Reviews

Fantastic Beasts could be the worst film franchsie currently churning out movies. There are a few contenders for sure. Kong vs Godzilla made me detest the existance of the "MonsterVerse". "The Purge" has spawned around 15 unnecesary sequels, whilst Fast and Furious films-alebeit terrible-are at least fun to laugh at. None however can match the dullness, soulessness and lack of magic present in the Fantstic Beasts Universe.

The first one was watchable and was actually a welcome addition to the beloved Potterverse. It wasn't ground-breaking but the characters proved to be interesting and the creatures were fun to watch. The second one sucked the soul out of the franchise, one of the most boring and pathetic blockbusters ever made. This one is marginally more sufferable but is still a mighty old struggle to sit through.

The acting is fine-Jude Law is believeable as Dumbledore and plays the role candidly. Ezra Miller is cringe as he always is but his performance is far from terrible. Mads Mikkelsen who I adore is always exciting to watch but really isn't given much to work with. Redmayne feels wasted in these movies too. We seen his powerhorse performance in Chicago 7 recently and thse films are really just wasting his time. Jessica Williams is passable but has an annoying accent which feels very unatural.

The problem therein lies with how the characters are written. None of them have any funny or interesting dialougue so building a connection with them proves to be extremely difficult. You really don't care about their outcomes. The one exception is Jacob who has the build, accent and personality of an Impratical Joker. He has a natural charm which draws the audience in and it is admittedly interesting to watch a fellow muggle navigate the madness of the Wizarding World.

Aside from this, there are very few interesting or memorable action sequences, the tone is incredibly flat and the plot is pretty clear but convulated with nonsense from the previous films. There is just no life to proceedings. The Harry Potter films were so succesful because they captured the charm and wonder of the novels. This however just feels like a cash-grab attempt riding on the coatails of a vastly superior franchise, preying on its enormous loyal fanbase.

The CGI is some of the worst I have seen from a big budget effort. Nearly every scene contains a heniously obvious green screen. And not to mention the fact that they made Dumbledore- one of the most beloved charcters in the history of media- gay, despite this not being once hinted at the previous NINE films he is in.

Please do yourself a favour and avoid this one like the plague. You will also be doing me a favour if your efforts result in the studio not making enough cash to fund a fourth.

PS: This film really is magic! People kept dissapearing from the theatre throught the film!!

Summary: Hot- Dog Water.

I was never much of a Catherine Tate fan. I remember her programme being popular years ago and recall her stints on Doctor Who and the Office (US). I cannnot understand why around 10-15 years after she was relevant in UK popular culture there has been a movie made bringing one of her old characters out of retirement. Their is surely not enough of an appetite for this even amongst avid viewers at the time. Despite this I went along for a Sunday viewing and was pretty appaled with the quality on display. The jokes mainly fall flat and the story just becomes tediously boring. The constant flashbacks are dull for the most part and I didn't find the character of Nan herself to be likeable or interesting. That laugh was really getting on my t*ts. There is all the usual tropes of a rubbish comedy film- scene where unassuming character takes hardcore drugs, some poorly-edited action scenes to break up the jokes and of course a stupid looking vechile for the leads to travel about in from one mind numbingly dull scene to the next.

Also, Nan looks at least 30 in the early 1940s but can still crowdsurf in a giant rave like its nothing. Should she not be over 100?? Sadly I would suggest giving this one a hard swerve. Comedy movies rarely come out these days and efforts like this do nothing to serve the cause.

I was worried that this film would dissapoint me. Other movies I had been heavily anticipating this year from great directors such as Last Night in Soho and House of Gucci haven't quite blown me away. With an ensemble cast boasting an array of Academy Award Winning Talent and a highly intriguing premise, under the stewardship of the genius comedic mind of Adam Mckay, I was praying this one would deliver. And boy did it deliver.

At first I struggled to understand the tone- the tense opening scenes where the protagonists discover their impending doom were swiftly followed by Jonah Hill firing out one-liners. But soon it settles. This film can be funny when it wants to be whilst also showcasing emotional and dramtic scenes and perfomances. The performances are all great but a special mention must be given to Mark Rylance. His line delivery and mannerisms are a joy to watch as he plays the Zuckerberg-esque tech mogul who struggles to cone across as a real human. The film flows so nicely- there are genuinely no moments where boredom creeps in or the plot slows down. Even the montage scenes which broadcast tweets and reactions to what ever is happening in the plot are actually very well-done and interesting to watch. Despite its comedic tone the film has a lot to say about the modern world and makes its points effortlessly without any dull "woke" socio-political subtext as we seen in media nowadays.

I seen this in theartes and I would encourage others to do the same to get the full experince, however you will enjoy it at home on Netflix. Adam Mckay just cant seem to miss after his last two movies before this- (The Big Short and Vice). Not to mention his work on the best show on television right now- Succession. What a movie!!

My expectations weren't exactly sky high for this one, but even then it left me extremely dissatisfied. It is probably the least funny "romantic comedy" I've ever had the displeasure of watching. Not a single person in my cinema laughed once at any of it, and I personally never came close. Of course this is forgiveable if the "romantic" aspect is strong, but sadly this film has the emotional depth of a Jaffa Cake. The lead character is exetremely one note and there is very little interesting about him to make the audience care about his outcome. The writing is so poor that you actually dont care what happens to any of the characters, particularly the girl from Little Mix. There is nothing redeemable about her character atall and it is difficult to understand why the protagonist would go back to her when his new girlfriend is better looking, much more charismatic and unlike Leigh- Anne Pinnock, can actually act. Another annoying character is the younger brother who made me cringe with every line of dialouge he produced.

The film hits its lowpoint near the end- tension actually starts building and it feels like something interesting will finally happen-only for a food fight to break out which is used for a deplorably cheap laugh where a character slips on cake. This honestly dosent feel like a real film atall, maybe only a notch higher in quality than your average British soap opera. The way it is shot, the acting, the lighting, there is even a Nativity scene where they could'nt be bothered to hire extras ans just have the main characters as the audience and about 5 kids present. No doubt this movie will get rave reviews from the woke brigade who will commend it's diverse cast akin to "Crazy Rich Asians" 2018 which is another pointless movie. There is no way it should be at theartes and sadly I reccommend giving this one a hard swerve.

I recall many months ago seeing the trailer for the "French Dispatch" and many of the comments suggested that the film looked like the "most Wes Anderson film" that Wes Anderson has ever conjured. After witnessing the movie this hypothesis does indeed appear to be the case, which of course is not a bad thing. His signature style, with beautiful photography, fascinating camera work, sharp dialogue and an artillery of world class actors are all on show. The setting of France really seems to suit Wes Anderson's style, and he has done a commendable job of showcasing the beauty of the country. The structure of the film also suits his approach as we jump from one story to the next, creating a living, breathing world in the made-up city of Ennui-sur-Blase, and getting to see many of its different inhabitants and locations.

Most people will have a fun time with this film- as each shot is as interesting as the last and the three stories are generally quit engaging. Some of the humour falls a bit flat but the excellent performances make up for it. Its hard to pick a standout from such a talented cast but I found Lea Seydoux and Jeffrey Wright to be particularly enjoyable. The score is nice as always, the music in the middle story was particularly memorable. I suppose the only real criticism I can make of the film is that everything just feels a notch or two down from his masterpiece Grand Budapest Hotel. Still an enjoyable ride though, and I am yet to see a Wes film I have rated lower than a 7.

I'll start by saying I had zero expectations for "Copshop". I wanted to catch a movie last night and this was the only late showing at my local thearte. I trudged along expecting a to watch a generic Gerard Butler picture which would get my night in.

However, what I got was one the best cinema experinces I've had this year.

The perfromances are strong around the board, particularly from the realtively unknown lead Alexis Louder, whos character is the heart and soul of the story. Butler and Grillo are as always, enjoyable to watch. The action in this film is suprisingly very well-shot and never dull, repetitive or formulaic. The writers did a commendable job , with constant twists and information being revelead slowly, creating a tense atmosphere in the films only location. Characters are nicely developed to the point where you genuinely care what their outcome will be. There was a few cringe moments of dialouge and a couple of moments that seem somewhat stupid but nothing that overshadows the films qualities.

Whether your a fan of Gerard Butler action movies or just someone like me who wants to catch a movie, go see Copshop.

What has Hollywood become? I went in to The Forever Purge with zero expectations-wanting to turn my brain off and watch some midly entertaining horror-action movie. I barely managed to keep my eyes open. There was zero character development, gaping plot- holes and a nauseating stream of dull socio- political subtext. At least the action was good though, right? WRONG! It was formulaic, boring and lacked any flair, excitement, or interesting camera movement. Please stop going to see these movies and hopefully the studio will run out of cash to keep making them! This film represents all that is wrong with films in this day and age. Frankly, I am appaled.