WE'RE THE MILLERS - FILM REVIEW

 

We're The Millers is a comedy starring Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts, Will Poulter and Ed Helms.

 

When I first saw this film's trailer which played before I saw Grown Ups 2 {which still the thought of the title alone brings back so HAUNTING memories}, I thought the film looked very funny and looked entertaining.

 

Here is a simple breakdown of the film's plot {with very minor spoilers}. David Clark {Sudeikis} is a small time street drug dealer who deals marijuana and is fairly well known in his home town. One night, David is attacked and loses his entire stash of drugs and all the money he had accumulated through his line of 'work'. This obviously angers his boss, Brad {Helms}, and decides to proposition David. He tells him in order to redeem himself he has to cross the border to Mexico, pick up "a small amount" of drugs, and bring it back to the U.S. David reluctantly accepts, but soon realises doing this job alone would be near impossible, so he attempts to assemble 3 people to pass as his family so they can easily get through the border undetected. He enlists two people from his apartment block, a stripper called Rose {Anniston} and his neighbour 18 year old shy guy Kenny {Poulter}. He encounters his chosen 'daughter' Casey {Roberts} in one of the opening scenes as he sees the homeless young girl intimidated into giving her IPhone to some local thugs. So now we have our family, Father David, Mother Rose, Daughter Casey and Son Kenny, The Millers. What follows is a very enjoyable, funny comedy with plenty of one liners and crude humour, and I thoroughly enjoyed this film!

 

Jason Sudeikis was very funny as the father of this misfit and fake family, his comic timing is impeccable and his sarcasm is something I personally enjoyed. Emma Roberts, although not the most vocal of the cast, does have some good exchanges, especially with her 'brother' Kenny. Jennifer Anniston was great too, as she is mainly associated as being too nice as a person, in this film she wasn't afraid to be crude and swear now and again, which I enjoyed a lot and she has comedic chemistry with Sudeikis {also lets be honest, she isn't exactly bad to look at either!, just had to mention that..}.

 

But the cast member who in my opinion, and no doubt in many people's minds, STEALS the entire film was Will Poulter as Kenny. He was hilarious. He has a natural face for comedy { I obviously mean that in the nicest way possible}he has this innocent but docile look about him that before he even does or says anything you start to laugh. If you haven't seen the trailer for the film, you wont have seen his best parts so if you can help it please don't watch the trailer {and I'm aware I've put the trailer above but just incase you still want to see the trailer before you decide whether you want to go and see it}.

 

In many comedies I've seen this year, many of them have been truly awful. Many of them also have a segment where the film slows down, this film doesn't in my opinion. Yes, it allows story development in between the more comedic scenes, but even most of those are funny too so it doesn't take you out of the film.

 

We're The Millers has surprised me, very much so. Is it original? No, it is essentially another road trip family film, but it is a very funny road trip film. I did not expect, judging by the trailer, for it to be this good. I highly recommend We're The Millers, especially if you like the more crude and uncomfortable humour, which I personally do.

 

 

My Rating - 9/10

 

Positives - Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Anniston, Will Poulter, Emma Roberts, Ed Helms, {minor spoiler, the millers run into a very strange family in the middle of the film, they were hilarious and made for a few funny scenes}.

 

*Also a positive and many many men {and women} will agree, Jennifer Anniston as a stripper in a film, GENIUS!

 

Negatives - If you don't like crude humour you wont enjoy this film, it's very silly and rude at times but not to the extent Grown Ups 2 was where it got very childish, this is very much a comedy that is not taking itself too seriously. Also, it was a little bit long as just under 2 hours run time, but I mean the film itself felt long, however I still thought it was justified in it's length.

 

*MILD SPOILER/SUGGESTION*

 

Stay after the film ends for a couple of minutes as there is a Gag Reel. Out-takes montage at the end which is very funny especially the very last part!

 

 

Thanks again everyone for reading my review of We're The Millers and for reading my other reviews I appreciate it very much!

 

You can follow me on Twitter @MARRAMD, share this review on other blog sites, Google+1 this review, sign into Google+ to view any comments/feedback you may have!

 

Question of the day - We're The Millers or Grown Ups 2? Which did you enjoy most, and why?

 

Please feel free to share this review with your family and friends any extra views are appreciated.

 

Thanks again, take care and my next review will be for upcoming horror You're Next!

 



 

KICK ASS 2 - FILM REVIEW

 

 

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOLIERS TO NOT JUST KICK ASS 2, BUT TO KICK ASS 1.

 

Kick ass 2 is a sequel to the very popular Kick Ass, a comic book based action movie starring Chloe Moretz as 'Hit Girl' and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Kick Ass. Also featuring Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Red Mist {as he was in Kick Ass 1} and also Jim Carrey.

 

Following events that happened at the end of Kick Ass 1, Chris D'Amico {Red Mist}'s father was killed by Kick Ass. Vowing revenge, and following the death of his mother {which he is also directly responsible for}, he is determined to become the world's first Super Villain, and with his hilarious attire dons his new evil nickname, The Motherfucker. Meanwhile, Hit Girl, after the death of her father Big Daddy {Nicholas Cage} in the first film, is now at high school but everyday skips school to fight crime. After Kick Ass asks Hit Girl to train him to be as tough as she is, they embark on fighting crime together. However, following a number of events which make Mindy have to choose between her school life or her vigilante life, she vows never to be Hit Girl again, much to the upset of Kick Ass. No longer having Mindy by his side, Kick Ass sets out to find other ordinary citizens to form a superhero super group. This is where he finds a number of heroes, led by Colonel Stars 'n' Stripes {played by Jim Carrey} and they invite Kick Ass to join them in the group they call Justice Forever.

 

Meanwhile, The Motherfucker is also recruiting his army of evil super criminals to kill Kick Ass. This results in a huge power struggle of Good VS Evil, and I have to say it is quite an enjoyable film. Even if it isn't as good as the first film. There are other twists and turns the film takes but I won't spoil every part of the plot for you so don't worry.

 

So let me start first off by saying I didn't not enjoy the film, but I did feel it was not as good as the first film. This film was directed by a different person {Jeff Wadlow, who also wrote this film}, and it shows in my opinion.

 

So what DID work? Well as was evident in the first film, the action/fight scenes are awesome. Extremely well put together and look very 'real'. It still has some of the crazy, over the top blood effects from the first film and I personally was glad to see that, however there was an overuse of shaky cam style camera work going on which in a few scenes made it hard to concentrate on what actually was happening. Chloe Moretz was excellent as Mindy/Hit Girl, she in many ways is the main star of the Kick Ass films, and in my opinion outshines and over shadows Kick Ass in both films. Whilst this film centres more on Mindy and not Hit Girl, that element was still very interesting and added depth to her character and was more than just a teenager who fights crime. The same can be said of Kick Ass too, we see a more human character of David Lizewski and that also makes his character all the more interesting. As many of you know, I am a big fan of Jim Carrey's work and unsurprisingly he was great as Colonel Stars 'n' Stripes, he added a few good comic moments to the film and although {SPOILER ALERT} he is not in the film all that long, he is a memorable character and I enjoyed him in this role. Christopher Mintz-Plasse was brilliant as The Motherfucker. He was funny and menacing at the same time and had some very funny lines in the film. I think this next point could work as a positive and a negative, but this film felt a lot darker than the last film. In humour and in story telling, I enjoyed certain elements of that dark tone, however I felt it took away some of the fun that the first film had and I felt the first film was a lot funnier and had a lot more humour added into it.

 

So what didn't work? Like I mentioned earlier the shaky cam action scenes got annoying very fast. I understand that sometimes shaky cam makes the fighting look more realistic but it can make the viewer not fully see what is going on in the scene and that for me was a disappointment. As a Jim Carrey fan, although his appearance length is relevant to the progression of the story, I felt he could have been in a bit longer as he was very entertaining.

 

I understand this film was up against stiff opposition with the first film as Kick Ass 1 was a fan favourite and I thoroughly enjoyed the first film, and again, while I didn't hate the film in any way shape, or form, it just doesn't have the humour or the sheer excitement that the original had in my opinion. If you loved Kick Ass 1, then by all means go and see Kick Ass 2 and I'm sure you will enjoy it.

 

My Rating - 7/10

 

Positives - Hit Girl, Kick Ass, The Motherfucker, Colonel Stars 'n' Stripes, all members of Justice Forever and all the super villains, Fight Scenes very well choreographed, some good one-liners.

 

Negatives - Too much shaky cam for fight scenes, not as fun and funny as the first film, Jim Carrey's screen time not long enough as he was funniest part of the film IMO.

 

Don't get me wrong everyone, I thought it was a decent film, I just left the film underwhelmed and disappointed as it just isn't as good as the original in my opinion.

 

Thanks for reading this review everyone I appreciate every view I get and I hope this review was useful to you. If you like this review I have many others in the sidebar feel free to check them out!

 

Also you can +1 this review on Google+ {you must be a Google+ member to do so, that goes with commenting on reviews too}, you can follow me on Twitter @MARRAMD, share this review on other blog sites!

 

Question of the day - Kick Ass 1 or Scott Pilgrim - Which film did you like the most? Me, it would have to be Kick Ass 1 as I hated Scott Pilgrim!

 

Thanks again everyone take care and my next review will be uploaded soon I will let you know on Facebook as to what film that will be, take care :) 

 

GROWN UPS 2 - FILM REVIEW

 

Grown Ups 2 is a comedy starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, David Spade and Chris Rock. The film is a direct sequel to the first Grown Ups film which I thought was actually quite funny, was it hilarious? No. But it was entertaining for the most part, with a good and simple story and had a good heart to it. So here comes the sequel...is it as good as the first film?....No

 

Now many people who know me know I'm not a big Adam Sandler fan, as a kid I enjoyed Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore. It appealed to me as a kid because it was very silly well...child based humour. The thing is though many of Sandler's fans who have seen his older films have grown up {no pun intended}and now the "humour" of his films just aren't funny anymore, not that they were that funny to begin with!

 

So what about the plot of this "comedy"? What plot? Well the basic feeling here is that there is no main plot, just a lot of side plots involving the 4 main characters and their families and how the fathers come to terms with their kids becoming older and the challenges that they are facing within that. Other than that, absolutely nothing. Seriously. Ok right from the very first scene in this film you know you're in for a god awful time {it's seen in the trailer too, you're welcome}. Adam Sandler is in bed with his wife, played by Selma Hayek, and Sandler awakes to see a Deer in his bedroom. Yes, a CGI Deer in his bedroom...who once Sandler realises is there, screams at the deer and the deer stands on its hind legs and pees in Sandler's mouth. Why?  God only knows, guess that's meant to be funny, right? RIGHT? Nope.

 

From then on we are 'treated to' over 90 minutes of fart jokes, gay jokes {one particular scene with a gay cheerleader car wash...}, some not bad cameos and in all honesty a complete mess of a film and a 'comedy' that is a joke to even call it that.

 

I'm so sorry everyone who maybe thought this film would be half decent but I hope to {even though I don't like to tell anyone not to go see a film because it is your choice} get this across to you as clear as possible, this is NOT a funny film, at all.

 

Is there ANY positives? Like I said there are some decent cameos {most of whom are spoiled by the trailer}and one in particular cameo I enjoyed quite a lot to be honest, but that is literally it. I know I am meant to be objective as a reviewer and believe I am, because I could be ALOT crueller to this film but I won't go too far. I firmly believe now that Adam Sandler is not even trying anymore. After other huge flops such as Jack & Jill and That's My Boy, I feel this is another huge mess and a comedy that fails in nearly every single element.

 

Now don't get me wrong I am not above laughing at very simple and dumb jokes, my friends and family will agree there, but this is borderline insulting. I don't think fart jokes are funny, even less so when its repeated over a dozen times in an hour and a half. All this film is essentially is random scenes that last a few minutes, drag forever to get to the pinch line, and the punch line is awful and thus the joke falls flat.

 

I was sat in a screening today which was nearly full capacity, and on estimation half of those people walked out after 30 minutes...30 MINUTES. The film also suffers from not knowing what audience the film is meant for. For example one scene will feature dumb fart jokes for the teenagers and under, yet next scene will show a high school party type situation with half naked women in it, you understand my point?

 

I encourage anyone who is even thinking of seeing this turd of a film to please re consider, your money is more valued anywhere else than spending it on this terrible film and especially Adam Sandler's unfunny material. Kick Ass 2 is out this week why not save your cash for that, or anything else.

 

My Rating - 2/10

 

SPOILER : Please be aware that in my positives/negatives I will say names of people who are in this film, if you have not seen the trailer or just don't want anything ruined for you please do not continue reading. Thank you.

 

Positives - Stone Cold Steve Austin {cameo}, Shaq {he was reasonably good} Taylor Lautner {yes, I know I never thought I'd ever say this but hopefully you know how awful this film is when HE is one of the best parts in it, had a big part}, Selma Hayek is attractive {always a plus}, the kid who plays Chris Rock's youngest child was cute and funnier than most of the cast}

 

Negatives - Jokes were terrible, fart, shit jokes {literally}, homosexual jokes have been done to death at this point, David Spade {one of the un funniest comedians I have ever seen}, Nick Swardson {even worse than David Spade, Nick plays Nick Hillard.

 

Truly this is one of the worst comedies I've seen in a very long time. Is it worse than Scary Movie 5? Nope, but it is worse than Burt Wonderstone and Movie 43, in my opinion.

 

Thanks again for reading this review everyone I really appreciate the support. I just also want to thank you all for reading my review of The Conjuring which is now my highest viewed review so far so thank you very much!

 

If you like this review, please share this on other blog sites, +1 this if you are on Google+, comment below {if you are a Google+ Subscriber} let me know what you thought of the film if you have seen it?

 

Question of the day, What is your all time favourite Adam Sandler film? Also, what is your least favourite?

 

Follow me on Twitter @MARRAMD.

 

My next review will be for the upcoming Kick Ass 2 so please feel free to view that review when I upload it next week {will likely be on Tuesday as I plan to see it on Monday}

 

By the way, here is what I think perfectly describes my thoughts on how annoying this film was, the link below perfectly illustrates how it made me feel. Take care :}

 

 



 

ALAN PARTRIDGE : ALPHA PAPA FILM REVIEW

 

A'ha! {sorry had to say that..}

 

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa stars Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge, a {fictional} DJ who lives in Norwich and is a big screen adaptation of the very popular 90s comedy series.

 

I myself was a big fan of Alan Partridge and have watched all 3 series many times and found it very funny. Alan's awkwardness and arrogance made for some very uncomfortable situations and instead of laughing with him, you end up laughing at him. Alan is, at least in his own mind, a local "celebrity" and his air of self importance and the overall strangeness of Alan is what I love the most. He is what I would call, a loveable idiot.

 

So the plot is very easy to follow {spoiler warning if you don't want to know the plot but its just a comedy so I don't think it matters too much does it?}

Alan works for North Norfolk Digital presenting his radio programme "Mid morning matters" along with his co-presenter Simon. The ratings for the station across its many shows have dropped significantly and when Alan learns that a new media outlet is going to take over their station, he finds out that he could potentially lose his job and therefore jeopardise his 'fame'. The new company are not fans of the older presenters and want to make the station more appealing to a younger audience and two names are discussed in a board meeting as to whom to sack, those being Alan Partridge and Pat Ferrell, a fellow DJ whose does a late night chat and phone-in show. Needless to say, Alan persuades the new company to sack Pat, after promising Pat and many of the fellow DJs at North Norfolk Digital he would fight for all their jobs to be safe. Pat says his goodbyes to everyone including the very sheepish looking Alan, but Pat soon returns with a shotgun and holds the entire building hostage. When the police are informed, they want Alan to be the communication go between  them and Pat, and Alan sees this as a chance to become the hero, and what follows is a hilarious comedy with plenty of Alan's attempts to save the day.

 

I will say right now, after i saw the trailer for the film, i was not expecting it to be good at all. However, this film surprised me and I loved it! Fans of Alan Partridge will also see old favourites retuning such as Alan's trusted helping hand, Lynn and she has a number of funny exchanges. Also, Michael the Geordie has a small role in the film and I found him very funny in the few scenes he was in. There is a lot of awkward humour in this film and that is what the series was about too. I enjoyed Pat as well, he was the 'villain' but he and Alan's exchanges were very funny and they have good comedic timing and good chemistry together. Yes Alan does steal the film, as he obviously would being the main character and the person we most want to succeed and save the day, but I felt every other significant character was used well and very rarely did the jokes fall flat. The jokes in the film can be considered crude but that has been a major part of the TV series to be honest so i was expecting it going in.

 

I would say this is the best comedy I've seen so far this year without a doubt. This film, along with This is the end, are the two shining lights among a dark dismal showing for comedy this year. Fans of the TV series will enjoy the film and even if you have never seen any Alan Partridge comedy, check it out anyway as it is a genuinely good and funny British comedy.

 

My Rating - 8/10

 

Positives - Alan, Pat, Lynn, Michael, good camerawork, and most importantly very funny!

 

Negatives - If you're not a fan of the TV series you wont enjoy this I don't think, couple of jokes fell flat, ending was okay but could have been better.

 

Thanks again everyone for checking out my review. I hope you enjoyed it. Comment below let me know if you have seen this film and if so, did you enjoy it? If not, why not? Did you like the TV series? Let me know whatever you want! {subscribing to Google+ is needed to comment}. If you enjoyed the review please +1 on Google+, share this on other blog sites, tell your friends about the review, follow me on Twitter @MARRAMD. My next review will be coming soon so feel free to come back and check out my other reviews if you want!

 

Take care :)



 

THE CONJURING - MOVIE REVIEW

 

The Conjuring is a 2013 horror film directed by James Wan, who horror fans may remember directing Insidious. The film stars Vera Farmega and Patrick Wilson as two paranormal investigators Ed & Lorraine Warren, which is based on a true story surrounding the Warrens.

 

There will be no major spoilers in this review but here is a brief description of the plot. The film starts off with a family named The Perrins {mother & father are Carolyn & Roger} along with their five daughters, move into an old farmhouse. Straight away you know there is something not quite right with the house as the family dog refuses to enter the home. The first night goes well, the next day one of the daughters, whilst playing hide & clap with her sisters, finds the boarded up entrance to the cellar. The next morning Carolyn wakes up to find she has a couple of very strange bruises on her body, and when one of the daughters goes out onto the front porch, screams in horror and the family discover that the dog is dead, or has been killed. Over the next few nights other strange occurrences happen within the house, doors open by themselves, another one of the daughters has her foot pulled, and other strange phenomena. A couple of nights later, Roger goes to work away and Carolyn whilst in the cellar, whilst one of her daughters is attacked by a demonic entity. Scared and unsure where to turn, the Perrins seek help from Ed & Lorraine Warren and initially the investigators are sceptical as they have dealt with thousands of enquiries and most are easily debunked as minor issues within the home for example drainage in the pipework causing the creaking noises. However instantly, Lorraine begins n the house and after the couple further investigate the origins of the home and its previous owners, they soon realise that this is the real deal and set out to capture activity within the home and set up cameras and other equipment in the various rooms. From there, the Warrens also become subject to strange activity going on in their home, and from there I won't go much further but needless to say the shit really hits the fan.

Now I went into this film not seeing ANY footage of the trailer, i had only looked at the very creepy poster advertising it {the one with the creepy as hell doll and the mysterious figure holding it} so I was excited to see this film as i am a big horror and this looked like it had a great chance of being...great. I have a feeling this film will divide opinion amongst fans of horror, some will say this is a run of the mill, average horror flick with nothing new brought to the table and is full of jump-scares, others will say it is a genuinely strange and creepy ride that has the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. I'm more leaning towards the first statement to be honest.

Now James Wan directed this film and like I stated earlier he directed Insidious, a film which I have criticised for having a lot of promise and a decent story, but turned into a silly film with again, nothing new brought to the table. I would have to say the same again here, except the story is more appealing as it is apparently based on a true story.

So where does the good lay in this film? There is some very good camerawork here and just like Insidious it also has this plus some very spooky and atmospheric music that adds the right amount of tension to each scene. I enjoyed the acting from everyone in the film and yes, that includes the child actors. They made you believe they were genuinely frightened in a lot of their scenes and that was their job so I cannot and will not fault them for that. The Warrens came across as a very loving couple and Farmega and Wilson were very good in their roles and I liked that they weren't typical paranormal investigators that instantly believed every home is haunted, so I enjoyed that element to the film. There is a good 75% of the film where the tension builds and builds and builds some more and that helps you feel "scared", even when nothing is actually happening. The story is good too, although I know I haven't divulged into it to much but I don't want to give away the entire plot.


But i will say right now, this film bored me to tears at many points and in many scenes. There was a lot of jump-scares and I am aware you need a certain amount in horror films as they are part and parcel of the genre, but there was no originality to any of them. Did I jump a few times? Yes I did however turning the noise level up in certain scenes just to amplify the noise to scare the viewer will make you jump simple as that. There are so many clichés and very predictable scares that for me takes the suspense and tension out of every major scary scenes as you know what is going to happen 90% of the time in this film. I will be honest now and say i was sat in the cinema watching and I predicted EVERY twist in the film, seriously. By the way the creepy doll from the poster, is a major plot point of the film thus my reason for not going into too much detail about it.

Is it a terrible film? No not by any means but I found it extremely boring and predictable. Again, no spoilers but the last 20 minutes turns so goofy and stupid whilst being unoriginal, that it almost turns funny, and that again is my point about taking tension and suspense from what the film was trying to achieve. If you are easily scared, and there is nothing wrong with that, then I think you will enjoy The Conjuring. It is only just under 2 hours and it passes very quickly so even if you don't enjoy the film it doesn't last forever like some horror films tend to. I went into this film excited, but left disappointed. It tries to be different, however suffers from unoriginality. Whilst the story is enough to carry you through the film, the lack of genuine scares is its biggest flaw and is a shame because it had so much potential to be better than most horror films of the last few years.

My Rating- 5/10

Positives - Camerawork, Acting from everyone was top notch, good CGI although not a lot of it was used which was good to see, interesting story.

Negatives - Unoriginal, last 20 minutes was awful and cringe worthy to watch, very, very slow build up but with no real pay-off, very generic and boring in many parts.


The Conjuring won't give you anything to lose sleep over, but it is a horror film that although doesn't accomplish a lot, does have some interesting story elements and tension build up.

Thanks again as always everyone for reading this review I appreciate every view and feedback.

Comment below let me know what you thought of The Conjuring, did it freak you out? Did you enjoy it/not enjoy it, if so why/why not? Would you be happy to see a second film if they decided to do so? Comment below say whatever you want! {Commenting below is subject to signing up to Google+} If you liked/enjoyed this review please feel free to share this on other blog sites, +1 this if you are on Google+, subscribe to my blog so you will never miss a review, follow me on Twitter @MARRAMD. My next review will be for the upcoming film Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa.

Take care :]

 

 

MY FAVOURITE MOVIES - BATMAN & ROBIN {YES, REALLY!}

 

Now I know what you're thinking and no, the men in white coats have not been informed just yet, I say yet. Whilst this film has been dubbed one of the worst films ever made {and in all honesty it is], allow me to give you my honest review, and also express why I love this zany, farcical, campy superhero film of my favourite superhero, Batman.

 

Now I am a huge Batman fan, having seen all the films and a fan of the video games too I have seen the good {The Dark Knight}, the bad {Batman Returns} and the ugly {Batman & Robin}. I even enjoyed the very campy 60s Batman series with Adam West playing the caped crusader. This film is directed by Joel Schumacher and he took over from Tim Burton whose last Batman film was Batman Returns, a film I didn't enjoy at all as I felt as good as Danny DeVito was as The Penguin, it didn't have the "fun" factor and was disappointing to me. However, Schumacher's first film in this series was Batman Forever, a much more kid friendly film and I thoroughly enjoyed it especially the performances by Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones {The Riddler & Two Face/Harvey Dent}and whilst this film is very campy and filled with one-liners, I enjoyed it a lot and consider it one of my favourite Batman films.

 

I will be very fair in my review and point out the bad points of the film, and by that I mean in a general film making sense. This film was considered a huge flop in a box office sense. I always found the decision to name George Clooney as Batman to be terrible. I feel he is not a "believable" Batman and true to form he proved a huge disappointment and seemed to look like he didn't want to be in the film at all, and to be honest who could blame him! Chris O'Donnell returns as Robin and within the first  minutes of the film, the one-liners are on show with Robin telling Batman "I want a car!...chicks dig the car!". To which Batman responds with the gem that is "this is why superman works alone!.." O...K then.

 

There is less of Alfred in this film and the actor playing him {Michael Gough} must be physic as he must have known how bad this film was going to be so decided to agree to his small role! This film is FULL and I mean FULL of one-liners that to many will drive them insane, but to many others {including myself}, prove to be the best part of this entire film! The director and writers of the film have clearly no idea how to write a decent plot as very little in this film makes any sense. Now are Clooney and O'Donnell the worst actors in the film, nope and not even by a LONG shot, enter Mr Freeze and Poison Ivy {played by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman}. Wow, just wow. Freeze and Poison Ivy's plan to take over first Gotham City, and then the world, is so silly and campy that it defies belief but the two actors involved make it so silly that you just accept it and go along for the ride! Mr Freeze's dialogue consists of one-liners only it seems, such gems like "The iceman cometh!", "What killed the dinosaurs?...the ice age!" and the corniness that is everybody just. Chill" I kid you not ladies and gentlemen. Uma Thurman is just as corny as Poison Ivy with a cartoonish performance which goes with the tone of the film, but you would never have guessed that this woman was once nominated for an OSCAR! Oh dear.. what a fall from grace!

 

The special effects are just awful too. Icicles wobble like they are made of plastic, oh wait, they ARE made of plastic! The whole tone of the film was to make it so unrealistic and market it as one big toy advert/commercial, which ironically is what contributed to its lack of success as it was put into production after the toys of the film came out, which explains a lot to be honest.

 

Also on a side note, to any fans of Bane, and especially those who like his portrayal in The Dark Knight Rises by Tom Hardy, were horrified when Batman & Robin came out as Bane was made to look like a complete fool, and even though I wasn't annoyed by Bane in this film, I can see why some comic book fans were upset by his portrayal.

 

So why after all the bad points that I have just noted before you today, do I love this film so much? Because it is so entertaining to watch! As a film in general, it is a disaster, but my word what a beautiful disaster it is. Not many films in your lifetime will have so many memorable moments than this one. Heck, I still quote Mr Freeze's epic lines from time to time! It is so outlandish and cartoonish that after a while you cannot help but enjoy the ride this film takes you on. It is truly one of the funniest, and quite frankly silliest, films I have ever seen and is one of my favourites of all time. I love The Dark Knight and consider it my all time favourite Batman film, but this, along with Batman Forever, are without doubt in a league of their own {not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing!}

 

My rating - {as a film in general} 2/10

                   {as a memorable and funny film} 9/10

 

I love this film even with all of it's flaws, and yes there's plenty of them!

 

Thanks again everyone for reading this review it means a lot to me. If you would like to share this review on other blog sites feel free, you can also +1 this on Google+, follow me on Twitter @MARRAMD, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on this film!

 

Question of the day - What is your favourite Batman film? also, feel free to tell us why :}

 

My next review will be uploaded very soon guys thank you for all the support!

 

Take care :]



 

 

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY MOVIE REVIEW

 

Monsters University is a animated children's comedy film brought to you from Pixar, who are arguably most famous for the Toy Story trilogy. This film is a prequel to the highly successful Monsters Inc.

 

For those who have seen the original film, like myself, it was a huge box office success and in my opinion one of Pixar's best animated presentations. The two main characters in that film were Mike Wazowski {voiced by Billy Crystal} and Sully {voiced by John Goodman} and I remember really enjoying the original a lot so going into this prequel I had my doubts it could live up to the previous film. The film's main plot {no major spoilers} follows Mike and Sully again, but as kids, and not instantly friends either. Mike first visits Monsters Inc., a scare company on the fictional area on Monstropolis, on a school trip as an impressionable 6 year old. after meeting some of the senior scare majors, he is instantly fascinated and strives for the next 11 years to become a student at Monsters University. Fast forward those years and Mike has made it to Monsters University as a freshman. He quickly meets his new roommate Randy Boggs, a chameleon type creature who is all brains, but has no scare factor whatsoever. Mike eagerly awaits his first day on the programme and believes with his superior knowledge he can become a scare major in no time. Upon his first day, he and his class, whilst answering scare related questions, are interrupted by a loud and terrifying roar from Sully {James P. Sullivan to be exact}. His father was a major at Monsters U so he is a legacy child, and with that his arrogance becomes clear that he doesn't need smarts to get by as he can be scary without really trying.

 

Also during the class, they are introduced to the very strict {and also strange looking} dean of the university, Abigail Hardscrabble. She informs the new students that she will only tolerate and accept the very best scares in her programme, and the weakest will be kicked out if they fail to pass the upcoming test in a week's time.

 

Mike fails as he is too busy concentrating on his knowledge of scaring instead of balancing that along with the physical side of things. Whilst Sully fails due to the opposite, he doesn't possess the knowledge of scariness to progress, Their futures at Monsters U appear over, until they discover a competition called The Scare Games, a series of challenges designed so the winners will become the top monsters in the campus and evidently will be top of Hardscrabble's class. There are a number of typical groups in this scare games, there's the :jocks:, the cheerleaders, the "emo" students ', and then there's Mike and Sully's group of nerdy misfits. Whilst they still don't get along, Mike and Sully, along with their oddball group, must win the scare games and win a place back in the university.

 

I will stop the review of the plot there as I don't want to spoil anymore of the film, never the less this film I s very entertaining! Fans of the original Monsters Inc. film will enjoy this entry to the series. Is it a children's film? Yes of course but it's not without its comedy element that will appeal to kids and adults alike. The plot goes exactly where you think it will go, however I was still interested in it and enjoyed watching it unfold. Mike and Sully aren't just the only characters you will enjoy. Their oddball group of the least scary looking monsters ever assembled each have their own moments that make you laugh, and even though Abigail Hardscrabble isn't exactly friendly, I enjoyed her part in the film and she was voiced by Helen Mirren.

 

Pixar's animations, for me, have always been stunning to look at and this film is no exception. The attention to detail is fantastic. There are a couple of references back to the original film, they felt a little forced in at times but it was nice to see these elements mentioned.

 

I found myself enjoying the film and when it seems to have a ending, it then carries on for a good half hour longer and I felt that made the film more entertaining as the ending I thought was going to happen would have been too "cute" and predictable.

 

I would recommend Monsters University to people who not only have kids, but people who just enjoy good animated films.

 

My Rating - 7/10

 

Positives - Great animations, funny, fun for people of all ages

 

Negatives - Not as good as the original, references to the original felt forced at times, story was extremely predictable.

 

Thanks for reading this review everyone it means a lot to me. Hope to have more regular additions coming soon. If you like this review feel free to share this link on any other blog page{s}, +1 this on Google plus, share it, follow me on Twitter @MARRAMD, leave a comment below, let me know what you thought of the film!

 

Question of the day - What is your favourite Pixar/Disney film? Mine is Toy Story 1 :}

 

Take care :] 

Hey guys just a quick update and my apologies for my lack of World War Z review. I have yet to go and see it yet as I haven't had time to go at the moment but will be seeing it within the next 7 days so keep visiting the site, follow me on Twitter @MARRAMD and I will let you know when I have the review uploaded :} Thanks for your patience and have a great day!

This is the end Movie Review

 

 

This is the end is a comedy starring Seth Rogan, Jonah Hill, James Franco, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Jay Buruchel  and a whole load of cameo appearances from various other celebrities {whom i will not spoil for you} and they are essentially playing themselves. A more exaggerated version of themselves, but themselves none the less. The film starts out with Seth Rogan and Jay Buruchel heading to a party at James Franco's house where they act how they do in most of their films, Seth gets high, Jonah's drunk, James Franco is over the top and crazy, then all of a sudden the world goes to hell, literally. Giant holes in the ground start appearing and swallow up people, buildings are on fire, all signs point to an "end of days" fate for our actor heroes. People are also being engulfed by a bright blue light that takes them to heaven, so they barricade themselves in Franco's house and together they must survive the apocalypse. Now I'm just going to say right now that this in my opinion is one of the funniest films I've seen in a couple of years, this film is hilarious!

 

The actors play actors and how they are perceived in their films and I found it very, very funny. There is also a lot of times where they take jabs at each others' less successful films and there's a lot of film reference humour in this film that I particularly enjoyed. The chemistry between the cast and indeed with the various cameo actors/actresses is genuine too and they act like a huge group of friends for the most part.

 

I will warn anyone though who maybe is not a huge fan of Seth Rogan style comedy, the more drug related jokes and sexual innuendoes may not get what they want with this film as its more of the same here. I however, don't mind that kind of humour so it didn't bother me, except a few times where they seem to stretch a joke out too long but that only happens maybe twice in the entire film.

 

The film was never dull in my opinion and whilst the CGI was average at best when the "monsters" are shown attacking people, it did its job well and doesn't take you out of the film. There is so much to laugh at in this film that I'm finding it very hard to keep this spoiler free! It's not always my style on these reviews to tell you to go and see a film, because the choice is evidently yours to make, however I would highly, highly recommend this comedy, especially if you want to see a ton of film references, great and funny cameos, a decent story and just a good comedy then I would say go and see this as soon as you can!

 

I will say though, there is a MAJOR cameo at the very end of the film that I loved! {and any 90s child will enjoy as well!}

 

My rating - 9/10

 

Positives - {where to start?!} The main cast, the cameos, very funny, good to see actors playing themselves, decent CGI, just a very fun film!

 

Negatives - Too many male sexual references at times, CGI could have been better, if you're not a fan of gross humour you may not enjoy it

 

Thanks again for reading this review everyone I am sorry I can't go into much more detail but I would be giving away the cameos and I think you will enjoy them better if you weren't aware who was in it. Unless of course you guys want me to do a spoiler review of the film if so leave a comment below!

 

If you like this review I have many more in the side bar if you want to see more of my material. Also, if you want to you can share this review and blog to your friends, or any other blog sites that would be appreciated! Also, +1 this on Google+, follow me on Twitter @MAARRAMD, leave a comment below let me know what you thought of This is the end, did you enjoy it? Which particular cameo was your favourite?

 

Thanks again everyone I appreciate every view and every bit of feedback! My next review will be of one of the favourite games, Resident Evil 5, but that is not before I review World War Z starring Brad Pitt which will be uploaded on Wednesday.

 

Take care :]

 

 

 



 

MY FAVOURITE GAMES - RESIDENT EVIL 4

 

As some of my friends know, I am a HUGE Resident Evil fan. I adore the games {the films on the other hand..not so much!}My favourite RE titles being RE1, RE3 and this title Resident Evil 4. This is a survival horror game with action elements created by Capcom who brought us most of the other RE games. Old school RE fans will know our hero who you play as, for anyone else you play as police officer Leon S. Kennedy who is sent on a mission to a rural part of Europe {Spain to be exact} to find and rescue the U.S president's daughter Ashley Graham who was last seen in the country having been kidnapped by a unknown {at the start of the game} terrorist organisation. As soon as you're thrown into the action the graphics are very, very good { I've played the Xbox live version and also the PS2 version however for the benefit of this review I will revert to the Xbox version}. The camera is focused over the shoulder so you can see your surroundings very well. After the first cut scene where {minor spoiler} you encounter a very unfriendly local with an axe, you are instantly under attack from a group of the local inhabitants. These are not zombies like in previous RE games, these are people who have injected with a parasite called Las Plagas which turn normal people into mind controlled animalistic murderers and worshipers of the Los Illuminados, headed by their leader Osman Sadler and is made clear that they have captured Ashley.

 

The story is very entertaining and whilst its a step away from the horror zombie gameplay that previous games have gone, its a very welcome change for the series and provides a lot of action packed and suspenseful scenes. The voice acting in this game is top notch too, while the villagers speak in varied amounts of Spanish and the main bosses in the game have great dialogue exchanges with Leon, and eventually Ashley once you find her. The creatures' movements are zombie - like, and you think you have them under control, even when a group surrounds you, but then they run quickly and violently towards you, throwing your calmness into a mad dash melee of physical attacks, shooting and all important dodges. 

 

You also run into other characters during the game, some very helpful, some not so much! The boss battles in this game provide a decent challenge and whilst ammo is available it is fleeting so sometimes running away is the best option!

 

You also encounter a Merchant, he will offer you various items throughout your adventure ranging from new guns to maps and even larger attaché cases in order to carry more guns and ammo. He is a very helpful addition to the game and just when you seem to be struggling, he appears and helps you out, provided you have the right amount of cash of course!

 

The story itself is very well written, acted and fleshed out with a few good plot twists and nerve shredding moments that are now a big part of the RE series.

 

Upon completion of the game, and if you can max out your weapons you can unlock various guns with unlimited ammo, including the fan favourite Rocket Launcher, going through the game with that weapon is a fun experience and great for people who like doing speed runs and getting the best scores. Also, upon completion you unlock a secret mini campaign featuring Ada Wong, an old friend of Leon's that you regularly run into as the story progresses. Whilst it shows a lot of the same levels as Leon's story, it ties in well with the story and fills in any missing links the player may have within the story. There is also a Mercenaries mode to unlock, a level based game where you basically kill as many infected creatures as you can within the time limit. This adds a few more hours to the gameplay.

 

The game was originally released on the GameCube and due to its enormous retail success, was ported to a Wii version along with PlayStation 2, PC, and Xbox live versions. This game is an older game now but I felt id like to share my joy as this game and it is without doubt the best game I've ever played. I've completed this game 10 times and still play it now when I fancy a RE fix!

 

Is it a perfect game? No it isn't but its a very close to perfect for me and that is why I couldn't give this game anymore than my top rating.

 

My Rating - 10/10

 

Positives - Great action, suspense, cut scenes, voice acting, boss battles, survival horror elements, good extras, and of course the merchant :}

 

Negatives - I cant find many to be honest but this change from full on horror to action/horror did divide the hardcore RE fans so if you are a old school RE fan this may not be for you.

 

Thanks for reading this classic game review guys and girls very much appreciated! If you like this review please +1 it on Google+, share it on other blog sites and /or amongst your friends and family, follow me on Twitter @MARRAMD, and if you want to check out my other film and game reviews they're in the sidebar so please check them out!

 

If you want to leave a comment and/or +1 this review that's great!

What did you think of Resident Evil 4? What console did you play it on? Did you enjoy it or were you let down by it? What is your favourite game of all time? Let me know whatever you want!

 

Take care guys and my next review will be uploaded very soon :}





 

MAN OF STEEL - MOVIE REVIEW

 

Man of Steel is a comic book adaptation of the famous "Superman" superhero starring Henry Carvil as Superman {although referenced as Kal-El in this film}, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Russell Crowe, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner and Michael Shannon. For those who may not have seen any of the Superman films { I myself have only seen the very first film with Christopher Reeve} this is essentially the origin story of Superman. The film opens on the planet Krypton, a planet on the brink of destruction after running out of its natural resources the planet is doomed. Scientist Jor-El and his wife Lara have conceived Krypton's first natural baby in years and in order to save their son from natural disaster, they place him in a spacecraft with specific co-ordinates to send him to Earth, whilst infusing his cells with a genetic codex, that will preserve the Krypton race. However, Jor-El stole the codex from Krypton's evil leader General Zod and upon finding out of the theft and indeed the new-born's journey to Earth, Zod murders Jor-El. Zod and his followers are soon captured by the planets council and in order to suffer for their actions, are transported to The Phantom Zone, a sort of Black Hole out of reach of Krypton, however soon after the demise of Krypton, Zod and his followers escape and set out to find the baby with the future of Krypton in his hands {or cells}. Upon his descent onto planet earth, Kal -El is found on a farm in Kansas by middle aged couple Jonathon & Martha Kent, and raise the child as their own, giving him the name Clark. From a young age, the Kents are aware that their son isn't a normal child and although they don't know his exact whereabouts, they must protect his true identity from the rest of the world. Clark's struggle throughout his early life is seen through various flashbacks depicting various amounts of bullying from his fellow school children, however he never fights back as he knows how strong he really is and following advice from his father, decides to only use his powers for the greater good. Once General Zod escapes from the Phantom Zone however, that's when the film really kicks into gear, and this is where I stop revealing anymore of the films plot as I don't want to give anymore away. I will say though, that I thoroughly enjoyed this film!

 

Henry Cavil's portrayal of Superman was very interesting and very well acted. As many Superman fans will agree, the late great Christopher Reeve was a brilliant Superman and whilst many think nobody could come close to being as good as he was, Cavil in my opinion, is a very worthy Superman. I particularly enjoyed Russell Crowe's brilliant performance as Jor-El his dialogue with General Zod was brilliant and exciting to watch. I also liked Clark Kents' parents too {Costner & Lane} there was very good chemistry between them and Cavil especially from his mother. General Zod was played by Michael Shannon and whilst I thought he was a good villain and played a decent role, I felt anyone could have played his role and the film would be no different, he was an okay villain though don't get me wrong.

 

The special effects and CGI in Man of Steel are fantastic, and seeing this film in 3D is well worth it in my opinion, a lot of very elaborate action scenes and good versus evil clashes that were hard not to enjoy. The musical score in the film was well done too, setting the tone for every scene whether sombre or action orientated.

 

The only very slight drawbacks for this film to me, were that it maybe could have been a half an hour shorter, but that's just my view. The film is very well acted in most parts, a solid if not cheesy villain, good action and CGI usage, and solid performances specifically from Crowe, Cavil and Costner as well as Amy Adams who was a good Lois Lane and her chemistry with Cavil looked very genuine.

 

Would I recommend this film? Definitely! Some critics have panned the film some saying it was too bland and nothing special, and while I don't think its the best superhero film I've ever seen, it is a very solid film and very entertaining.

 

My Rating 9/10

 

Positives - Great action scenes, Cavil, Costner, Crowe, Adams all very good, good backstory for first time Superman viewers, some good humour in some scenes.

 

Negatives - Not a strong enough and memorable villain, sometimes too much CGI.

 

Id also like to add that Christopher Nolan Directed this film {He also played a huge role in the Dark Knight Trilogy} and I know some critics of those films weren't happy that not enough focus was on Batman and too much was about Bruce Wayne, I feel those same people may complain about this film too as we don't see that much of Superman until the last 30 minutes or so to be honest. However, this is the first entry in the Superman reboot so this is establishing the origin of the character.

 

Thanks a lot for reading this review guys it means a lot to me that you support my reviews! If you like this review please comment below let me know what you thought of the film, also What was your view on General Zod? Was he a good enough villain for you? Do you think Henry Cavil is a good Superman? Let me know anything you want about this film!

 

Also if you are on Google+ why not share this review amongst others, follow me on Twitter @MARRAMD, +1 this, share this review on other sites if you'd like to!

 

Take care guys and sorry it was late uploading I didn't get chance to see the film until today so my apologies :}

 





 

RESIDENT EVIL : REVELATIONS GAME REVIEW

 

Now I know this isn't my review of Man of Steel {that comes out this Friday} however i decided to review this game as I am a huge Resident Evil fan and after deciding whether to review this game or the god awful film The Last Exorcism Part 2, this game won hands down. Now for those who don't know, I have played near enough every Resident Evil game that has been on PlayStation and PS2, and also Xbox 360, with my personal two favourites being RE4 and RE5. I adored the older classic games don't get me wrong but when the series took the controversial step to produce a more action based game instead of the survival horror genre, I was pleased and felt the series needed something new injected into it to stop it from becoming stale.

 

Set between RE4 and RE5, old favourites Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine return to fend off waves of mutated creatures and attempt to foil a terrorist group from global domination, heard this plot before? If you're a RE fan you will have seen this done many times before. You first start off with Jill and her partner Parker, who are both sent to investigate a strange ship named SS Queen Zenobia and set about looking for Chris. However as you expect, the duo are not alone on the eerie ship as they are quickly "welcomed" by Oozes, a zombified, mutated species that inhabit the Queen Zenobia.

 

Old school fans of the series will be pleased with this release, as it is mainly survival horror based and has some very good creepy moments. The old fixed style camera is back like from previous older titles and this adds genuine tension as you never know what is lurking around the next corner. This game was originally released on the Nintendo 3DS, however its popularity spawned demand for its console release, and this is a direct port from the 3DS. While there is some action packed scenes in this game, like I said its roots are survival horror, the creatures while not mind blowing in terms of design and originality, are difficult to beat at times especially when low on health and low ammo, which can be rife in this game. Some creatures have instant death attacks, so dodging is required however very difficult to time just right as the controls can be a bit jarring at times. As this is a direct port, the game does sometimes suffer from low texture popping from time to time and in particular in the middle part of the game where you are dashing around the ships main hall, you will fins doors with anchors on them, pressing the right button to open the door triggers a quite long wait for the next stage to load and that can destroy any tension building at times. That being said, this RE title is a very solid addition to the series and one that many craved after some felt RE6 was very disappointing.

 

The game is also made to look like a T.V show, upon completion of a specific chapter, the next chapter will begin with a recap of what you have just accomplished with a "...previously on Resident Evil Revelations..". I myself enjoyed that element to the game however if its not your kind of thing, you can skip it completely by pressing the start button. So, with the great tension building moments, creepy creatures and overall solid game design, what are the negatives? Well, as fans of the RE series have come to expect, and can look past, the main story itself is completely unbelievable, almost slapstick at points, but still very enjoyable if you don't think too much about it! Also the voice acting isn't very good, at all. The partners that accompany Chris & Jill on their respective missions are different in likability, Jill's partner Parker is a wise cracking, good guy and is very likeable and helpful in combat, however Chris' partner Jessica is very obnoxious and whiny throughout and you don't feel they have the chemistry that Jill & Parker have. That being said, there isn't a lot wrong with this game, I found myself beating the campaign in 8 hours and i am an average player so you could probably do it even quicker.

 

One other addition to this game is the popular Raid Mode, a stage based points scoring game where you basically go wild and kill as many creatures as possible and get the highest score. You have multiple characters to chose from too and of course many different stages to complete so that will add a few more hours of gameplay for you. Also in campaign, similar to RE6 you will get the opportunity to upgrade your weapons with custom parts found throughout the game and by completing certain criteria in Raid Mode.

 

So, would I recommend this game? Yes. Don't expect RE6 type action this is back to its original horror roots and is a very solid game with a very entertaining yet convoluted story.  I thoroughly enjoyed playing this game and will attempt to complete it again on a harder difficulty.

 

My Rating 7/10

 

Positives - Good tension, never got boring story wise, survival horror roots return, good cut scenes and final boss battle

 

Negatives - Awful voice acting, Jessica, Creature design not very original, long loading portions in middle part of game.

 

Thanks again guys for reading my review and my first game review! If you enjoyed this review please be sure to +1 this, add and share this on Google+, share this blog with our friends, follow me on Twitter @MARRAMD leave a comment below what did you think of the game? How do u feel about the RE series going in a more action based style or do you want Capcom to go back to just survival horror? Whatever you want to comment about, let me know!

 

Take care and my Man of Steel review will be on this page on Saturday :}  

 

 

THE PURGE MOVIE REVIEW

 

The Purge is a thriller starring Ethan Hawke {Sinister} and centres around a futuristic America in which unemployment has lowered to less than 1% and crime has seized due to an annual event called The Purge, a 12 hour period where crime, including murder, is legal and is used for citizens to release their inner rage. When I saw the trailer for this film I was immediately intrigued, as it looked like a concept id never heard of or seen before, unrealistic? yes but an interesting idea none the less.

 

Hawke plays a home security salesman who becomes the number one salesman in his district, he lives with his wife and 2 children in a huge house. The early part of the film focuses on the family's preparation for the purge, whilst many of their neighbours decide they want to take part in the annual event, Hawke and his family decide to sit it out and watch events unfold on their surveillance camera placed around the town and their neighbourhood. Once the preparation is complete, they lock down the entire property, however mere moments into the starting of the purge, one of their cameras picks up a distressed man running towards their home urging someone to let him in as "they are trying to kill me!". Under specific instructions from his father, the son decides to disarm the security panel and offer the man a place to stay to avoid the murder spree. It turns out to be a very bad idea, as moments later a group of well to do Harvard type college nutjobs with creepy pig like masks are seen walking towards the family's property, they were hunting the man that has now taken shelter in Hawkes' family home and tell the family in no uncertain terms give us "the homeless pig" or they will find a way of disabling their tight security system and kill not just the homeless man, but the entire family inside. This leads the rest of the film to be a nervous cat and mouse game between the crazed scholars and the family.

 

Now let's talk about the acting in this film. I felt Ethan Hawke was the stand out star of this film, as he was in Sinister which I loved. However there are no other big name actors in this film, none that I knew of anyway. One thing I will say though, is that the daughter of the group who is apparently 18 {and in shown in school dress for her role in the film} is clearly older than 18, she doesn't look too dissimilar to Megan Fox in my opinion and would easily say she's 25/26. Just a nit-pick I know but she wasn't fooling anyone! The son to me was quite creepy by himself, he is not quite all there in the head as whatever condition he has requires him to take medication {I assume ADHD or some other disorder} and strikes a resemblance to the son of Michael Jackson! Again just a side note. He had developed a camera built into a baby doll's head {kind of looks like the baby doll creature in Toy Story in my opinion} which he uses to spy on other members of the family. I felt the camera was used very well in certain scenes and added tension to parts of the film where it was used to find out where the crazed college killers are when they break into the home. This camera was good at building tension and as this is produced by the same guys who produced Paranormal Activity, I can see where they got their inspiration from.

 

The main "ringleader" of the crazy masking wearing maniacs was very good in my opinion, had that weird and creepy vibe needed to portray the films ensemble of villains. I do believe though that the concept of this film is better than the actual pay-off as when it starts out the film looks amazing, very good camera work, good suspense and some good special effects, however around the halfway mark of the film is where I felt it went flat. Does it contain many clichés from many horror/thrillers you may have seen before? yes and sometimes too much so. There is quite a few jump scares, and while its tradition at this point, doesn't try to do anything new and not the most creative way to scare the audience. Is there a plot twist that is so stupid that it may take you out of the film? For me, yes. You meet a woman character at the early point in the film and her attitude will lead you to assume she will figure a vital point in the later stages of the film, which she does.

 

The ending though, to me, was without doubt the second worst ending to a film I have ever seen, second only to Birdemic : Shock & Terror and if you have read my review for that "classic" you know how annoyed i was at that ending! This ending made me literally shake my head in disgust. Is it a plausible ending? I guess so but it felt like a huge let down when the film up until the last 20 minutes built up so much tension and suspense, and at the final hurdle brought the films to a screeching halt. Very disappointing.

 

Would I recommend this film? Yes I would, its a solid, yet fairly predictable thriller which had a great idea and intrigue behind yet lost its suspense with one of the most easy to see plot twists in recent memory and en ending which had not just myself but several other people shaking our heads and uttering the word "bullshit". However if you want to give this film a chance I think many will enjoy it for what it is, a slightly cheesy thriller with an original concept and a very good performance by Ethan Hawke.

 

My Rating - 7/10

 

Positives - Ethan Hawkes' performance, good camera work, good suspense and tension building in most scenes.

 

Negatives - Some cheesy/awful acting especially towards the end of the film, quite predictable, poor plot twist, one of the most stupid endings in a long, long time.

 

 

Thanks again guys for reading this review I appreciate every view and if you like this and haven't checked any of my previous reviews you can find them in the sidebar. If you like this review don't forget to +1 this review, leave a comment below {if you are on Google+} share this review amongst your friends and other blog sites, follow me on Twitter @MARRAMD spread the word!

 

My question for you guys is ; Have you seen The Purge yet? and if so what did you think of it?

 

Also, what did you think of Ethan Hawkes' performance? Has this film's trailer intrigued you?

Whatever you want to comment about, let me know!

 

Take care guys and I will see you all very soon with my next Classic movie review :}

THE HANGOVER PART III MOVIE REVIEW

The Hangover has now spawned a trilogy following the exploits of 4 friends on a drunken rampage with the first film taking them on a wild trip through Las Vegas and the second film based in Bangkok, the series ends with the "epic conclusion" to one of the biggest grossing comedies of all time. I personally loved the first Hangover film as it was unique and different to many other drunken party type of films, and it was hilarious! I didn't like the second film as I felt it wasn't as funny as the first and felt like a exact copy of the first film and was a little bit darker in tone than the first. I am pleased to say that this film is a lot better than the second instalment however I'm glad that this franchise has ended.

This film doesn't actually feature any "hangover", there's no blacking out segments and they don't have to find a missing member of the "wolf pack", they do however still end up on a crazy journey which in the later stages takes them back to Las Vegas, where it all began. The main plot of this film, in brief, is that Alan (Zach Galifanakis) after the death of his father is approached by concerned family and friends in an attempt to form an intervention, telling him that his outlandish behaviour needs to stop So they propose to him a place away with his fellow wolf pack members in order to straighten him out, he reluctantly agrees. However on the way there they are drove off the road and kidnapped by a group of masked men, and their boss Marshall (John Goodman). Marshall is a gangster who was ripped off by Leslie Chow (many of you who have seen the previous hangover films will know this guy) and so he tells the wolf pack to find Chow and bring him to Marshall or he will kill their friend Douglas, who they take as an "insurance policy". The rest of the film then follows the trio of Alan, Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Stuart (Ed Helms) trying to find Mr Chow and as usual the journey takes some crazy turns including Stuart's reunion with his former stripper ex Jade (Heather Graham).

Zach Galifanakis steals the show once again as the hilarious man-child Alan. Like the first film, some of his dialogue had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. His constant bickering with Stuart I found entertaining as well. As shown in part in the trailer,the funeral scene to me was the funniest scene in the entire film, was brilliant! Leslie Chow was a major part of the film, obviously, as the main plot centred around him, and while he is a funny guy and his friendship with Alan showcases some of the trilogy's best moments, his voice to me personally started to grate on me after a while. I liked John Goodman as Mitchell and would have liked to have seen him more in the film as I felt he was good in every scene he was in, blending between being funny and serious in quick succession. Similar to the second film, Phil and Stuart aren't in as many funny scenes and seem to take a back seat again which is a shame but they played their parts well. The film also seemed to be more dramatic and more of a thriller than a comedy at times which personally I liked as there was a genuine and proper story instead of the original heavy night drinking and blackout element.

The Hangover part III is an enjoyable comedy that ties together the previous two films very well with some good flashbacks and shoutouts scenes while still progressing the story and giving the fans a satisfying conclusion to the series. There are a couple of memorable scenes in this one unlike the previous film, one in particular with Alan and a young woman in a cash for gold store {the woman is played by Melissa McCarthy} that had me laughing hard!

If you are a fan of the hangover series then you will enjoy this film, it's maybe not as not as funny as the original it's still a solid comedy, however if you cannot stand these kind of films then I don't think this will change your opinion.

My Rating - 7/10

Positives - Alan, Mr Chow, John Goodman, good stunt work, tied in well with previous films.

Negatives - Not as funny as first film, one scene with Alan and baby Carlos made me feel uncomfortable, Phil and Stuart not used much, Chow's voice, would have liked to see more of John Goodman.

Thanks again guys for reading my review hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave a comment below let me know what you thought of the film if you have seen it, what is your favourite film of the series? Which is your favourite Alan scene ever? Whatever you want to share about this film let me know! If you enjoyed it don't forget to +1 it, share it with others, follow me on Twitter @MARRAMD or share via Google+.

Take care :}

 

IRON MAN 3 : THE MANDARIN CONTROVERSY

 

Now before I start discussing this tender topic, this is not a review of the film itself, as I already have reviewed the film which you can view in the side bar of my past reviews. Iron Man 3 was without doubt the first big summer blockbuster of 2013 and had a worldwide release only a few weeks ago and generally the film has had positive response from the media and filmgoers alike, however the topic on everyone's lips regarding Iron Man 3 is the portrayal of Tony Stark's arch nemesis, The Mandarin played by the highly talented Ben Kingsley. Now i myself am not a huge comic book fan but going into this film I was aware of The Mandarin's existence and how is portrayed in comic book law, couple that with the marketing behind The Mandarin as a huge threat to Tony Stark and indeed the world, a global terrorist intend of global domination. However in the film it takes a HUGE U-Turn and it is revealed that he is indeed an actor, and no such man exists as it was a make-believe creation of Aldrich Killian {Guy Pearce}, and instantly upon seeing this when I was in the cinema, it took me a fair while to get back into the film. Nobody saw it coming, it was a well kept secret but no doubt it has caused a huge stir amongst fans of the comics. Some see it as a master stroke by director Shane Black, and there is no denying Ben Kingsley's performance was v funny and one of the stand out parts of the entire film, but in my opinion it didn't work all too well and it seemed they took all the build up for that character to be a super villain and turned him into a laughing stock. Don't get me wrong, I loved Iron Man 3, it was a brilliant action film, but I felt this twist was a misstep, but without doubt it was a very brave and bold direction to take as they knew they would face an extreme backlash from a lot of die hard comic book fans of the marvel classic series. Maybe it's just me, but i felt The Mandarin could have gone down as one of the best villains in an action film if done in it's "proper" fashion.

 

 

So i want to know, what do you guys think of the whole thing? Did you enjoy the different creative direction they went with The Mandarin? Did you hate it? Did it take you out of the film completely or just for the moment? Let me know!

 

Also, if you enjoyed this please leave a comment below {you must sign up to Google+ to leave a comment please}, share this review and indeed spread the word of this blog page if you like it! Thanks again guys and take care! :}





MY FAVOURITE FILMS - MRS DOUBTFIRE

Now I know lots of you have seen this 90s classic comedy starring the hilarious Robin Williams, Pierce Brosnan and Sally Fields, but seeing as this is one of my favourite comedies ever made, I thought a classic review was in order!

The story centres upon Daniel (Williams) a middle aged man who is struggling to hold jobs, couple that with the strain of his marriage to Miranda (Fields) to which they have 3 children. The couples relationship breaks down and after Daniel goes too far organising his sons' "surprise" birthday party, turning the house into a pig sty, a heated row insues and Miranda demands a divorce after telling him shed fallen out of love with him. The court then rules that Miranda have sole custody of the children, leaving Daniel homeless and jobless. Due to the court ruling he is given 3 months to find accomadate on and hold down a job so he can see his kids more often. After Miranda advertises for a housekeeper, she is wowed by a "woman" named Euphegenia Doubtfire. Daniel then seeks out his brother who is a make-up and prosthetics designer who transforms Daniel into Mrs Doubtfire. 

Daniel manages to pull the wool over Mirandas eyes and although the children initially don't take to Mrs Doubtfire, they warm to her eventually unaware that their bond with her is stronger than they think. Even though she has a few close shaves (no pun intended) her true identity is kept intact until eventually the truth is revealed in one particularly funny scene at a "family" dinner. Without telling too much about the plot, this film has a good blend between the great comedy elements it presents, along with a strong message about the problems and stress that divorce can have upon a family.  Robin Williams steals the show, as he usually does in many of his roles. His range of voice talent is fantastic and showed in spades in this film. Sally Fields plays a good supporting role as Daniel's wife Miranda and also has some funny exchanges, mainly with Williams. Pierce Brosnan also plays a great part as the smarmy businessman Stuart Dunmire who gets romantically involved with Miranda and her exchanges with the obviously disgruntled Daniel/Mrs Doubtfire make for entertaining viewing. This is without doubt one of those comedies that never gets old, yet ages well as it wouldn't look out of place if released in 2013. 

The soundtrack and musical score is well done and sets the scene very well and the famous " Dude look like a lady" song is used in one particularly funny scene. The score, especially in the more dramatic and sombre scenes adds tension and sadness to certain elements of the film. The end scene itself in particular has some music that makes me personally close to tears every time. 

I could personally spend all day talking about this wonderful film but I think I've covered the basics here. If for some unknown reason, you have never seen this classic, watch it, on DVD, Netflix, love film, any way you can this is a timeless classic that you will find yourself watching time and time again. 

My Rating 10/10 

Positives - {where to start?!} Make-up effects, Robin Williams, Sally Fields, Pierce Brosnan, very funny, dramatic when it needs to be, good musical score and soundtrack.

Negatives - If you're not a Robin Williams fan you probably won't like this, cross dressing not for everybody!

Thanks again for reading my review guys :} hope you enjoyed it, please leave a comment below let me know how you feel about this film, if you like it what was your favourite scene? What is your favourite Robin Williams film? Whatever you want to let me know, let me know!

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Thanks again guys I will upload another review in the next 48 hours highlighting one of my worst films that I have ever seen, should be entertaining!

Take care :}