Cinema Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (12A, 130 Mins.)

Synopsis: In the wake of a disaster that changed the world, the growing and genetically evolving apes find themselves at a critical point with the human race.

Verdict: Following on 10 years later from the events of the surprisingly masterful RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, this has proven to be an altogether different sort of film without ever feeling out of place in the franchise. Where RISE was essentially a coming-of-age story, focusing primarily on the relationship between James Franco and Caesar, DAWN has a much darker tone with a focus on war and revolution. 

Things get off to a bit of a slow start, with there being hardly any spoken dialogue for the first 10-15 minutes as we delve into the ape colony. The joy of this movie though is that it isn't purely reliant on the grand spectacle of an endless bombardment of in your face 3D action scenes without ever becoming completely dull. Primarily this is because it does have a lot to say - about morality, life & death. However this means that there's rather a lot of scenes where the 3D was rendered useless as there are long periods where the camera is focused on the faces of the characters involved in the dialogue. As an affect on the film overall though, it draws the audience even more into the characters thus ramping up the tension when events do start to escalate out of control. Having felt like you've grown up with him after the first film, you can't help but feel completely involved in his story so whilst some of the human drama might seem a bit clichéd it feels like the stakes are much higher than, for example, the Transformers movies. There were points throughout where I physically gasped (a rarity) as some of the events unfolded - this is far and away the most tense that I've been in the cinema for a long time.

The performances also live up to the hype. Andy Serkis' interpretation of Caesar is so real and raw with the movements that he makes that some of the audience actually forgot that they weren't actually watching real apes. This achievement should also be used to herald the technology which has helped to make what some may think of as a mad concept feel all too real. The human cast's performances also brought to mind those of WORLD WAR Z - another very dark apocalyptic drama - as they effectively portrayed the strain the characters are under making it all the more realistic and relatable.

The only real flaw with this movie was one that I have had with several blockbusters of late, its length. It is probably about time that someone remind Hollywood that very often less is more. With a bit of a tighter edit the lull that exists in some of the middle of the film could have been resolved. Whilst it is never boring, some of the dialogue felt a bit unnecessary. However if this was my only problem then they're clearly onto a winner.

4/5     

My Review of 2014... So Far!

Now that we're at the halfway stage of the year (where did the time go?) it only seems right for me to do a review of the cinematic year up to this point - especially given my lack of posting so far due to A-Levels.

The year started out very promisingly, with several leading awards contenders releasing throughout January and February. The highlight of these for sure was THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (5/5). This was a riotously rip-roaring 3 hours of debauchery and I loved every single second of it. Whilst walking in a little dubious at the length, it flew by so quickly and I could easily have watched the supposed extended cut that Scorsese has lurking out there somewhere. It would be unfair to say that Matthew McConaughey was undeserving of his Oscar during the 'McConaissance', it was surely Leo's turn this year. Given the eccentrically frenetic performance he put in here, I thought for sure that he would be a sure win. This was definitely much, much funnier than I ever thought it could have been.

The other huge awards bait movies released at this point were AMERICAN HUSTLE (3/5) and 12 YEARS A SLAVE (4/5). I ended up going to see HUSTLE twice at the cinema, purely down to circumstance. Even though it was perfectly enjoyable when I initially saw it (when I awarded it 4/5), there's something about it that left me with an incredibly sour taste in my mouth looking back at it. Whilst I really wanted to love this movie - SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK was one of my favourites of last year, Jennifer Lawrence is one of the true cinema icons of this generation starring alongside a truly amazing cast - the lack of plot has left me feeling rather indifferent towards it. J Law, Amy Adams and Christian Bale conducted some brilliantly transformative performances. However this and the brilliant soundtrack are some of the only things really going for it, with many elements having been done so much better in several other movies. I feel slightly similar about SLAVE. The performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong'o are two of the bravest, most powerful and moving performances I have seen. Due to the subject matter this was a difficult but rewarding watch. However when watching it there are points where you can't help but feel that this has been made primarily for the Academy. For example, in the scenes where the shot lingers for near enough a minute the audience's attention was starting to wane when I went to see it - you could even see Ejiofor's eyes wandering by the end of some of these shots. Whilst some of it veered on the side of pretention, it makes for such powerful viewing that everyone should see it at least once - even if just to see what the fuss has all been about.

February also saw the release of THE LEGO MOVIE (4/5). Going into this knowing that it was a Lord/Miller production (being a big fan of 21 Jump Street) my expectations were probably unfairly high. Whilst there was no shortage of wry, knowing humour - even with the occasional literal eye wink! - I couldn't help but feel that there was a little something missing to tip this over into 5-star territory. The animation was very original, perfectly capturing the blockiness of the bricks, the voice cast was made up of nearly every actor you could think of and suited it adequately. I think the main problem is that the story lulled a little bit in the middle. Even though I never checked my watch during the movie, and time seemed to go by quickly enough, I couldn't shake the feeling that some bits were tacked in for the hell of it just to make the hipsters far too over excited. Don't get me wrong though, there was still a lot of fun to be had here.

My personal highlight of the March release calendar was DIVERGENT (4/5). It's a shame that the marketing never seemed to try to differentiate itself from THE HUNGER GAMES given that the similarities end with the fact that they're set in dystopian futures. The story here actually has a lot to say. Whilst there's the obligatory romance aspect, this played out as far more of a political thriller than the first HUNGER GAMES movie, with most of the action taking place in the last 30 minutes. Some people may feel more daunted by the thought of this but Kate Winslet and Shailene Woodley's performances are worth it, with Winslet being incredibly menacing in her first villainous role.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (4/5) marked the start of the summer blockbuster season. In my opinion it didn't deserve the critical mauling that it got, it did pretty much exactly as it said on the tin. Whilst it may have suffered from being overstuffed with too many underdeveloped villains, the relationship between Peter and Gwen has made these movies far more interesting than the previous trilogy.

May was quite possibly overstuffed with movies (annoying at a time when the majority of teenagers are in exams!) with X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (4/5) being one of the most major releases. It was a perfectly enjoyable film but I thought that it was the slightest bit overhyped by critics - X-MEN: FIRST CLASS was slightly superior in my opinion. However it was nostalgic fun to see both casts join forces even if, like THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, this meant that it was stuffed full of characters vying for your attention. Characters such as Quicksilver brought a lot of fun to proceedings and the cast were all still on top form.

EDGE OF TOMORROW (5/5) has been far and away the best blockbuster of the year. Even though it seems to have inherited elements of films such as GROUNDHOG DAY and numerous alien invasion movies, it somehow manages to have morphed into a highly original film. It probably helps that Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt are as charismatic as ever and also have great chemistry. Whilst the element of time repeating itself could've easily become monotonous, the variety of spectacular action sequences and surprisingly humorous scenes ensure that that's never the case. Some of the most fun I've had watching an epic blockbuster since AVENGERS ASSEMBLE and, whilst I do tend to enjoy them, a refreshing change from the recent onslaught of comic book movies.

June has already seen the release of two of my most anticipated movies of 2014, the first of which was 22 JUMP STREET (5/5). My expectations had been set sky high for this after the standard set by 21 JUMP STREET, one of the most tongue-in-cheek films I've ever seen. This certainly didn't disappoint, bringing more of the same kind of gags but on an even larger scale and never failing to point that out by completely tearing the premise of sequels to shreds. It is also home to what is quite possibly one of the best credits sequences of all time. Without a doubt the best comedy of the year so far and superior to its predecessor simply for the pure number of gags that left the whole audience in pieces throughout. Up next was the beautiful THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (5/5). I won't wang on about this one again seen as you can read my cinema review in the previous post. All I will say is that this is a powerfully emotional piece of cinema with something for everyone, not just fans of the book. A must!  

Whilst the rest of the Summer 2014 release calendar is largely uninspiring due to the World Cup, and the fact that every single movie seems to be getting released next summer instead, here are some of my most anticipated movies of the coming few months:

• TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION (5th July)
• HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (11th July)
• DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (17th July)
• GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (31st July)
• THE INBETWEENERS 2 (6th August)

Do you agree with my round up or are there any glaring omissions that I should be ashamed to have not reviewed? What are your most anticipated of the upcoming summer blockbusters?
Feel free to leave a comment below.

Cinema Review: The Fault in Our Stars (12A, 125 Mins.)

Synopsis: Hazel and Gus are two teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them on a journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous given that Hazel's other constant companion is an oxygen tank, Gus jokes about his prosthetic leg, and they met and fell in love at a cancer support group.

Verdict: Before I begin, I should probably admit that I'm a MASSIVE fan of the novel so I rushed out to a "The Week Before Our Stars" preview screening. Whilst my expectations couldn't have been more sky high in the lead up to this release at no point was I left disappointed.

The main reason that this adaptation is so rewarding is the performances. Shailene Woodley (Hazel) was an inspired piece of casting. Whilst her work on The Descendants showed her off as a rising star able to pull off a convincing and absorbing performance, her work in this film makes her a true force to be reckoned with - in the big leagues with Jennifer Lawrence. In what is a rather physical performance, what with her having to wear a canula for the whole film as well as displaying symptoms of cancer, it is the subtlety of Woodley's performance that has won her some truly deserved praise. However the success of portraying cancer patients isn't just down to the beautiful performances. Without a team of brilliant makeup artists it simply wouldn't be believable. They do a brilliant job of ensuring that the two leading stars (in between shooting the Divergent movies) never look overly glamorous, making it far more believable that they could be cancer patients. Whilst Ansel Elgort doesn't bring anything overly inspiring to the role of Gus, he does a good job of avoiding him from appearing to be a bit of a smarmy arsehole which is enough praise in itself given some of the ways that his character tries to woo Hazel. Praise also needs to be given to Laura Dern, Nat Wolff (who actually made it so he was unable to see in order to realistically portray a blind character) and the criminally underused Willem Defoe.

Whilst the direction of this movie by newcomer Josh Boone was relatively uninspired, the sheer simplicity of the camera rarely leaving the stars' faces adds to the effect of humanising the drama rather than trying to Hollywood-ise terminal illness. The soundtrack also has the perfect balance of pop music and more folky music which are in-keeping with the style of the piece, topped off with the heart breaking "All of the Stars" by Ed Sheeran used at the start of the credits. 

Fans of the book will also be pleased to hear that this is quite possibly one of the most faithful  book adaptations I have ever seen. The story has rarely changed with most of the dialogue remaining largely similar, the main change being the shortening of the third act. However this had little effect on the amount of heartbreak inflicted by the events that unfold. I have to admit that I probably cried much more than I did reading it first time around - there is something about watching the events unfold that is far more upsetting than reading it - so consider yourself warned to bring plenty of tissues.

As a fan of the book I couldn't possibly give the most balanced stance, but I can guarantee that there is something here for everyone. There is the romance & weepy drama that the marketing has focused heavily upon but there is also a lot of black humour. Whilst the film is about a very sensitive subject, at no point does it feel forced or contrived. Therefore (and I would never say this lightly) this has to be regarded as an essential piece of cinema in amongst most of the trash that is being released this summer - particularly looking at you Mrs Brown's Boys D'Movie!

A must, especially for those who have experienced cancer in their lives.

5/5

Academy Award Predictions 2014

As is the norm for this time of year, I'm going to attempt to predict what will win in each category at the Oscars this year. I may have some slightly checkered luck when it comes to stuff like this but here goes...

Best Picture:
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena 
12 Years A Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street
WINNER: 12 Years A Slave

Director:
David O Russell (American Hustle)
Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity)
Alexander Payne (Nebraska)
Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave)
Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street)
WINNER: Alfonso Cuarón 

Best Actor:
Christian Bale (American Hustle)
Bruce Dern (Nebraska)
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave)
Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)
WINNER: Leonardo DiCaprio

Best Actress:
Amy Adams (American Hustle)
Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
Sandra Bullock (Gravity)
Judi Dench (Philomena)
Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)
WINNER: Cate Blanchett

Best Supporting Actor:
Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips)
Bradley Cooper (American Hustle)
Michael Fassbender (12 Years A Slave)
Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street)
Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
WINNER: Jared Leto

Best Supporting Actress: 
Sally Hopkins (Blue Jasmine)
Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)
Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years A Slave)
Julia Roberts (August: Osage County)
June Squibb (Nebraska)
WINNER: Jennifer Lawrence

Adapted Screenplay:
Before Midnight
Captain Phillips
Philomena 
12 Years A Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street
WINNER: Philomena 

Original Screenplay:
American Hustle
Blue Jasmine
Dallas Buyers Club
Her
Nebraska
WINNER: American Hustle

Animated Feature:
The Croods 
Despicable Me 2
Frozen
Ernest & Celestine
The Wind Rises
WINNER: Frozen

Best Foreign Language Film:
The Broken Circle Breakdown
The Great Beauty
The Hunt
The Missing Picture
Omar
WINNER: The Great Beauty

Production Design:
American Hustle
Gravity
The Great Gatsby
Her 
12 Years A Slave
WINNER: Gravity

Cinematography:
The Grandmaster
Gravity
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
Prisoners
WINNER: Gravity

Costume Design:
American Hustle
The Grandmaster
The Great Gatsby
The Invisible Woman
12 Years A Slave
WINNER: The Great Gatsby

Documentary Feature:
The Act of Killing
Cutie and the Boxer
Dirty Wars 
The Square
20 Feet From Stardom
WINNER: The Act of Killing

Documentary Short:
CaveDigger
Facing Fear
Karma Has No Walls
The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life
Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall
WINNER: CaveDigger

Editing:
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
12 Years A Slave
WINNER: Gravity

Make-up and Hair Styling:
Dallas Buyers Club
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
The Lone Ranger
WINNER: Dallas Buyers Club

Original Score:
The Book Thief
Gravity
Her
Philomena 
Saving Mr Banks
WINNER: Gravity

Original Song:
Alone Yet Not Alone (Alone Yet Not Alone)
Happy (Despicable Me 2)
Let It Go (Frozen)
The Moon song (Her)
Ordinary Love (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)
WINNER: Let It Go (Frozen)

Sound Editing:
All Is Lost
Captain Phillips
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Lone Survivor
WINNER: Gravity

Sound Mixing:
Captain Phillips
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Inside Llewyn Davis
Lone Survivor
WINNER: Gravity

Visual Effects:
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Iron man 3
The Lone Ranger
Star Trek Into Darkness
WINNER: Gravity

Animated Short:
Feral
Get A Horse!
Mr Hublot
Possessions
Room on the Broom
WINNER: Room on the Broom

Live Action Short:
Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me)
Avant Que De Toute Perdre (Just Before Losing everything)
Helium
Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa (Do I Have To Take Care of Everything?)

The Voorman Problem

WINNER: Helium

So there you have it! Please bare in mind that I haven't actually seen half of these films (especially the shorts) so if I'm waaay off I apologise in advance. Do you agree with my predictions that Gravity will do a Hugo and walk away with all the technical awards? Let me know in the comments below.

Cinema Review: Gravity - A Modern Masterpiece?

Rated: 12A
Run time: 91 mins
Synopsis: A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space.

Verdict: Starting the film simply with a view of Earth from hundreds of miles above and our protagonists floating through space in the distance lets you in for exactly what the next hour-and-a-half will bring. The silence builds up tension right from the off, with the only noise coming faintly from their communications with mission control back down on Earth. In a weird way this fills you with a sense of claustrophobia despite the practically infinite space surrounding Dr Ryan Stone and Matt Kowalski. Listen out as closely as you can at this point though as major details about the mission are revealed through the muffled speakers.

I might as well talk about the visuals first, seen as that is what everyone is nattering about having seen this film, and yes they are out of this world! At some points, being as much of a novice as I am on space and everything related to it, I actually felt like I was watching a documentary. The fact that none of the effects ever look obviously green-screened is testament to Cuaron's 4-year production on this film as well as the ever-improving technologies available. Whilst most films post-converted into 3D can look a bit heavy handed and detract from the overall experience, Gravity is clearly the rare exception. With the images maintaining their clarity, even during scenes where shrapnel comes flying into your face, it is truly a sight to behold. See it on the biggest screen possible in 3D for the full effect. Even if it doesn't receive awards attention for much else, at the very least it should win every technical award going. 

Without going into the story too much - as that would spoil some of the major plot turns, never mind the ending - Sandra Bullock's performance as Dr Ryan Stone (apparently her Dad wanted a boy) is simply mesmerising. With the film acting more as a character study rather than some generic lost in space sci-fi movie, she took on no mean feat. As we learn more and more as the story goes on about her character's life, particularly as she's on the verge of losing all hope, you only become more gripped as the stakes raise and you really want to see her pull through her struggle for survival. However brief George Clooney's appearance may be, he also did a decent job - even if it seems as though he's taken a leaf out of Buzz Lightyear's book(even sounding weirdly like him!). 

Whilst the script may feel a bit like it's just one blatantly spelt out catastrophe after another, you don't really care because of the beautiful visuals and breathtaking, heartbreaking performances leaving the audience completely awe-struck.

4/5

Cinema Review - Kick Ass 2 (15, 103 Mins)

Synopsis: The costumed high-school hero Kick-Ass joins with a group of normal citizens who have been inspired to fight crime in costume. Meanwhile, the Red Mist plots an act of revenge that will affect everyone Kick-Ass knows.

Verdict: with the first film becoming an instant cult classic (and one of my favourite films) my expectations were probably unreasonably high which resulted in me being slightly disappointed by this run of the mill sequel. 

Chloe Grace Moretz, the breakout star of the first film, is probably the best thing about this film. She gets some of the best lines (look out for a fresh twist on her use of the C-word!) and a lot of the action, even without her guise for the majority of the film, so much so that Kick-Ass feels almost sidelined for half of the film. That is until things turn particularly bleak.

Whilst I acknowledge that the conclusion of the first film meant the sequel would be darker, I didn't think it would go as far as it did. The demise of a couple of central characters (I won't go any further than that, normally I avoid potential spoilers but in this case I felt I had to make the point) upset one woman sitting behind me so much that she was crying. For this reason it didn't necessarily feel like a Kick-Ass movie at a couple of points, the deaths didn't feel as darkly comic as in the first one. However this was only the case at a few points throughout. On the whole there were plenty of laughs, particularly thanks to Hit Girl's "adventures" in high school.

My only other main qualm with this film was the violence. I don't want to sound like some sadistic animal by saying this but in my opinion it wasn't extreme enough. When you look back at the first film there were so many extremely bloodthirsty scenes (the first encounter with Hit girl and Big Daddy, the human microwave - the list goes on). Here however there was a lot more hand-to-hand combat, that whilst was technically brilliant lacked the edginess of the violence in the first film. It made me feel like it was much more committee led and wanted to make a quick buck with something less edgy and much more toned down than the comic book.

While it would be ear impossible to match the sheer originality and out-thereness of the first, I couldn't help but feel this was a moderately wasted opportunity creatively in an attempt to grab a bit of cash. Saying that though there was still fun to be had here for a couple of hours and with an ending as wide open as it was I'd welcome a Hit Girl spin-off with open arms!

3/5

Cinema Review - The World's End (15, 109 Mins)

Synopsis: Five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from 20 years earlier unwittingly become humankind's only hope for survival.

Verdict: it doesn't necessarily cover any new ground there is plenty of humour here along with some great action to make it one of the better films of this summer.

Starting off as a slow burner there wasn't really a lot going on for the first 30 minutes or so other than introducing characters. Whilst this means that it takes time before The World's End gets going, an excellent screenplay results in much greater character development than many other recent comedies (although I liked I Give It A Year, just showing that a character doesn't like compacting rubbish in the bin does not make her evolved or relatable). Therefore whilst many jokes are made at the mental fragility of Simon Pegg's central character you feel almost heartbroken for him at points when you see how hard life has been for him. Plot threads like this helped to make for a very well-rounded film, more so than audiences may have initially been expecting from a film about an alien invasion in pubs. 

The cast here is as excellent as the other instalments in the Cornetto trilogy. Nick Frost has surprisingly more to work with as the story progresses than in his other roles where he was more of a bashful assistant. As a result I'd regard this as one of his best performances to date. Rosamund Pike also pleasantly surprised with good comic timing. Given I'd only really seen her before in action movies like Jack Reacher I wasn't sure how she'd bear up against such comedic talent but she really held her own. The rest of the cast were also great and several cameos from other famous faces worked well too.

One of the only flaws with this was probably mis-marketing due to the fact that it was billed as a comedy. Whilst this definitely did have some funny moments, was it as witty and gag-filled as Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz? No. In my opinion it came off as more of an action movie with several brilliantly choreographed fight scenes - Edgar Wright clearly learned a lot from directing Scott Pilgrim. Many of the laughs and running gags were more chuckle worthy than laugh out loud funny.

Whilst it may not be quite as strong as the first two films, The World's End is still definitely a fitting end to the trilogy with plenty of nods back to them throughout making it a must see for any fans of Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz.

4/5