Book to Film Review: Catching Fire

About the film

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the second film in The Hunger Games series. The film was released at cinemas on 21^st November 2013 in the UK. Catching Fire has a run time of 146 minutes and is rated 12A due to language and violence.

Plot

After winning the 74^th Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta are trying to get on with their lives after the hell they went through. But, they must also embark on the Victor’s Tour, visiting each and every district and speak to the people there. But, before they can go, President Snow pays Katniss a visit and warns her not to mess up or there could be terrible consequences for her family. Unfortunately, she does mess up though which causes him to bring back the Quarter Quell, a whole different kind of Hunger Games. Instead of two people from each district, this time it will be two victors from each district and Katniss and Peeta know what that means for them. In order to survive again, their best chance is to form an allegiance with other victors but who can keep them safe?

Cast

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen

Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark

Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne

Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy

Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket

Lenny Kravitz as Cinna

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee

Jeffrey Wright as Beetee Latier

Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman

Donald Sutherland as President Coriolanus Snow

Toby Jones as Claudius Templesmith

Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair

What I thought

I am such a big fan of The Hunger Games as books and really enjoyed the first film. Catching Fire was one of my most anticipated films of 2013.

In this film, victors Katniss and Peeta are trying to get on with their lives and are getting ready to go on the victors tour. Katniss really doesn’t want to do this as she knows she will have to face the families of those who died in order for her and Peeta to win. After President Snow threatens her family, and then orders a Quarter Quell Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta are forced to go back into the nightmare they have already faced. This time though, they’ll be facing others who won their own Hunger Games and know what it takes to come out alive.

Jennifer Lawrence reprises her role as protagonist Katniss Everdeen. Lawrence certainly seems to be the actress of the moment and has not done a bad film to date (in my opinion anyway). While Katniss comes across as a tough girl with an attitude, there is also a much softer side to her and Lawrence shows this really well. Although she is a hardened character, Lawrence makes her so likeable at the same time. You route for her, you don’t want her to fail and most importantly, you don’t want her to die. I really can’t imagine anyone else playing this role as Lawrence is pretty damn perfect in it.

Other cast members are just as good though so the show isn’t stolen by Lawrence completely. Josh Hutcherson plays one of the love interests, Peeta. In the first film he came across as too sweet and a bit too nice but Catching Fire sees his character progress quite a lot. He knows more of how the world works now and doesn’t want to be walked all over. I really liked how Hutcherson took Peeta’s character to the next level in this film. Also playing great roles is Donald Sutherland who plays President Snow. Although a pretty quiet character, he is creepy as hell and I would definitely be scared of him. Then there is Lenny Kravitz as Cinna. He is a character who you can’t help but love and to begin with, I was worried about who was playing him but now, I really like the choice.

Catching Fire does start off quite slowly but so does the book. There is quite a lot of catching up to do since Katniss and Peeta won the last Hunger Games. We learn of the beginnings of an uprising, President Snow acting out because of Katniss and the return of the Quarter Quell. There is a lot of story to cover before the film heads back into the Hunger Games again. However, once the action really begins, it doesn’t stop. This Hunger Games is so much worse than the first one and there are a whole load of new scary things going on. As with the first films, there is a lot of violence and a lot of killing so some parts are quite hard to watch but everything fits in to the film perfectly.

For those who haven’t already read the books, there will be a lot of surprises coming for you and I know you won’t be disappointed with the sequel.

Film Review: Toy Story 3

About the film

Toy Story 3 is the third film in the Toy Story series by Disney. The film was released on 19^th July 2010 and it has a run time of 103 minutes. As this is a Disney film, Toy Story 3 is rated U.

Plot

Andy is now 17 years old and getting ready to go off to college. He hasn’t played with his toys in years and Woody, Buzz and the gang are feeling left out. Andy only plans on taking Woody away with him and puts Buzz and most of the other toys in a bag ready to be stored in the attic. But, Andy’s mother mistakes the bag for rubbish and puts it out on the street. Now wanting to be thrown away Buzz gathers the toys together and they all hide in a box with Barbie, who is destined to go to Sunnyside Daycare. Woody follows and tries to explain the mix up but they won’t listen. The toys think that Andy didn’t want them anymore.

When the toys arrive at Sunnydale, they think that they’re going to be happy there. Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear, Big Baby and Ken give the new toys a wonderful tour and everything seems great. Woody however, does not stay at Sunnydale and instead plans to go back and find Andy. While Woody is gone, Lotso shows his true nature. He runs Sunnyside and captures Buzz. After Mr Potato Head sees Andy (with the eye he lost at home) searching for the lost toys, he knows that Andy didn’t want to throw them out after all. The toys must rescue Buzz and escape from a hellish life at Sunnydale.

Cast

Tom Hanks as Woody

Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear

Joan Cusack as Jessie

Ned Beatty as Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear

John Morris as Andy

Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head

Blake Clark as Slinky Dog

Wallace Shawn as Rex

John Ratzenberger as Hamm

Estelle Harris as Mrs. Potato Head

Michael Keaton as Ken

Jodi Benson as Barbie

Emily Hahn as Bonnie

Jeff Pidgeon as Aliens

What I thought

The Toy Story series of films are some of my favourite things to come from Disney. Until recently though, I hadn’t seen the third film even though my husband had bought me a Lotso bear the other year. He bought me the whole box set on DVD for Christmas and it didn’t take me long to finally see that third film.

In this film, Andy is all grown up and getting ready to go off to college. He doesn’t want to leave his toys behind as they brought him so much pleasure as a child but chooses to only take Woody with him. The beginning of the film was actually really sad, as the previous two films showed just how much Andy and the toys loved each other. However, it was nice to have a different setting and a whole new storyline going on.

Although Andy is gone for the majority of the film, the well-known and much loved characters from the first two films are back. Woody and Buzz are just too funny together but I also love the rest of the toys. Some of my favourites are Slinky Dog and Rex. I really enjoyed how the storyline took the toys to a daycare centre as this introduced a whole new range of characters as well though. Lotso is a super cute looking bear but is mean and old. There is a fabulous purple octopus and a super creepy baby doll. Then there is Ken, Barbie’s love interest and he was hilarious.

Toy Story 3 is a film that is suitable for both adults and children. However, there are a few scenes that children might find quite upsetting or disturbing and also a few scenes that adults might get emotional over. Due to there being a few scenes that aren’t completely child friendly, I would advise to let children watch this one with an adult present or close by. There were actually a couple of points where I didn’t want to watch as I was scared of what would happen and also a couple of points that made me well up.

The animation and voice acting in Toy Story 3 is absolutely spot on and I cannot fault it in any way. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen reprise their roles as Woody and Buzz respectively although Buzz gets a bit of a makeover during this film. One of the things that I dislike though about the voice acting in this film, and the series, is that you can mostly tell who the actors are playing each part. This makes it hard to think of the characters as cartoons. Children won’t feel this way though but it is something that always bugs me a little bit.

Overall though, Toy Story 3 is a wonderful film and a great addition to the series. 

Book to Film Review: The Great Gatsby

About the film

The Great Gatsby is a 2013 film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel of the same name and it was directed by Baz Luhrmanm. The film has a run time of 142 minutes and is rated  

Plot

Nick Carraway is looking back on his life while spending time in a rehab centre. His doctor is encouraging him to talk about what got him to that place. After saying that he once wrote a book, Nick’s doctor wants him to write about a memory to help him to write again and so begins the tale of how he met Jay Gatsby.

The year is 1922 and Nick has just moved to New York to work on Wall Street. The house he finds to rent in Long Island is small but just what he needs. The house next door however is massive and Nick soon learns that the famous Gatsby lives there. His house is famous for the huge and elaborate parties that are held there every week. Nick eventually receives a personal invitation to one party and hopes that he can finally meet the man he’s heard so much, and so little, about. Once at the party though, Nick realises that no one seems to know Gatsby but they’re just there anyway. But, Gatsby finds Nick and introduces himself and the two instantly hit it off.

Nick’s cousin Daisy Buchanan also lives in New York and it turns out, she’s one of the few people who actual know, or knew, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is asking a massive favour from Nick and it’s no coincidence that he invited him to that one party…

Cast

Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby

Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway

Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan

Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan

Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker

Isla Fisher as Myrtle Wilson

Jason Clarke as George Wilson

Amitabh Bachchan as Meyer Wolfshiem

Jack Thompson as Dr. Walter Perkins

What I thought

Although a classic novel, I have never read, nor watched another film adaptation of The Great Gatsby. Baz Luhrmann directed this version and so far, I haven’t been disappointed with any of his films.

The film begins with introducing Nick as a main character. He’s clearly in some form of rehab facility and not looking too well. Nick once wanted to be a writer but wasn’t successful. His doctor encourages him to write down a memory in order to be able to write again. His memory is of Gatsby. The beginning of the film really focuses on the mystery surrounding Gatsby. Everyone knows where his house is and his parties are very well-known but no one really knows who he is or where he comes from. There are rumours flying about all over the place but nothing is concrete information. I really enjoyed the anticipation that the beginning of the film gave. Never did you know what you could believe about Gatsby. At times, you didn’t even know whether or not he truly existed as no one knew anything about him. Obviously, I knew that he did and who was playing the part but it didn’t take anything away from the mystery in the plot.

The Great Gatsby is said to be a love story but I’m not sure that I completely agree with that. Gatsby himself has known Nick’s cousin Daisy before 1922 and is absolutely in love with her. He enlists Nick’s help to be able to see Daisy once again and from here, things get quite dark and twisted. Gatsby is driven by his need to see Daisy again and to be the man he thinks she would want him to be, hence the massive parties and splashing around of money. Instead of being about love, I see The Great Gatsby to be more about pure need and the desire to make something better of yourself, no matter what the consequences are.

The casting in this film is absolutely fabulous. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Gatsby and does so with such flair and elegance at the same time. He, along with his background, has an air of mystery surrounding him at all times. He’s also quite the strange character, going from one mood to another in a matter of seconds. DiCaprio was easily the perfect choice for Gatsby. His character is a hard one to play due to the many inner demons that he has and DiCaprio shows the troubled thoughts extremely well.

Toby Maguire on the other hand was a bit of a let-down. I can’t say that I’m the biggest fan of his anyway but I didn’t like him or his character at all. Maguire plays Nick who is a pretty whiney and annoying kind of man. He’s trying to make it in New York after a failed career as a writer and generally comes across as interfering and he didn’t help much in any situation. Actually, Maguire played whiney and annoying really well but I’m not sure that’s how his character was supposed to be portrayed.

Another issue I had with the film was the soundtrack. Luhrmann is known for taking a classic and putting a modern twist on it but I felt as though this one was pushed too far. Jay-Z was the album's executive producer and worked closely with Luhrmann on the whole soundtrack to mix contemporary, hip hop and music from the 20s. However, the soundtrack was far too modern for my liking and I don’t think that it captured the feel of the 20s well enough. With songs like Black to Black and Crazy in Love on the soundtrack, I just couldn’t get away from the modern feel. However, if I were to listen to the soundtrack on its own, I would like it. It just didn’t go perfectly with the film.

Overall, The Great Gatsby is a wonderful film with a few small flaws. The film is entertaining and exciting with a near perfect cast though. 

Film Review: Runner, Runner

About the film

Runner, Runner is a 2013 thriller film. It has a run time of 91 minutes and is rated 15. The film was produced by many people, one of which was Leonardo DiCaprio.

Plot

Richie Furst is struggling to pay his way through Princeton after crashing out in his former job. When he attempts to win his tuition fees on an online gambling website, he believes that he’s been swindled when he loses all of his money. With nothing left to lose, Richie heads to Costa Rica to confront the owner of the website, Ivan Block. Instead of just getting his money back, Ivan offers Richie a job and promises great wealth. To begin with Richie is having the time of his life and loves what he’s doing but he soon realises that there is a lot more to Ivan and his business than meets the eye. Richie is right in the middle of Ivan’s dirty dealings and it looks like he will take the fall for everything.

Cast

Justin Timberlake as Richie Furst

Gemma Arterton as Rebecca Shafran

Anthony Mackie as Agent Shavers

Ben Affleck as Ivan Block

David Costabile as Professor Hornstein

Sam Palladio as Shecky

Oliver Cooper as Andrew Cronin

Ben Schwartz as Craig

What I thought

I didn’t know much about this film before going to see it apart from the fact that it starred Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake but those were good enough reasons for me to go and see it.

The plot surrounds Richie Furst who used to have a great job on Wall Street. Unfortunately, that ended and Richie goes back to college to complete his post grad. However, due to his past employment, he cannot get any help with tuition so he has to pay it all himself. Richie’s character is extremely intelligent and figures that he can get sign ups to an online gambling website and receive a cut of everyone who signs up. But, the dean of Princeton threatens to expel him if he keeps it up. I liked how the beginning of the film set up the explanations of online gambling and the way that people chase money on there. But, after that, it all got a bit too crazy and unrealistic.

You see, Furst runs off to Costa Rica to confront the owner of the website face to face. He knows Ivan Block in incredibly hard to get to but figures it’s worth a try anyway because he’s desperate. Even though it’s stated that Ivan Block is hard to get to, Richie seems to manage it with very little trouble at all. Playing Ivan Block is Ben Affleck who has had a bit of a bad run of acting jobs in the past few years. However, I quite liked him in this role for the most part. He plays a character that is quite smarmy and slick, who knows that he can do pretty much whatever he wants. Affleck acts cool, calm and collected for the most part but is also able to lose his temper and show the meaner, more devious side to him when he needs to. Even though he did a good job, there are loads of actors who could probably have done better.

Justin Timberlake hasn’t had that many roles since hitting the film business but he does always manage to switch it up a little bit. In Runner, Runner Timberlake plays main character Richie Furst. I found Timberlake to be absolutely fantastic in this film. At the beginning he is confident, clever and doesn’t see that he’s doing anything wrong. It’s only when he loses all of his money gambling online that he begins to change. He makes the change from Princeton student to wealthy and stylish very quickly which goes to show what money can buy you… a nice suit! Anyhow, Timberlake manages the transition pretty damn well and became more likeable as the film went on due to what was happening to him. However, I would have liked to have seen Timberlake lose it a little more towards the end of the film as he was too calm for what was happening around him.

Runner, Runner doesn’t have the most complicated or exciting plot because basically, it’s been done before. This is a film that doesn’t really offer anything new which was quite disappointing. While this may not be an original film, it is still very entertaining. There is plenty going on throughout, even with a slow start, and there are little clues being dropped everywhere. I enjoyed watching Richie get to grips with his new life and to figure out exactly who he could trust around him.

There are also a few things that didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Richie is supposed to be incredibly intelligent but he doesn’t see what’s going on around him until quite near the end of the film. He also should have been able to outsmart Ivan with ease or at least do more about what was happening. Not only that, but if he was so clever, he should have probably known that Ivan’s offer was far too good to be true. Things like that just don’t happen. It’s a shame that such little issues let this film down.

While I did enjoy Runner, Runner, it could have been such a better film. The plot was quite standard and there were problems throughout. One to buy on DVD when it’s cheap though. 

Book to Film Review: The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

About the film

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is a 2013 film adaptation from the book of the same name by Cassandra Clare. The film has a run time of 130 minutes and is rated 12A.

Plot

In New York, Clary Fray is going about her everyday life when she sees someone and something she shouldn’t have in a club. Problem is, no one else around her can see what is going on. Clary is the descendant of a Shadowhunter, a group of half angel warriors who fight to destroy demons. After her mother disappears without warning, Clary is forced to ask for the help of other Shadowhunters as they may be the only ones who can help her. She is thrown into a new life filled with demons, vampires and werewolves, amongst other things, and must quickly learn to accept what she thought could never be possible.

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Cast

Lily Collins as Clary Fray

Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace Wayland

Robert Sheehan as Simon Lewis

Kevin Zegers as Alec Lightwood

Lena Headey as Jocelyn Fray

Kevin Durand as Emil Pangborn

Aidan Turner as Luke Garroway

Jemima West as Isabelle Lightwood

Godfrey Gao as Magnus Bane

C. C. H. Pounder as Madame Dorothea

Jared Harris as Hodge Starkweather

Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Valentine Morgenstern

What I thought

The Mortal Instruments is a series of books that I absolutely love so when I heard about the film being made, I was a little wary about it. I had never heard of the girl playing the lead and the actor playing the male lead just didn’t sit right with me. I had also heard bad things from others who love the books just as much as me.

City of Bones has quite a quick beginning. It doesn’t take long for protagonist Clary to be introduced to the world of the Shadowhunters. While out in a club with her best friend Simon, she thinks she witnesses a murder than no one else can see but learns that the now dead man was actually a demon. Here, she meets Jace (a Shadowhunter) and he explains what is really going on although he is surprised she can actually see him. While I was thankful that the beginning of the film wasn’t dragged out, I do think that Clary became all too okay with the changes in her life too quickly. I remember in the book that she took a while to get used to everything that was going on around her.

Speaking of Clary, Lily Collins plays the character and I was actually quite pleasantly surprised by her performance. Collins makes the character likeable while still being able to show strength and bravery. There are a few times where she comes across as a bit whiney but not overly and I was thankful for that. As someone I hadn’t previously heard of, I was unsure about how well she’d be able to portray the role but she did a good job. Collins shows emotion well throughout the whole film and considering how much the character has to go through, she needed to show quite a lot. I think that Collins also dealt really well with the action scenes which I wasn’t expecting.

As with the beginning of the film, the plot moves along at a quick pace. There is a lot going on in this film and it is pretty non-stop all the way through. As soon as Clary learns of the Shadowhunters and what they do, her life is filled with secrets, lies and demons. The fight scenes were pretty impressive and well done by all involved. There are quite a few characters in the film, not all of which are Shadowhunters. There are allies and enemies between different kinds of creature and I really enjoyed how this was explored. There is a whole host of supernatural creatures to get to know in City of Bones and it was interesting to see how they worked (or didn’t) together to get things done.

As this is a film adaptation of a book, there are certainly things missing that I think should have been put in. People who have read the book might be a little disappointed to see some quite important parts missing but obviously, the film can only be so long so things needed to be cut. However, while I would have liked to have seen some things, I was still happy with the film overall. Author Cassandra Clare had a hand in writing the screenplay and watched over production so I guess if she was happy, then book fans should be as well. For me, casting was most of the problem rather than the plot and bits missing.

One thing that did get talked about a lot was the portrayal of Jace Wayland, Clary’s love interest. Playing Jace is Jamie Campbell Bower. Now, for those who haven’t read the book, I’m sure you will all find him to be great in the role. Jace is a character who is full of himself, cocky and very witty. Campbell Bower manages to get this part of the role absolutely perfect and he comes across as arrogant and as someone who loves himself. His acting skills are not to be frowned at and I do think he did a really good job. However, he still isn’t the Jace I imagined. In my eyes, Jace was a bigger guy with a lot more muscle and Campbell Bower is quite slim although he did bulk up a bit for the role. It wasn’t that I didn’t like him though, he just wasn’t perfect.

Overall, City of Bones wasn’t nearly as bad as I had expected it to be. The plot moves at a fast pace and is exciting the whole way through. Even without my perfect choices in the casting, this is a really entertaining film and I can’t wait for the sequel to come out. 

Film Review: Wind Chill

About the film

Wind Chill is a 2007 horror film. It has a run time of 97 minutes and is rated 15.

Plot

Struggling to find a ride home for Christmas, an unknown girl trawls the ‘ride board’ looking for someone going her way. She’s in luck when an unknown guy is heading to Delaware as well and they agree to share the ride. The girl knows literally nothing about the guy although he seems to know quite a lot about her. While on the journey, he takes a scenic short cut where they get into an accident and break down. A weather report on the radio lets them know about an incoming storm and temperatures below 30 degrees but it looks as though the pair are going nowhere and the stretch of road they’re stuck on has a terrible history.

Cast

Emily Blunt ... Girl

Ashton Holmes … Guy

Martin Donovan ... Highway Patrolman

Ned Bellamy … Snowplow Driver

Ian A. Wallace ... Priest (as Ian Wallace)

Donny James Lucas ... Stranger (as Donny Lucas)

Chelan Simmons ... Blonde Girl

Darren Moore ... Clerk        

Linden Banks … Proctor

What I thought

Around Halloween there are always plenty of random horror films on late at night. I had never even heard of this one before but seeing as there wasn’t much else on at the time, I decided to give it a go.

Emily Blunt stars as the unnamed girl, known only as Girl in the credits. It’s the day before Christmas Eve and she doesn’t have a ride back to her home in Delaware so she finds someone else who is going that way to help her out. She has no idea who the guy is (played by Ashton Holmes and known as Guy in the credits). A large chunk of the film is spent getting to know both characters and this is when we find out that the guy knows much more about the girl than he initially let on. The girl gets really creeped out by this and when he takes a detour, she begs him to get back on the highway but he doesn’t. This results in them getting lost, being in an accident and ending up stranded with the temperature dropping quickly.

The girl comes across as pretty mean and self-centred while the boy really doesn’t have much going for him at all. Put that together with the fact that neither character has a name, it makes each of them quite unlikeable and I certainly struggled to connect with either of them. By the time they are in the car crash, I really didn’t care about what happened to them and really, this is when the film gets going. Both characters fail to show much emotion until near the end of the film and by this point, they could have died an awful, painful death and I still wouldn’t have cared.

However, while the characters in this film were a complete let down, the plot does make things slightly better, although not completely. The whole film had a pretty creepy feeling to it from beginning to end which I really liked. Getting into a car for a long drive without someone you don’t know would definitely make me feel quite uncomfortable and the girl also feels like this as the journey goes on. Then, the weather, the snow, makes for a quite strange looking film as there is so much white around all of the time. I have always found long stretches of white road to be pretty eerie. I liked the whole road trip aspect of the film but then this was let down by the fact that there isn’t much character development.

It is only when the couple are in a car accident that the horror really kicks in. Not only are they lost but they have no food and are stranded on a long stretch of snowy road. It’s extremely cold and there is no way of getting back to the nearest town without the use of their car. Wind Chill is very much a ghost story but it is more creepy than scary which was unfortunate. There were moments that could have ended up being quite terrifying but they fell short in my opinion. From here, while the plot did take quite a dark turn, it wasn’t executed well enough in my opinion. There wasn’t enough background story, the characters weren’t scared enough and the things that should have been really scary, weren’t.

So, overall, I found Wind Chill to be quite bland as horror films go although it could have been a whole lot better. 

Film Review: Monsters University

About the film

Monsters University is an animated film which was released by Disney/ Pixar. The film is a prequel to the 2001 film Monsters, Inc. It is rated U and has a run time of 104 minutes.  

Plot

A young Mike Wazowski is the smallest and least scary monster in his class at school. He’s always the last one to be picked for anything and doesn’t have any friends. But, at a trip to Monsters, Inc. Mike realises that his dream is to be a scarer when he grows up and to major in scaring at Monsters University. Eleven years later, Mike is ready for his first day as a scare major and meets his new roommate Randy and a big, blue fluffy monster called Sulley.

While Mike studies extremely hard, Sulley think he can get away with passing classes by using his one big roar as a scare tactic. A rivalry brews between Mike and Sulley which eventually causes them both to be drop from the scare program. But, they must join together if they want to get back on it and join Oozma Kappa, a fraternity of unscary monsters. Their only way to get what they want is to win the Scare Games… together.

Cast

Billy Crystal as Michael "Mike" Wazowski

Noah Johnston as Young Mike

John Goodman as James P. "Sulley" Sullivan

Steve Buscemi as Randall "Randy" Boggs

Joel Murray as Don Carlton

Sean Hayes as Terri Perry

Dave Foley as Terry Perry

Peter Sohn as Scott "Squishy" Squibbles

Charlie Day as Art

Helen Mirren as Dean Abigail Hardscrabble

Alfred Molina as Professor Derek Knight

Nathan Fillion as Johnny J. Worthington III

What I thought

Monsters, Inc. is one of my all-time favourite films. I have Mike and Sulley toys on top of my DVD case and I could happily watch it over and over again. So, I obviously couldn’t wait to watch the prequel, Monsters University although I had to wait until our flight home from Florida to see it.

This film takes us back to the beginning of Mike and Sulley’s friendship. The plot was great because not only did it focus on how Mike and Sulley met, but it also introduced some fantastic new characters as well as having others from Monsters, Inc. This means that you don’t need to have seen Monsters, Inc. to be able to watch this one but there are added extras for you if you have. Young Mike isn’t popular, he isn’t scary and he certainly doesn’t have much going for him apart from being super cute – not the best thing if you’re a monster. On a school trip, he learns what it means to be a scarer at Monsters, Inc. and that becomes his life’s dream. He knows Monsters University is where he wants to go when he is older and cannot wait for that day.

Monsters University is a fantastic setting for a film. Due to the content and characters, film makers and designers were able to go really wild on the colours and patterns on each of the monsters, making this film a visual delight. I really liked how colourful this film was and can easily say that children will enjoy all of the different varieties of monsters involved. There were also some really nice touches to the characters from the previous film such as Mike wearing braces as it showed a different, younger side to them and fans of the first film will appreciate watching certain characters grow up.

Having seen the first film, it was really quite strange to see Mike rooming with Randy and also for Mike to not be best friends with Sulley. But, I really enjoyed watching their friendship progress throughout the film. At the beginning, Sulley comes across as arrogant and full of himself due to his famous family and I didn’t like him as much. Sulley thinks he can pass his scaring class based on his ability while Mike knows he needs to study everything and this makes them very different characters. I also think the film teaches a good lesson about not being able to be good at everything and that it’s ok to be better at one thing over another. It also teaches a good lesson about people who are very different being able to become very good friends.

As this is an animated film, there are no actors but a voice cast. I think it’s great that some of the original voices as used as well as some new ones such as Helen Mirren as Dean Abigail Hardscrabble. Each voice is extremely animated and really help to add to each character’s personality. I really enjoyed the variety of voice actors in this film. Add in some fantastic characters and an exciting and funny plot and this makes Monsters University such a fantastic film. I thoroughly loved it. 

Film Review: 10 Years

About the film

10 Years is a comedy film that was released in 2011. The film has a run time of 100 minutes and is rated 12.

Plot

Jake and his girlfriend Jess arrive at the home of one of Jake’s high school friends and his wife. Soon, more and more old friends begin to arrive, ready for their 10 year reunion. Best friends Marty and AJ are in the group, as well as musician Reeves and Scott and his wide Suki. The group of friends are really looking forward to catching up and seeing what everyone else has turned out like but Jake is the only one breathing a huge sigh of relief as his high school sweetheart isn’t going to be there.

As the night gets going, the group get reacquainted with old pals and realise they may not have been the best people in high school. As some attendees have brought with them their wives, girlfriends etc, they begin to show their true colours and revert back to their teenage ways. Each character has something to prove at this reunion but will it all go to plan?

Cast

Channing Tatum as Jake Bills

Justin Long as Marty Burn

Kate Mara as Elise

Chris Pratt as Cully

Scott Porter as Scott

Brian Geraghty as Garrity Liamsworth

Max Minghella as AJ

Anthony Mackie as Andre Irine

Lynn Collins as Anna

Rosario Dawson as Mary

Oscar Isaac as Reeves

Nick Zano as Nick Vanillo

Jenna Dewan as Jess

What I thought

I’ll always give a film a go if it has Channing Tatum in it (because I’m a sucker for him!) and when I saw this one for only £3 in Sainsbury’s, I knew I had to have it.

10 Years starts with Jake and Jess heading off to Jake’s high school reunion. They’re a couple and Jess doesn’t really know much of Jake’s high school friends, nor his past with ex-girlfriend Mary. Luckily, Mary has said she won’t be attending the reunion so Jake can breathe a bit easier. Playing Jake and Jess are Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan-Tatum, real husband and wife couple. Considering these two are together in real life, and had acted together previously in Step Up, I expected the chemistry between the two to be much better. However, what we actually get is quite stiff conversation and chemistry which is extremely lacking. I was very disappointed.

As the film is set around a high school reunion and groups of friends getting back together and reminiscing, the plot focuses on the comedic characters they once were. The plot really doesn’t have much of an actual story to it though and that made me lose interest really quickly. Okay, each character has their own problems but none of them are big enough, or important enough, to make me really care. Not only were the issues not big enough, but the characters mostly came across as really shallow, superficial or just idiots. Not only did 10 Years not have a great plot but the characters could have been so much better and had much more depth, but they didn’t.

However, although the characters and the plot were a lot down, there were one or two redeeming moments in this film. Justin Long was a great addition to the cast as he never seems to do a bad job in films. Long plays Marty, someone who has been very successful since high school but he also has secrets. Long manages to pull off successful and nice all in one go and he was one of the few characters I did care about a little bit. Also, there are some really funny moments throughout the film. The humour in this film is very much what you would expect from a teen film and aimed at those who like gross humour and crass jokes. These kinds of comedic moments gave the film a light feel to it and also makes it a really easy film to watch.

10 Years really isn’t the best film out there and even Channing Tatum and some funny moments couldn’t make me love it. 

Film Review: Now You See Me

About the film

Now You See Me is a thriller film that was released at the cinema in the UK on 3^rd July 2013. The film has a run time of 115 minutes and it is rated 12A.

Plot

After receiving a mysterious summons, four magicians arrive to a strange address in New York and find a room full of secrets. A year later, they’re working together as The Four Horsemen, stage illusionists about to perform to a sold out venue in Las Vegas. The big part of their show is that they apparently robbed a French bank for real, showering their audience with millions of Euros. With a trick that big, and a crime committed, the show gets the attention of the FBI and Interpol and Dylan Rhodes and Alma Vargas are assigned to the case. With The Four Horsemen constantly one step ahead, Thaddeus Bradley, a magician who reveals how big tricks are done, also becomes involved.

As the investigation continues there is one illusion after another and it becomes clear that the closer you look, the less you see!

What I thought

Now You See Me was one of the films that I have been most looking forward to seeing this year. As soon as I saw the trailer, I was desperate to see it. I haven’t seen a film that looked anything like this and because of how different it looked, I wanted to see it even more.

The film begins by showing us the lives of what will be The Four Horsemen. Either a street magician, an escapist or a mentalist, each of the four have special skills which are needed for a secret reason. Within a couple of days of each other, the four characters receive a card with an address on although no further information. On the date specified, the four arrive at the mysterious location and realise that they’re being hired for something bigger than any of them could have ever imagined. Then, we skip to a year later and The Four Horsemen are just about to perform in Las Vegas together, claiming that they can rob a bank. The beginning of the film is very exciting and is filled with fantastic magic tricks and illusions, although these are nothing compared to what comes later in the film.

The first big trick we see is that of The Four Horsemen apparently robbing a bank in France during their show. Part of the plot of this film concerns the tricks being done and the FBI and Interpol attempting to figure out how they’re done, especially because robbing a bank is a crime. This brings in something more than just magic into the film and makes it a race against time and a huge mystery to solve. If the magic and illusions weren’t exciting enough, there is the FBI trying to figure everything out as well. I absolutely loved the plot in Now You See Me. The trailers made the film look different and exciting and that’s exactly what it is. There are things happening all over the damn place over the whole 115 minutes of the film.

One big aspect of the film is trying to figure out how magic tricks and illusions are done and I absolutely loved this. Not only are the FBI trying to figure out what is going on, but so was I as an audience member. Throughout, it is said that the closer you look, the less you see and that’s exactly true. You could have been sat right up next to the screen and still not be able to see how tricks were done. One of the biggest aspects of the magic for me was the mentalism stuff, mainly because of how much I love Derren Brown and the things he does. Thankfully though, some secrets are revealed throughout the film but at the end, there are still plenty of unanswered questions which leaves it perfectly open for a sequel which has been confirmed now.

Cast wise, Now You See Me gets even better. Starring as The Four Horsemen are Jesse Eisenberg as J. Daniell Atlas, Woody Harrelson as Merritt McKinney, Isla Fisher as Henley Reeves and Dave Franco as Jack Wilder. I couldn’t have been more impressed with this bunch. Eisenberg sheds his geeky image from The Social Network and is now a sexy, cool and interesting magician. Isla Fisher brings some sex appeal to the show with her skimpy “assistant” looking outfits while Dave Franco’s character Jack has street smarts and Woody Harrelson plays a mentalist. The four work extremely well together and as characters with varying personalities. They bounce off of each other at times, have some great and funny banter but most importantly, they work well together to get the job done.

As The Four Horsemen are a young bunch, we have some older actors to even things out a bit. Mark Ruffalo plays Dylan Rhodes, FBI agent assigned to the case. He’s ruthless throughout the film and desperately wants to find out what is going on. He’s a bit of an angry man and definitely does not believe in magic so is very dubious about what The Four Horsemen are doing. Then we have Morgan Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley, an ex-magician who reveals the secrets of tricks for a living. What I loved about this character is that he’s so straight with everyone and tells them that they’re looking too closely but will they listen? No, of course not.

So, overall, Now You See Me was one of my favourite films this year. It is amazing to look at in regards to the magic being done but it is also so exciting. Add in a bloody awesome cast and you can’t really go wrong. 

Film Review: Only God Forgives

About the film

Only God Forgives is a French/ Danish crime thriller film that was released at the cinema on 2^nd August 2013. The film has a run time of 90 minutes and is rated 18 due to language and violence.

Plot

Living in Bangkok, Julian is a successful drug smuggler in the criminal underworld. While respected he feels little inside. When his brother commits a terrible crime by raping and killing a teenage prostitute, his world changes dramatically. Retired policeman Chang is called to provide justice. Known as the Angel of Vengeance, he allows some terrible things to happen and Julian’s brother ends up dead. After learning of her son’s death, Julian’s criminal mother is determined to make people pay. As she arrives in Bangkok to collect her son’s body, she orders Julian to find and kill his murderer, causing him to question his family and himself.

Cast

Ryan Gosling as Julian

Kristin Scott Thomas as Crystal

Vithaya Pansringarm as Lt. Chang/ "The Angel of Vengeance

Rhatha Phongam as Mai

Gordon Brown as Gordon

Tom Burke as Billy

Byron Gibson as Byron

What I thought

As soon as I saw the trailer for this film, I was extremely excited. It is no secret that I’m a huge fan of Ryan Gosling and I’ll generally watch anything he’s in but I thought the plot/ idea behind this one was really interesting and different.

Set in Bangkok (and actually filmed there) Julian is part of an underground drug smuggler who hides behind a boxing club business. His brother Billy is an extremely shady character and ends up raping and murdering a teenage prostitute and leaving a blood bath behind him. Crazy ex-cop Chang gets called to sort things out which results in Julian’s brother being murdered and his mother wanting the person who did it to die themselves. The whole plot is extremely seedy, dark and twisted but coming from the director of Drive, I wouldn’t expect anything less.

While an absolutely fantastic plot, there wasn’t really anything shocking about it. By that, I mean that there weren’t really any big surprises and I found it to be a bit predictable the whole way through. That being said, I didn’t mind this at all. The plot was still exciting, interesting and gripping even without the shocks being thrown in. Set in Bangkok’s criminal underworld, some things are never quite as they seem in this film and sometimes, more importantly, people aren’t quite who they seem to be either.

Due to the nature of the characters involved in this film, there is also something different going on and there are plenty of new people introduced throughout to help keep things interesting. Although a part of a drug smuggling business, Julian is not at all like his brother. Julian’s character is an interesting one mostly because he barely says anything throughout the film. There are no long conversations between him and other characters and never do we really get to hear his thoughts about what is going on. It is only when he mother arrives in town to pick up Billy’s body that we get to see more of who Julian really is. When his mother barks orders at Julian to murder the man responsible for Billy’s death, he’s clearly torn between family loyalties and his own idea of right and wrong. Unlike in other films where Gosling is known for using his body/ looks to please the audience, that isn’t the case here. Gosling’s performance, for me, was very understated and quiet but one that I will remember for a long time.

Other characters are just as good, if not better, for the most part. Playing the part of the Angel of Vengeance, ex-cop Chang is Vithaya Pansringarm. By looking at this guy, you would never expect him to do the things he does in this film. Although retired, Chang is a character that will go to any length to get justice or revenge. His character was extremely creepy and mixes torture techniques with strange karaoke scenes of him singing love songs. By looking at Chang you would expect a well-respected and quite ‘proper’ policeman but that is far from what you get. He doesn’t follow rules and he doesn’t care how he gets his results – he just gets them!

Julian’s mother is just as bad. Crystal is played by Kristin Scott Thomas and what a different role this is for her. If anyone thought they had a bad mother, they are sorely mistaken. Crystal is a bitch and a half and is very outspoken. As part of her own criminal business, she is used to having the final say and she works the same way with her sons. As soon as she arrives in Bangkok, Crystal is giving orders left, right and centre and expects things to be done immediately. I absolutely loved Kristin Scott Thomas in this role. Not only did she scare the hell out of me but she also made me very thankful for having such a lovely mum.

I had heard rumours about how gory/ sick this film was but I don’t think I was prepared for it at all. I don’t have a weak stomach and can generally sit through quite a lot but there were some scenes that I winced at. With the gore obviously comes a lot of violence. I can see people not wanting to sit and watch the whole thing after seeing some of the scenes involved. However, I do think that these scenes were extremely well done and they did fit in with the rest of the film really well. Also, I didn’t think they were too much even though some of the scenes were a little hard to watch at times.

Overall, I think people will either love this film or hate it. Personally, I loved it. Only God Forgives is stunning to watch while also making me look away at times. A must for Ryan Gosling fans with a strong stomach!