Guys’ Night In – Page 2

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Director: Peter Jackson
Writers: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro.
Based upon The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
Released: December 2013
Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch,
Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt and Orlando Bloom
—

This movie is about three hours long, but I felt like I was in the cinema a lot longer than that. Perhaps because we went to the midnight premiere. Being in a theatre until three in the morning can be tiring…

However, despite not being too fussed about the Lord of the Rings trilogy, or anything to do with The Hobbit, I did enjoy this film.

Despite not seeing the first instalment, I certainly found The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug entertaining.

Well shot, incredible visuals, powerful Howard Shore pieces and a fun storyline! Actually, it was quite funny – particularly the ‘barrels on the river’ scene. Absolutely absurd! Yet brilliant! …you’ll know it when you see it.

There are wicked scenes and it was quick-paced for the most part. But I must mention the exhausting monologues and the drawn-out scenes. It was easy to lose interest during these parts.

I’ll tell you this for free: if Peter Jackson let his movies be edited down to no more than two hours long, I think they would be highly rated by a much wider audience. But I guess he has captured an extremely devoted viewership.

Fair enough though. His films tend to be vast and epic to say the least.

I feel like this movie needs two ratings. For The Hobbit fans, I’d say you will adore this movie and a 7.5/10 would be about right.

However, for those of us who appreciate the movie for what it is, and are not affected by the hype, I think a 6.5/10.

Jodie’s rating: an average of 7/10

As a side note, the scenes that included a dark forest with giant spiders reminded me of
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Remarkably similar.

Thor: The Dark World

Director: Alan Taylor
Writers: Don Payne and Robert Rodat. Based on Thor by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby
Released: November, 2013
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston (the ninth Dr. Who!), Kat Dennings…
—

I haven’t seen the 2011 prequel, but Thor: The Dark World was still entertaining.

Obviously this is an action-packed, exciting and a surprisingly funny superhero movie which is bound to be a hit with most.

I saw this movie twice, and I certainly enjoyed it more the second time around – which I think is common for superhero films. The first watch is just about the storyline, but the second time is about the characters.

Loki is my favourite character for sure! He is vindictive and vicious with a quirky comedic element throughout most of his dialogue.

The best thing about Thor: A Dark World is the self-awareness of the characters. The references to Captain America and, my personal favourite, when Loki says that a comment repeated by various characters will “become a line”.

I really like the lighter side of Thor. Marvel films don’t tend to take themselves too seriously, which is cool.

Personally, I don’t think Chris Hemsworth is hugely attractive, but I am aware I’m in the minority. If you’re keen for a bit of eye-candy, you will appreciate this film.

But, if you’re wanting a pretty cool supernatural storyline with frightening villains, then you’ll be quite pleased with the twists and action scenes in this sequel. They jump through time and space which is ah-maz-ing. Any time travel enthusiasts will appreciate these elements.

I love the costumes of the dark elves – so creepy! Also, the environment the characters fought in were amazing – Iceland scenery of volcanic ash wastelands being the most impressive.

Worth a watch!
Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10

Elysium

Director: Neill Blomkamp
Writer: Neill Blomkamp
Released: August 2013
Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura and William Fichtner
—

What a concoction! An action sci-fi film with epic fight scenes, storyline, characters and sets.

Elysium (a term from Greek mythology referring to where the blessed dwell after death) is based in the year 2154 where Earth is polluted, diseased and overpopulated by the poor and dying.

On an artificial planet/space station not far from Earth is ‘Elysium’. This is a place populated by the wealthy, where robots and machines take care of all the work and security of the station. They have access to machines that can cure anything from cancer to old age.

We follow the struggle of Max Da Costa (Matt Damon), as his fight to get to Elysium is littered with obstacles and unexpected twists and turns, loss and conflict.

What I like about this film is how it’s not a cold-hearted sci-fi. Every development is paralleled by an emotional character change too. It is clear how Max’s perspectives and values shift as he grows through his traumatic experiences.

The fight scenes are extremely well choreographed and shot! Wow, I got chills when the camera was mounted on the gun, as it moved around – almost first person. The jerky/shaky camera work was effectively used, without giving anybody motion sickness. This technique certainly accentuates the gory scenes! Prepare yourselves for exploding people…

Because Earth was no longer divided by countries, it was a huge boiling pot of accents. A bit of French, Spanish, American, Afrikaans and English accents/dialects were all spoken, but subtly mixed.

The characters were wicked! Jodie Foster’s character verbally bitch-slapped anybody who stood in her way. She began speaking French, and then spoke with a posh English accent with an American twang here and there. I thought her English accent was an epic fail, but considering my previous paragraph, perhaps her accent is accurate of the era.

Matt Damon kicked ass! He’s a talented actor because he plays the emotive dramas (Good Will Hunting) convincingly, with the ability to do actions (Bourne trilogy…) well. These two strengths were perfect for the character.

You’ll all know him as Wikus (the “sveetie man”) in District 9, but Sharlto Copley was far from sweet in this film. He played a vicious character, Agent Kruger, very well indeed. I think he’s one of my favourite actors, up there with good ol’ Christoph Waltz.

The ‘sveetie’ man of District 9

My favourite character, however, was Spider (Wagner Moura). He was not a stereotypical ‘geek’, but an intelligent and complex person. His intentions are confusing at first, which makes his character strong and respectable.

The bad: There were a few dull scenes and minor plot annoyances, such as certain occurrences being a little too lucky. The motives of the villain – Agent Krugar – are relatively unknown/unconvincing. There were a few dull spots where my mind wandered a tad, and the final fight could have been more memorable.

If I had to illustrate what this movie is like, I would explain it by using the following recipe:

Ingredients:

A bunch of futuristic flying machines, that reminded me of Star Wars,
A few chase scenes and the adventure of Total Recall,
A pinch of In Time – the future representations are similar at times
The DIY surgical scenes of Looper
Shares some themes and familiar characters of I Am Legend
Chuck in some untrustworthy robot servants from I, Robot
Mix in the social divide of The Hunger Games,
And for the icing, spread on a DOLLOP of District 9. The set design, attitudes and props are similar. (Due to sharing the same writer and director)

Method:
Mix everything together. Add the neglected love interest, and a sprinkle of violent fire arms. Beat into submission and heat at magma level to make the hottest sci-fi film of 2013.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

The Wolverine

Director: James Mangold
Writers: Christopher McQuarrie (uncredited), Mark Bomback and Scott Frank
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima, Famke Janssen, Svetlana Khodchenkova and Will Yun Lee
Released: July 2013
—

Average much!

I am a Wolverine fan though! Absolutely. The character is a wicked hero who didn’t fail to impress.

However, the storyline was bland, boring and predictable. Nothing special.

There were some great scenes though. The ninja scenes was rather entertaining. The fight scenes and roof jumping was cool too. But nothing really sticks in my mind as being outstanding.

I enjoyed the more light-hearted and comedic dialogue, similar to that of Iron Man at times, which fitted well.

The villain was absolutely ridiculous!! Every scene Viper was in she was wearing a little less clothing. She was not scary. Not cool. Not shocking. She was just creepy and weird…

A painfully average film. There were no real highlights, or overly appalling parts. The acting was not amazing, nor was the story. No twists, just a straight-shooting film.

However, the fact that Wolverine was portrayed as a convincing hero, did make the film worth-while.

Jodie’s rating: 5.5/10

The World’s End

Director: Edgar Wright
Writers: Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
Released: July 2013
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan and Rosamund Pike
—

…what the hell did I just watch..?

So I’m guessing most of you are huge Edgar-Simon-Nick combo fans! I’m sure you were just as psyched when you heard about the final instalment of the Cornetto trilogy being released!

Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End – bring your check list for all of the similarities and shared jokes! It’s like being a part of a huge inside-joke.

Anyway! So I was so excited to see this film! But this was more wacky, more psychedelic, out of left-field, ‘what the hell’ material that I ever thought could be possible for these three guys to invent.

The movie started out awesomely! It was hilarious as they introduced the main characters.

The general storyline was that the five main characters wanted to complete the 12 pub pub-crawl they failed to finish in highschool. So these near-on 40 year olds begin their journey, until they realise the people in the town are super weird.

Many people in the town turn out to be blue-blooded robots. And a Shaun of the Dead-esk pursuit begins… It got pretty weird. Not going to lie.

Just on a deeper note, I felt the robots were a metaphor for being in the institution of 9-5 jobs and not fulfilling the more enjoyable parts of life.

Simon Pegg’s character is my favourite of all their creations within the trilogy! He was absolutely convincing! Fantastic!

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost had loosely swapped their Hot Fuzz characters around, as in, Nick Frost had the straight-laced character and Simon Pegg had the weird and lazy guy. It was cool to see a different side of them.

I wish more of the characters from the previous two films showed up in this one… Although I did adore Rosamund Pike! I’ve been a fan of hers since Made In Dagenham.

I felt bad noticing how old everybody looked in this film. But I LOVED how they wrote that into the script – their story is about 40 year olds rediscovering the freedom of their youth.

It was sort of nostalgic reflecting on how long ago Shaun of the Dead was made – 2004 and Hot Fuzz – 2007. For some reason, I think all of their fans feel like they’ve followed them on their journey for the last eight years.

I really want to see it again – I feel like it will be better the second time around. But, it’s definitely in third place within the trilogy, for me. I feel like the storyline was a little too similar to Shaun of the Dead, and it didn’t flow nearly as well as the other two films.

Just like the other two films, the structuring was impeccable. Although the ending was… Questionable.

However, the strong character development was enough to keep you totally engaged throughout the entire film. Let alone the well-choreographed fight scenes.

OMG I HAVEN’T REVIEWED HOT FUZZ YET! It’s on my priority list!

Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10
PS: You’re going to feel the urge for an ice cold lager after this movie.

This is the End

Directors: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
Writers: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
Released: June 2013
Starring: James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Michael Cera, Emma Watson, Rihanna…
—

If you enjoyed The Hangover, Ted, 21 Jump Street and Superbad, then you will probably love this movie.

It is about the end of the world and how it affects the stars of Hollywood. In the film, their public image is mocked and they play to their weaknesses. Like, what do you reckon Michael Cera, Jonah Hill and Christopher Mintz-Plasse are like at a party? Yeah, they play to your assumptions which is quite hilarious.

As the world comes to an end, those who did not get saved and go to heaven have to stay on Earth to fight for their survival.

this-is-the-end-hermione

Pretty much every Hollywood star did not get accepted into heaven, including Emma Watson, Rihanna and Paul Rudd. So as hell opens up, a devil-like creature attempts to hunt them down.

It is a movie that makes fun of every actor’s reputation, with Jonah Hill being the funniest.

The main characters are James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride and Craig Robinson who are stuck in James’ mansion until they figure out a way to get into heaven, rather than hell.

this-is-the-end-character-posters-jonah-hill

They find ways to survive and pass the time…

…which gets pretty ugly.

But there are some hilarious scenes with frequent film references, which I loved. The only film reference I felt was missing was if they sung ‘Tribute” (Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny) to the beast. That would have been funny…

My favourite scene was when they were bored and tried to make a sequel The Pineapple Express using total am-cam footage, and Jonah Hill dressed up as Woody Harrelson.

Also, the part where Jonah Hill gets possessed and an exorcism takes place. They used the script from The Exorcist, but Jonah’s sarcastic replies were pretty funny.

Their humour is an acquired taste so it’s not everybody’s cup of tea. Including mine. But I can certainly appreciate the good parts – which there are more of than I was expecting.

Jodie’s rating: 6/10
Uh. Yeah, there’s a lot of swearing in the trailer… Just. FYI.

Man of Steel

Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: Christopher Nolan and David Goyer. Based on Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster’s Superman
Released: June 2013
Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Christopher Meloni and Russell Crowe
—

I went to the Man of Steel premiere that I was eagerly awaiting. We dressed up as a character (me as Lois Lane) and joined a large audience of Clark Kents, with only two Supermans and one Lex Luthor.

The trailer showed extensive fight scenes, which I was concerned would dominate the entire movie. I also wasn’t sure how original this film could possibly get since there have been countless remakes.

I was correct in expecting a much more serious tone, which seems fitting with the recent flood of darker superhero movies on the market like Spiderman, Batman (The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises) and Iron Man movies. These superhero films seem to focus on the hero’s flaws and humanity.

Although, I do enjoy the scene when Clark Kent has his first day at the Daily Planet, and Lois says:

“Welcome to the planet”

Henry Cavill is the best Superman yet. This guy has the moves down! The furrowed brow, the all-American look and expressing the inner turmoil, yet still retaining the famous righteous attitude of the hero. However, this version of Superman did not have the hair curl on his forehead… That was mildly disappointing.

Cavill is super buff in this movie, unlike many former representations. The suit has changed into a darker blue, which looks like skin-tight armour rather than a cotton onesie. Yes, Clark has since figured out that underwear on the outside is an unpopular fashion statement.

When the full extent of his powers were realised, he was not immediately able to fly. Instead, he makes mistakes, jumping miles into the air and crashing down, which seemed more realistic.

The soundtrack is incredibly powerful and epic. It supports the movie perfectly! (By Hans Zimmer).

The storyline was surprising. With no Lex Luthor or Kryptonite. Instead, there was a more extensive back story about Krypton, what happened and why Superman is the way he is, which is not a major element in most other Superman versions.

Superman’s flashbacks were well done, and the filming had an am-cam look to it with quick zooms and re-focusing on the hero when he takes off from the ground suddenly or flies over head. Sort of puts you in the environment, as though you’re a part of the crowd on the ground.

The biggest disappointment was this; Amy Adams. She doesn’t look like a convincing Lois. Perhaps I’m used to Lois with dark hair. In conjunction with this, the fundamental character of Lois was totally uninspired. She was weak, awkward and generally stupid. I was expecting the female lead to be updated, to become a strong side-kick like Pepper Potts (Iron Man) or the strong female lead of Cat Woman (The Dark Knight Rises).

Instead, Lois Lane has not moved much further from the sixties where she is domineered by the male characters, with unconvincing actions and cringe-worthy dialogue. She appears to be an incompetent reporter, despite the attempt of remedying this perception by Lane casually mentioning all of the awards she has won as a journalist.

Shut-up, Lois.

I think I would have enjoyed the film more if there was more in-depth detail of the hero’s emotions, and development of the villain who didn’t seem complex enough to become totally believable. The extensive fight scenes (like in Star Trek Into Darkness) became an uphill struggle toward the end. Seriously, about half an hour of the film could have been easily cut. It did become exhausting to stay focussed through these scenes, but I didn’t hear any complaints from the boys I went to see the movie with.

Overall, a solid movie. Although a little long, with little character development, it was entertaining and a welcome update for all Superman fans.

Jodie’s rating: 6/10

Star Trek Into Darkness

Director: J.J Abrams
Writers: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof
Released: April/May 2013
Starring: John Cho, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Peter Weller and Anton Yelchin
—

I went to the midnight premiere of Star Trek Into Darkness! Pretty cool, guys. Pretty cool.
Although, I was quite disappointed that nobody dressed up…

I haven’t seen any previous Star Trek movies or television episodes, so I have to say I was at an emotional disadvantage, because I didn’t have a relationship with the characters that many others had.

Having said that, I did enjoy the movie – especially in 3D. It actually made the movie better. For once. The scenes in space were pretty epic with stars flying at your face. As for the sound effects though, the screechy scratchy gun fire put my teeth on edge.

The villain was incredible! John Harrison/Khan was played by Benedict Cumberbatch… His voice.. Oh my God… So amazing. However, Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu is my favourite character – I wish he had more dialogue.

Oh! Of course, Simon Pegg’s character Lieutenant Commander Montgomery “Scotty” Scott was pretty hilarious. Some great laugh-out-loud moments. Wicked fight scenes, particularly the final fight between Spock and Khan. Intense!

I am embarrassed to say that all of the jokes about Spock made by Sheldon Cooper on the Big Bang Theory finally make sense… -_-

Although it was an entertaining movie, I did find that it had the typical and predictable plot structure which made it all too easy to assume who would prevail. But perhaps that just comes with the genre. The morals of the story were pretty much spelled out for you too… Very little mystery.

A pleasing and entertaining sci-fi action film which will be popular among the Trekkies. There are no surprises or unexpected twists, so it really is more about the characters and nostalgia that comes with the territory of the long-running series.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10 (From the perspective of a Star Trek newbie)

Iron Man 3

Director: Shane Black
Writer: Based on Stan Lee’s Iron Man. Screenplay by Drew Pearce and Shane Black
Released: April 2013
Featuring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwenyth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau and Ben Kingsley
—

Holy crapolah. This movie… Guys… Just..

Wow.

This is a huge step away from the typical and clichéd superhero movies. This one is very funny with a switch up of roles among the characters. Like, it is an action-comedy with an underlying deep and meaningful storyline.

Throughout the movie, Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has anxiety attacks. Although I think it could have been more effective and emotional by having flashbacks, it was still pretty intense watching the usually unemotional hero break down.

The story is pretty decent, although I have to say that the villain, Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) is a little disappointing. He isn’t overly scary, freaky, creepy or quirky. Just. A dude who was out to get Iron Man.

The new characters in this film include a boy named Harley who helps Tony Stark. Every conversation these two had is hilarious. Tony is his legendary sarcastic self.

Rebecca Hall played Dr. Maya Hansen who is a totally undeveloped and uninteresting character… She is almost pointless. Which is disappointing, because I really liked Rebecca Hall in The Prestige and I don’t think she could show her complete talent in this film due to the empty character.

I’m not a huge fan of Gwenyth Paltrow who plays Pepper Potts, but she definitely picks up her game in this movie – she is bad ass!

I reckon the music could have been way more epic…

Overall, though, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie! It was so funny, exciting and I didn’t get bored during the fight scenes.

Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10

Movie 43

Directed by: Peter Farrelly, Elizabeth Banks, Steven Brill, Steve Carr, Rusty Cundieff, James Duffy, Griffin Dunne, Patrik Forsberg, James Gunn, Bob Odenkirk, Brett Ratner, Will Graham and Jonathan van Tulleken
Written by: Steve Baker, Will Carlough, Tobias Carlson, Jacob Fleisher, Patrik Forsberg, Will Graham, James Gunn, Claes Kjellstrom, Jack Kukoda, Bill O’Malley, Matthew Alec, Portenoy, Greg Pritikin, Rocky Russo, Olle Sarri, Elizabeth Wright Shapiro, Jeremy Sosenko, Jonathan van Tulleken, Jonas Wittenmark
Released: January 2013
Featuring: Dennis Quaid, Greg Kinnear, Seth MacFarlane, Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts, Anna Faris, Emma Stone, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloë Grace Moretz, Gerard Butler, Johnny Knoxville, Stephen Merchant, Halle Berry AND the rest of Hollywood.
—

Short review: It sucks. Don’t bother seeing it.

So it’s pretty much a series of skits, all directed and written by different people. The story line is how a crazed writer blackmails a producer to get his movie comprised of a series of short skits made. The finished product is the movie that is in the cinemas now, Movie 43.

I mean, obviously this film was not going to be good, you could tell that from the trailer.

I can’t say I actually laughed at all in this movie… The funniest scene was the first short with Kate Winslet and Hugh Jackman but even so, I only giggled a little.

The scene where Halle Berry is dared by Stephen Merchant to blow out a blind kid’s birthday candles before he does would have got a bit of a laugh too, if I hadn’t already seen the trailer and knew it was coming. Oh, and Merchant’s plastic surgery results were chuckle-worthy too.

If you want to be grossed out in a way where you also feel targeted and creeped out, skip the horror movie and watch Movie 43 by all means. But if you want to laugh at something… See an actual comedy.

I would like to take this moment to ask Kate Winslet and Emma Stone: “WHY!?”

There were many things that made me cringe, like in the homeschooling scene where the parents want to give their son every high school experience including his “first kiss”, or the entire “iBabe” sketch, or the superhero speed dating sketch. It’s not that I was necessarily offended, it just… Wasn’t funny.

Like, I understood where I was supposed to laugh and why it should be funny… But it just really wasn’t. Like when you watch an episode of Dora the Explorer and she makes a joke, you know why it is technically ‘funny’ but you don’t laugh because the jokes are simple and lame. Obviously the lame jokes in Movie 43 are R-rated humour though.

If you want to see a TON of famous people making fools of themselves, I’m sure you will enjoy this movie.

But it is rude, crude with lots of nude.

Jodie’s rating: 1.5/10 (.5 per time I chuckled)

Django Unchained

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writer: Quentin Tarantino
Released: December 2012/January 2013
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson
—

Django.
The D is silent.

Well, I got to say, the first quarter of the movie is incredible! Django (Jamie Foxx) being freed by a strange man named Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) and the show-down that occurred between Schultz and the Speck Brothers who were transporting Django and other slaves to a plantation. This is where Django and Schultz become a team and continue the journey as Bounty Hunters (killing criminals and selling their corpses for rewards).

Dr. King Schultz: My good man, did you simply get carried away with your dramatic gesture, or are you pointing your weapon at me with lethal intention?
Ace Speck: [cocks shotgun] Last chance, fancy pants.

It was a fantastic start to another incredible Tarantino film… Or at least that’s what I thought… Let me tell you, the idea of “less is more” is not something that Tarantino agrees with.

It slowly (and boy do I mean slowly!) unravelled to reveal a story that consisted of long scenes of dialogue with very sudden outbursts of bloody gunfire that would last an eternity. Particularly the final fight.

Well you think it’s the final fight until another scene of dialogue and another fight follows. By the time it reaches the actual final gun fight, you’re so over the blood and gore that you’re immune to the tragedy of it all and the impact of the violent film has subsided.

If you’re worried that this film is going to be too sadistic… Don’t worry. It’s not. I’m not going to lie, I did flinch when a slave was ripped apart by dogs, and when a horse was shot in the head… But it is essentially a black comedy – it ain’t no Saw. It is seriously more comedic than violent, especially with the scene featuring Jonah Hill.

Christoph Waltz was absolutely hilarious too. Actually, this guy is going to get a whole paragraph dedicated to his acting. He is totally incredible! Did you know that he can speak three languages fluently!? English, French and German, which he speaks in Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained. His way of acting is unlike any other… you can’t even tell if he is acting or not because he is just so natural. *Sigh*. Maaaan… He needs a hi-5. His character had some wicked quotes too.

You silver-tongued devil, you.

Unfortunately, some things were unintentionally funny. Like Quentin Tarantino’s cameo… Yeah. That was… Weird. Especially since him and another character were speaking with an Australian accent. That literally came out of nowhere, so confusing! It was kind of disturbing.

I have to make a quick point about the horses. They were SO well trained! Incredible stunt horses. Being a horserider myself, I tend to get really picky about how the horses or riders are doing something wrong, like if the horse-doubles look very little alike or how the actors can’t ride or how sometimes I notice that one of the riders is totally out of control of their horse.
But I couldn’t fault any of the horses or riders in this film! Particularly Jamie Foxx when he was riding a horse with no bridle or saddle… Actually that was yet another left-field occurrence. It was kind of pointless, unexpected and weird.

I had read somewhere before seeing Django Unchained that there is a part where Leonardo accidentally slams his hand down onto a wine glass while in character. I looked out for it, and it makes the scene a hundred times better because for a split second you see the shock on his face, but he carries on. Throughout the scene he picks glass out of his hand, even smearing his own blood over another actor’s face. Awesomely grotesque, I have got to say! Good on you, DiCaprio. He played an mildly insane and overpowering man very well!

Gentlemen, you had my curiosity, now you have my attention.

The music was pretty cool. My favourite song was one called Freedom by Anthony Hamilton and Elayna Boynton. But out of nowhere a hardcore rap song blared against while a group of horses and riders walked from one end of the screen to the other… The mood of the movie was sort of ruined by odd little choices like that.

It wasn’t as sadistic or gory as I was expecting it to be. Also, the story line did not involve as many personal details about many characters, like there was in Inglourious Basterds. It made the entire movie seem distant, making it difficult to lose yourself in the movie.

I reckon Quentin Tarantino was just having fun in this movie. I reckon it would have been much more entertaining being on set every day rather than sitting through a Lord of the Rings-length Western/Black Comedy/Romance/Action movie.

Still confused by what I just watched…

Jodie’s rating: 6/10
You need to watch this trailer to listen purely to Christoph’s voice! His use of inflection is perfection!

21

Director: Robert Luketic
Writer: Peter Steinfeld, Allan Loeb and Chris Kalyvas (screenplay) Ben Mezrich (story)
Released: 2008
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Spacey, Liza Lapira, Aaron Yoo, Jacob Pitts
—

Winner, winner chicken dinner!

21 clan Inspired by true events, this exciting and high-energy journey follows Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) as he discovers the world of counting cards and the game of blackjack in Vegas. The huge financial rewards and glamorous way of life that was supposed to be a means to an end for Ben, became an addictive and extremely risky and dangerous lifestyle choice.

Ben: You know, I’m only really doing this just to pay for medical school. You know, $300,000 and then I’m out.

Jill: That’s what they all say.

Mickey and Ben This is a fast paced film of high-rollers and well-educated characters, some with intimidating power and control. A once conscientious student becomes wrapped up in the underworld of counting cards which jeopardises his future as a Harvard Medical student as blackjack team member, Professor Mickey Rosa (Kevin Spacey), turns on him.

Mickey: You didn’t do your job. You weren’t counting, you were gambling!

The genius who pushes away a possibility to change his life with a mentor with questionable motives sort of reminds me of Good Will Hunting. But 21 is a more modern, less philosophical version with much more risk to keep you on your toes.

The lighting and quick-cut editing is quite incredible. The shadows and gold lighting of the casinos reflect the mood and how well – or tragic – the circumstances are, while the editing puts you in the shoes of the counters who’s lives are rushing past at a 100 miles an hour. The disguises that they all use on each Vegas visit is a fun addition to the work that they do.

We used hand signals, too. Folded arms, the table’s hot. A touch to the eye, we need to talk. And a hand running through perfect flowing hair meant only one thing. Get out. Now.

21 casino The soundtrack to 21 is a mixture of popular artists such as Rihanna and MGMT, classic artists such as The Rolling Stones, plus some more of the middle-of-the-road artists like Peter Bjorn and John and Unkle. There are a few R&B songs that I don’t really like, but the best parts are used in the film effectively.

I thoroughly enjoy this movie. It has action, twists, intellect, good-looking people and the life that many dream of having; fortune but with exhilarating danger and the freedom that no [average] student would ever come close to having.

I would recommend this movie to anybody.
Jodie’s rating: 8/10

The Matrix

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Directors: Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski
Writers: Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski
Released: 1999
Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Keanu Reeves
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Despite The Matrix being 13-years-old, it still has a high following and huge fan base. Often referenced and compared to modern films such as Inception and In Time. It explores an alternate universe – a different perspective of how we live today. That we are in a virtual world run by robots and machinery of the past.

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The Matrix is taught in universities and high schools as an example of gender roles. Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) is an the ‘ideal’ strong and independent female lead. She is androgynous and avoids stereotypes. Although I would love to be Trinity, she is not my favourite character.

Matrix_113Pyxurz

One of the tech guys named Tank (Marcus Chong) is probably my favourite character because he is the most enthusiastic and positive guy who shows you how the Matrix is a marvellous place, despite its gloomy, dangerous and simplistic aesthetic. You’ll realise what a likeable guy he is when he first introduces himself to Neo.

The Matrix is obviously a mind-bending concept, but once you have got the hang of it you realise that it is an entertaining idea to consider as plausible. On a less serious note, it is a fun reason behind experiencing deja-vu and the moments that fly by versus when time feels like it’s standing still. It’s all just a glitch in the Matrix!

My favourite scene – The Oracle:

This is one of the best sci-fi movies. It involves trippy concepts, awesome lines and a load of martial art action. Fantastic! I’ve always been in two minds about whether or not I like Keanu Reeves who plays the protagonist, Neo, but he’s pretty great in The Matrix.

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If you listen to the script, it could be applied in a very positive way in regards to how we live our lives. Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) always has the best lines.

Morpheus: You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Morpheus: Don’t think you are, know you are. Come on. Stop trying to hit me and hit me.” In other words, stop thinking in the future and think in the present. Don’t become something, be something.

*Gasp* – it’s so deep and meaningful!

I’m sure the majority of people have watched this movie and have loved it. But if you haven’t seen it, you should, and if you didn’t like it, then watch it until you do like it.

It is a pretty deep movie, but try to understand it and apply it to real life – it is a pretty intense perspective for sure! In fact, scientists have tried to prove that we are living in a virtual world, and some believe that it could be theoretically possible.

An amazing action/sci-fi film with an incredible script!
However, the sequels get increasingly complex with more action and a lot less story.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

The Hangover

hangover2

Directed: Todd Phillips
Written: Jon Lucas and Scott Moore
Released: 2009
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ken Jeong
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I haven’t kept up with The Hangover movies at all – in fact last night was the first time I had watched the first of the two (soon to be three) of The Hangover films (with the aid of peer pressure). I suppose I always assumed that I wouldn’t like the humour.

However, it wasn’t that bad! I wouldn’t say that I’m a huge fan of The Hangover, or that I am compelled to see the sequels. But I did find it pretty entertaining! There were some pretty hilarious moments, all involving the incredible comedy actor Zach Galifianakis. He was rather humourous in The Hangover playing Alan – the “not all there, but secret gambling genius” sort of character. Galifianakis is equally hilarious in the movie Due Date.

There were some really crazy, random, unbelievable occurrences that were all a part of the weird circumstances that these four guys found themselves in during their stag party in Las Vegas. The night that was happily forgotten by morning, became a night that they were fighting to remember as the conclusions of the night’s events became shocking in the harsh light of day.

It is certainly a very entertaining movie, even if it wasn’t really my cup of tea humour-wise, I still enjoyed it.

Jodie’s rating: 6/10

Skyfall

Director: Sam Mendes
Writers: Screenplay by: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan
Released: 2012
Starring: Javier Bardem, Daniel Craig, Judi Dench and Ralph Fiennes
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I’m not a huge James Bond fan, nevertheless I can fully appreciate the epic awesomeness of the 23rd film of the 50 year-long Bond series.

This had it all. Fighting, car chases, scary bad guys and beautiful women. Obviously all of these are the ingredients necessary to make a successful and authentic Bond film. So what was different about this one?

The lighting is absolutely amazing. It really accents the traditionally spectacular surroundings that are classically chosen for Bond movies. Skyfall was most certainly no different with beautiful Scottish environment where the final fight occurs – Bond fights Silva; ice fights fire – and everything makes a full circle. The storyline was very well intertwined with the history of James Bond and supported by the amazing locations! I want to meet this location scout they used…

skyfall7 — Raoul Silva played by *Javier Bardem*

Javier Bardem plays the villain Raoul Silva which he played so convincingly! No jokes! He creeped everyone out in the theatre when he first appeared on screen with his bleached hair and he is most certainly a serious personal-space-invader, where you lean back in your seat to try and get some distance. He’s also a sadistic killer, a techno-freak and over-all a dodgy character, which makes him so perfect! An amazing villain!!

I enjoyed this film so much that I managed to ignore the fact that I really don’t like Daniel Craig... As James Bond anyway. He just seems too arrogant to be 007… Plus his blue eyes look unnaturally blue…

Judi Dench who plays M finds herself in the field with Bond which makes the stakes higher than ever! So intense! I don’t even need to go into what a fantastically talented actress Judi Dench is. She’s amazing as per usual.

benwhishawq600 — I love this guy! Q played by *Ben Whishaw*

Ben Whishaw plays the character Q – the Quarter Master – and does a spectacular job too! He was so cool with his dry humour and casual intelligence. Very cool. Very cool indeed. Actually, the casual humour was all the way through the movie by several characters which was a great way to lighten it up.

I was surprised that there were not many car chases… Only one I think. With very few flash-looking cars! To be honest I can barely distinguish a Mini Cooper to a Land Rover, but I did notice that the amount of cool-looking vehicles was at a minimum.

As a side note, the music for the opening title sequence was by Adele. I don’t think it was a bad choice at all. But, perhaps not the best? I suppose it’s the thought of having a pop star singing for a traditional and long-running film franchise, she just seems a little too superficial for a noble and deep-rooted James Bond movie..? Then again, she is very talented and I’m not sure who I would have preferred to have sung it.

Overall, this Bond film is full of twists and turns, shocking moments, action (but not to the point where it gets boring) and creativity. It is a bit of a marathon to watch at 143 minutes. So make sure you don’t drink too much before going to see it – at no point will you want to miss out on anything to run to the loo.

You won’t know what’s coming!
Jodie’s rating: 8.5/10

Looper

Director: Rian Johnson
Writer: Rian Johnson
Released: September 2012
Starring: Joseph Gordan-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Paul Dano and Emily Blunt
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Updated: March 2018

I love time travelling films! I was in love with this film the moment it began as it explained the world of looping, the jargon used and the dangers of it. It was so awesome!

The first time I watch Looper, I was disappointed because I had a different storyline in mind. But I keep coming back to this movie and appreciating it more for what it is.

Looper is set in the year 2044, where 30 years into the future (2074), time-travel has been invented. Badass rich people send back the people that need ‘taking care of’, meaning the body will never be discovered in the year 2074.

This is the loopers’ job. They kill the people of 2074 in return for silver – giving them the life of drugs, sex and rock ‘n’ roll. It’s a business where Loopers ‘take out the trash’ for the criminals of the future.

So that’s a pretty inventive setting, and the first 40 minutes or so where they explain the loopers’ occupation and what happens if they fail to do their job is very cool indeed.

When a looper is no longer needed, the criminals of the future send the looper’s future self back to the looper of 2044 to be unknowingly killed. This is called ‘closing the loop’.

However, looper Joe (Joseph Gordan-Levitt) hesitates when he recognises the target is his future self (Bruce Willis), accidentally allowing him to escape. Joe attempts to kill Old Joe and fulfil his contract, but he is too late. Old Joe is on a mission to get his life in 2074 back, and Young Joe is on a mission to kill his future self to ensure the next 30 years of his life is a comfortable one.

Old Joe is on the hunt for a child who grows up to be the baddie of the future, who is ‘closing all the loops’. He hopes that if he kills this kid, then his loop would not be closed in the future and he can stay in his happy 2074 life. Somehow.

This links into that age-old question, ‘if you could, would you kill Baby Hitler to ensure the Holocaust never happens?’. A true Stephen King thriller right there.

Hopefully this makes sense – time travel stories are always flawed and complicated. Just how I like ’em!

Just like in Total Recall, they threw in a hovering vehicle to remind the audience that they are in the future. Thanks, Hollywood.

There are some parts where you think they’ve gone a bit too far, making it a tad comical. Including Joseph Gordan-Levitt’s ‘young Bruce Willis’ face, and a kid whose tantrums cause what appear to be nuclear explosions.

Nevertheless, worth a look-see if you love time travel, gun fights or a simplified, PG version of Inception. But it is a very random kind of film.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

PS: Paul Dano from Little Miss Sunshine is in Looper! He plays Seth… His storyline is so intense!!

Two Little Boys

Director: Robert Sarkies
Writers: Duncan and Robert Sarkies
Released: September 2012
Starring: Bret McKenzie, Hamish Blake, Maaka Pohatu, Filip Berg
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I am so disturbed! Okay, I know it was a black comedy, but where was the comedy?

It was about Deano (Hamish Blake) who showed his ability to dispose of the man that his friend, Nige (Bret McKenzie) accidentally killed. They both go on a wild adventure to dispose of the body, eventually Deano decides to cut the body up. He comments on the consistency of the spinal chord of the corpse in gruesome detail with sound effects to match.

The story continues as he plans to murder Nige’s new best friend, a large security guard who I thought was the funniest of all three.

This movie was nothing like I expected it to be. After watching Hamish and Andy’s Australian television series, I was expecting it to be more of that kind of slap-stick, silly comedy. But it really wasn’t… It was just… Freaky.

Hamish and Bret — “Just doing some washing…”

I actually couldn’t tell you any specific jokes I liked to be honest… The story was easy to follow and straight forward, but nothing really stood out. (Except for the parts that made me cringe…) If you have seen the film with Dylan Moran in it named “A Film With Me In It”, you’ll know what I mean when I say that it was a dark film that almost made you feel guilty by laughing either out of nervousness, or at the few funny parts.

Don’t think that it’s a kiwiana film with deep and meaningful themes, nor is it a movie that expresses the kiwi humour. It does, however, present the 1980s New Zealand in a way that seems pretty legit’. It is certainly aimed at the New Zealand audience.

It’s probably not a film you would be buzzing about and talking about after… Probably not something you would watch more than once either. If you want to have a laugh, watch the trailer.

Jodie’s rating: 4/10

Total Recall

Director: Len Wiseman
Writers: Ronald Shusett, Dan O’Bannon, Jon Povill and Kurt Wimmer
Released: 2012
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So, it was between watching Total Recall or Bourne Legacy. I am not a fan of action so after watching the trailers I decided on Total Recall based solely on the fact that it mentioned dreams. Due to being an Inception fanatic, I decided that this action film would be the best choice.

It was alright. Not great. But not unbearable either.

The overall exterior urban sets were pretty much Blade Runner – a futuristic Asian city with bright lights and pouring rain. Just to make sure that you knew that it was set in the future, they threw in a few flying cars… Just in case you weren’t sure. My friend said he was surprised there were no laser guns to further reinforce the time era.

There were a few cool things though, like the plate in some of their hands that was a tracker/phone and when their hand was placed on a piece of glass, the image of the caller was projected onto the glass.

I think that the two main women characters should have been made to look a little more different… Two tall long-haired brunettes running around begin to look like the same one after a while.

I suppose I wasn’t really emotionally invested in it so I didn’t get worried when the protagonist was in a spot of bother, nor did I feel a relief when he got himself out of a sticky situation. Perhaps this was because I didn’t see the original film with Arnold Schwarzenegger in it, or because I’m not a fan of the genre. However, I think a vital issue was that it was so predictable. It was the standard stereotypical structure of an action film which left nothing to the imagination.

A few typical characteristics of action films (including Total Recall) were:

Despite the amount of bullets being shot, nobody ever seemed to get hit.

When one character got knocked out in a crash landing of a hover car, she had a full recovery within hours with nothing but a 2 centimetre blemish to prove she was previously unconscious. (Don’t want the main characters to be unattractive)
When the ‘baddie’ had the protagonist trapped, she gave a monologue so the ‘good guy’ had the chance to kill her.
The ‘baddie’ always makes a come-back before the end. (The fatal finale)

There is a big question at the end, of course. Was it a dream all along? But due to the lack of ‘minor details’ to back up either theory, I found that it really did not matter either way. Unlike Inception where the end was debatable with lots of nit-picky bits to back yourself up. (“The spinning top was tipping at the end” or “the memory was identical to ‘real life'” etcetera… ).

If you’re in to a bit of action and a bit of sci-fi, or you enjoyed the original, I’m sure you will like this film…

But it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Jodie’s rating: 5/10

PS: Bill Nighy was epic as usual! Pretty decent American accent too.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Director: Chrisopher Nolan
Written: Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Characters created by Bob Kane
Released: July 2012
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Morgan Freeman
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Perhaps my expectations were simply too high. I loved the 2008 The Dark Knight so much that I expected this film to be equally as captivating and shocking… Just in a different way due to the obvious absence of Heath Ledger… *sigh*.

Bane Joker — The Joker was way more scary, more funny and much more shocking than ‘Bane’.

Of course it was epically shot with fantastic sets, lighting, special effects, stunts and characters – kudos to Mr. Nolan who is a fantastic film maker with Inception and The Prestige being my two of my favourite movies of his…
It’s just the storyline of The Dark Knight Rises sucked a bit…

Now, I know many people who have seen the film will be up in arms about what me thinking badly of this Batman film, and the people who haven’t seen it will be gob-smacked and shaking their heads. But seriously, if you just ignore all the “10 out of 10” and “better than the previous film” comments and take away your high expectations that will probably blind you into thinking that it is epically incredible… You will see that it wasn’t – at least not in every way. This is why:

I go to see superhero films because I like to see super people acting heroically. However, I found that for the majority of the film, Batman was in a spot of bother with no foreseeable way of escape. It just got depressing watching Batman being defeated right until the end pretty much… I mean, it’s called a three-act structure because there are ups and downs that keep the audiences’ attention. It just seems that the hero’s journey was going increasingly downhill from the beginning.

Also, Batman’s enemy, Bane, is a masked man who sounds like he has an amplifier attached to his belt which, although it was creepy, his voice kept distorting and I missed quite a few lines.
Plus, the fact that his name was “Bane” began to sound like “Wayne” (as in Bruce Wayne) and they were talking about being in ‘pain’ a lot too, so the rhyming didn’t help the understanding of the characters. Christian Bale’s Batman voice gets on my nerves too… Sometimes I just couldn’t take him seriously.

I have to say I was extremely concerned about Anne Hathaway being Catwoman! However, she certainly stole the show – the Cat Burglar was incredible. Good on Anne Hathaway for her performance.

Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman were obviously flawless, that barely needs to be mentioned; they’re both very well established and respected actors for good reason.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt was terrific too – I’m sure we will see more of him in the following Batman films.

I only know people who thought this film was fantastic. Having said that, every one of them could think of at least one major thing that they would change in film.
I’m afraid I will have to break the mould and not give full marks to this very well made film.

It’s worth seeing, but don’t get your hopes up.
Jodie’s rating: 6/10

The Dark Knight (2008)

Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Characters created by Bob Kane
Released: July 2008
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman
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Oh. My. God. What a spectacular film! Well made – as per usual – with incredibly talented actors from the late Heath Ledger to Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman. The epic music made shivers go down my spine! The total lack of humanity that Batman’s enemy, The Joker, had put me on edge. This is by far, the best superhero film I have seen.

Bruce Wayne has Iron Man’s wealth and ingenuity, James Bond’s gadgets, Superman’s intelligence… and he is nothing like Spiderman. Batman is the ultimate hero – especially since he really doesn’t have any super powers.

the_dark_knight_joker — Heath Ledger as The Joker, and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes

He certainly has the scariest enemies too. The Joker has the best lines in the film with the constant feeling that one would not be able to reason with him. This film is pretty freaky with no time to catch your breath! It’s fast paced with tongue in cheek humour. You will frequently catch yourself laughing nervously – particularly when The Joker is speaking.

Here is one of many fantastic scenes with Heath Ledger’s character:

The cinematography is absolutely flawless! The dim lighting is certainly taken advantage of, with eerie shadows and silhouettes being used so well that every shot could be paused and it would be good enough to frame and hang on your wall. The look of the film is just as if it is a moving comic book.

This film isn’t worth seeing once, it’s worth buying. Because you will catch fantastic lines that you missed before, and see things that you didn’t see before in the detailed shots.

Without a doubt, this film was way beyond my already high expectations.

Jodie’s Rating: 9/10

Zombieland

Director: Ruben Fleischer
Writer: Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese
Released: 2009
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So this is pretty much the American version of Shaun of the Dead, except they adopted the typical chick-flick style of the unlikely love interest blah blah blah… That was sort of disappointing because the balance was a bit off in regards to the romance, comedy and horror ratio. (A Rom-Com-Zom film)

But I did like it enough to buy the DVD, I’m not going to lie I do love Zombie films, so Zombieland was a must for my collection. The best part of this film is definitely the ‘rules’ that the main character, Columbus (Jese Eisenberg) basis his survival on during the zombie apocalypse.
He “always follows the rules” in his life, and during the apocalypse, these were some of the rules he mentioned:

Cardio
Beware of Bathrooms
Wear Seat Belts
Travel Light
Get a Kick Ass Partner
Always carry a change of underwear
Opportunity Knocks
Don’t be a hero (later crossed out to be a hero)
Limber Up
It’s a marathon, not a sprint, unless it’s a sprint, then sprint
When in doubt Know your way out
Zipplock
A little sun screen never hurt anybody
Double-Knot your Shoes
Pack your stain stick
Check the back seat
Enjoy the little things

I was disappointed when I realised that Abigail Breslin played Little Rock (sister of Wichita/Krista (Emma Stone) because I totally didn’t even recognise her! I wanted Breslin to stay Olive Hoover from Little Miss Sunshine forever…

Overall, this film is pretty random. Like, they spend a while hanging out with Bill Murray, and the main character’s ‘side kick’ Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) has a Twinkie obsession and spends most of the film hunting down Twinkies…

So, this is an entertaining film for everybody to enjoy. Yet… Not as funny as the unbeatable Shaun of the Dead… Nor is the storyline as intricate… But it is a great film nevertheless.
The rule of thumb is to watch Zombieland before watching Shaun of the Dead. That way you can appreciate Zombieland more, rather than comparing them all the time.

It was a worth while purchase, but I did wait until it went on sale. I don’t think it’s worth paying the full price of when it was first released.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

The Dictator

Director: Larry Charles
Writers: Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer
Released: May 2012
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I love Sacha Baron Cohen’s work (for the most part), Ali-G and Borat as well as his amazing performance in the musical Sweeney Todd, where we discovered that he is a half decent singer!

I went into the cinema with admittedly low expectations, since I quietly thought that perhaps Sacha had sold out after Bruno was released… Which although I did not see, I was sort of put off by all the grossed-out people I knew who did see it…

So The Dictator is basically about… A dictator… who fights against Democracy being introduced into his country. He picks on America, describing how great their country would be if their Government ditched democracy and adopted dictatorship, “the leader could help out his friends financially, forget about the poor, give 1% of the population 99% of the money…”

The Dictator was different in the fact that it was not a mockumentary… It became a Hollywood version of Borat, with Anna Faris as the love interest and a recycled character of Ali-G + Borat as the protagonist; Admiral General Hafez Aladeen with the accent slipping in some places.

But! It was certainly an enjoyable film! There were some pretty hilarious parts – despite them all being extremely racist… But why would that be a surprise?? I would mention some of the funniest lines but… I won’t.

Anna Faris played Zoe who owns the vegan/fair trade/organic/non-racist/feminist/sustainable… store that the Dictator works at whilst in America. Those scenes are pretty funny, I’m not going to lie…

Just like every Sacha Baron Cohen film, this isn’t for everybody. But if you go in with low expectations and an open mind it is a good laugh for sure – especially if you watch it with friends.
However, I think Baron Cohen should probably think of a totally new character and stick to mockumentary style.

Not bad, not bad.
Jodie’s rating: 5/10

This isn’t the trailer, but it’s an extended clip which is more funny to watch than the official trailer to be honest… 4:07 is where the most hilarious facials are at…

21 Jump Street

Directors: Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Writers: Jonah Hill and Michael Bacall
Released: 2012
Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Ice Cube
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So it’s not the typical genre that I would watch at the cinema, so my expectations were somewhat low. However, I am happy to say that this film was certainly a good laugh! I did enjoy it.

I guess it was specifically marketed at the Gen-Y population – I couldn’t see my parents enjoying it.

It surprised me that it was the same directors as Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs – what a change in genre! Yet, very well done nonetheless. It reminded me of Hot Fuzz because it mocked the action genre, pointing out typical occurances that would happen in an action film such as when a car would blow up and what would happen etcetera…

My favourite part was when the failed policemen (Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill) were sent to high school undercover thinking that they would have it all under control since they were experienced high schoolers, until they realise that the classical sterotyped groups were all different this time around. So true – something only a recent graduate would truely get.

The scene about The Miranda Rights made me wet my pants it was so funny!
“Uh… You have the right to be an attorney…”
“Did you just say.. You have the right to be an attorney??”
“Well, you do have the right to be an attorney.. If you want to..”

Although some pretty crude humour and a whole load of swearing, which was definately to be expected, I enjoyed this film. And the only reason why I wouldn’t buy it on DVD would be because I don’t like this genre in general. But this is the best comedy I’ve seen in a while.

Jodie’s rating: 6/10

Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead Poster

Director: Edgar Wright
Writers: Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
Released: April 2004
Starring: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Nick Frost, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton
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The best black comedy of all time.

I have a weakness for zombie apocalypse movies anyway. However, this film has taken every zombie cliche` in the book and ends up pointing fun at themselves, which is hilarious!

The creators called it a “Rom Zom Com” aka a “Romantic Zombie Comedy” and the “perfect date film” because it has a heart line of a romantic comedy that happens to be set in a time where zombies are attacking the world.

It starts out with Shaun (Simon Pegg) and Shaun’s girlfriend Lizz (Kate Ashfield) at a bar on yet another date at the Winchester Pub, as Lizz bickers about how they never do anything different. The shot slowly widens to show, Lizz’s friends David and Di (Dylan Moran and Lucy Davis) and Shaun’s foul-mouthed best friend, Ed (Nick Frost). Of course, what better to change the monotonous situation than have their lives bombarded with the living dead!?

That’s what I like about the Wright-Pegg-Frost trio. Their ideas are crazy!
Yet they always work.

These zombies are the classic, lazy walker-types where unless you got trapped or are a really slow walker, you would probably not get caught, unlike the kind that is on the TV series The Walking Dead where they run when they are desperate. But these zombies imitate the world we live in – we wake up, go to work, come home again, miserable. So it does have a bit of a wake-up call feeling to it.

Edgar Wright’s signature fast pans, quick cuts and cut always were present which definitely suited the shocking humour and gruesome occurrences.

Another of my favourite things about this film is the parallels between the start and the ending. Such as the trolley boy collecting stray trolleys in the car park of a shopping centre with little enthusiasm. By the end, the remaining zombies are trained and take over the chore in an equally unenthusiastic way… I don’t know. I just find it amusing…

This is the best black comedy because, unlike some others I’ve seen of the same genre *cough* Zombieland *cough*, the comedy element runs through the entire film, not just random crucial parts. Shaun of the Dead make fun of the terrifying situation at every turn.

This is a must-have item in every film-watcher’s collection.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

Avatar

Director: James Cameron
Writer: James Cameron
Released: 2009
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver
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When I watched this film in 3D, my review would have been very different to what this review of my second watch is. At first, I would have said that it’s a storyline we’ve seen before, that the characters were typical and that it was all about the technology.

However, this is not exactly what I think now.

Having seen the first hour of Avatar on TV recently, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it compared to how I felt about it roughly two years earlier. After the adverts interrupting my good time a few too many times, I just had to get the DVD. Which I did. And here’s my verdict:

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and I think it is mostly because it is very easy – too easy – to compare what happened to Pandora to what is happening everyday on Earth. At least in New Zealand, we’re struggling to prevent businesses fracking the rocks below the surface to collect gas/oil which has massive effects on the environment and the people living nearby.

James Cameron made this before there was the amount of struggle between the value of the environment versus the financial value of the environment, that there is today. So Avatar hit home pretty hard the more realistic the story became.

Beyond the deep and meaningful, the technological advances of this film are at a level that will take a long time for anybody to measure up to. It’s all motion capture – so that’s all green screens and dots – but you would never be able to tell that the actors have no Pandora environments to work with.

The designs of the people (Na’vi) and the intrepid creatures that roam the strange planet and how they all share a similar colour palette to show the interdependence between the environment and it’s inhabitants. With the main message being that it is all about balance.

It is a film of action, adventure, fantasy and science-fiction. It’s kind of like exploring Wonderland, but Wonderland from the future. So it’s not at all boring for a second. Which is why after buying the DVD (and finding it had no special features -_- not cool James, not cool) I had to go back out and buy the 3-disc version to get the ins and outs of the story.

It’s got everything that would make you wish that you were there. Riding on flying dragons, galloping through the jungle on six-legged horses, exploring a land rich in life and colour. Pandora is the land you’ll soon want to exist.

Because although it is a ridiculously long film (although it is actually a lot easier to handle than any of Peter Jacksons epically exhausting creations) I found there was still a lot I wanted to know about Pandora and the tribe of Na’vi. Plus, Jake Sully’s (Sam Worthington) back story is quite an eventful one.

I mean, come on, this is James Cameron we’re talking about. The writer and director of Titanic! So of course this is a film worth watching. In fact, I think Cameron should be famous for his writing more than his directing.

I think this film is one of very few that is very beneficial in 3D! The landscape designs look idyllic and the creatures are so intriguing. I am weary of the sequels, however, that are meant to be on its way…

So depending on what ‘filter’ you’re going to watch this film through, whether it’s from a political point of view, an environmental or religious point of view or, just watching it for plain entertainment, you will find something to take away from Avatar. It’s all about values, balance, the circle of life and appreciation.

Jodie’s delayed rating of: 7/10