Film 67 - Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy - 31/07/2014 (with guest review)

Dear Mr Abrams, 

Clare and I went to watch Guardians of the Galaxy, one of my most anticipated films of year, on 31st July 2014.  Before going into the screening I was sure this was going to be either a raving success or an embarrassing flop, there was no middle ground with this, awesome or not, pure and simple.

What we watched happens to be one of the best films of 2014

Hilarious, great characters, emotional, and I am Groot

An epic space opera that is probably the best Star Wars film since 1980.  I do believe that the formula for Guardians is very Indiana Jones/Star Wars rooted so to follow this procedure would be a great starting point.  4 of the Guardians are a cross between Han Solo and Chewie, whilst the 5th member is broody and kick ass just like Leia.

I appreciate that most of this film is CGI and you are going for more pratical effects to which I salute you, but may I also point out the excellent work done by Weta Digital with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (another film you should see) and Mr Gunn's amazing work with Groot and Rocket.  In other words, we DO NOT want another Jar Jar!

I trust that you will take into reference the points raised above, and take them forward to the new dawn of Star Wars.  Don't worry, I will take no credit for the end result if it is a roaring success based on my advice.  I will just be a happy man 

So, in summary, can you please have a word with the execs at Disney as I believe you need to see this film to give you the direction for your upcoming project.

Many Thanks,

Danny Pondo

Peter Quill is taken from earth in 1986 as a heartbroken youngster, 20 years later he is an Indiana Jones/Han Solo-esque character with a bounty on his head and an item in his pocket that is sought after by Ronan The Accuser.  He is joined by Rocket, Groot, Gamora and Drax as a band of misfits in a galactic war.

I knew very little of the comic (in fact, very little indeed) before going into the film but that had zero effect on my enjoyment.  Not much back story is given to each character, they are just there and doing their thing. GOG is a fantastic space adventure full of great action scenes and comedic moments.  For me this is the new generations Star Wars, and as much as I do not want to compare them the similarities are too close.

Each character is given equal screen time, and during their time they each steal the show.  Star Lord is a cocky, self sure raider with questionable leadership qualities, Rocket is a mastermind of escape and planning, Drax the logical has some of the best lines from the film and is the power house of the gang, Gamora the deadly assassin and heart, and then there is Groot, a tree who can do new things because he is Groot.  His abilities are never explained and he can always do something that helps in the situation, but you don't care because "I am Groot".

My only downer to the film would be the bad guys, I think they are a little underplayed.  Ronan has potential to be a great villain, Nebula and Gamora's back stories sound very interesting, but James Gunn wants to focus more on our heroes rather than the threat....is this a bad thing?

The soundtrack is perfectly fitting and the visuals stunning

A good friend of mine is currently choosing to boycott the film because he cannot get over the fact that there is a talking raccoon.  I look forward to hearing his thoughts now as I think I may have convinced him to go.

Guardians in an excellent film (as you may have guessed now) that I recommend to all.  Episode VII has got a lot to do now.

Oh, and make sure you stay right till the end of the credits for the usual Marvel post-credit sequence - just brilliant!
And...I want a dancing baby Groot!

Guest Review - The Film Lord (Dave)

“Hey (hey) what’s the matter with your head? Yeah”. From the moment our protagonist Peter Quill the self proclaimed “Starlord” danced onto screen accompanied by Redbone’s 1974 classic, I knew this film was for me.

Marvel Studios tenth and probably it’s most confident, definitely the smartest and funniest, film they've produced has finally arrived after months of anticipation. Directed by James Gunn, who wrote and directed the underrated film Slither, it’s an absolute joy to watch.

What makes this film such a joy is the cast of characters.

Chris Pratt as the Han-Solo-ish Peter Quill is pitch perfect as our 80s obsessed leader, he has the swagger and confidence of a young Harrison Ford/Kurt Russell and some of his one liners are brilliant.

Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, a warrior in search of vengeance, is surprising hilarious and him only being able to understand words literately lead to some of the best lines in the film.

Vin Diesel as Groot a tree-like humanoid who despite only using the words “I am  Groot” not only manages to be funny it’s probably Vin’s best performance to date (haha)  

Zoe Saldana as Gamora is probably the weakest link of the group which is not to say she isn't good (she is) it’s just she’s not given as much to do as the rest of the cast.

Then there’s Rocket a genetically engineered raccoon bounty hunter voiced brilliantly by Bradley Cooper. From asking for appendages to be stolen (hilarious) to his conversations with Groot of which only he is able to understand make him the stand out in an already amazing set of characters. I also liked is how they manage give him genuine emotion that really made me feel for him which is more that can be said for most CGI creations, (Bay I’m looking at you).

I also need to point out the soundtrack which is fantastic and fit’s perfectly into the breeziness of the movie. (Needless to say this was downloaded the second I got home and is currently set to repeat). Then there are the 80’s references, one actor related one in particular, that had me in hysterics.

The only downside for me were the antagonists, Lee pace as Ronan and Karen Gillan as Nebula are not really given much to do other than be obstacles for our heroes to overcome, (Gillian in particular). Nebula and Gamora's back story seemed the most interesting it’s just a shame we didn't get more of it.          

The main theme that runs throughout this movie is friendship so it’s fitting that they end with the song “I want you back” because you know what….. I will be back, back for a second viewing and back in 2017 for their next adventure.

#Megamovies

Film 66 - The Purge: Anarchy

The Purge: Anarchy - 29/07/2014

I always like to play the "Film Distribution Company Game" at the start of a film, trying to guess the company by their opening logo.  For example, if you see the planet Earth and letters start appearing from the horizon you know it is going to be Universal, or the drums start and the spotlights shine it is 20th Century Fox.  As I started to play the game, my heart sank.  As the image passed over a sandy terrain I knew it was a Platinum Dunes film, Mr Michael Bay's company, the production company behind the Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday 13th and Texas Chainsaw Massacre butchered remakes.

The Purge: Anarchy is set 12 months after the first film and uses the same premise.  One night a year, for 12 hours, all crime is legal including murder.  Due to this one night, crime is down, employment is up and poverty is almost eradicated.  Is this down to The Purge or are there other factors causing the Rich to prosper and the poor to "disappear"?

When I heard about the first film and the story behind it I really liked the idea.  When I saw the film, I thought it was terrible.  So when the second film was announced I was a little apprehensive, then the trailers for it showed that it was not a home invasion film, but similar to an "Escape from New York" setting with 5 people struggling to survive whilst out on the streets during the annual event.

The group seems to go from one issue to another, each one with an escalating threat, but I didn't care for any of the group.  There were quite a few plot points that didn't make much sense and the group seemed ot be the luckiest band of unlucky hero's ever.  People just happened to turn up at the right moment to cause distractions like when a band of rebels turn up at just the right moment but their motives make no sense.  The rebels are fighting against the rich who are benefiting from The Purge and start an all out offensive, but the "Rich" are behind bulletproof glass watching all their butlers and body guards getting mowed down by the rebels, surely they cannot be classed as the elite rich and must not be earning much more than minimum wage.

*****Spoiler Warning *****

One thing that really wound me up was the climax to the film, with 30 minutes left of The Purge, the main hero arrives at his goal for the night, to murder the man who killed his son in a drink driving accident.  He has fought all night against mass murderers, rebels, and pretty much everything out to kill to reach this house, yet as there is only 30 mins to go and it is 6:30am there is no one left on the streets, there is peace and quiet. 

He nonchalantly leaves the car and meanders across to his target who is happily asleep in his bed.  If this is the case, why didn't he just wait till 6:30am, casually drive across town with no problems, walk into the house he had already rigged and take care of business, it would have been far easier!

Film 65 - Boyhood

Boyhood - 23/07/2014

Filmed over 35 days in a 12 year period, Boyhood tracks the life of Mason from 5 year old to 18.  Mason and his family, sister Sam, Mom (Patricia Arquette) and divorced Dad (Ethan Hawke) experience new step-fathers, weekend visits from Dad, money problems, new partners, and growing up.

Boyhood could easily have been called Sisterhood, Motherhood or Fatherhood rather than just Boyhood as the whole family is in focus.  for me, Sisterhood would have been the best film as Sam was hilarious as a youngster.

Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke are superb as the divorced parents and when Dad turned up for weekend visits I found myself happy to see him as well.  Boyhood has a good outlook on life although the kids really have a hard upbringing.

Filmed as snapshots of each year, the cast actually grows with the film.  Technology and soundtrack indicate the years as they pass.  I think this is a potential Oscar winning film based on how it was filmed, and I did enjoy it, but i think there could have been a few years skipped as the just short of 3 hour running time seemed to be slow at certain points.

Film 64 - Monty Python Live (Mostly)

Monty Python Live (Mostly) - 20/07/2014

As I sat waiting for the show to begin, being broadcast live from the O2 Arena in London on the final night of the "last ever" Monty Python Live, Cineworld played a few tracks from the album "Monty Python Sings". As each new track came on I realised that although I had not heard the album for a few years, I still new all the words.

Singing along to Finland, Eric the Half a Bee and Every Sperm is Sacred, I was in for a real treat.

As the 30 minute countdown began, a video of the back stage preparations and a few trivia questions was shown to get us in the mood, but when the counter started reaching the final minute I got a little excited.

"Broadcast to 60,000 people in the UK via cinema and TV, 60,000 in America, 60,000 in Australia, All Across Europe and Canada, 0 in Brazil"

Within minutes I had tears of laughter coming down my cheeks as the remaining pythons appeared on stage for a "photo opportunity", followed by the infamous "4 Yorkshire Men" and many more classic sketches.  A few musical numbers by Eric Idle (to which I was mostly singing along) and a celebrity cameo of Eddie Izzard as Bruce.  The Pythons had not lost any of their timing or comedic prowess, they were seriously on form.

With a thirty minute interval, I left the cinema for a drink and was singing a few songs in my head.

When the curtains went up for the second act I knew this was the stronger section, Spam Lake, Parrot Sketch, Every Sperm is Sacred, Blackmail (with Mike Myers completely star struck to be on stage with the Pythons), the Penguin on the TV set, the cheese seller, and finally one of the most famous songs in the world.

Mr Eric Idle thanked everyone for their support and seemed very touched, he then went on to say that this show was being broadcast to approximately 6 million people around the world and he would like everyone of them to join in with "Always look on the bright side of life"  

When the pythons started singing, the special guests from the previous 9 nights joined them on stage, Stephen Fry, Al Murray, Warrick Davis, Eddie Izzard, to name a few, then the whole backstage crew joined them and I got a little emotional to be part of such a big event.

Truly a fantastic experience and one that I won't forget in a long time.  There is potential that at the end of the month Cineworld will be re-showing the event again, if they do I really recommend going watching it.

Film 63 - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2D)

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2D) - 17/07/2014

With growing confidence, I was sure that the Unlimited Secret Screening I was to attend on the 15th July was not going to be Dawn of the Apes because it was released 1 day later, Clare and I booked our tickets to the show.  How wrong I was. 

Luckily though, Clare had opted not to go to the late, mid week secret screening and we are both not a fan of gimicky 3D, so our early mid week 2D booking was more preferable to the both of us.

Clare had not seen Rise of the Planet of the Apes before, so we snuggled up on the couch on the Wednesday night and learned of Caesar's early life with James Franco and his dad, to the incarceration and cruelty of the monkey sanctuary finishing with a rampage on the Golden Gate Bridge.  Clare was ready for some more ape action (dirty minds!!!)

Having seen Dawn a couple of nights before but with the contrast turned to 1 and annoying floaty subtitles I was happy for the colourful, less distracting 2D version.

I definitely enjoyed the film more the second time round and Koba was still as menacing.  For my full thoughts on the film, please see my secret screening review.

All I can say extra is that during the loud, crash, bang, wallop of the Summer Blockbuster season it is great to get a massive blockbuster like this that doesn't conform.  Nolan-esque in delivery, stunning motion capture and ape creation and humans that are not just there for plot advancement (Godzilla).  Definitely better in 2D that 3D

Film 62 - Unlimited Secret Screening

Unlimited Secret Screening - 15/07/2014

Cineworld announced that a secret screening would be held to showcase a film before general release to the public to it's unlimited members, so I jumped at the chance.  After the success of the Pulp Fiction Anniversary showing and the Raid 2 Advanced Screening, I was looking forward to this.

We had our ideas of what it was going to be, but we were not sure...

1) Guardians of the Galaxy - due out at the end of the month, but Marvel only released 17 mins worth of footage to be shown at the upcoming San Diego Comicon, how could Cineworld get a full screening of this weeks before?

2) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - This one seemed the most likely, but with the secret screening on the 15th and general release on the 17th it hardly seemed like weeks in advance

3) Earth to Echo - I had a sneaking suspicion that this would be the showing to see how audiences reacted to it, the new ET or just another found footage film?

4) Hercules - A couple of weeks before the actual release date, this was a fine contender

5) Star Wars Episode 7 - I can dream!

When we (Dave, Rosh and I) arrived at the cinema we were given our free Coke Zero and a flyer detailing what was coming up.  The flyer highlighted that this was a sequel to a film released in 2011, no more guessing, we knew from then that we would be spending and evening with Caesar.

After a couple of trailers, Andy Serkis appeared on screen to introduce the film, The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

Set ten years after the simian outbreak and ape uprising, Caesar and his gang have set up home in the San Fran Forest and believe humans to have died out.  When a small group of humans threaten that existence on the search for a power source things become a little fragile.

The Apes looks real, Koba is one of the best bad guys (apes) in a long while and the acting is superb.  Apes runs at a long 130 mins because it is not all out action and loud noises (like some other summer blockbusters) but seems to take the Nolan approach.  Characters you actually care for, good story points and a dark and more realistic environment.  

Most of the scenes involving Koba were absolutely terrifying, one including a dual machine gun wielding, horse back riding, fire jumping monkey with a real chip on his shoulder...AWESOME, and then the clip below (which was shown on TV so I am not spoiling anything - although the impact at the cinema of this clip was brilliant so if you plan to watch it on the silver screen, don't watch this clip)

There were a couple of things that made me laugh, like when the humans do get some electricity they turn on every single light including display cabinets and charge every device they have (including Gary Oldmans Ipad - that guy must really love Candy Crush).  I get told off if I leave the bathroom light on, and we aren't on limited power!

Also, Barry Exposition appeared at a couple of points just to explain to the slower viewer why things happen.  These always make me laugh

Cineworld decided that the Secret Screening should also be shown in 3D, but this was it's downfall.  Apes in 3D is pointless, you lose so much colour and contrast with the stupid glasses on and apart from a few scenes of depth, the main things in 3D are the subtitles.

This takes the Apes story to a darker place than Rise and I can only aniticipate how exciting the final chapter of this trilogy will be.

The opening and closing shots are haunting.

I also have to thank the staff at the Bolton Cineworld, they were excellent hosts and the free drink was a lovely touch.

Film 61 - Begin Again

Begin Again - 12/07/2014

A chance meeting between a drunk, passionless music producer and a lonely, heartbroken singer songwriter sparks a lovely story of people trying to find their passion again.  Be it, writing songs from the heart or finding that spark for new and inspiration music.

(listen to the opening track whilst reading the review)

Begin Again stars Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo as the aforementioned hopeless people lost in New York.  The night they meet in a small open mic club Mark has been fired from his music production company, divorced from his wife and estranged from his only daughter, Keira has just finished a five year relationship with pop star sensation boyfriend who found love from his assistant whilst on a trip to LA.

What could have been a run of the mill romantic story based in New York, Begin Again takes a route of musical passion, loving what the performers actually do with their music and how to make it real.  James Corden comes along for the ride and has some great scenes with Keira.  

I left the cinema with a smile on my face similar to that of chef, knowing I had enjoyed an easy to watch film with a good soundtrack and beautiful vista's (including Keira) just this time the passion was music not cubanos.

It had a little reminder of the commitments to it, but no where near as much soul.

An enjoyable film

Film 60 - How to Train Your Dragon 2

How to Train Your Dragon 2 - 04/07/2014

Everybody raved about how good the 1st installment of the "Dragon" series was, but it took me a while to get round to watching it.  When the film ended, both Clare and I looked at each other and said in unison, "Brilliant!"

A story of a young boy who befriends "the most dangerous" dragon of all, The Night Fury, and in turn changes the perceptions of all his fellow vikings to care for dragons instead of attacking them...sorry, spoiler!

When the 2nd film was announced we were both excited for another outing with Hiccup and Toothless but waited till a late evening screening so our fun wasn't hampered by rampant kids and noise.

HTTYD2 is set a few years after the first film and has the whole town of Burke loving their Dragon comrades. but trouble is brewing on a far away shore with an Alpha Dragon and ruthless warlord seeking revenge.

The story is full of warmth and heart, being a kids film it does not shy away from big issues.  The visuals are stunning, there were many points during flight sequences I felt I was right there with Hiccup souring through clouds and rock formations.

Is it as good as the first film? I think the impact of the HTTYD coming from nowhere and surprising us as much as it did, the sequel would never live up to this, but it does a bloody good job at trying.  We both loved Toothless and the supporting cast of Dragon Riders are very funny.

Find an excuse, you don't even need to take a child to watch this.  Well worth a watch on the big silver screen

Film 59 - Cold in July

Cold in July - 1st July 2014

The trailer had me intrigued, Mark Kermode's review on 5 Live got me more interested and Clare not feeling up to the cinema convinced me to watch "Cold in July" (It is a film that Clare didn't want to watch)

The first twenty minutes of the film I was hooked.  A lady wakes from her sleep upon hearing a noise in the house, wakes her husband who grabs his gun and goes to investigate.  Accidentally the guns goes off and the intruder is shot dead.  Hailed as a hero to the town, Richard (Micheal C Hall) starts to worry when the father of the dead intruder starts hassling his family and threatening his own young child.

I thought this was going to be like a Cape Fear style film and was really interested to how it was going to turn out.  What I was not expecting was the many genres the film would take.  It went from psychological thriller to comedy to buddy movie to all out action.  I had been warned that this was a director trait and usual for his previous films, but for me it didn't gel as well as it seems to have done for others.  It just seemed messy.

I enjoyed Cold in July, but if the starting genre would have continued then I think I would have enjoyed it more.