San Andreas review

Genre: Action, Adventure, Disaster.
Starring: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Alexandra Daddario, Carla Gugino, Hugo Johnstone-Burt, Art Parkinson, Ioan Grufford, Paul Giamatti, Archie Panjabi.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 12A (UK) PG13 (US)
Runtime: 114 Minutes
Director: Brad Peyton

Synopsis: "In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper pilot makes a dangerous journey with his ex-wife across the state in order to rescue his daughter." IMDB

It feels like wherever you turn today in the movie world The Rock is showing his face, which is not a bad thing he is a very enjoyable actor I find. I have been enjoying his work since I first seen him in "The Mummy Returns" when I was 11/12 already loving him from his time in WWF.

Disaster films usually tend to all follow the same tropes, San Andreas is no different in that aspect they follow the tropes, "damsel" in distress, children in danger, over the top destruction and comedic retorts in deathly situations. Even though it buys into all the usual tropes, it doesn't take away from the film, director Brad Peyton chose to focus on characters as well as the destruction, without trying to make the film something it isn't. It stays very true to its destructive route which is the real reason we all watch these type of films and it does not disappoint in nearly destroying the entire San Francisco Bay Area.

Some of the visuals really are beautifully destructive!

The films relies a LOT of CGI as you would expect, for the most part there is a some beautiful visuals, I found some of the effects to by abysmal like something you would expect if watching a film from 2/3 decades ago. Plus the use of poor green screens is eminent in many scenes, they stand out in their awfulness in scenes in which Johnson and Gugino's characters are sailing through the city. There are some incredible visuals though, none that I will be specific about as to not ruin them for viewers who are yet to see them.

The ensemble cast of Johnson, Gugino, Daddario, Guffard and Giamatti amongst others were a nice combination, let's be honest though it's an action film getting "The Rock" to star in it is like avoiding Christopher Mintz-Plasse like the plague, it just makes sense! The entire of the cast were great in their roles, my only complaints come from getting people to put on accents that they just don't sound right at all Guffard has a wonderful accent his attempt at American was poor, the same I found with Parkinson and Johnstone-Burt, what is the point in getting an Irish kid and an Aussie to play accents not natural to them. It is something that I have always been annoyed by, especially when the accents break constantly throughout film. My other "complaint" isn't really a complaint, it is the fact that whenever I see Giamatti I think he suits NO role yet still delivers with every role, my brain just doesn't understand it! ha. All that being said, I will watch ANYTHING that has Daddario in, not only is she a brilliantly talented and incredibly beautiful, I may actually be in love! I'll have to stop here on Miss Daddario before this turns into a love letter aimed at her.

Those eyes!!!

The film was very well paced, it doesn't get itself caught up in trying to tell us the story of the world while this is all going on it. It is straight to the point of being a sect of America, plus the action really gets under way within the first twenty minutes when the Hoover Dam comes crashing down. From then on the film has a nice pace and focus on both characters and the real reason we're all watching to see stuff crumble!

Overall, the film was a thoroughly enjoyable popcorn flick, the film is stunning to look at for the most part and the characters are enjoyable in their own way. However the story is very predictable as you would expect from many films within this genre, but that doesn't make the film any less enjoyable let's be honest is it really possible to not enjoy The Rock being The Rock? He's a total bad ass in pretty much everything he does, this is no exception. While the film will not be out winning awards, it will give you a solid two hours (nearly) of enjoyment without really having to concentrate on the story. This is my first ever .5 rating, it wasn't a 6 but it wasn't a 7, but I don't really know why the film just wasn't either so I had to switch up ratings a little.

6.5/10

A Dozen Summers review

Genre: Family, Comedy, Drama.
Starring: Kenton Hall, Scarlet Hall, Hero Hall, Colin Baker, Sarah Warren, Ewen MacIntosh.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: PG (UK)
Runtime: 81 Minutes
Director: Kenton Hall

Synopsis: "Maisie and Daisy McCormack are two ordinary 12-year-olds finding their way through life in the 21st century. Oh, and they may have just hijacked a movie." IMDB

A Dozen Summers is like no other film I have seen, in no way is that a bad thing at all, Kenton Hall who wrote, directed and starred in the film (what a busy man!) really captured the essence of teenage life here in Britain. The film didn't shy away from real life issues which was a pleasant surprise in such a family based comedy, the film is as much a children's film as it is an adults film also, there is enough to satisfy everybody even the elders dragged along by their kids to see it. 

The film uses all the narratives we see in cinema be it flash forwards, voice overs, alternate takes, you get a full range of these used in aiding the imagination of the sisters. The voice over done by the wonderfully talented Doct I mean Colin Baker is used as a clever plot device to allow the girls to jump ship on the current scene to a more interesting point, which I found a very enjoyable thing to watch. The entire film just has a silly vibe about it, while sticking to real life issues we all witness be it divorce or bullying, the social issues touched on in the film are very real but done in such a way you feel them but you are also able to giggle through them. 

The cast was wonderfully picked in my opinion the twin sisters who lead the film were brilliantly funny in their repartee sometimes lost on siblings in films however these two being twins obviously it really helped their little arguments about where to take their film. Director Kenton Hall also featured in the film as the twins dad Henry, who is like every modern day dad spouting his witty little dad jokes. It is always nice to see British talent being showcased and that is exactly what happens in this film for me I found it a nice break to get back to seeing young actors making their name for themselves. Plus it is always a wonderful treat to hear a true legend of the screen like Colin Baker who brings a air of Hollywood to the film, great addition to any cast.

While some will argue there is some issues with the film, I for one would say look past the minor glitches, the small budget and the fact the films story is not on a typical linear track. The film doesn't pander to the audience explaining this and that about why the girls are able to do what they do. It's just "accept it and enjoy" which I thought was a nice touch, from the get go you're thrown in the deep end of the magnificent decision by the director to use all the tropes possible for the sheer enjoyment of the viewer. There is a few moments in which the acting falls off, but that happens even at all levels of film, so hardly enough to take aim at this film in particular.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed "A Dozen Summers" it was a wonderful coming of age comedy drama, reminiscent of a show I watched in my younger years called "Tracy Beaker" it will take you back to your youth and help you remember all the silly things you got up to at that age with your friends. The film is a nice feel-good comedy in the modern time of gritty realism, so if you're feeling like a good time filled with laughs and relatable antics most definitely check this out. While the film is aimed at children I think this will be a bigger hit with the parents than the younger viewers, lots of references to older films and even a hilarious homage/parody to the chess scene from "The Seventh Seal". A truly wonderful feature debut from director Kenton Hall I am looking forward to seeing what else he has in store in the future.

4/5

Ant-Man review

Genre: Action, Comedy, Superhero, Science Fiction, Adventure.
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Tip "T.I." Harris, Anthony Mackie, Wood Harris, Judy Greer, David Dastmalchian.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 12A (UK) PG13 (US)
Runtime: 117 Minutes

Director: Peyton Reed
Synopsis: "Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, cat burglar Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world." IMDB

12 films into the Marvel Cinematic Universe can Marvel keep up their stellar track record? 

Lets start off with the cast, when the film was nearing production there was talk of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Paul Rudd being favourites for the lead role of Scott Lang, to me both were laughable ideas for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Boy was I WRONG, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang may be my favourite casting in the entire MCU, he was brilliant be it from dropping the typical Rudd jokes we're used to or actually portraying real emotion when talking about his daughter. Not only was Rudd a brilliant call, I loved the entire cast, Michael Peña was absolutely hilarious, he even rivalled Rudd in his comedic ability, Corey Stoll as Yellowjacket was also another inspired choice I mean everybody in this film was spot on in my opinion. Then we have Douglas and Lilly, who had some a wonderful father and daughter dynamic that just felt so real.

Now we have the visuals even in the modern day of the height of CG it is a bit of a baffling thought to imagine seeing a man running around underground with ants and it to not look stupid. However as ALWAYS ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) delivered some truly stunning visuals. I don't want to pick out specific scenes, because really they all stand out in their brilliance seeing him shift from man size to ant size in the blink of an eye is like something straight from the page of a book. There is also two scenes towards the end of the film I know you guys and girls will love they involve an ant and Thomas The Tank Engine (not that part from the trailer, it's even better). Marvel have done it yet again, delivered some stunning effects as they continue to do.

Image courtesy of www.Marvel.com

Onto the story, while it is not going to win awards for originality, the story was very fun I thought. Even though Edgar Wright left the project, you could still feel some of his comedic styling in the film, I'd like to know if Tomas The Tank Engine was his idea, feels like a very silly British approach to humour. While the point of the film is not primarily meant to be a comedy, however having Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Paul Rudd and Adam McKay write the script you should expect a fair few giggles and this doesn't disappoint in that sense. The film is filled with laughs, action, nods to the MCU and even heart strings pulling scenes.

The film touches on some subjects that really hit home for me, which was a nice change of pace for a superhero film. I mean we all want to relate to superheroes in our own way, I just think this felt more relatable the whole Hank and Hope relationship was wonderfully done by Douglas and Lilly, if these types of performances continue I can see an actor/actress getting an oscar nom for their work on a superhero film. Great times ahead for us "nerds" yay!

Image courtesy of www.Marvel.com

Overall, I absolutely LOVED Ant-Man it's very different from the rest of the MCU but exactly the same in some aspects. I will be straight up, I expected this to be easily the worst in Phase 2, I'd say joint second with Winter Soldier after Age Of Ultron for me and I know I gave Winter Soldier a 10 and this a 9, but I still think they are equally as good as each other if that makes sense? No, it doesn't not even to me, but I stand by it. Plus this gets massive bonus points for a certain reference to a friendly neighbourhood somebody :p. Hard to believe that Marvel have delivered again with a character hardly known outside comic readers, they have kicked ass with both Ant-Man and Guardians, here is to the future of the MCU!

9/10

Accidental Love review

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Starring: Jessica Biel, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Marsden, Catherine Keener, Tracy Morgan, James Brolin, Paul Reubens, Kirstie Allen, David Ramsey, Kurt Fuller.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 15 (UK)
Runtime: 100 Minutes
Director: David O. Russell credit as Stephen Greene

Synopsis: "A small town waitress gets a nail accidentally lodged in her head causing unpredictable behavior that leads her to Washington, D.C., where sparks fly when she meets a clueless young senator who takes up her cause - but what happens when love interferes with what you stand for?" IMDB

Let me start this by saying sorry, sorry to whoever I hurt or offended which resulted in me watching this film. I must have done something down the line to be cursed with this! I guess this is an indication of where this review it set to go...

"Accidental Love" is releasing Monday 20th and available to buy from Amazon on DVD

The cast of this film on the surface is a wonderful ensemble that would entice even the most cynical Rom-Com watcher like myself to take interest, however they were all beyond below average. I mean this is Jake Gyllenhaal one of the current best actors who comes across like he is winging every line, all the cast felt like they didn't know the script it was all just guess work. Which is beyond surprising considering I am a huge fan of the majority of them, in this film though there was zero chemistry and zero development of these people you were meant to relate to.

Onto the story a pretty boring one at that, none relatable characters, unbelievable events and a down right lack of Comedy. How this is considered a "comedy" I will never know, I smirked once, maybe twice it was a horribly written script everything said and done felt unnatural, the jokes just didn't land and the entire premise of the story was ridiculous. Which comes at as a shock because the writing team have turned out some good films and television shows in recent years, this just comes across as an attempt to not try at all. There was one scene in which Jake Gyllenhaal's character Howard is trying to escape a telling off by jumping out of a ground floor window, I felt like jumping out the second story window of my house at this point!

The production of films is something I am yet to touch on in such a way in a review, however I can't help but think that the production of this film had a huge hand in making this film the mashed together piece of crap it turned out to be. There is countless stories of the production being shut down for many reasons including the lead actors walking off set on more than one occasion. Even resulting in director David O. Russell abandoning production after two years of set backs, pardon the language but the entire production turned into one big cluster fuck of incidents. Which leads me to believe resulted in the poorly cut together film, jumping from scene to scene without and fluidity to it, as WATW? said "Scenes chop and change making Accidental Love feel like a jigsaw puzzle that was put together in the dark."

Overall, this film was abysmal, horrible, horrific ALL of the negative superlatives you could imagine and that is about 0.01% of how close you are. This film genuinely may be the worst film I have ever seen in my life time and that is saying something after 15 years and over 3,000 films seen. There was zero redeeming factors for this film for me, it is very easy to see why David O. Russell turned suit and ran the other way. Do NOT fall for Mr Russell's name on the poster this is nothing like he has done in recent years. If you don't want to take my word for it check out What About The Twinkie? or RT Write-Ups reviews of the film or any film fan reviewing site, I imagine they will all come to a similar conclusion.

0/10

Accident Love is released through Arrow Films on DVD Monday 20th

The Voices review

Genre: Black Comedy, Psychological Thriller, Horror, Comedy, Drama.
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, Jacki Weaver, Sam Spruell, Adi Shankar, Ella Smith.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 15 (UK) R (US)
Runtime: 103 Minutes
Director: Marjane Satrapi

Synopsis: "A likable guy pursues his office crush with the help of his evil talking pets, but things turn sinister when she stands him up for a date." IMDB

When I first heard about "The Voices" I was pretty excited, finally a film that Reynolds would get to act and we can see if/what he can really do given a good script. Reynolds has had a bit of a bad run in the cinema in recent year I mean we will all never forget how horrifically bad "Green Lantern" and you would be hard done by to find another person like myself that enjoyed "R.I.P.D". HUGE thanks to Peter Noble PR for the opportunity to review the film.

Arrow Films are bringing the hugely loved "The Voices" to UK shores this coming Monday July 13th, the film is being released on DVD, Blu-Ray and Steelbook, the wonderful steelbook is a Zavvi exclusive. Either of the options will take you to the best place to purchase said copies.

"The Voices is directed by Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian author and filmmaker best known for the Academy Award nominated animated film Persepolis (2007). Ryan Reynolds stars as a troubled, med-addicted factory worker driven to murder by his talking pets, a psychopathic cat called Mr. Whiskers and Bosco, his peace-loving dog. Reynolds also voices both of the animals, while Jacki Weaver, Gemma Arterton and Anna Kendrick play the women unfortunate enough to cross his path."

Firstly let's start with the cast, the decision to cast Ryan Reynolds in role was an inspired one he is a truly talented actor that not many people get the chance to see actually act. His roles in "Buried" and "Safe House" I can't recommend any higher, same goes for this, playing Jerry Hickfang he disturbingly felt at home. Reynolds played the character so well that there was times the viewer is dragged in deep into illusion of lost connection with reality. Gemma Arterton and Anna Kendrick play Hickfang's unwilling accomplices, Arterton was a wonderful comedic break from the dark story Kendrick on the other hand I personally struggle to enjoy not sure what it is, this time she has won me over playing the smitten Lisa she was a fun addition to the cast. Then we get to Reynolds voicing Bosco the dog and Mr Whiskers obviously the cat, some of the lines for these characters were so hilariously executed by Reynolds you actually fall in love with them even if Mr Whiskers is a bit on the naughty side. The entire cast were thoroughly enjoyable.

This is the first film I have seen by director Marjane Satrapi and if this if anything to go by I am quiet sure I will be following her career for a long time. She blends perfectly the highs and lows of a Jerry's struggle between reality and imagination, be it from the belly laughs you get from Mr Whiskers and Bosco to the rock bottom lows of Jerry's realisation of the real world. Satrapi succeeds in keeping you entertained from start to end, in regards to the end don't skip the credits you're in for a wonderfully funny treat which I did not expect but loved.

Onto the story, people constantly complain about Hollywood being lazy and constantly remaking the same stuff, this film is certainly NOT the case. Writer Michael R Perry ("The River" TV show & "Paranormal Activity 2") really excels in making something new and fresh his character development and witty written conversations between Jerry and his pets were incredible, not only did he write something extremely funny, he writes a script in which we really get to see Reynolds perform his best role to date in my opinion.

Overall, I found the film to be wonderfully funny was a brilliant mix of dark and light Comedy, Marjane Satrapi does very well at blending the two into one cohesive mix. This film is the perfect film for any fan of the black comedy genre, everything coming together from Reynolds superb performance, to the pacing of the film to hilarious retorts by Mr Whiskers and Bosco you're in for 103 minutes of pure fun. In short I absolutely loved this film, I couldn't recommend it any higher to Reynolds fans or just Comedy/Horror lovers in general. Plus it gives us an insight into what Reynolds can do with a disturbed character with a warped view of reality, *cough* Deadpool *cough*.

8/10

The Voices is released on DVD, Blu-ray and limited edition Zavvi.com Steelbook through Arrow Films on Monday July 13th

Jurassic World review

Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction,
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Nick Robinson, Ty Simpkins, Vincent D'Onofrio, Irrfan Khan, Omar Sy, B D Wong, Jake Johnson, Lauren Lapkus, Brian Tee.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 12A (UK) PG-13 (US)
Runtime: 124 Minutes
Director: Colin Trevorrow

Synopsis: "Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park, Isla Nublar now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond. After 10 years of operation and visitor rates declining, in order to fulfill a corporate mandate, a new attraction is created to re-spark visitor's interest, which backfires horribly." IMDB

So here we are 22 years after Steven Spielberg changed for that generation and every subsequent generation since, the original Jurassic Park is an all time favourite of mine and millions of others I'd imagine. So how did the latest instalment in the franchise by Colin Trevorrow hold up against the rest?

Lets start off with the story, a well paced blockbuster, with some nice turns that while aren't mind-blowing, they will surely keep you on the edge of your seat. I don't want to say too much and give it away, but they also wrote in some wonderful nods to the original which the fans of the first will adore and the younger fans will love when they are told about them. There is times when the subplots do not seem to make that much sense, that could be due to longevity that the project has gone through with numerous rewrites and tweaks, notably the parents getting divorced it didn't add anything to the film and didn't change the view of the young lads. That aside the story was solid and simple but a nice ride.

Another stellar cast for a Jurassic Park film, who would have thought that they could build a cast that was as enjoyable to watch as the original? I surely didn't, there was some brilliant performances some that really stood out for me were Ty Simpkins who at 13 is kick ass in the acting world, Nick Robinson, Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt who is fun in ANYTHING he does, the dude is just a joy to watch plus his and Bryce's on screen chemistry felt real. D'Onofrio serves as the human villain in the film and to be honest he really isn't as good as we are used to seeing him, it feels over the top if you will. Saying these performances stood up does not mean I found the others lacking, just not as great as these specific ones. Not the right place to say but yet again another performance from Nick Robinson that adds credence to my personal opinion that he would make a pretty good Peter Parker, thought it since I first seen him in "Melissa & Joey".

Yet again another film in the series that had some breathtaking cinematography, which was done by the very talented Academy Award nominee John Schwartzman, some of the wide shots are beautiful. Which for the Jurassic World franchise is a big thing, I mean look at the first, it has one of the greatest all time pieces of cinematography, so this one had to have some wonderful shots too, which do not worry it does. 

Hard to believe this is only Colin Trevorrow's second feature film, which he did not only direct he also co-writ with his previous writing partner Derek Connolly who he worked with on "Safety Not Guaranteed". Which was an enjoyable film according to the people I have spoken to about it, Colin does what many directors over the past decade have worried they couldn't do, he made a film 22 years after the original and still was able to keep that wonderful charm the first had. This film is by no means better than the first, but was easily the second best in the franchise, after this I can see Colin going VERY far in the movie world.

My only complaint really was the lack of practical effects, I have always been an advocate for practical effects. The use of them in the original especially when the dinosaur hatches from the egg was something that made me fall in love with the art form that is practical effects. I just feel more drawn in when it comes it practical effects, not to say the CGI was poor or anything, the film was still visually stunning, it is just a personal preference of mine to have visual effects if and when possible. If so we would still have masters like Rick Baker working in the business and not retiring. That all being said, the visuals effects were amazing to watch and I'm sure anybody would agree, they also had a wonderful use of scale on the dinosaurs to really give the audience the feeling of how big these "monsters" truly would be if around today.

Overall this film was a thoroughly good watch, heck good it was great. I enjoyed it start to finish, it was not what I expected but it was brilliant none the less. Throughout the film there is a few misses, however the rest of the film really delivers in a big way I found. While it doesn't hit the heights of the first film it was truly a masterpiece in the blockbuster, bringing back the summer family blockbuster I really hope. Fingers crossed this gets Steven Spielberg to jump back into this world and he picks up Chris Pratt for the next Indiana Jones film. This film excelled in all categories and is a brilliant film for all to see, truly a revival of the franchise. "It's like the perfect sequel... 22 years later".

9/10

@CrisMovieCorner 4/5 stars

— Colin (@duckisgod) June 13, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner Solid 4/5

— Josh Barton (@bartonj2410) June 13, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner A great nostalgic romp. 4 dinosaur teeth out of 5

— Chris Murphy (@murphysbordom) June 13, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner 8/10

— Nazeer (@nazeervawda) June 13, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner I'm going 7/10. Heck of a ride!

— The Bman. (@actualbman) June 13, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner 9/10

— The Daniel Awakens (@Danburden1138) June 13, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner solid 7/10

— Danny (@DanB___) June 13, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner it's a great big FROOOOAR out of five for me

— Sam (@SssForSam) June 13, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner 4 out of 5 stars. "We need more teeth!"

— Jonathan (@FunnyMisterBox) June 13, 2015

Whiplash review

Genre: Drama, Music.
Starring: Miles Teller, J. K. Simmons, Paul Reiser, Melissa Benoist, Austin Stowell, Nate Lang, Chris Mulkey, Jayson Blair, Kavita Patil, Michael Cohen, Kofi Siriboe, Suanne Spoke, April Grace.
Year Of Release: 2015 (UK)
Certificate: 15 (UK)
Runtime: 106 Minutes
Director: Damien Chazelle

Synopsis: "A promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential." IMDB

When I seen the trailers for this I wasn't very excited, actually I didn't have any intentions to watch it until it maybe appeared on Netflix or maybe normal television. After being beatdown by my brother for months and my twitter followers constantly recommending it. I gave in last week. Here are my thoughts on it.

Where else to start with this film but the acting, I mean WOW! This was my first time seeing Miles Teller act, and I was blown away by such a performance from somebody I always assumed was going to be another member of the 20s comedy crop, very happy I was wrong. As student Andrew Neiman, Teller was able to showcase a complete range of his ability, be it giddy and flirty with the incredible Nicole (Melissa Benoist) to gut wrenchingly fighting for his place the band. Then we have a performance by everybody's favourite Spider-Man character J Jonah Jameson, J K Simmons who played Jazz instructor Terence Fletcher, I say "played" he really became him, another unfathomable performance, very easy to see why he won the Academy Award plus about 40 others for it. For me Fletcher is one of the scariest movie villains of all time, some of the scenes are so intense by Simmons you find yourself exhaling like you're on the receiving end of his tirades of mental and verbal abuse.

The use of cinematography in this film was superb, it really gives the viewer a look into the gritty world of music schools, really showcases the battle students go through to become the best they can be. 

You may be like me and struggle to comprehend how a film about drumming can really be that entertaining, because personally it was my main struggle with the film I have zero investment in the playing of drums (or any instrument for that matter). That being said you will you still hopefully thoroughly enjoy the film like I did, while at times the drumming can seem repetitive you are still drawn in by the majesty of the talent it takes to play that way and to have the ability to play that long without your hands falling off ha. The movie gave me a new appreciation of the dedication music students have to becoming the very best in their given field, if they are a tenth as dedicated as Andrew comes across then they will go far banging those drums maybe, heck what do I know I'm a movie blogger!

This is the first I have finished a film and felt physically drained and emotionally beaten and I have seen 1,500+ films. The film beat me down so much after it I had to sleep off the after effects, it was more than just an emotional thrill ride it was incredibly relatable if you look at it as a boy trying to make his Dad proud and show him what he can do (Fletcher also being used as the Dad in this analogy). After the film ended I spent a good few hours just thinking about how near perfect this film was, I thought it was post film high, so I gave it a few days to let it sink in before writing my review. However, allowing the time to pass, didn't change my view of this film is a modern masterpiece, well not just a modern masterpiece, it is just a masterpiece itself. Easily in my top 5 of this year, will take a lot to knock it anywhere near out of that list.

After just speaking about the emotional beatdown this film laid on me, I knew I had to touch on the pacing. This is one of the most wonderfully paced films I have watched in a long time, people say "emotional rollercoaster" a lot when it comes to these kinds of films. This time it is the most appropriate use of the phrasing I could think of, from the ultimate strain on you not to break like Andrew, to laughs given by director Damien Chazelle, you will be left with just an unbelievable feeling afterwards.

Overall, I was completely blown away by this movie, it was countless times better than I could ever expect. Damien Chazelle has thrown his name into the big leagues with this movie, I am not usually a
lover of the medium of films about musicians, this may have made me do a complete 180 and will be looking back on such films I may have missed, not that ANY could ever compare I do not imagine. From the get go the film is entertaining, filled with all turns and twists on the emotional roller coaster, this film really is with an ending that will have you tenser than you could ever believe a movie would make you feel. The ONLY reason I didn't give this film a 10 was the ending, while amazing was a bit abrupt, I would have liked to have seen a little more from it, I understand the reasoning behind it, I just personally would have liked to see Andrew get the plaudits he truly deserved. I find it a little heartbreaking I didn't get to see this masterpiece on the big screen with like minded individuals, hopefully I will get to one day!

9.5/10

@CrisMovieCorner @WhiplashMovie 9/10 :-)

— Amelia (@AmeliaK1987) June 7, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner 4/5

— Kyle (@Gordondon) June 7, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner @WhiplashMovie 1 million! Out of 5. I'm a drummer and this film made me lose my shit. #caraccidentwtf

— Chris Murphy (@murphysbordom) June 7, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner @WhiplashMovie Exciting ending made me feel breathless, slightly disappointed on hype!! Fantastic Acting!! 4.25/5(B+)

— BCD (@SmaugDude) June 7, 2015

@AmeliaK1987 @CrisMovieCorner @WhiplashMovie 10/10

— Tommy Brown (@GoingForGoldYT) June 7, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner @WhiplashMovie 9/10!

— Ken Major (@KenMajor83) June 7, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner @WhiplashMovie 10/10. Best movie of 2014 despite some of its musical inaccuracies.

— Oliver Jia (オリバー・ジア) (@FOXHOUNDER1014) June 8, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner Superb film - 100 mins of tension!

— Lee Doherty (@IrishBeast78) June 8, 2015

@CrisMovieCorner @23halfFilms 4.5/5 great movie!

— Sarah Beth James (@wickedwitchgal) June 8, 2015

The Cutting Room review

Genre: Found Footage, Horror.
Starring: Parry Glasspool, Lucy-Jane Quinlan, Lydia Orange, TJ Herbert, Jason Rhodes, Mkaya Carrigan, Louisa Adams.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 15 (UK) PG-13 (US)
Runtime: 76 Minutes
Director: Warren Dudley

Synopsis: "College students Raz, Charlie and Jess are about to start work on their end of year Media Studies project... unaware of a malevolent force lurking deep below their sleepy town. A recent wave of apparent Cyberbullying and the disappearance of two local girls lead the group to an abandoned army barracks situated deep in the forests that surround the college. What they find there is a terrifying labyrinth of tunnels from which there seems no escape... and a dark figure hell bent on tormenting them. Hunted, frightened and lost, Raz, Charlie and Jess must now escape the barracks or suffer the unspeakable fate that awaits them." IMDB

Before I start my review, I just want to start off by informing you guys/girls I am doing a new rating scale for Horror. It came to my attention, when rereading some of my reviews, that it looks silly when I rate a film like say Grave Encounters as a 9 along with Guardians Of The Galaxy as a 9, it just doesn't seem to translate, so I will from now on, be rating my Horror films on a 1-5 scale. I just feel it looks better, if you have any feedback let us know in the comments or Twitter sorry for going off topic a bit, back to the review.

I always go in to Horror films very apprehensive, I have been burnt so many times over the years, that being said I am a huge lover of the genre especially the found-footage subgenre. So when director Warren Dudley got in touch with me on Twitter and offered me the chance to review his upcoming film of that genre I jumped on the chance. 

Firstly let me start with the story, the film was very well written, writer and director Warren Dudley did a great job at building suspense and making you feel very uneasy. I really enjoyed how there wasn't an attempt at twists and turns every so often to try and disorientate the viewer, also the use of comedy at times to keep the viewer calm really helps when the scares come. There is one scare that really stands out, that I can guarantee will leave you panting for a good few seconds. A nice combination of humour and feat leave you wanting to watch more from the team, I really hope this isn't the last Horror Mr Dudley does. From a nice slowly paced Horror in the third act, the film really kicks up a gear with a twist you will not see coming, an ending that will stick with you for a while, it was on my mind for a good few days.

The acting is so much better than I expected, no offence intended to the leading three of Parry Glasspool, Lucy-Jane Quinlan and Lydia Orange, I have just found in recent years Horror directors go for the cheapest option possible in Horror. However, all three were great in their roles, by no means are their performances say Oscar worthy, that being said, they really do get to showcase their acting talent. Especially for three people in their early 20s (educated guessing sorry), they are better than some of the more experienced people you see in the genre. Not solely down to the actors themselves the writing helped a lot, but the characters are so likeable you find yourself routing for them to survive, they were truly convincing as a group of friends

The use of gore is absolutely disgusting, but in a good way, not overly used, but when used you will scrunch up your face because it nasty but really conveys what was intended. It is great to see a film that isn't heavily reliant on gore, just uses it when they really need too. Speaking of being not reliant on modern tropes of the genre, I was pleasantly surprised at how somebody today made a Horror film without showing nudity, feels like everything in the genre is sold on boobs. This time around the director relied on his ability to write a great script and pacing it well enough to the point that you realise a lot of the modern tropes are unnecessary.

The use of locations in the film were great choices, most of us, if not all of us are familiar with the constraints of project work in school so the entire premise of the film was relatable which I loved. A fair amount of the filming took place in Newhaven Fort in the Southern part of England, the use of the fort was genius, I like many suffer from severe claustrophobia, so the dark, tight and never ending tunnels really got to me. Making the film incredibly uncomfortable, but in a great way which I do not get very often.

Overall, the film was a great watch, plus has the bonus of being British which for me adds the proud factor to the film. In recent months I have seen the likes of  "As Above, So Below" and "The Pyramid" which I imagine "The Cutting Room" was made for an absolute fraction of the price, yet manages to completely blow the two out of the water. The Cutting Room is easily one of the best British Horror films in the past 15 years, I'd personally put it up there with "Dog Soldiers", "28 Days Later" and "Eden Lake". I sincerely hope this film isn't slept on due to it being a British indie Horror, I enjoyed it more than I did a lot of the huge budget Hollywood Horrors in recent years, I implore my readers immensely to get their hands on a copy. Truly a low-budget diamond, shining in genre packed with mediocrity.  Pre-order yours NOW on Amazon here!

5/5

Avengers Age Of Ultron review (SPOILER FREE)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction, Superhero, Comic Book.
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, James Spader, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Samuel L Jackson.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 12A (UK)
Runtime: 141 Minutes
Director: Joss Whedon

Synopsis: "When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and it is up to the Avengers to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans." IMDB

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you guys and girls may know I'm a HUGE comic fanboy not one publisher, I'm a fan of the medium of comics. So every time there is one released you know I am going to be posting about it more than most genres. This time around is no different, I went to the midnight showing of Avengers Age Of Ultron on April 22nd and it is safe to say it was the best cinematic experience of my life. If you are here and would like to read a review that is spoiler including CLICK HERE it has ALL spoilers in it.

 

The visual effects in the film were phenomenal, there was a minute or so at the beginning that felt a little off, but I think that was just me. After that the battle scenes were amazing, in my opinion second to none in comic films, it was as beautiful to watch as the action in say "Edge Of Tomorrow". There was some scenes that seem so flawlessly made that they could easily pull off being real life events. Stand out effects for me was the Hulkbuster and Ultron, both were amazing to see, especially Ultron the range of emotions shown by a completely robotic humanoid made the character that extra bit disturbing.  

As for the characters and cast, which at this point due to longevity have become one in the same really, by that I mean when I think about the characters I envision them as their live action selves and no longer their comic looks. All the returning cast are as good as they have been in previous instalments, except for Jeremy Renner, he was outstanding in his role as Clint he was really given the freedom to actually show emotion and his range as an actor. Was great to see him able to flex his acting chops, which I will be honest I was not sure he had. The biggest additions to the cast are Paul Bettany as Vision who was brilliant in what he done, but didn't have to do much due to being an emotionless android, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver his acting is as expected personally I find him to be a good actor who is really honing his skills in recent years, while his accent falters at times, it is a hard accent to pull off I find. Then we have Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch, another extremely talented actress in my opinion, she was brilliant in this too, especially in the more emotionally driven scenes then we have James Spader as Ultron the most ominous audible villain I have heard in a  LONG time, his voice just oozed evil and dominance I can say I finally understand the hype around his ability.

The action starts at an 11 in this film and only gets better, that's not to say that the story or characters miss out. The film has a solid story to it, but even more so, has some wonderful character development, you get to see sides of some characters we have not yet seen in the MCU. Really shapes up some big moments for the future of the franchise, some great moments, some gut wrenching, all together mashed into a brilliant story and progression to characters we all know and love.

The runtime does seem long beforehand, however, there is enough going on at every turn that you kind of forget how long you have been watching and that is a good thing. It's a 141 minute ride that doesn't feel as long as others that run this time.

Overall, I'd go as far as to say this is the best film in the MCU to date in my opinion, which I never thought I'd say due to my dying love for Avengers and Captain America The Winter Soldier. The film was an emotional ride from start to finish, filled with action, ass kicking, hilarious lines and character development second to none in the current MCU crop. If you are not currently into the whole superhero explosion we have had in recent years, I highly recommend starting with this or Captain America The Winter Soldier (REVIEW HERE) they perfectly personify the superhero world but also serve as "everyday" films if you will. Very happy to say Mr Joss Whedon goes out with a bang and certainly not a whimper, I'm already longing for the day he returns to the MCU in the future. I had extremely high expectations going into the film, came out with them shattered and then some, roll on Ant-Man!

10/10

 

Avengers Age Of Ultron review !!!SPOILER HEAVY!!!

Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction, Superhero, Comic Book.
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, James Spader, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Samuel L Jackson.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 12A (UK)
Runtime: 141 Minutes
Director: Joss Whedon

Synopsis: "When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and it is up to the Avengers to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans." IMDB

***!!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!!***

So I got to experience the latest instalment in the MCU, when earth's mightiest heroes reformed in Avengers Age Of Ultron.Which may anger a few of my American based followers, I apologise for rubbing it in, but you guys NEED to book tickets for this go the second you can. This review will not just be spoiler heavy, it will be a detailed outline of the films plot, read on if you are willing to learn ALL the major plot details, if not, jump to our spoiler free review!

The film starts off in the midst of a battle between the Avengers and HYDRA agent Baron von Strucker played by Thomas Kretschmann, the Avengers are after Loki's sceptre that has been stolen. Resulting in some wonderful battle scenes with incredible visuals, while a brilliant opening in itself, it also serves as a recap if you will of the powers of our beloved heroes. During the fight we get to see the two new adversaries to the Avengers they are twins Pietro and Wanda Maximoff played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen, they may better be know as Quicksilver and Scarlett Witch. During this big opening fight, the less than loved by many fans Hawkeye gets a pretty nasty injury, which he survives a few scenes later. After the fight scene we get to see the first huge part of character development in the film, we see Black Widow calm Hulk back from his green rage to Bruce Banner using a "lullaby", showing there is something going on between Bruce and Natasha.

After defeating, what is made out to be modernised Nazi's it feels like, the gang returns to Avengers tower as it is now, no longer Stark tower. While there Stark realises the power that the sceptre really holds, he sees it as the answer to artificial intelligence he and Banner have been looking for, for their Ultron project (self aware Iron Man suits that patrol the earth protecting from evil), after this we are blessed with the party scene, sure to give anybody a few giggles especially the Mjolnir scene and the obligatory Stan Lee scene. While everybody is on a high we are introduced to Ultron voiced unbelievably well by James Spader.

 This is where the film really kicks into gear, Ultron attacks the Avengers in his destroyed state controlling Tony's "Iron Legion" to try and take out the team to no avail. With the sceptre being stolen the Avengers clash heads, mostly everybody with Stark for creating Ultron and being responsible for sceptre being back in evil hands. Ultron returns to the previous home of the sceptre in Sokovia to rebuild in the HYDRA base before setting out to recruit the Twins for his evil plans. Who both have deep seeded hatred for Stark due his weapons being responsible for their deaths. Working out Ultron has set his sights on vibranium the team heads to Wakanda, the teams goes head to head, after Scarlett Witch does what she does best and twists the minds of the Avengers, sending Hulk into a rampaging frenzy tearing through a city, Stark call in his Hulkbuster suit and he and Hulk go toe to toe in one of the most enjoyable fight scenes in comic film history.

After this huge rampaging battle, the Avengers have to go into hiding and Clint recommends a safehouse he knows of. The gang turn up at the farm house, which seems like a normal farm house, which it is, it's who that is inside that truly makes this farm house special. In the house we meet Clints wife, YES HIS WIFE, it doesn't end there, he has TWO CHILDREN, I'm being honest my mind was blown. It really gives depth to a character that had become very stagnant, before the film I was desperate for him to be killed off, this film changed that. They really gave him a new lease of life as a character. At the farm house, Banner susses out that Ultron will use their friend Dr Helen Cho's synthetic prototype she has been working on (mentioned previously before Tony's party, where Ultron overhears it).

Ultron plans to meld himself into the newly acquired synthetic organism, due to the newly found organism being as much "man" as it is machine, Scarlett Witch gets her first look into what Ultron is planning to do. A plan her and her brother had no clue how severe was to be, he plans to end ALL living life on the planet, this results in the twins switching their allegiance from Ultron to Avengers, or at least that is their plan. The Avengers fight to get back the synthetic body, so Ultron doesn't have the body he needs to take over the world. Once they have the body, Stark decides they should install J.A.R.V.I.S into the body, most disagree, Thor on the other hand does not, using his lightning wielding ability to literally jolt the body into life. Bringing us the incredibly great looking and wonderfully acted Vision. Thor informs the Avengers that the stone in Vision's head is in fact one of the most power gems in the entire universe, one of the six "infinity stones". During these scenes of Vision being born and the Avengers deciding he is a good guy there is a moment when he is wielding Mjolnir like it is a toothpick and it will blow you away how funny it is, how Thor and everybody else reacts.

The Avengers, now joined by Maximoff twins and Vision head out to Sokovia, where Ultron has made a device that is lifting a whole city skywards, which he plans to drop from a huge height to cause a global extinction event on par with what took out the dinosaurs. Here is where the HUGE battles commence, the Avengers fight off Ultrons army of robotic clones, Fury turns up with a S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier to help save the innocent people in the city, along with the carrier he brings his trusted Maria Hill and remaining S.H.I.E.L.D agents. At this time Ultro is inside the Quinjet shooting bullets and everything and everybody nearly killing Cap & Thor in the process, he sets his sights on Hawkeye who has ran back into the city to save a child. Quicksilver sees the immediate danger Clint and the child are in so sprints over to save them, knocking a car into the path of the bullets and saving the pair, unfortunately resulting in his own death, a death I partially expected going in but really shocked me still. After the death of her brother, Wanda, unleashes her true potential destroying numerous robots with just her emotional scream then setting out on causing the death of Ultron, which she does ripping out his "heart".

The Hulk, seeking a break from all the destruction he causes and is involved in sets a Quinjet to autopilot and just leaves, not to be seen again in the film. Tony and Thor find a way to say the city from plummeting to the ground and ending mankind after Ultron pulls the trigger on his master plan. Just when you think the last piece of Ultron is gone, we see the last remnants of him trying to escape, only to be confronted by Vision, who using his insane powers obliterates him after they converse shortly. With Ultron defeated life reverts back to its semi-normal ways for the Avengers, a few months later we arrive at the new Avengers headquarters in New York, now ran by Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Dr Helen Cho and Erik Selvig. Now with the belief in mind that the infinity stone is safe with Vision, Thor decides to return to Asgard, with the addition of Stark and Barton retiring the Avengers lose Thor, Hawkeye, Iron Man and Hulk (whereabouts unknown). Becoming a shell of what they were, not for long though.

Cap and Black Widow enter a hangar in which we see Falcon, Vision and War Machine standing there and then Scarlett Witch appears now donning a more comic appropriate costume. Forming the NEW Avengers, as Cap role calls "Avengers..." cutting out before he can exclaim assemble! Now to the part many are waiting to read I imagine, the mid-credits scene, a safe/safety box opens up to reveal a glove, a glove we us Marvelheads and comic fans alike are familiar with, a large blue hand slides into the glove we hear a voice say "Guess, I'll have to do it myself" panning out to reveal Thanos, credits roll and NO END CREDITS SCENE, so no Spider-Man scene unfortunately, it was a wonderful fake like we all assumed but kind of wished was real.

Wow! That was an awful lot of writing, and I haven't even started "reviewing" the film yet ha. So here I go with my reviewing of the actual film.

The visual effects in the film were phenomenal, there was a minute or so at the beginning that felt a little off, but I think that was just me. After that the battle scenes were amazing, in my opinion second to none in comic films, it was as beautiful to watch as the action in say "Edge Of Tomorrow". There was some scenes that seem so flawlessly made that they could easily pull off being real life events. Stand out effects for me was the Hulkbuster and Ultron, both were amazing to see, especially Ultron the range of emotions shown by a completely robotic humanoid made the character that extra bit disturbing.  

As for the characters and cast, which at this point due to longevity have become one in the same really, by that I mean when I think about the characters I envision them as their live action selves and no longer their comic looks. All the returning cast are as good as they have been in previous instalments, except for Jeremy Renner, he was outstanding in his role as Clint he was really given the freedom to actually show emotion and his range as an actor. Was great to see him able to flex his acting chops, which I will be honest I was not sure he had. The biggest additions to the cast are Paul Bettany as Vision who was brilliant in what he done, but didn't have to do much due to being an emotionless android, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver his acting is as expected personally I find him to be a good actor who is really honing his skills in recent years, while his accent falters at times, it is a hard accent to pull off I find. Then we have Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch, another extremely talented actress in my opinion, she was brilliant in this too, especially in the more emotionally driven scenes then we have James Spader as Ultron the most ominous audible villain I have heard in a  LONG time, his voice just oozed evil and dominance I can say I finally understand the hype around his ability.

The action starts at an 11 in this film and only gets better, that's not to say that the story or characters miss out. The film has a solid story to it, but even more so, has some wonderful character development, you get to see sides of some characters we have not yet seen in the MCU. Really shapes up some big moments for the future of the franchise, some great moments, some gut wrenching, all together mashed into a brilliant story and progression to characters we all know and love.

The runtime does seem long beforehand, however, there is enough going on at every turn that you kind of forget how long you have been watching and that is a good thing. It's a 141 minute ride that doesn't feel as long as others that run this time.

Overall, I'd go as far as to say this is the best film in the MCU to date in my opinion, which I never thought I'd say due to my dying love for Avengers and Captain America The Winter Soldier. The film was an emotional ride from start to finish, filled with action, ass kicking, hilarious lines and character development second to none in the current MCU crop. If you are not currently into the whole superhero explosion we have had in recent years, I highly recommend starting with this or Captain America The Winter Soldier (REVIEW HERE) they perfectly personify the superhero world but also serve as "everyday" films if you will. Very happy to say Mr Joss Whedon goes out with a bang and certainly not a whimper, I'm already longing for the day he returns to the MCU in the future. I had extremely high expectations going into the film, came out with them shattered and then some, roll on Ant-Man!

10/10

Batman Vs Robin review

Genre: Adventure, Comic, Action, Animated, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction.
Starring: Stuart Allan, Troy Baker, Kevin Conroy, Trevor Devall, Robin Atkin Dowes, Griffin Gluck, Grey DeLisle-Griffin, Sean Maher, David McCallum, Jason O'Mara, Peter Onorati, Andrea Romano, Jeremy Sisto, "Weird Al" Yankovic.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 12A (UK) PG-13 (US)
Runtime: 76 Minutes
Director: Jay Oliva

Synopsis: "While Damian Wayne struggles to cope with Batman's no-killing rule, he soon starts to believe that his destiny lies within a secret society known as, The Court of Owls." IMDB

This is only the second animated film I have reviewed, still find it a bit weird reviewing them if I am honest, feels weird to not be talking about the same elements specifically the lack of acting you get to see and the fact it is all animated so the visual effects are on a different level in comparison to say Interstellar looks great and real, while the effects in animation are on par with the animation of the rest of the scenes if that makes sense to anybody but me? Ha.

Batman Vs Robin was directed by Jay Oliva a go to name in the DC animated universe working on the likes of "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2", "Batman: Assault On Arkham" and "Justice League: War". Yet again he delivers a thoroughly enjoyable animated film, cementing himself in the DC chair for a while I'd imagine. Teaming up with long time DC writer J. M. DeMatteis who has been working with DC characters since the early '90s, so what a great team to bring together for latest instalment in the franchise.

I was apprehensive at first when Jason O'Mara took over from Kevin Conroy, I mean Kev IS BATMAN, he has been a part of my life as Batman for as long as I can remember. However, O'Mara makes the role his own in a brilliant way, the rest of the cast performed well in their roles, especially Troy Baker as ever he gives a stellar performance. Plus there was a nice nod to the old with Kevin Conroy returning to voice Thomas Wayne, I personally didn't remember going into the film Conroy was returning, so hearing that familiar voice was a nice touch. There was a bit of a let down though, I was hyped to hear "Weird Al" Yankovic voicing Dollmaker, but he seemed to disappear before we even got to really appreciate his comedic style.

The animation is fluid and wonderful to watch,the actions scenes blended seamlessly into the more dramatic scenes, it was brilliant production. The scene may come across a bit gory to some, so if you're planning on watching with your children or allowing them to watch you want to check it out beforehand. The action is reminiscent of Son Of Batman in my opinion, feels like director Jay Oliva took inspiration from the success of that film and added his own elements to it. All the fight scenes are wonderfully executed especially the climatic scene in which we get to see the Bat-family take on some villains.

There is one MAJOR thing I believe they should have done differently and that is calling the film "Batman: The Court Of Owls", the title is a little bit misleading, the story centres mostly on the Court Of Owls. While having a lot to do with Batman and Robins relationship, it is heavy on the Court storyline, there is a fight scene between Batman and Robin, but the main story comes from the Court trying to run Gotham.

Overall, the film was a brilliant watch it really showcased the vast differing dynamics between Bruce and Damian's belief in what is true justice. In recent instalments the franchise of DC Universe Animated films have been pretty good the likes Son Of Batman (REVIEW HERE) and Superman Unbound stand out. I would say this is definitely up their with them. Another brilliant film in the DC Universe Animated series, DC are winning in the animated film world in my eyes, while Marvel are winning live action. It would take an awful lot for me to ever chance my mind on that.

7/10

Hot Tub Time Machine 2 review

Genre: Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Comedy.
Starring: Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry, Clark Duke, Adam Scott, Chevy Chase, Collette Wolfe, Gillian Jacobs.
Year Of Release: 2015
Certificate: 15 (UK)
Runtime: 93 Minutes
Director: Steve Pink

Synopsis: "When Lou finds himself in trouble, Nick and Jacob fire up the hot tub time machine in an attempt to get back to the past. But they inadvertently land in the future with Adam Jr. Now they have to alter the future in order to save the past - which is really the present." IMDB

I was very on the fence about Hot Tub Time Machine 2, I mean I partially enjoyed the first one, but that was mostly from the cast if anything. I loved the chemistry between Robinson, Duke, Robinson and Cusack, so when I learnt Cusack was not returning I was bitterly disappointed.On the other hand, Adam Scott was announced to be joining the cast, which kind of made up for it, he was brilliant recently in Parks And Recreation and A.C.O.D.

The first film when it released in 2010 and quickly became a guilty pleasure of many people, I for one wasn't 100% sold on it, I mean I had a few giggles throughout, just not enough for me to warrant some of the love I seen for it. So when a sequel was announced to say I was not very excited would be an understatement, which is a shame because the cast as a collective in either of the films is wonderful and are hilarious given the right material as Comedy actors they have all shone in previous shows/films they have been in.

Craig Robinson did not even seem to care about what he is doing (my view), he just seems completely lost throughout the film occasionally attempting to execute the poor lines given, the same can be said about Clark Duke, they both look bored of the entire think like they only turned up for filming for the pay cheque. For some reason the writer of the film decided to make Rob Corddry attempt to act even more insane than the previous instalment, which I find insulting to the comic and the audience. 

The film really has no script to follow, I'm being 100% serious when I say this you could nap for forty minutes and wake up and have not missed a single important scene. You end up sitting there the entire time waiting for the big "oh no" or "shit just got real" scene and it just never comes, they have the whole of time to play with in their story and never touch on it at all, such a wasted opportunity. The comedy was wasted throughout, most of the funnier parts comparatively that is, come in the credits says a lot about the story as a whole really.

Overall, the film fell completely flat on its ass in my opinion, it was 90 minutes of poorly executed slapstick, along with one liners that never really landed. For me a completely unwarranted sequel and not surprised to see it making such poor numbers at the box office ($12.3 million at time of writing 10th April), while the first one delivered a few jokes, worthy of a watch, however this time around not enough is given to sit through the film. If you're truly craving your fix of Craig Robinson or Clark Dude throw on some old The Office DVDs for Rob Corddry watch Children's Hospital, just avoid this film, especially if you are a fan of the first it will soil your enjoyment of the previous instalment. If you have the desire to watch this, I personally recommend waiting for Netflix, Red Box or one of the many streaming sites we have today, that way it will not feel like you have had money stolen from you.

Wish I could go back in time and NOT watch it!!!

2/10