"Now Showing"

[peep]

Spongebob squarepants: sponge out of water

I've not really watched the show and I haven't seen the first film however the trailer made it look amusing. I was disappointed to find a really dull film that didn't seem to cater to any audience. All the bits that made me chuckle in the trailer were the only amusing bits in the film bar a film-stealing voice-over piece by the amazing Matt Berry.


Cinderella

A very well made film with some excellent casting, outstanding set and costume design and a beautiful score. It's just a classic tale told in a really solid way. Also Helena Bonham Carter totally sings Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo over the end credits (right at the end) which was a nice easter egg for those that sit through the credits.

The Frozen short beforehand felt a little rushed but by the end of the short I was humming the new song and in love with the new little snow things.


Seventh Son

Actual rubbish. It had all the ingredients to be incredible and it just felt flat. I can only assume it was down to the script and the score which was trying too hard to make it feel epic. I heard another couple upon exiting saying "It was bad but not in a fun B-movie way" and they were totally right. You couldn't even enjoy a bit of fun cheeseyness, it was just bland. Maybe it was too by the numbers?


The voices

I had been really looking forward to this little crazy film and the wait totally paid off. It was utterly mental, Ryan Reynolds is absolutely outstanding in this film and shows that he really can act (he really needs to be in more things). Sometimes it's really jumpy and yet it's also hilarious and disturbing and it switches through each emotion all of the time so you never know what's going to happen next which is fantastic. I thought it was really well written with some great characters and if you get the chance to check it out I really recommend that you do so.

 

[peep]

The Duff

I hadn't really seen anything about this film apart from some Facebook ads claiming it to be as good as previous high school flicks. I'll admit I went in thinking it'd be awful but I was pleasantly surprised to find quite a good update on the genre. There were several cringe scenes that existed which made me want to curl up into a ball and fast forward through (not quite possible at the cinema). It was certainly lacking something but it was enjoyable and a fun 90+ mins.


John Wick

This film has such a stupid story and it all escalates quite quickly over not a lot. It's definitely trying with all it's might to be a cult 90's action flick like Last Boy Scout but it really misses the mark with extremely poor character set ups and nothing but constant fight sequences with not much filler. It's all very silly and there was the odd chuckle but it felt like a weird sequel. Meh.


Good kill

A nicely shot film about Americans using drones to kill people over in Afghanistan etc. It's based off real events and although it poses some interesting questions and shows a side to modern warfare not usually seen in films it is ultimately quite a dull film. Still and interesting watch though.


Fast and Furious 7

I kinda like this franchise. I haven't seen all of them but they're stupid fun and they know that. Some of the stunt and visual effect work is quite awesome. Obviously Paul Walker dying in a car crash mid-shoot didn't help matters though and although they completely reworked the ending (into a really long emotional memoriam for Walker) there were some scenes which he clearly hadn't filmed and his body doubles (his brothers) would just stand there looking awkward and not responding to the conversation. It was odd but the tribute is rather touching and well played out. Still if you like car chases and crazy stunts then go watch it for some popcorn fun.

 

[peep]

The woman in Gold

An interesting film about the real life story of an Austrian girl fleeing her country during WWII to America and in her later years trying (via the court system) to get one of her families paintings back from the Austrian government as it was stolen by the Nazis. It's got some nice humour littered throughout which helps keep the film entertaining while flashbacks provide a grim view of the war. The film did feel a little bit repetitive but you're left with a satisfied smile by the end of the film.


Avengers: Age of Ultron

The level of hype and expectations are at an all time crazy level right now and no matter what they did with this film there will always be fans nitpicking and finding faults here and there. I'll start by saying it looks fantastic, the special effects are ridiculous and the action sequences are handled quite well. You can tell that nearly an hour of footage was removed from the film with lots of side plots to help fulfil the main story being reduced to "what was that about?" and not filling in enough blanks regarding the full story. I can only think that people that aren't really paying attention to the franchise will be quite lost, especially if they haven't seen Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Still it is a very enjoyable film with plenty of laughs. I would love to see a full version though as the more I think about it the more of a problem it is.

Still, not going to stop me from seeing it again and again. Oh and there's no bit at the very end of the credits.

 

[tomahawk]

It upsets me that an American film is released before in other countries. I know with British films they are released first, but this doesn't make sense. And why dont they just do global releases. I know some people are in film industry on here, any explanation as to why that doesn't happen?

 

[gavin]

Avengers: Age of Ultron

A Transformers film by any other name...

What a pile of ****.

But because it's Marvel it'll be labelled as AWESOME!!!!! by people who refuse to see it for what it is.

 

[peep]

Re: "Now Showing"

It upsets me that an American film is released before in other countries. I know with British films they are released first, but this doesn't make sense. And why dont they just do global releases. I know some people are in film industry on here, any explanation as to why that doesn't happen?

No idea to be honest. A global release would be a nightmare for the marketing team I suppose? The cast can only be in one place at a time.

At least with the Marvel films you only have to wait a week, for Disney animated films we have to wait months and for no reason at all (they claim holiday periods but that actually wouldn't make a difference because their films always do well here no matter what).

If I ever meet someone that makes these decisions I will ask them.

 

[tomahawk]

Wasn't sure if it was something I just didn't know, or if it's just the way it is. The animated film bit makes zero sense. I know Thor was primarily filmed over there, so that one made sense, but it's just odd.

 

[furie]

Re: "Now Showing"

Avengers: Age of Ultron

A Transformers film by any other name...

What a pile of ****.

But because it's Marvel it'll be labelled as AWESOME!!!!! by people who refuse to see it for what it is.

Yeah, it was even worse than the first one. A lot of the CGI was really poor, characters awful and just no real sense of dread or threat. Very "meh".

It was just an excuse for a superhero fight **** fest.

Sent from my Hudl 2 using Tapatalk

 

[tomahawk]

Age of Ultron

Reading reviews from Facebook, and then the couple on here, I expected it to be Transformers 2 bad. You clearly forget how bad that movie is if you think this is worse/equal. Was this one of the better MCU films? No, that still rests with GotG and Winter Soldier by a mile, but it's entertaining. When did movies like this have to stop being just mindless popcorn movies? Enjoy it for what it is, and move on. Am I needing to rush out and see it again? No, but if I have the chance to go in IMAX I will.

Antman went from looking bad to good in that new trailer though.

 

[Jordanovichy]

Avengers: Age of Ultron

I really like Marvel films, but I've not watched enough of them to really know the stories in depth so that does kind of spoil it for me, but that's my own fault.

This was an alright film, the last half hour was spectacular, really gripping with amazing effects, the rest was just meh, slow and my mind kept drifting off to what I was going to have for dinner (beans on toast if you're interested).

There were a few laugh out load moments which is why Marvel films (as an overall) appeal to me. I need to watch the other Marvel stuff to know what is going on.

Good film, not amazing.

 

[Pokemaniac]

Saw Age of Ultron the other day too, and my general impression is that it was enjoyable. That gives it a 3 on my three-point scale (honestly, scales become so complicated once you introduce more than that).

My biggest gripe, though: The nation of Sokovia is foreign to the point of using Cyrillic letters. Yet all the inhabitants speak English to another all the time, even amongst themselves. The Sokovian twins (major characters in the film) even speak English with an Eastern-European accent to another. That indicates English was never their mother tongue. So why the <img> did they speak English then?

Also, if the Avengers-related location shown at the end of the film was given the same precise positioning as the other showcased locations, the blurb text would have read "North America". When talking about a location in the US, it's important to pinpoint it with "Upstate New York", but anywhere abroad can be referred to in as general terms as "the coast of Africa" (26,000 km), or "East Europe" (encompasses 20 countries over 5 million sq. km, depending on your definition).

Oh well, I guess it's made to carter to an American target mark-
*looks at amount of Asian-specific product placement in movie*
-oh, never mind.

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

Hollywood appealing to the Asian market is literally having scenes in one of their countries, often for random reasons... Iron Man 3 and Transformers being the main examples... Then there's Wolverine.......

 

[tomahawk]

Considering Chinese companies essentially paid for half of those films, Ironman 3 and Trqnsformers 4, it very much makes sense why they were filmed there. China is the second largest film market in the world, and as film becomes more popular there, you will see more references.

 

[peep]

Pitch Perfect 2

I loved the first one to the point where I became a little obsessed by it. This one tried very hard to capture what everyone loves about the first but to try and make it feel a bit different. While it was still good there were some problems. So much of the dialogue (especially from the 'minority' characters) was just trying to be the next one line that makes everyone lol - and quite often totally missing the mark or coming off awkward or wrong. I felt that although a lot of the music was good it wasn't near as fantastic or 'of the moment' as the first film, falling back on songs that most had forgotten about from about 10 years ago etc. Still it definitely has some great performances and it has plenty of hilarious moments.


Mad Max: Fury Road

Having not seen any of the previous 3 films and not liking the look of this film I can honestly say I was very surprised to find myself really liking it. The visuals are just stunning and the action is relentless. Story is very basic and dialogue is very minimal. The soundtrack is actually brilliant (listening to it as I type this) with the flame-thrower guitar man on bungee cords being a proper highlight throughout the film. I doubt I'll go watch the previous instalments but I will recommend this one.


Big Game

This is clearly a small budget Scandinavian film which has somehow punched above its weight and got Samuel L Jackson playing the American president and lots of pretty decent CGI. I thought it was a rather enjoyable film with the occasional laugh and some ok action sequences. I thought there was some pretty poor acting in there though which wasn't helped by a mediocre script. Still, a nice B-movie for a Sunday afternoon.

 

[tomahawk]

Pitch Perfect 2

Anna Kendrick yay, movie boo.

Mad Max Fury Road

Don't understand the love for this that some are giving it. Entertaining, yes, but nothing else.

The Cobbler

Some obscure Adam Sandler flick that was quite boring.

Tomorrowland

Boring as ****. Nothing happened. Just a chance for Clooney to get on a soapbox. I was upset as this had so much potential to be good.

I've seen more recently but can't remember them right now. Jurrasic World better not disappoint.

 

[gavin]

Tomorrowland

I saw this when it opened here last Thursday. Hmmmm, it started well I guess, especially if you're a Disney park fan, and it was cool to spot Space Mountain in the skyline of Tomorrowland. It went downhill fairly quickly though I think, and was just way too preachy. Sorry, but I find it a bit difficult to swallow "protect the environment" demands from a company like Disney who have drained swamps and destroyed marine habitats through land reclamation to build their parks.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney Version)

I just watched this with some students recently for this bull s**t lunchtime movie thing I do now and then. I saw it when it first came out in the cinema back in the '90s, and bought and listened to the soundtrack a lot back then, but hadn't rewatched it. It's fantastic. Obviously, the original story has been Disneyfied, but it's still incredibly dark for a Disney cartoon, probably their darkest thing after the Black Cauldron. The music is absolutely phenomenal as well.

 

[peep]

Tomorrowland: A world beyond

I enjoyed this film, lots of references to other films and Disney-based things. The Worlds fair re-creation was fab. I loved the first-half's old style view of the future, made the film feel 'classic'. The second half became way too preachy but there was plenty of things to keep me happy. Hugh Laurie <3 Overall I really liked it but fear it won't receive the attention it deserves.


Spooks: for the greater good

Being a fan of the TV series (somehow they clocked up 10 series) I was intrigued by this film. I found it odd that they didn't really explain who people were etc, everything was really rushed. It was ok for what it was - an extended single episode (with series-long character development shoved into one episode). Anyone who didn't watch the show will probably be lost as to what is going on and why Harry Pearce does what he does. Still the action sequences were ok and there were some interesting plot twists.

 

[GuyWithAStick]

Tomorrowland
I honestly enjoyed this. Lots of references(I couldn't help myself but to point out that the Space Mountain building was in the city. ) and other things I enjoyed. There were however quite a few plot holes and unanswered questions.

Spoiler:

Spoiler

If they wanted a Government-free society, why even have a Governor with guards?

Overall, good film with a great message.

 

[Pokemaniac]

Crazy Maximus and the Very Angry Street

Or, you know, that post-apocalyptic movie with the car chase in the desert. It's very hard not to spoil the plot of the movie when "car chase in the desert" is quite literally all it's about. Wait, scratch that, the visuals is quite literally all it's about. The logic of its universe isn't very sound. There's a lot of stuff that doesn't make sense. There are times when the laws of physics seem to apply only because the plot demands it. There's a guy playing a flame-throwing electric guitar, suspended in a bungee harness, in front of a whole wall of amps mounted atop a truck driving full speed through the desert, and that invalidates the three previous sentences.

It's glorious to watch. The amount of CGI in the movie is ridiculously low, at least compared to the "demands" of action scenes such as these. There are splendid car crashes, people running around on moving vehicles, and awesome landscape shots, all done with practical effects wherever possible.

The titular character isn't the most talkative guy around, and is kind of demoted to sidekick status for much of the movie, but the film is so full of other memorable characters that it really doesn't matter. Also, it passes the Bechdel Test with flying colours, to the point that it's close to failing on the other end of the scale: The film hardly has a scene featuring two men talking to each other about something other than a woman.

All in all, I really enjoyed it.

3/3.

 

[Jordanovichy]

Mad Max: Fury Road

I'm not usually a fan of this sort of film, too serious and odd but I actually really enjoyed it. It's full of action from start to finish, a little gore to keep the stomachs churning (or maybe that was just me...), the soundtrack was spectacular and it had a few unexpected moments which I don't think were necessarily meant to be funny but I laughed out loud. Thoroughly enjoyable.

San Andreas

I'd been looking forward to this film since I first heard about it just before Christmas. I love a good disaster film especially when it's geologically based. I was slightly disappointed though. The graphics are **** fantastic, the film, from start to finish is a visual masterpiece, I'm just fed up with the same story in these disaster films, broken-up parents go to save their kids who are in the wrong place at the wrong time...and why does everyone take a natural disaster to mean 'let's find love'. Ugh. I don't know what other plot they should create for theses sorts of films, but I'm not a filmmaker so it should be down to them to work it out!

That aside I did really like the film, it got me quite emotional at times and the visual effects sent shivers down my spine at how spectacular they were.