Review: Ted

Star Rating:***

Director: Seth MacFarlane

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel McHale, Patrick Warburton, Aedin Mincks

Plot/Overview: A kid, John Bennet (Wahlberg), wishes that his Teddy Bear 'Ted' (MacFarlane) could talk and so it comes to life, which causes a problem later in life when John is all grown-up and living with his girlfriend Lori (Kunis) and a teddy bear that smokes weed.
To be honest, my expectations for this film were low. I have never been into the crude types of movies but this movie totally surprised me! There was of course, the typical plot that focused around the relationship between John, Lori and Ted ... but there was also a subplot that introduced two new characters,  Donny (Ribisi) and his son Robert (Mincks) who are completely obsessed with the famous talking bear, Ted.


What are the good points?
1. The subplot with Donny and Robert really makes the movie that much better. It adds so much more humour and excitement and I am definitely glad they added this in.

2. Mila Kunis. She's not really funny but let's face it, she's hot and the movie wouldn't be the same without her.

What are the bad points?
 1. I didn't actually think the bear was that funny really, considering he was the main character... I just don't think crude humour is funny (Hey, I'm not a prude). Don't get me wrong, there were some funny parts/lines but on the whole... he wasn't that hilarious. Sorry.

2. The fact that I have nothing else to say about this film says it all...

Should you see this movie?
I would say yes. Don't go out of your way to see it.. I mean, it's not crucial or anything, but if you have a free afternoon, fancy a bit of a giggle and an 'alright' movie then go for it. I would say you will probably find this funnier if you are a teen (15+)... just because it's one of those films (I'm looking at you American Pie 4 and onwards)... but also because it does still have a pretty good sub-plot.

Review: The Dark Knight Rises

Star Rating:****

Director: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine.

Plot/Overview: There's a bad guy called 'Bane' (Tom Hardy), who wear a creepy mask thing over his mouth that's attached to his skin which is kind of gross, and the Batman is needed to defeat him.  A lot of the plot is carried on from the previous film (The Dark Knight) and this film is about Bruce Wayne (Bale) coming to terms with everything that has happened previously and "rising"as the Batman again.


Source: Wikipedia

What are the good points?
1. The acting is incredible. I definitely didn't have any doubts since the cast is pretty good (*cough* Gary Oldman*Cough*) but I was particularly surprised by...


2. ...Anne Hathaway who played Catwoman. I was definitely expecting that character that Hathaway always plays. It always seems me that although her roles vary, there is always something about her characters that is just the same. ANYWAY... She just reinvented herself for this movie or something... and I had always believed that there would never been a good Catwoman, after seeing some terrible portrayals of the character, but I guess she proved me wrong!
She was sexy, mysterious, graceful, and let's not forget, very very cat-like. Well done Ms Hathaway, well done.

3.The plot. I had heard various things about there being a massive plot twist, and there definitely was, and I was definitely surprised. Other people may have seen it coming, but I definitely didn't, which is always nice :).

4. Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

5.The special effects are amazing. It's films like this that really make me see how far technology and improvements in CGI have come.

What are the bad points?
1. OK, don't shoot me, but I really hated the villain. There seems to be a massive Tom Hardy craze at the moment (with people I know, anyway) and I completely agree that he is one of the best actors in the business, right now... I just didn't find the villain AT ALL threatening or scary. Without speaking... the villain, Bane, looks really freaky... but the voice that comes out of him is not at all what I expected. It was almost the voice of a machine-generated sarcastic professor... if that makes any sense at all? It might have fit the bill for others but for me it was distracting and ill-fitting. Weird.

2. Despite the film being called The Dark Knight "Rises"... it seems that Bruce Wayne spent the whole film attempting to "rise" out of a giant well. Again, this is just a preference and all other parts of the plot I LOVED.. but this part of it just didn't sit well with me.

3. For those who don't know, Juno Temple (St Trinian's, Atonement) also makes an appearance as Anne Hathaway's sidekick or something. I'm a fan of Juno Temple but her role in this is basically pointless. I don't even know what happens to her "in the end" and by that I mean from the middle of the film onwards. She has very few lines and her screen time is about 3 minutes in total, probably. I just don't know why they didn't just leave her out of it completely.

4. You have to see 'The Dark Knight' (the previous film) before you see 'The Dark Knight Rises'. This should be pretty obvious and shouldn't really be a "bad point" but as someone who hadn't seen the first movie (don't shout at me!) I was confused about a lot of things. (But I have seen The Dark Knight now so a lot of things have been resolved)

Should you see this movie?
Yes. This movie is for anyone who likes Batman and action movies with a good storyline. There are a few things that bugged me, but in general, this is a good film. Seeing it in the cinema will give you the best experience for this movie.

Review: The Amazing Spider-Man

Star Rating: ****

**SPOILERS (probably)**

Right, I did see this movie a good few weeks ago so sorry the review is really late, but let's leave that now and get right to my oh-so-opinionated review.
I would just like to note, quickly, that I don't know the story/stories of Spider-Man and haven't read any of the comic book stories, so this review is based entirely on the movie(s)... and what I thought of it.

I loved "the other" Spider-Man film (lets call it 'film 1'), you know, the one with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, so I definitely went into this movie (we'll call it 'film 2') thinking that I would never be as impressed...

...Okay, so, I was proved wrong. Mostly by the graphics if I'm honest, which definitely supported the "Amazing" part of this movie's title. You really don't realised how much technology and CGI has improved until you see this film, and then going back to watch 'film 1' to compare the two just adds to the "Amazing" of the new film.

Source: Google/Collider.com

In my opinion, Andrew Garfield (the Amazing Spider-Man) wasn't as good as Tobey Maguire. I did think that Tobey (yes, I used his first name) added a lot more of an innocence and a "geeky-ness" to the role, which is what I have always thought the character was. I also preferred the idea in film 1, that Peter Parker doesn't reveal his secret to anyone, not even his love interest.

...And speaking of love interests, we have said goodbye to Mary-Jane (Kirsten Dunst) and said hello to Gwen Stacey (Emma Stone). I kind of like both for different reasons, though I slightly prefer Mary-Jane. I really liked that she was always someone that Peter Parker really liked, and that she really liked Spider-Man, though not knowing he was Peter Parker... (can anyone understand what I just said?). I just liked that Mary-Jane was feisty but at the same time a complete damsel in distress that he could save... and in all honesty I think Gwen was kind of.. boring. She was, I guess, similar to a "Bond girl" in the sense that she was involved in the action, and was quite similar to the "hero" of the story. I would have liked to have seen more vulnerability with Gwen, though I did like that she was a bit of a nerd like Peter Parker.

Right... (sorry, still rambling)... Now we move onto "the kiss". When I think of Spider-Man, I always think about that kiss. You know what I'm talking about, the one that's upside-down, in the rain, and SUPER HOT. In 'film 1' I loved loved LOVED that kiss. It's so iconic and so different.

GUESS WHAT?

'Film 2' didn't even care about that kiss. They just created a new one... where Gwen walks away in a huff or something and he 'zaps' her with his web, which might I add, comes from a machine he created himself that enables him to 'zap' his web (oo-er), which is another thing I really dislike about this movie, though I did hear it's pretty true to the comic books so I can't complain too much.
Anyway, I found this kiss predictable, unexciting and cheesy. I also didn't think there was enough build up to the Gwen and Peter relationship... it didn't.. flow... (I hate using that word).

OKAY so I know that I have complained for quite a bit now.. and you're probably thinking "well aside from the amazing graphics, why did you give this movie a 4 star rating?", well my lovely blog readers... it was basically because overall it was an awesome film.

Rhys Ifans, who is this film's villain Dr. Curt Connors/ the lizard definitely added something extra as he was kind of normal, but then there was also something quite off about him... without being too OTT creepy-villain with a deep, husky, evil voice.

I just thought he was an amazing villain, someone who was obsessed with the idea of genetics and science.. (not unlike film 1 villain the "Green Goblin"/Norman Osborn played by Willem Dafoe who I equally loved).. I also loved that the villain of this movie was essentially something that Peter Parker created... and something he felt he needed to "stop".
I also should note that I liked the idea that in this movie, Peter Parker was not automatically amazing at everything, and even by the end of the movie he was still adjusting to his new "powers" and still learning. Andrew Garfield definitely played the clumsiness very well and I liked that he definitely appeared more of a teenager that in film 1, with the scruffy hair and awkwardness.

I really am just rambling now.... but I'm gonna keep going ;)

We also saw Martin Sheen and Sally Field play the roles of Uncle Ben and Aunt May in this movie. I really liked Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben. He played him as someone who was calm but also quite assertive and parent-like... though this is nothing we haven't seen from Cliff Robertson who played Ben in film 1. Unfortunately I didn't think Sally Field brought anything to the role of Aunt May other than playing a woman and being sad. Rosemary Harris, who played this role in film 1 seemed to bring a calmness and wisdom to the role... as well as a gracefulness and such a motherly kindness. I really wanted to like Sally Field but she just didn't do it for me when I just think there is so much more to Aunt May than what I was shown.

Right so, to conclude... I liked this movie. You should see it, even if it's just for the graphics.

Review: Midnight in Paris

STAR RATING: ***

Probably some **SPOILERS**

I sat down the other night to watch Midnight in Paris, not really knowing what to expect as I had read no reviews or any kind of synopsis that tells you the general storyline of the film. I knew three things:

1. It was starred a few familiar faces, including Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams.
2. It was set in Paris
3. It was directed by Woody Allen.

Yes, that's all I knew.

The storyline actually focuses on a Hollywood screenwriter known as Gil (Wilson), who seems to be somewhat unfulfilled in his current life and attempting to finish his first novel, whilst vacationing in Paris with his finance Inez (McAdams') and her wealthy parents.
Gil and Inez are clearly not the perfect match for each other, and we do see them in constant disagreement with each other from the moment we see them together. Aside from the fact that Inez clearly doesn't understand Gil's ambition and his unhappiness with his career, the couple also disagree strongly about the fact that Gil desperately wants to move to Paris after they marry, and Inez desperately wants to stay in Malibu. Let's not also forget an extra catalyst added to the couple's relationship problems in the form of Paul (Michael Sheen) - a friend of Inez who appears very cultured and knowledgeable about Paris and it's history.
We get all this information in the first fifteen minutes of the movie, and honestly, at this moment I was thinking that it was very... well.... cliche.

One night on their vacation, after dining with Paul (and another woman who I think is pretty irrelevant), a drunk Gil decides he doesn't want to join them to go dancing afterwards and decides to walk back to their hotel, only to get lost in the back streets of Paris. He sits to rest on some steps when a nearby clock strikes midnight and a 1920's car suddenly appears and the people inside beckon him to join them... and so he does.
Gil then finds that he has travelled back in time to 1920's Paris an time that he dubs as a "golden era". He finds this happens every night at the same place, same time, and along way manages to meet great historical figures and people that he idolises such as Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston and Alison Pill), Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll), who offers to have his novel read by Gertude Stein (Kathy Bates), and Pablo Picasso (Marcial Di Fonzo Bo).
He also meets a woman named Adriana (Marion Cottilard) whom he begins to fall in love with and obviously that causes problems, 'cause.. y'know.. she's from the 1920's and stuff.
Back in present time, Gil also meets antiques dealer Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) who he has shared interests with and a clear connection...

Back in the 1920's with Adriana, the paid travel back in time together to Paris in 1890, which is the time that Adriana most idolises, and when she decides she that wants to stay, Gil finally realises that whilst it's nice to be nostalgic... it's a much better idea to accept his present time.
That being said... he then goes back to sort stuff out with his bride-to-be...

(I won't say anymore about the plot.. even though I have already told you most of the story.)

If I'm honest, I didn't think Owen Wilson was particularly great... he played the typical character he always plays, which is always the likable character of any story that we all want to see do well... but I think it can sometimes get tiring. The only depth to this character was created by Woody Allen through the writing and directing of this movie, so I must admit that it would have been nice to see Wilson add something a little extra to this character... perhaps a quirky mannerism or habit? since we are talking about a man who is, on paper, so wrapped up in his own little world and frustrated with his current life.

Similarly I was also disappointed with Rachel McAdams, whom I usually absolutely adore! Though I do have a massive girl-crush on her, I have to say I was really disappointed with her character. I'm not entirely sure it was her portrayal of the character that I disliked (though perhaps I am being a little biased), It was more the character that had been created for her. I think this "spoilt-brat-fiancee who doesn't understand or support her husband's dreams and ambitions" has been done so many times before, and I think the story would have worked just as well if she had been the complete opposite. I definitely think that if the story had focused more on Gil and his acceptance of his current life in present time and less on his relationship with Inez and Adriana, then the entire movie would have been improved greatly.

Aside from this, I actually think Woody Allen did an excellent job writing and directing this movie. For a movie that seems to have such a mediocre storyline, I think it actually provoked some complex and abstract ideas such as the concept of time and nostalgia, but without making the story completely incomprehensible or "artsy" (which isn't a word, but seems to describe a category of movies of which I think everyone is familiar with...).

So all in all, I would say... watch this movie if you have a free evening and fancy watching something slightly bizarre. Don't focus too much on the character's, but turn your attention to the "message" or ideas presented by the story.. it might turn out that you actually quite like it...

...and besides, the scenery is gorgeous! So if you're watching it for anything... watch it for the sights!

My Love for Cast Away

***SPOILERS!***

I haven't seen this movie in a long time, so immediately hit the record button when I saw it was going to appear on BBC 1 the other night!
I find it so hard to believe that this movie was slammed by so many critics when I think it is arguably one of the best movies ever made ... probably in the top 500 (which, when you think about how many movies actually exist, is actually a pretty decent place for a movie to be).

For those who don't know the movie (and if you don't then I think you should watch it), it focuses around Chuck Noland (played by Tom Hanks), who is a FedEx executive who finds himself stranded on a Desert Island for four years (ish) after enduring a plane crash.

So basically, it's all about how he copes physically and emotionally with his isolation and new lifestyle (and I might add that the fact he doesn't die in the plane crash isn't a spoiler as it is about his life on the island...).

What I find very interesting about this movie is the fact that Hanks has very little dialogue throughout the movie, despite being the main character... I mean, there is some dialogue.. but not very much, and considering his conversations are mostly with himself and inanimate objects, I think it is fantastic that he somehow manages to keep an audience captivated and almost emotionally attached to Chuck Noland's character.

What I definitely see, (that most critics did not apparently...) is the change in Noland's character throughout his stay on the island. I think most people where looking to see him break down or go insane or whatever they think would usually happen if you found yourself alone on a desert island for four years.. but I really disagree! Here are my reasons:

• Firstly, we don't see every year that he is on the island. For all we know, and I'm assuming it probably happened nearer the beginning of his time there, he could have had so many breakdowns and emotional moments, as well as suicide attempts (which we do actually see that he considers).
• Okay, secondly, Just like every other human/animal/living organism he learns to adapt to his new environment over FOUR YEARS!
• Thirdly, if talking to and becoming emotionally attached to a ball that you have named "Wilson" is not what you would call "going insane" then I don't know what is.

One of my favourite things about this character is also his belief that he will deliver one of the FedEx packages (he leaves one unopened). I think he sees it as some sort of goal, and sees the opening of the package as admitting defeat. I also love that idea of him having a picture of his love interest/girlfriend (Helen Hunt) to look at.. but I don't think they meant to portray this in a cheesy "someday I will be reunited with my love" kind of way, but I think it is a way of keeping the character emotionally connected to the "real world", and to feeling something "real" to prevent him becoming less "human". (Sorry a lot of quotation marks going on today... )

Anyway, in case you haven't already got the picture, I love this movie. I think it is different and interesting and as always, Tom Hanks is brilliant. I definitely think that even if it is not in everyone else's top 500, it can be argued as one of the most underrated films in history...

.. In my opinion anyway ;)

10 Rubbish, Must-See Movies

Not in any particular order, here are 10 movies that, for various reasons, you should watch in your life time, even though, they are "rubbish"  in their own ways. (Though, might I add that you will probably still enjoy some of these though they are technically "bad" movies)

10. She's the Man.
Basically, A girl who wants to play football (or soccer if you prefer) can't because her school cut the girl's team... so she poses as her brother at his new boarding school while he goes to London to work on his music... (he has no idea she has done this).. and then basically it's all about how she wants to play football and then gets to hang around hot guys while pretending to be one.
This film is a typically Amanda Bynes comedy where a lot of stupid things happen and eventually she gets the guy. This shouldn't be a good movie...
But it is... and it is so so so so funny. I have seen this movie too many times, and yet every time I watch it, the jokes are just as hilarious as the previous times. Also, it's worth mentioning that Channing Tatum stars in it and is very hot. Very very hot. It is definitely a movie that will cheer you up and doesn't need much concentration... watch it with friends and a tub of Ben & Jerry's and you're good to go.

9. Carry On Movies
Anyone who knows the Carry On movies knows that they are very silly and immature... and absolutely hilarious.
Full of innuendo's and sleazy men lusting after girls with massive boobs... and full on British comedy.
Each Carry On film is set around a different time or theme (Carry On Henry- Tudor Times, Carry On Cruising - On a boat etc... ) but every single movie has a loose plot line... that usually involves Sid James' laughing... and Kenneth Williams trying to fight off Hattie Jacques.
If you haven't got time to see them all, then the ones i recommend are Carry On Doctor and Carry On Camping.

8.The Blue Lagoon
Starring a young Brooke Shields and some other guy, this film is the cringiest and weirdest movie I have ever seen in my life. Technically, it isn't a good movie really... but it is a must-see! just because it is painfully bad and so so so funny (for the wrong reasons).
It is effectively about a boy and a girl going through puberty on a desert island after they end up there when their boat crashes when they are younger. The whole film they are pretty much naked and just say cringey things.. a lot happens, but at the same time, nothing happens.
Definitely watch it all the way through, but remember... it will be shit all the way through.


7.Bring It On
A film about cheerleaders.
I'm pretty sure there are about 5 of them?
They are all about the same thing. They are completely rubbish and usually about occasionally bitchy girls who like cheerleading, but they are a "feel-good" type of movie and you should probably watch them before you die. The good team nearly always wins their competition.. and if they don't then they learn something valuable about friendship or love along the way. *sigh*




6. Pete's Dragon
A Disney movie about a kid with a dragon that is invisible to everyone else but him. They sing to each other and shit and the dragon is poorly animated (though it is kinda old).. but it's kind of a sweet movie. The kid has a bowel-cut which adds super-cuteness to the whole movie and then there are some weird adults but I'm not really sure how they are related to Pete as I never really paid attention enough when I watched it as a kid. All I do know is that there is a song at the beginning called "I love you too" which the kid and the dragon sing to each other and it will change your life. OK, I joke, the song is awful, but just like the movie, it's so bad it's good.


5. Monty Python
These movies aren't really bad at all, they are COMIC GENIUS!
... but they are very silly and strange with no real "plot" to them..

and they have to go on this list just so I can grab your attention.

If you cant handle too much weirdness then I wouldn't recommend The Meaning of Life.. perhaps start with the Life of Brian, which is incredibly funny and odd. All movies contain mostly the same cast.... Eric Idle, Michael Palin, John Cleese etc...  all are very very funny and very.. errrr... British?
Just watch them - you won't be sorry!



4. Grease 2
This has nothing on the first movie and it is absolutely awful but you have to watch it just because of the cheesy songs and because Michelle Pfeiffer is in it and probably regrets it.. so we can all laugh at her foolish decision ;)
The songs are poor, as is the story-line but I say you should watch it anyway.. because let's face it... we all want to know what happens in this one since in the last one the car randomly decided to fly at the end... anything could be possible for Grease 2, right?
Also, Frenchy is in it again so it just adds more awesome to a really really bad movie.





3. Twilight Films
First I need to say, I have nothing against the people that do like them, but I really HATE these movies (used to love the books when I was like.. 14?).
I blame Stephanie Meyer for part of this hate... but mostly I just have something about the way that Catherine Harwicke directs the first movie - in an incredibly awkward and weird design with a bad and cheesy script. Edward and Bella make me want to be physically sick... nonetheless you should probably see them all since they have become very very famous movies, though in my opinion are completely overrated....
If you can't bear all of them, then you only need to watch one, and if you are going to watch any of them then I suggest the third one as it is the most bearable..

2. Team America
I think this movie was purposely meant to be rubbish in order to be funny, which is why I have put it in this list ... but I actually think it is very clever.. in an odd way.
The whole film is done with puppets, in a Thunderbirds sort of way.... and in short, is about a group of people who are known as 'Team America' who are a kind of 'Super' team without the powers... I guess you could call them "agents" .. anyway, they basically save the world from terrorists and other bad people, but in doing so cause destruction to everything else. They then hire an actor to pose as a terrorist and he joins their team and then a bunch of stuff happens.
The movie is hilarious, but not for everyone... I would definitely say give it a try though! It is a MUST SEE MOVIE.

1. Beastly
This definitely goes in my list of top ten worst films ever... which I should probably make a separate list for...
Anyway, this is a relatively new movie starring Alex Pettyfer and that girl out of High School Musical (which is another movie that should have gone on this list..), Vanessa Hudgens. It's basically about a popular kid who turns ugly and then a nerdy girl from school comes to live with him and then nothing really happens.
This is a must-see movie because it is painfully bad. I mean, really cheesy (and not in the good cheese, guilty-pleasure kind of way...) and really really disjointed, poorly scripted and just laughable. Of all the movies on this list, this is the one that is on here for actually being an actually shit film....
just... awful.
Yeah, so you have to watch it because you wont be able to see how bad it is until you do :)



 ....Aaaaaaand that's it!
I probably have loads more but these are the 10 that I can think of right now :)

Review: Avengers Assemble

Star Rating: *****

That's right, 5 Stars from me!
I LOVED this movie. Everything about it.

The story line was kind of weak... you know, there's a bad guy... all the avengers are gathered together by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and stop the bad guy called Loki, brother of Thor (played by Tom Hiddleston) who wants to cause destruction etc.

But I don't care about the weak storyline - It did not for a moment stop the movie from being entirely AWESOME!.

Okay so, the avengers include Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), The Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow/Natasha Raminoff (Scarlett Johansson).

This movie is full of action, clever one-liners and amazing graphics... and I definitely recommend it. I have already seen the other movies based around each of the avengers so every character was familiar to me, as well as their 'histories'. I definitely think everyone should watch the other films before seeing this movie.. not because you wont understand it, but because it's almost like seeing all your weird friends with super-abilities together (I know, I know.. very sad).

I definitely loved the use of comedy in the movie, as it wasn't OTT, but just enough to remind us that marvel isn't meant to be dark and all-serious. The script is fantastic, but not easy to follow. I think they definitely added the sci-fi lingo to make the storyline seem more confusing than it was, but even so, I did not care as I was kept entertained all the way through.

Mark Ruffalo filled a pair of extra large boots as the new alter-ego(ish) of THE HULK! and he really did an excellent job, in my ever-so-humble opinion. His voice and manner was just so so calm, which was an absolutely brilliant addition to the whole 'Bruce Banner turns into giant green monster' thing, as it kind of reminded you that they were two almost very different personalities, and that Banner was trying everything in his power not to get angry. LOVED IT!

Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans resumed their roles as Iron Man and Captain America and did a brilliant job, introducing a kind of brotherly relationship - including all the bickering (which was hilarious)... And lets not forget Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner and Scarlett Johansson who starred as Thor, Hawkeye and Black Widow and were also very brilliant and very very hot! (yes - Scarlett Johansson is hot.. even from my point of view!)

Okay, so it's only May and I can already say that this movie will be in my top 10 for this year. It's a definite must-see, especially for any marvel fans out there.. or just any massive nerds like me!
It's fast moving, comedic and extremely enjoyable

I only wish I had seen it in 3D...  ;)