the over nerdy but totally awesome Wiley.<br />
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I'm focusing so much on the cast here as the movie is totally shocking. There are a few visual gags that may make some of you chuckle but on the whole - it appeared over stereotyped, badly scripted and pointless.<br />
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The 'wife's' do make up for it however to an extent with Salma Hayek dazzling on screen as she always does and with specific focus in this on her ample talent(s) I am sure that most of the bored male audience will have at least <em>two</em> things they can focus on. <br />
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The highlight in this for me was guessing all of the 80's party costumes - everyone is accounted for from Hulk Hogan to Debbie Gibson and with Sandler's under whelming jeans and t-shirt (Springsteen style) its again the ladies (and Kevin James's Meatloaf) that get the 80's nods from me. <br />
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Other than that - the stand out costumes sit with both token black guys coming in the same purple velvet 'Prince' outfits, Steve Austin as the Terminator (with Robert Palmer girlfriend in tow) and Lamonsoff's 'Bean' as one of ZZ-Top that get the most giggles.<br />
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To sum up - if slap-stick visual gags are your thing and you think Sandler should be awarded for an Oscar every year for best performance in a comedy role then this is definitely a movie for you. Sadly, As I don't fit into that category I will make it my aim not to spend time at the cinema again watching a Sandler flick - the stereotypical character niche he has carved for himself is old and tired and I've lost interest - if you haven't - knock yourself out.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-77914033464233703122013-08-17T13:22:00.001+01:002013-08-17T13:22:17.266+01:00276, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is the 2nd outing for our likable Demi-God who along with his band of intrepid forest dwelling heroes have to once again fight evil forces to ensure the safety of the earth - all without any mortals knowing what's actually going on.<br />
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This is the 2nd book in a series of 5? and as you'd expect by now - I haven't read any of them but as movies - I think they work really well. As with my write up of Red 2, being the sequel means you don't need any time at all explaining who everyone is - allowing for a far quicker take up with the plot and as before - I would highly recommend seeing the Lightening Thief before siting down to this one as not only are the heroes explained in full - but so are the baddies and although there is no inclusion of Hades in this outing - Luke (Jake Abel) is back to his evil best and a key adversary for our intrepid band of warriors.<br />
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The original cast are all back with the exception of Pierce Brosnan but his role as leader of the forest sanctuary is replaced by Stanley Tucci and Anthony Head and there are a few new demi-gods along the way, most notable is Clarisse, daughter of Ares (God of War) as a contender to Jackson's throne as Camp Hero and the brilliant Tyson - half brother to Jackson as the son of Poseidon and a Nymph! which results in Tyson being a Cyclops and initially loathed by many of his Camp mates due to history between the Cyclops race and some of the original residence of Camp Half Blood - don't panic - all will be explained.<br />
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This movie focuses around the location and capture of the fabled Golden Fleece needed to save the life of Talia's Tree that protects the Camps residence. Meanwhile - Luke is trying to capture it for his own gain, to use it to resurrect Kronos - Father of the Gods and wreak havoc on the world as we know it. Easy!<br />
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Although these are initially books for teens - the stories and characters are captivating and the ending of this is fantastic (***small spoiler alert***) opening up easily onto the potential 3rd instalment that sees Percy no longer as the only direct descendant of the famous three (Zeus, Poseidon & Hades) which puts into question a prophecy hanging over his own head.<br />
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The special effects for Tyson and the other Cyclops are great and seeing as no real introductions are needed for the existing cast, it gets straight into the action and the reprised roles for Percy, Annabeth & Grover are all brilliantly portrayed - moving on seamlessly from where they left off after the first instalment.<br />
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I couldn't really fault this movie at all - Sadly, I cant compare it to the original novels but as stand alone films, the first two have been well cast, well acted with captivating story lines and totally enjoyable so if you want something that will be enjoyed by parents and kids alike, you cant go far wrong with this one.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-20788284491500366242013-08-17T12:14:00.002+01:002013-08-17T12:14:18.280+01:00275, Red 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back in October 2010 (Blog 68, RED) I raved about the prequel to this instalment, stating it was a bit slow to get going but once the story actually picked up a bit of pace it was one hell of a movie well, for RED 2 they listened to me!<br />
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John Malkovich was by far the turning point of the first movie, hilarious on screen and was a well need injection of comedy from the quite mundane Willis and in this new offering - Malkovich is back to his witty best from the opening scene meaning that his movie doesn't need anytime at all to get up to speed - it starts well and truly in 6th gear!<br />
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Willis is still with his call centre girlfriend Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker) and although he is yearning after the simple retired life, Parker now has a taste from the action, far removed from her 'old' boring life and Malkovich's arrival prompts her to immediately air on the side of adventure and she laps up the new threat that sees Willis and Malkovich framed for an old undercover Op gone bad.<br />
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Now hunted by MI6 and most prominently, assassin sniper Helen Mirren (back in her original role) who of course - calls ahead to warn her old comrades of her new assignment and new super assassin Han Cho Bai (Byung-Hun Lee from G.I Joe fame) you have the recipe for a great action spy movie with laughs to boot.<br />
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For me - the best thing about sequels is you don't need to take any time introducing the audience to the original characters, allowing for a far quicker lead into the movie - of course there will be new faces, but they can be seamlessly fed in as required.<br />
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In this, Brian Cox is back albeit with the absence of Morgan Freeman but a great addition is the apparently senile, aged Professor Bailey (Anthony Hopkins) who is responsible for the original Op / weapons design and holed up in a mental ward, Willis and his band of merry men have to bust him out to get to the bottom of what they are accused of but things don't go entirely to plan!<br />
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The other nice extra is the role of Katja (Catherine Zeta-Jones) who plays the Russian spy and an ex girlfriend of Willis which goes down great with current squeeze Parker when it appears after all these years - Katja is still Frank's 'Kryptonite' and the banter between the two ladies is brilliant in its awkwardness.<br />
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No plot spoilers from me on this one. There are plenty of twists and turns that should keep you guessing and as with the first movie, everyone plays their parts to a tee - Mirren & Malkovich especially but as before - Willis just seemed to hold up me being to state that<em> everyone</em> was fantastic.<br />
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My recommendation - you will enjoy this movie far more if you've seen the first, purely because it explains how everyone came to be 'Retired - Extremely Dangerous' and also the meeting of Willis & Parker is key to understanding their relationship in the 2nd movie. If you manage to stay wake for the first 45 minutes of the first movie you will enjoy the rest and most importantly, Red 2 will be far more enjoyable for you.<br />
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Lots of Malkovich laughs, Willis Action and Mirren as the adorable Assassin - what could be better?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-2104441404135735592013-08-03T19:42:00.000+01:002013-08-03T19:42:30.347+01:00274, The Heat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Heat is a movie about a straight laced albeit un-liked FBI Agent Ashburn (Bullock) who ends up on a drugs case that takes her to Boston to meet the fiery & feisty Mullins (McCarthy) and from bitter beginnings these two have to forge a buddy buddy relationship to help each other through personal and family issues and come out the other side smiling. <br />
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As with most cop comedies like this there has to be a fall guy and McCarthy plays her role like an absolute dream. For most, her performance in Bridesmaids is the recognisable part that puts her top of the current funny female category and why not? It was an amazing role and this is a far meaner and grittier performance as the foul mouthed, fists first Mullins that will have all of you in fits of giggles at her dry and witty approach to bad-guys. <br />
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Bullock is the far more sincere FBI agent who although impressive with her arrest record is arrogant with it hence her lack of friends and McCarthy picks up on this and takes it upon her self to educate her in the street, as well as comedically in her love life too.<br />
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The two bounce off each other brilliantly and its not long before there getting along which is great considering that there is already The Heat 2 rumoured and I cant wait!<br />
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I loved this - the addition of wimpy Boston Chief of Police Woods, brilliantly cast as Thomas Wilson who everyone will recognise as Biff Tannen from Back to the Future is amazing and McCarthy's belittling of him at every turn heralds some of the movies funniest moments. <br />
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Then there is the surprisingly cast Marlon Wayans as Boston FBI Agent Levy who for once doesn't act the joker and actually stands up as a pretty decent actor in this considering his sketchy Scary Movie past.<br />
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There are sub-plots upon sub-plots with a dodgy family relationship for McCarthy and also the recluse lifestyle of Bullock which just adds depth and backbone to the plot and makes it more than just a comedy cop movie.<br />
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To be honest - a majority of the laughs all come from McCarthy and this in part is down to the language used, lets just say its not one for the kids but as in Bridesmaids, its McCarthy's delivery of fantastic lines that make this movie and the funny trailers are just the beginning - there is plenty more where they come from.<br />
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From the hilarious bar binge scene to the search for Wood's tiny girly balls, this movie ticks a whole load of boxes that should please action and comedy junkies alike and I cant remember a movie that had the cinema in fits of laugh out loud hysterics in a long time.<br />
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When all is said and done - I doubt there is anyone out there who wont find some form of enjoyment with this movie. Its well written, brilliantly cast and with Bullock's character taking a new post at the Boston FBI at the end of the movie, opens up brilliantly for a second outing.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-14981424446253268272013-08-02T20:42:00.001+01:002013-08-02T20:42:45.961+01:00273, The Wolverine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you include the un-credited 6 second cameo in X-Men: First Class then this is the 6th appearance from Hugh Jackman as Marvel's Wolverine in the past 13 years and he's not stopping yet as he's back again in 2014 in X-Men: Days of future Past (effectively Last Stand 2).<br />
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To get you quickly up to speed, this movie is a sequel to X-Men: Last Stand where after the death of Jean Grey, (Famke Janssen) Logan goes rogue and hides away from the world until he is tracked down by a man he helped survive Hiroshima in 1945 with the wish of setting him free from his curse and giving him back mortality.<br />
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However never with things as they seem, it turns out his old acquaintance has more than rekindling old friendships on his mind as new mutant 'Viper' ensures that The Wolverine becomes far more beatable than we've seen before and Logan has to face his own demons as well as initially unwillingly team up with mutant psychic Yukio to overcome this new adversary as well as retain his own powers.<br />
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Firstly - in my eyes, 6 outings is already 3 too many for a decent movie hero in these times and although we've seen a few characters make a 6th+ outing I just felt this movie was a bit overworked. <br />
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With Wolverines regeneration capabilities it was clear there would be endless open ended stories in his past to revisit and in its favour - the Samurai contingent and Asian connections do add another element to the movies we've not yet seen and I'm sure that die hard Marvel / Wolverine fans will love it regardless.<br />
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Jackman is as usual, on form and his visions of the now departed Jean Grey still haunt him with her wishing him to join him in the afterlife but its his relationship with Yukio that tugs on the heart strings, not romantically I may add as that's falls to another love interest but as a parental kinship its quite endearing to watch as it unravels on screen.<br />
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The fights are well choreographed but sadly, the 3D was a waste of time as I didn't actually notice anything over and above the ordinary so if you don't get 3D for free, don't bother however in comparison - the fight scene on the roof of the speeding bullet train is a movie highlight and had me on the edge of my seat. finally - how can I wrap this up without a mention to the star of the whole cast, the Audi R8 V10 Spider. Beautiful.<br />
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The next instalment mentioned above in 2014 being a sequel to First Class will again take us back in time rather than forward so Yukio will be missing but if Jackman gets a third solo outing I'm hoping she will be back and by his side. <br />
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Its a busy week at the cinema with The Heat, The Conjuring, Red 2, Smurfs 2, Only God Forgives, Percy Jackson & Alpha Papa all making appearances over the next 10 days so you've got plenty to choose from but if you like your Marvel action movies and have followed this since 2000 then its going to be a tough one to pass on so enjoy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-7475413708199836092013-07-25T20:13:00.000+01:002013-07-25T20:13:12.068+01:00272, The Frozen Ground<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In essence I was slightly bemused as to why this movie was quietly slipping under most peoples radar. It received little to no media advertising, I never saw a trailer for it at other movies and the release (at my cinema at least) of a once nightly (late) showing should have sent the alarm bells ringing.<br />
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But then, you see the plot and cast. Nicolas Cage and John Cusack playing Cop & Bad Guy, portraying the true events of Alaska's most notorious Serial Killer, Robert Hansen.<br />
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The story focuses on Cindy Paulson (Vanessa Hudgens) a lucky victim who although suffering the torture and horrific rape at the hands of Hansen (Cusack) manages to escape death by taking a chance dash for it while her captors back is turned. <br />
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Trying to blend back into society and a world of strip clubs, prostitution and drugs, Halcombe (Cage) tries to get her to tell her story and identify Hansen as the aggressor, saving other girls lives. Scared for her own safety, Paulson decides against getting involved until a chance meeting with Hansen sends her over the edge and with a few twists an turns along the way has to evade him all over again as he hunts her for a 2nd time but with more girls falling to the killers mercy, can Halcombe catch the bad guy in time?<br />
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Sounds good doesn't it? If it only it was. Firstly, being a true story your heart will go out to the people portrayed in this film - the sheer level of humiliation, torture and 'hunt' styled death in the wilderness the poor victims succumbed too will make you ensure you lock your doors at night and with a fantastic cast I really hoped the movie would honour the important tale it tells, but for me this wasn't the case.<br />
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It was shot quite dark, making it hard to make out most of what was going on and the introduction of Curtis '50 cent' Jackson as Paulsons pimp has to win the award for worst haircut ever and sadly, all it wanted to do for the first hour was make me want to fall asleep.<br />
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towards the end though as the trail closes in on Hansen it does get a little punchier but then its a simple arrest and capture with a confession that comes all too easily and then its over.<br />
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I cant fault the idea behind this movie, the cast that were chosen or indeed the overall story but for me, it just didn't transition over to the big screen. A fantastic serial drama over 2 or 3 episodes definitely but not a movie. <br />
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I may be wrong, this may be critically acclaimed and my negative response may be because it was late, I was tired and the air-cons wasn't on that made me sleepy but for now, until I see it either on TV or a non descriptive streaming app on my iPad, I'll have to go with my first thoughts. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-30298817891417617692013-07-21T18:30:00.001+01:002013-07-21T18:30:29.520+01:00271, The World's End<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Worlds End, starring Simon Pegg & Nick Frost (directed by Edgar Wright) makes up the third instalment of the affectionately titled 'Cornetto Trilogy' that sees this trio set out for the final time (?) after the previous two moves Shaun of the Dead & Hot Fuzz took audiences by storm. <br />
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In this most recent and non-related outing, 5 lads from New Haven (after graduation) in the early 90's set out to complete the Golden Mile, a 12 stint pub crawl ending at The Worlds End. Sadly, first time out they failed to reach then end and now 20 years on, Gary King (Pegg) sets out to rekindle the 'bro'mance of his former years, rally the troops and finally - finish what they couldn't all those years.<br />
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As for the story line its pretty solid and easily recognisable to anyone who grew up in leafy towns and villages. As with the other two movies, the focal point of a pub(s) is all important so this just takes it to another level although in this one, the 4 other attendees aren't initially as keen as Gary as they've all moved on with new lives and its only King that has remained well and truly in the past. There are deep back stories to each of the leading cast and their own reasons for deciding to tag along but on the whole - this movie mostly focuses on the relationship between King & Knightly and starts quite dark in comparison to other comedy roles they've completed.<br />
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Due to the nature of the other movies, I was hoping for side-splitting laughs almost from the outset but in all honest, for me - the laughs only started drip feeding through once the 5 of them were drunk and the sober part of the movie just looked like a cheap copy of a potentially good Simon Pegg movie.<br />
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For once, Nick Frost plays the straight guy (Andrew Knightley) in this movie in retrospect to PC Danny Butterman & Ed from the first two 'fall-guy' roles in the aforementioned trilogy and the remaining 3 pub crawlers are familiar faces Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan & Paddy Considine with the lovely Rosamund Pike as Freeman's sister and object of <em>most</em> of the groups desires!<br />
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The supporting cast in this for me actually outshone Pegg, although you have to give him credit for returning to a low(er) budget home-grown comedy since he landed on his feet in Hollywood with Start Trek & the recent Mission Impossible movies. <br />
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As I said, the laughs in this just didn't come as quickly as I hoped and I wasn't alone, the cinema barely chuckled along with the first 45 minutes of this until about pub number 5 and the beer was flowing freely and that coincided with the remaining plot of the movie - where they discover that the residents of New Haven have all (mostly) been taken over by Robots, comparable to Ken & Barbie dolls (detachable limbs) with blue blood. One thing however that I was impressed with were the numerous fight scenes - our seemingly 5 soft-lads did mash it up with the best of them when it came to the destruction of aliens and Frost stands out as a bit of a bar room brawler, as does Pegg, Considine & Freeman but sadly Marsan spends most of the time cowering in the loo's. Even Pike goes 2-on-1 against a pair of twins in the beer garden and comes out smiling. <br />
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So far then, Comedy - 0, Fight Scenes - 1<br />
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<strong>(If you don't want to know how it ends, skip the next paragraph) !!!Warning - spoiler alert!!!</strong></div>
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Sadly, I wasn't too enthralled with the ending - what starts out seeing Pegg & Frost square off one-on-one with the alien leader (voiced by Bill Nighy?) and then apparently win - results in the breakdown of a 'network' that is surprising holding the World as we know it together and with its destruction - wipes out the entire economic advancements we have ever made, effectively returning the planet to the dark ages............how's that a win?<br />
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Anyway - after the brilliant Shaun of the Dead & Hot fuzz this movie sadly didn't come close to being a worthy part of the Cornetto Trilogy and although die hard 'Spaced' fans would probably disagree with me, relishing everything that comes from the pen of Pegg I have to stand alone and say it just wasn't my kind of movie - drunken frolics in a pub, definitely but there just weren't the laughs I'd hoped for.<br />
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The next outing for Pegg & Frost together comes in the form of animated 2014 release The Boxtrolls, one for the kiddies so cant really judge but I hope the next movie that's 15+ from them gets me back on side with this legendary comedy duo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033703944788074839.post-18346452727986096852013-07-19T21:19:00.001+01:002013-07-19T21:19:09.647+01:00270, Monsters University<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It only took 12 years but the sequel / prequel to the much loved Monsters Inc. is finally here. <br />
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One of Pixar's most successful movies takes a jump back in time to track how Mike Wazowski (Crystal) & James P. Sullivan / Sully (Goodman) hooked up in the first place before coming the record breaking scare team that we were introduced too in 2001.<br />
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This movie kicks off early doors, getting introduced to a high school Mike, getting picked on etc as the 'little'un' in class but after a field trip to the scare room at Monsters Inc. and a close encounter behind one of the many 'child' doors that could have ended his young life, his heart becomes set on the only thing he wants to do with the rest of his life - head to M.U, study and become a world class scarer!<br />
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Now grown up, Mike enrols in the scare program where he meets Sully, the last in a long line of Scaring legends, The Sullivan's. Convinced he can 'get by' just showing up & confident that you cant 'teach' scary he mocks the nerdy, bookworm approach from Mike and the two soon become rivals in class until a mistake from them both sees them kicked out the class and the only way to graduate is to win the Scare Games - an annual event that separates the Men from the Monsters. <br />
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Our duo enrol in a fraternity of miss-fits called the Oozma Kappa's to bulk out their team but sadly, this hopeless bunch of cuddly odd-balls have more chance winning baking competition than the scariest games of all - its going to take real cunning, planning and teamwork plus a little bit of luck to pull this one off.<br />
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The cast are as they were 12 years ago. Crystal & Goodman reprise their roles with ease and new additions of Helen Mirren, Steve Buscemi Alfred Molina and a host of others pick up a number of lovable characters, all complimenting the main two really well.<br />
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For me, the laugh out loud moments didn't come that quickly (sadly) and the only bits I found funny were when I was laughing at the mishaps of the Oozma's, now that was some comedy gold.<br />
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I am confident that your youngest will love this movie, even though the first outing was released before they were born but shame on you if you haven't got the DVD stashed somewhere in the back of the cabinet. <br />
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Even though in comparison - 12 years of technology has left things looking pretty similar and standard in today's competitive animated market to what they did in 2001, the nostalgia of the aforementioned movie is still there and as before - you'll fall in love (again) with Mike & Sully but this time - their team mates are even more likable.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10871971146820160895noreply@blogger.com0