Breaking Dawn Pt 2 (2012)

This is another one that I was taken to see with one of my friends as they couldn't find anyone to go with them, although this time I actually had to pay £6 to get in. I am not particularly a fan of twilight but at the same time I am not one of those people who will take every available opportunity to mock and ridicule those who do like it. In my opinion, it's not as bad as people make it out to be. Yes alright, the acting isn't great and the story is a bit convoluted and the vampires sparkle and all that stuff but, at the end of the day, the franchise isn't that horrific.

 This particular twilight film is the fifth and final installment from the four book series and continues on from the birth of Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward's daughter, Renesmee (I really hope no actual child has been given this name) and Bella's transformation into a newborn vampire. The Volturi are lead to believe that Renesmee is a immortal child (which apparently isn't good as they have a tendency to kill everything) and set off to destroy Bella, Edward (Robert Pattinson) and the rest of the Cullen clan. To protect their daughter and themselves, Bella and Edward must gather as much help as they can to help fight the Volturi and their leader, Aro (Michael Sheen).

 I must admit, I saw this in a tiny cinema screen that held about 30 people and it only contained 5 people for this screening so my hopes weren't particularly high before this film started. As it went on, my hopes weren't raised that much higher. The acting is very typical of the twilight series so if you think the acting was bad in the first few, you aren't going to be pleasantly surprised by this one. The special effects were also not as good as I had expected them to be, with the computer generated baby Renesmee being somewhat scary at times. Also there is a rather odd thing involving a golden glow which is just weird, but you will have to see it to understand what I mean.

 However, there were some redeeming aspects. Firstly, the fight seen at the end was pretty spectacular compared to those in the other movies. Strangely, seeing many people have their heads ripped off really made the movie for me. Also, the touches added to really bring the franchise to a close were really well done and  almost moving for those who really enjoy the books and the movies (my friend told me that this is the case). Inclusions such as using the final line of the book in the final shot and showing all of the actors throughout the series in the credits really made it feel like a good, appropriate ending to the series.

 Overall, if you like the Twilight movies then you will definitely like this one (especially if you go and see them purely for Taylor Lautner and his apparent inability to wear a shirt for longer than 10 minutes), and it is a fitting end to the series. In my opinion, it was nothing special, just one of those films that washes over you and you don't really have to think about too much.

Bridesmaids (2011)

 With all the hype that surrounded this film, I had high expectations. It's not often that a comedy such as this is nominated for an Oscar, so this must be a good one. With this film, it is essentially about what it says on the tin. Lillian (Maya Rudolph) has just become engaged and given her high school best friend, Annie (Kristen Wiig), the job of being maid of honour, with some of her other close friends being the bridesmaids. However, when Lillian's new friend and bridesmaid Helen (Rose Byrne) tries to take over, jealousy sets in causing problems for Annie and her role in the wedding.

 For anyone who has seen 'The Hangover' or 'Superbad', this is essentially the female version of those. The humour is crude and very American and the emotional moments I imagine are only really felt by the female viewer. That being said, it is very very funny. It seems like Kristen Wiig is at her best in this movie, as are all of the other women playing the bridesmaids, as well as Chris O'Dowd, the love interest for Wiig's character. With a cast like this would you expect anything else? A few scenes stand out for pure comic genius, including the infamous food poisoning scene which is both horrific and hilarious in equal measure. However, for me the movie is well and truly stolen by Melissa McCarthy and her performance as Lillian's future husband's sister.

Without going on too much (because it's pretty late/early), this film is great. As a Brit, some of the jokes did go a bit over the head, and some may find this film slightly offensive, but other than that, it definitely lived up to the hype.

5 Films To Look Forward To In January 2013

So should we all survive the apocalypse tomorrow, here are a few films that might be worth seeing when the New Year hangover wears off.

1) Les Miserables

Without a doubt the most anticipated musical every to be released, and if the reviews are anything to go by this one will be winning all the awards going.

2) Django Unchained

The newest film from Quentin Tarantino telling the story of a slave/bounty hunter who sets out to save his wife from the plantations.

3) Lincoln

Starring Daniel Day-Lewis and examining the life of the famed president, Lincoln is another film that is likely to be highly popular in the coming awards season.

4) Zero Dark Thirty

From Kathryn Bigelow, the award winning director of 'The Hurt Locker', comes a film showing the search for Osama bin Laden from September 11th to his death in 2011.

5) Movie 43

And to recover from all those rather serious and dramatic films, here is a ridiculous comedy with an insanely huge ensemble cast to maybe brighten up your January.

Anyway other than that, Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!!!!

The Muppets (2011)

 During my childhood, The Muppet Movie was one of my favourite films of all time. There must have been a period when I watched it several times a week and knew all the words to 'Rainbow Connection'. The only other film that came close was probably 'A Goofy Movie' but that's another story. When I heard that they were making a new Muppets movie I was slightly apprehensive, mainly just hoping that they wouldn't ruin it.

 The new movie follows Walter, a Muppets super fan who takes a trip to LA to visit the famous Muppet theatre only to discover it in a state of disrepair and is about to be sold to an oil tycoon who plans to destroy it.Walter, with the help of his friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) must bring the old Muppet gang back together so they can perform together one last time and raise the money to save the theatre.

 To start with, this is not one of the best Muppet movie. Maybe it is my age now compared to then, but this doesn't compare to classics such as The original Muppet movie or A Muppet Christmas Carol. However, that isn't to say that it is a bad film. In fact it is very good. It still has the feel of a Muppet movie and the songs are a great addition to a good story with lots of fun and humour. I also must admit the when they sang Rainbow Connection, I may have let out a squeak of excitement (my house-mates will vouch for that).

 The performances are also good, although both Segel's and Adams' acting is very OTT and excessively happy, but it works with the story and the fact it is a Muppets film so I cant complain too much. Like I said the songs are great, with 'Man or Muppet' being a highlight, the song that won the movie and Oscar. In typical Muppet style, the interaction between the puppets and actors is flawless (although I still find it strange when you see the puppets legs) and overall it's just pretty great. Definitely worth seeing if you fancy a film to remind you of just how incredible the Muppets really are.

50/50 (2011)

 To start this off positively, it's a commonly known fact that 1 in 3 people are likely to be affected at some point in their lifetime by cancer. So making a comedy about it seems like the next logical step right?

 That's what Will Reiser thought and decided to write 50/50, a comedy based on his own experience of cancer and how he and his friends coped with the news. 50/50 tells the story of Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a guy in his 20's who is diagnosed with a rare form of spinal cancer and is given a 50% chance of beating the illness. This movie follows him, his family, friends and those trying to help him as he deals with his illness and his fight against it.

 As someone who has been affected by cancer, I initially wasn't too sure about this film. It seemed to me like making a comedy about something as potentially devastating as cancer would be too much of a risk and could be viewed as insensitive or offensive. However, this film is the complete opposite. It manages to perfectly balance the humour of the situation through Adam long term friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) and his new therapist (Anna Kendrick), with the emotional  and serious aspect of the position Adam is in.

 Joseph Gordon-Levitt is brilliant. His acting is great for the comedic side, but he really comes into his own when portraying the feelings of a young man who is essentially facing death head on. There are a few scenes, for example the scene in the car before his operation, and the scene with his mother on the day of the op, in which the emotions really come through and show him to be a great actor.

 I won't lie, there are few moments where the jokes are maybe slightly insensitive, but I suppose that's what you get when you tell a story from the viewpoint of a 20 something man. Other than that, this film is a good one and was a nice surprise when I came round to watching it.

Anna Karenina (2012)

Tolstoy is not for the faint hearted, so any attempt to turn 'Anna Karenina' into a worthwhile, good film is going to be difficult. This, again, was a film I was not particularly fussed about but because a friend could find no one to go with her, I offered my services as I don't have to pay for it.

 For those, like myself, who haven't read the book, Anna Karenina is long. Set in 19th century Russia, Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley) has her life and social standing changed when she cheats on her husband Karenin (Jude Law) with the young and charming Count Vronsky (Aaron Johnson). The two run away together and the film tracks the impacts this has on Anna, her husband, Vronsky and the various people in their lives.

 To set the scene with how I feel about this film, I am not particularly a fan of Keira Knightley. The thing I find with her is that I struggle to see any character, and if I see her in a film I just see her as Keira Knightley rather than Elizabeth Swan, Cecilia Talis or, in this case, Anna Karenina. Taking this into account the film was not off to a great start. Then I began watching it. I found the film pretentious and over exaggerated in every way possible. The decision to show the story as if it were a play and have many of the scenes set in a theatre was, in parts, genius but mainly just annoying and over the top.

 The story went on forever to the point where about a third of the way through I just wanted it to end, looked at the clock and realised I still had over an hour left to sit through. I realise that this is a problem with the works of Tolstoy as I have tried to read one of his novels and it is hard work and laborious sometimes, but this should not be reflected in the movie representation of this film. At times it seemed like no effort had been made to even attempt to make the storyline interesting or easier to watch, and any moment to move the story along seemed abandoned for a dragged out cinematic shot involving mirrors or dramatic silhouettes. 

 Continually the acting was, at best, average. Every person in this film I have seen do a much better job. The only saving grace for the film was the performances given by Matthew Macfadyen and Kelly MacDonald, who provided some light hearted humour to a very long and overly dramatic piece.

 To cut a long story short, I hated it. The attempt to make this film into an epic romance went over the top to the point where everything about it felt too big and too effortful.

 But at least the evening wasn't a complete waste, my friend liked it (?!).

Lawless (2012)

 Lawless, set in the great depression, is based on the lives of the Bondurant brothers. The eldest, Forrest (Tom Hardy) runs a bootleg moonshine business and the youngest or the three, Jack (Shia LaBeouf) is desperate to become more involved. But whilst the family start selling outside of the state to big time gangster Floyd Banner (Gary Oldman), Special Deputy Charles Rakes (Guy Pearce) is determined to stop the brothers in their tracks and will do this by any means necessary.

 I must admit that I didn't really want to see this film. I didn't really appeal to me and the only reason I went is because one of my friends wanted to see it and nobody would go with him. I am glad I agreed to see it though as it was a great dramatic film. Every single one of the actors gave a brilliant performance, with Guy Pearce stealing the film as the truly evil deputy. I don't think he has ever been better, and his performance makes the film. All the other actors also do a great job and in my opinion this is Shia LaBeouf at his best.

 The drama and suspense are high throughout and keep the pace of the film moving at a good speed. However, if you don't like violence, this is not one for you. There are a few particularly gory scenes, including a rather graphic throat cutting section, that are not for the faint hearted.

Overall, I think this is a great film and would highly recommend seeing it. Lots of drama, action and great performances.

New Years Eve (2011)

Everyone has their film faux pas', some people like high school musical, some people like Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus, mine happens to be a weakness for ensemble movies. I know it's a strange one as more often than not they are pretty crap, but that's just how it is. I guess it started with Love Actually and then just kind of grew from there. I have seen many variations from Valentine's Day (great) to Expendables (not so much) and now I can add this film to my list.

 New Year's Eve does exactly what it says on the tin and tells several individuals new years eve stories in the city of New York. At the end of 2011, the people of New York gather to watch the ball drop in Times Square welcoming in the new year and many stories are told revolving around this event. From being stuck in an elevator to helping someone grant their new year resolutions before the year is out, the film looks at new year from every possible angle.

 In the grand scale of ensemble movies, this is okay. Each of the stories is interesting and there are some moments to make you laugh and some to make you cry. However, the stories don't really tie together all that well. If I were to compare it to a truly great ensemble movie, like Love Actually, it wouldn't stand up. Some of the stories don't seem to link with the rest of the film at all, and some only very tenuously.

 For such a star studded cast, it is a shame that they have not been used to their full advantage. True greats like Robert De Niro were given small barely significant parts whilst actors (and I use the word tentatively) like Jon Bon Jovi were given a substantial part of the film and storyline. This film could've been quite good if the focus had been correct. Instead it seemed a bit all over the place with the only thing tying it together being that it was new years eve for them all and some of them were related.

 On a positive note, it doesn't take itself too seriously. It is a nice little film to put on, not really think about too much and just kind of enjoy each of the stories for what they are individually. So if you get the opportunity to watch it, give it a go, but I wouldn't go out of your way to see it, it is only okay after all.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012)

Based on the novel by Stephen Chbosky, 'The Perks Of Being A Wallflower' is a true coming of age story. Charlie (Logan Lerman) is about to start his first day of high school and basically has no friends. He has always been on the outside and following a year out of school dealing with mental illness and a friends suicide, Charlie is thrown back into school life. Two seniors, Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller), take him under their wings and show him how to make the most of his time at school and bring him out of his shell. The film's journey through adolescence shows everything from first love and epic parties to heartbreak and dealing with the struggles of the past.

 I am sure this film probably means quite a lot to a significant number of people. The book was highly popular amongst the teen audience when it was released and I am sure the film adaptation with bring the current teen audience around to the book in a similar way. However, as someone who has never read the book and didn't really know much about the phenomenon of 'Perks', I went in open minded.

 To start off, this film is not a happy clappy type of film. Whilst having a comedic edge the undertones of the storyline are hard hitting and emotionally charged. This line between humour and drama is walked very well by the film-makers and the balance is a great asset to the film overall. This is demonstrated perfectly through the soundtrack which is as key to the film as I am told it is to the book. The music blends perfectly with the storyline of teenage years and struggling through life and helps to express the true emotion of each scene.

 With regards to the acting, I was pleasantly surprised. Having recently seen Logan Lerman in 'The Three Musketeers' I wasn't expecting him to be able to hold the lead role of this film with much confidence. How wrong could I have been. He manages to perfectly portray the shyness and insular nature of being a wallflower whilst mixing in both the new found ability to relax and let go with the torment of mental illness and the effects of his past. Emma Watson also emerges as a star in this film, well and truly breaking free from the chains of Harry Potter and proving herself as a talented actress. To anyone who doubts her acting skills from the HP franchise, I would suggest you watch this film and give your opinion a bit more thought. Ezra Miller rounds off the trio with a great performance matching that given in 'We Need To Talk About Kevin', and the three of them together make this a great film to watch.

Overall, I really loved this film. It is in no way a typical teen film and I am sure will be able to stand up to the success of it's literary counterpart (which I am about to start reading).

Brave (2012)

 So this one comes with a bit of a back story. I again saw this at the student cinema and had decided I was going to help out beforehand as we kind of figured that this would be a busy one. After all, the original Pixar generation are now the generation protesting against student loan rises and the general lack of jobs (sorry for the third year angst). However, when I got there the room was still being used by the Uni newspaper who were still waiting for their key speaker (a certain host of a university based quiz show none the less) who turned up an hour late and was due to speak for another hour. Now, I don't know if you have ever had to tell 250 students that they will have to wait 2 hours for the film to have any chance of starting, but I can assure you from experience that it is not fun. So, after bribing people with various forms of chocolate and trying to shepherd 300 students out of one door whilst directing 250 through another, the film was ready to start, and thank god it was a good one.

 Brave is Disney Pixar's latest offering set in the highlands of Scotland. Princess Merida (Kelly MacDonald) has a passion for archery and being out in the wilderness but is forced by her title and her family to live the life of a 'respectable royal'. After stumbling upon a witch in the forest, Merida purchases a spell to make her mother more accepting of her and the way she wishes to live her life. However, when using the words 'I want a spell to change my mother' something is bound to get lost in the ambiguity and thus, Merida must figure out a way to help her mother when the spell doesn't go quite as originally planned.

This film had a lot to live up to. With predecessors such as Toy Story and Up, any new Disney Pixar film must impress to be able to respectfully stand along side the others (I am going to act like Cars 2 was Pixar's slip up moment). Brave manages to do this in every way possible. The story is both funny and endearing in equal measure, and the animation is spectacular. I'm not even sure Scotland looks as impressive in real life as it does throughout this film, at least not the parts I have seen. Who knew that Scotland had sunshine?

 One of the things that struck me most about this film was the fact that it was nice for once to watch a film that didn't focus on romantic love and 'Will the guy get the girl?'. The emphasis on a mother-daughter relationship is heart warming and this slightly different angle makes this film truly great. The combination of Pixar's animators and a cast including British greats such as Billy Connelly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters and Robbie Coltrane make for pretty much a perfect film as far as I'm concerned.

 This has become one of my favourite Pixar movies and I would highly recommend it to anyone out there. Besides if it can be enjoyed by 250 angry students, it must be a good one.

Ted (2012)

I am one of those strange people in the world who has never seen Family Guy. It has just never appealed to me, and why watch Family Guy when you have The Simpsons? Anyway, that's not the point I was trying to make. What I was trying to say was the fact that this film is marketed as 'the first motion picture from the creator of Family Guy' had no influence on me whatsoever. The only reason I chose to watch this film was because one of my closest friends saw it and wouldn't stop nagging me until I had seen it too. So I rented the movie, sat in my room and gave it a watch.

Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) is the result of a childhood wish by a lonely boy who wishes that his teddy bear was a real friend. The bear comes to life the very next morning and nearly 20 years later, the two are still best friends. However, their friendship starts to come between John (Mark Wahlberg) and his girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis) and John is forced to choose between his childhood toy and the love of his life.

After starting this film with no particular expectations, I enjoyed it. It was really funny in quite an original way and I was quite impressed. The combination of real life and CGI was done really well and the interactions with this bear were seamless. It is a very specific brand of humour, so anyone that is not a fan of fart jokes and humour of this type should probably avoid this film. I, on the other hand, don't mind that kind of crass humour and found the jokes entertaining and modern.

It was also good to be able to see Mark Wahlberg taking on a more comedic role. Recently, I have only seen him in action films and the occasional drama, so I was impressed with how well he adapted to a more comedic, funny role. Mila Kunis is also good in the film and the two work very well together to make this story and movie an enjoyable hour and a bit.

On the negative side, the film sometimes just seems to be sort of drifting about a bit and doesn't really have any main point at times. Also, whilst it is funny, some of the jokes take it slightly too far and could be classed as offensive which takes the edge off them a bit.

Other than that, the film is a good comedy for those not wanting to think too much about the jokes and what's happening and is worth giving a shot.

Looper (2012)

In the year 2074, the mob are using time travel to send people back in time to have them murdered by gunman 30 years in the past. The film follows Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), one of the hired gunmen who one day is assigned to shoot his future self (Bruce Willis). Future Joe escapes and sets out on a mission to kill the future mob boss while he is still a child, and current Joe decides to try and protect the child and his mother (Emily Blunt).

I had no idea what to expect when I went to see this film. Some people had told me it was amazing and this decades version of 'The Matrix', some people had told me it was awful, and others told me they had no idea what they had just seen. With all that in mind (and the fact that I was seeing the film for free thanks to being a member of the student cinema), I sat down and watched with anticipation.

I must say I was very impressed. The film manages to explain quite a complicated story in very easy to understand terms and in an interesting way. The film moves at a fast pace, switching between the stories of the two versions of Joe and how they interact and link together. The action sequences are good and are enhanced by the outstanding special effects which show a very plausible version of the future (as much as film involving telekinesis and time travel can).

All the actors give good performances, particularly Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt who work off each other very well. The only down side, and in my mind it is quite a big one, is the prosthetics that Gordon-Levitt wears throughout the film. I am assuming these are to make him look like a younger version of Bruce Willis, and to be completely honest, they look nothing alike. It is kind of distracting and seems unnecessary for the purposes of the film.

Overall, if you can get past the strange prosthetics, then this is without doubt a great film and possible one of the better films I have seen this year. Definitely worth a watch.

The Bourne Legacy (2012)

In an attempt to continue the Bourne franchise without Matt Damon, 'The Bourne Legacy' follows the premise that there was 'never just one'. Jeremy Renner plays Aaron Cross, an agent in the Outcome operation, who manages to survive an attempt by the government to shut down the operation and kill all the operatives. Cross then teams up with Dr Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) to help him acquire the medication he needs to stay at the high functioning level of an agent and the pair go on the run in an attempt to avoid those still trying to kill them and finish the job.

With the task of living up to the reputation of an already well established film series, the Bourne Legacy doesn't quite get there. There are plenty of high octane action sequences with the typical Bourne grit, but it is missing something. The dramatic scenes seem to last too long as they have to explain a quite complicated back story explaining the drugs, operation and the link with Jason Bourne, and the action sequences seem too short. The end is also very abrupt and obvious that they have left it with the intention of continuing the story in a sequel, which kind of ruins the ending of this film.

I shouldn't be too negative as overall it is a good movie. It just doesn't live up to the previous three. The acting is good and both Renner and Weisz manage well with both the drama and action.

Like I said, it is a good film, it's just missing something to make it stand out against the other Bourne films and give it credibility as a stand alone movie.