Muppet Treasure Island

Cast: Tim Curry, Kevin Bishop, Billy Connolly, Jennifer Saunders and Frank Oz.

Director: Brian Henson

Release Date: 1996

Running Time: 1hr 39 minutes

Genre: Family

Rating: G

Format: DVD

Synopsis: 

The Muppets do their take on the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, Kermit the Frog and his friends, go to war with some pretty ruthless pirates.

There's been many film adaptions of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island over the years, but Muppet Treasure Island is probably one that will stick in your mind a bit more. This is a fantastic take on the classic novel. This is a very fun and entertaining film. Starring Tim Curry as nasty Long John Silver, he's absolutely brilliant, he makes a very convincing pirate in terms of characterization and in terms of looks. Who would of thought he be so fantastic in a Muppet film? Billy Connolly also makes a lovely appearance in the film as Billy Bones, like the comedian that he is, he is absolutely hilarious although sadly only has a small role in the movie. It's worth watching his character even if it's just for a couple of minutes.

The Muppets always put on a wonderful show, this is probably one of their best films alongside "Muppets Christmas Carol" it went straight to number one at the box office. The same lovable characters are back including Gonzo, Rizzo and Kermit the Frog, each one absolutely hilarious in their own right, Gonzo is very funny as Rizzo's sidekick, Rizzo eats almost his own weight in chicken and Kermit is still having issues with Miss Piggy. Kevin Bishop makes a very nice appearance as Jim Hawkins, a cabin boy who is close friends with Gonzo and Rizzo. He delivers a pretty good performance, especially considering it was Bishop's film debut, he has a lovely singing voice and works wonderfully alongside the other characters. He has a pretty interesting relationship with Long John Silver.

Jerry Juhl has done a wonderful job with the screenplay, some of the dialogue is absolutely hilarious, he's really worked on each character, Gonzo and Rizzo definitely steal the show with their funny sense of humour and witty lines, closely followed by Long John Silver (Curry), there is certainly a lot more humour in this film then previous other Muppet films. It's refreshing to see a very funny take on the classic novel. I love that we're introduced to Rizzo's rat friends who have their heart set on cruising the Caribbean. There are some very funny moments involving rats water skiing, sunbathing and enjoying cocktails at a bar.

Director of photography John Fenner has done a marvelous job, he's made a very simple film, look extremely good. Very well edited, the muppets and the actors fit into frame beautifully in each scene, the ship they are on board and the cabin look very genuine and realistic, there's something heartwarming about a film that looks fake, but with the use of wonderful acting still has a lot of magic. Muppets Treasure Island is funny because the characters look like they are stood on only half a ship, and are standing on a pretend Island, it's part of the humour. This film isn't to be taken seriously in any shape or form. If you do, then your really missing the point. The Production department have worked really hard in making everything look as authentic as possible.

Of course it wouldn't be a great Muppet film without the use of some wonderful songs. Probably one of the better soundtracks in the Muppet franchise. Ziggy Marley even makes a wonderful appearance in the end credits with "Love Power" it sets the tone of the film beautifully, here they are in the Caribbean, what's better then a little bit of Ziggy Marley to set them off. There's plenty of catchy tunes like Cabin Fever, When your a professional Pirate and Boom Shaklaka, it won't be long before you've got all three going round in your head. This is a very fun and entertaining film that is suitable for everyone. An absolute must watch.

5/5 stars

Top 50 films

1. Hacksaw Ridge
2. La La Land
3. Live by Night
4. Interstellar
5. Inception
6. Ex Machina
7. The Shining
8. Avatar
9. Bugsy Malone
10. The Beach
11. The Parent Trap (1998)
12. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
13. Singing in the Rain
14. My Fair Lady
15. Mary Poppins
16. Bedknobs and Broomsticks
17. The Wizard of OZ
18. Flight of the Navigator
19. Mrs Doubtfire
20. Saving Private Ryan
21. Fury
22. Pearl Harbour
23. Jaws
24. Signs
25. The Sixth Sense
26. The Terminator
27. Aliens
28. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
29. Insidious
30. The Conjuring
31. Children of Men
32. The Lion King
33. Pocahontas
34. Beauty and the Beast
35. A Bug's Life
36. Armageddon
37. Backdraft
38. The Addams Family
39. Richie Rich
40. The Martian
41. Hook
42. Jurassic World
43. Harry Potter 7: Part 2
44. Psycho
45. Silence of the Lambs
46. Insidious: Chapter 2
47. Big
48. Catch me if you can
49. Blood Diamond
50. Titanic

Captain Philips

Cast: Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener, Barkhad Abdi, Mahat M. Ali and Feysel Ahmed.

Director: Paul Greengrass

Release Date: 2013

Genre: Drama/Thriller

Running Time: 2hrs 14 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Synopsis:

This is the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by pirates of the U.S flagged M.V  Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in 200 years.

Based on a true story. Captain Richard Philips took command of the MV Alabama cargo ship, from the port of Salahah in Oman, with orders to sail through the Gulf of Kenya. Careful of pirate activity, off the coast of Africa, he and first officer Shane Murphy, order strict security precautions in the case that anything ever do happen, however during a drill the cargo ship is chased by Somali pirates and Philips calls for help immediately. What happened next took them all off guard. Movies based on real life circumstances can be pretty powerful, because what your seeing in front of you, isn't a story a very talented screenwriter has conjured up, but a real life story. Starring the very talented Tom Hanks as Captain Philips, he takes us on a very thrilling and scary ride through out the movie. By far one of his best roles since "Catch me if you can" he portrays the role of Captain Philips very convincingly, his acting through out the whole film is really quite superb, you can really sympathies with his character and feel his fear and emotion as he's experiencing it. Despite the circumstances in which he is thrust, his character is very smart and very strong willed.

The storyline is very well written and very accurate to the true accounts in which it happened. The pace of the film isn't too bad, as a member of the audience you aren't left hanging for too long before you start to see some action, you are however given a bit of look in on the pirates and the background in which they come from to have some understanding in why they want to hijack the cargo ship. The actors playing the pirates do an absolutely fantastic job through out this film, although it is not always clear what is being said, they thrust the sense of fear into you immediately, one can only imagine how scary it must have been in real life, to have 6 pirates on you, within minutes, stalking your cargo ship. The dialogue is very simple but very realistic and convincing. The determination behind the pirates is terrifying.

There are moments of the film that are pretty boring, however it's more to do with the survival of the Captain and those on board the cargo ship and how they deal with the situation at hand, the professionalism of the men on board ship is absolutely fantastic and spot on, not once does Richard loose his cool, his character is clearly educated on how to react to the circumstances if they are to happen and how to best deal with them, however that doesn't take away the fear and emotion that comes with it, it gets very thrilling, you really have to be patient with it. The film as a whole isn't badly shot however the director has chosen to film almost as if it were a documentary, which is great considering it's a true story, however the camera is moving about far too much, causing scenes to jump about and look poorly edited. The camera at the best of times pans across characters far too fast for you to actually see what is properly happening in the scene. Shame considering Paul is very well known for the "Bourne" films which are brilliantly shot. Unfortunately I think he went too far in trying to make the film look too realistic instead of concentrating on filming it well and concentrating on the story. It's enough to make you feel dizzy. It's extremely off putting. On a lighter note however there are some really lovely aerial shots of the pirates chasing the cargo ship and the ship as a whole.

The ship looks very realistic interior and exterior, the interior design is very similar to that of the rig on Deepwater Horizon. It's convincing, dark and claustrophobic. Although most is shot on board the cargo ship, there is still plenty to see. For a set design it really isn't too shabby is extremely convincing, one can only imagine how uncomfortable it must have been to film inside of a lifeboat for several days on end, all for the sake of a movie. Despite it all being shot in one place, it also adds a sense of loneliness, it dawns on you that these people have no where to go but in one direction and the only communication they have are with Navy seals. Although there isn't much of a score/soundtrack, it works better for the film, you can hear what is going on the whole time, although I did mention before that you couldn't always understand what the pirates were saying, for the little English that they do speak it's very important to hear what they are a saying, a very loud and thrilling score would of taken most of it away, the fear and emotion that you can clearly hear in Richard's voice through out the film.

Not one of the best films, I've seen, but really good none the less.

Educating and thrilling.

3/5 stars

Ghostbusters 2

Cast: Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis and Ernie Hudson.

Director: Ivan Reitman

Release Date: 1989

Genre: Action/Comedy

Running Time: 1hr 48 minutes

Rating: PG

Format: 4K Blu-Ray

Synopsis:

Five years has passed since the stay puffed marshmallow man tried to destroy New York City. The Ghostbusters are now plagued by lawsuits and have gone bankrupt. However when Dana begins having ghost problems once again, Peter, Egon and Ray come out of retirement only to be soon arrested. They soon discover that New York City is once again plagued by paranormal activity and must save the day!

Five years have past since the events of the first film, the Ghostbusters are back to save New York City again. We see Ivan Reitman back in the directors chair. Akroyd and Ramis also wrote the screenplay to this film. Equally as enjoyable and fun and even more ridiculous. Peter now has his own TV show, the world of the psychic, Egon is doing tests to see how behavior changes under different circumstances and Ray owns a book shop with anything and everything paranormal in it. Things aren't going so good for them, they've all gone bankrupt. One again they all offer fantastic performances. Dana is back too, she now has a little boy and is now living in a new apartment. Peter MacNicol has a very interesting role in this film. His character is very odd, he appears to be an artist or teaches a form of art, at one point Dana is seen working for him. In all honesty his character is really irritating, I don't know whether to take him seriously, I feel like Peter overplayed the role too much to the point it comes across as cheesy and poor. Sigourney Weaver however is as fantastic as ever as Dana Barrett.

Once again, Akryod and Ramis have done a wonderful job with the script, not quite as funny as the first one, but still very well written. We see lots more ghosts this time round, I like that they've made a point to add Slimer again too from the first film. He's become quite the iconic character. There's a fantastic close up shot of him shoveling food into his mouth at the firehouse. Speaking of slime, it seems to be all about the slime! Slime that feeds off negative energy in the city. The Ghostbusters must get control of it before it's too late! The storyline isn't quite as good as the first one, none the less it's still flows quite nice and is easy to understand. The second chapter is by far the more exciting part of the film. We're introduced to a lot more characters and some truly crazy things start happening, including a creepy painting!

Things however are taking a turn for the worse, the negative energy is getting worse with the holidays approaching and worse of all no one believes in the Ghostbusters anymore after a court order that went down hill when two ghosts appeared out of a pot of slime and attacked the judge. The production department have done a really great job, the Ghostbusters car looks even better then the first time round with plenty more gadgets on top and of course their iconic siren. Reitman has chosen mostly to use medium shots through out the film, however there are some beautiful aerial shots of New York City, particularly the the twin towers. The special effects team have proven once again to offer some great effects particularly the ghosts that are featured through out the film, as I mentioned before Slimer and a ghost ship of the Titanic that appears in the second chapter of the film looks absolutely fantastic, considering this was produced in 1989 you've gotta hand it to them! It looks pretty awesome.

The film once again has chosen to use a contemporary soundtrack with Bobby Brown's "On our own", Ray Parker Jr's "Ghostbusters" only this time a remix by Run DMC and Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher" with strangely the slime seems to love! Look out for the scene where the Statue of Liberty also takes a liking to the same song! Bobby Brown also makes a lovely appearance as a doorman too. The soundtrack has a really nice feel good vibe to it that works wonderfully alongside the film. In all honesty I think the filmmakers wanted to make this film a lot more fun the the first one, however there are moments that have been ruined due to poor acting.

Overall this isn't a bad film, however perhaps Reitman should have called it quits after the first film. Safe to say it's good they didn't decide to make a third one. Peter MacNicol ruins the film with terrible acting, the storyline at moments come across as plain cheesy and absolutely ridiculous however one might say that's what makes Ghostbusters great!

Ridiculous and Fun!

4/5 stars

The Girl on the Train

Cast: Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Allison Janney and Lisa Kudrow.

Director: Tate Taylor

Release Date: 2016

Running Time: 1hr 52 minutes

Genre: Drama/mystery

Rating: R

Synopsis:

Everyday Rachel takes the train to work in New York and everyday the train passes her old house. Her husband now lives there with his new wife and their child. On her travels she starts to notice a couple who live a few hours down, Megan and Scott Hipwell, then one day she notices something shocking....filing her with rage.

This is a film adaption of Paula Hawkins best selling novel. There have certainly been mixed feelings about this, I do think it's very hard to adapt a novel into film that everyone is going to enjoy, even J.K Rowlings Harry Potter had issues when adapted for screen. Tate Taylor who directs the movie also brought us another fantastic novel adaption "The Help" which starred Bryce Dallas Howard and Emma Stone. Emily Blunt steals the show as the lead character Rachel, a divorced alcoholic who travels to and throw to New York everyday. Emily's certainly made a name for herself over the past couple of years with hit movies like "Into the Woods" and "Edge of Tomorrow" where she starred alongside Tom Cruise. Emily delivers a brilliant performance in this film.

I love that screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson has really used Paula Hawkins work to her advantage. Immediately we are shown the perspectives of Rachel, Megan and Anna just like the novel naturally insisted upon. We are able to understand each character from their own perspective, it becomes apparent that Megan is seeing a therapist (Edgar Ramirez) and that Anna (Rebecca Ferguson) is now married to Tom, Rachel's ex husband. It also becomes apparent that Rachel might still be in love with him. I don't care for Taylors directing style very much, moments of this movie make you almost feel dizzy due to the camera shaking about so much. There are however some lovely close up shots of Rachel on the train and some beautiful aerial shots of the train and the city in which it's based. Another disappointment I have is that Taylor chose to shoot this movie in New York and not in London, where Hawkins had originally based the novel, for me personally it looses that eary atmosphere which was so beautifully described in the book.

Portraying someone drunk is no easy task, however Emily Blunt delivers a very convincing performance. Despite a director having to adapt a novel for film, I respect some changes are going to be made, but why they feel the need to leave our key elements or change the location is another matter. In some aspects it takes away the story. I find it very hard to watch this when in my imagination I pictured London just as Paula Hawkins had, seeing the suburbs of New York, don't quite do it for me, it takes away the mystery somewhat. Luke Evans delivers a very thrilling performance as Scott, his characterization is spot on, you can practically feel the tension oozing from him.

As a whole I am quite disappointed with this film, I don't particularly like the way Taylor has shot this film as I mentioned before. It's a very dark film in terms of lighting which in some respects does add to the mystery of the story, however steals the reality of everyday life too. The fact that it's shot in New York and not in London ruins it a lot for me personally. When reading the novel, it was truly thrilling, I was just dying to know what happened next and find out who the killer was, apart from Emily Blunt's portrayal as Rachel the other characters have next to no characterization what so ever and appear to talk in a very monotone voice. Where are their emotions? Your wife has gone missing? Where's the fear and emotion that comes with that? I feel like Taylor tried to keep too much of this film a mystery, to a point he missed out on the big picture, that his characters aren't particularly convincing. This film should be making my heart race but instead it's like watching a very boring stage performance, in which three people narrate to one another.

The soundtrack is disappointing too, absolutely no emotion and the vast majority of the movie far too quiet. It doesn't add to any of the emotion of the film, or the characters, and certainly not the story. I'm so dissapointed with this film, it could have been excellent. More effort could have definitely been put into the characters, a much more intense soundtrack and more impressive use of photography. This could have been a fantastic thriller, sadly from my point of view it wasn't. This was perceived as more of a drama then a thriller. It's a shame to know this film adaption didn't sadly do as well as the best selling novel.

2/5 stars

Deepwater Horizon

Cast: Mark Whalberg, Kurt Russell, James DuMont, Joe Chrest, John Malkovich, Douglas M. Griffin and J.D Evermore.

Director: Peter Berg

Release Date: 2016

Running Time: 1hr 47 minutes

Genre: Drama/Thriller

Rating: PG-13

Format: Blu-Ray

Synopsis:

A dramatization of the awful disaster that struck in April 2010, where the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon exploded and created the worst oil spill in US History.

No one could be prepared for the terrifying events that took place on April 20th, 2010! An uncontrollable blowout caused an explosion on the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon. Overwhelming heat and a fireball visible from 40 miles away! Director Peter Berg has taken the astonishing true story to the big screen! Mark Whalberg plays Mike Williams Chief Electrical Engineer on board Deepwater Horizon, Mike is concerned that potentially dangerous trouble is brewing beneath the surface. Not long after the explosion occurs! Whalberg delivers one of his best performances, the resemblance between Mark and Mike Williams is quite incredible. Deborah Aquila and Tricia Wood cast the actors beautifully in ensuring the movie was authentic as possible!

Kurt Russell plays Jimmy Harrell the top drilling officer on board Deepwater Horizon. A very confident man who wants the job done good and right! Those on board the rig knew exactly what they were doing, BP however did not! It can be very difficult making a movie based on a true story, without offending those who were really there that day! None of us can imagine how truly frightening the whole experience must have been for the diggers! The roaring noise from the explosion that must have been beyond deafening. The bravery however that took place that day in making sure everyone possible could get off safe is astonishing.

The acting is fantastic and very realistic, you really sympathize with the characters, not just because you know they are based on real people, but these are everyday people who do the same thing day in an day out like many of us when a horrifying event takes place. Whalberg and Russell work fantastically together on screen and share a good on screen relationship between boss and chief engineer. I love the realism between characters. I love how real the acting is.

The storyline is extremely gripping and full of suspense! You will certainly find yourself on the edge of your seat in anticipation. As much as it's a thriller it's also a documentary! Peter Berg wanted to make sure he told the story as true as possible, so no you don't see action right from the start because to put it quite simply it did not happen like that in reality. The poor souls on board Deepwater Horizon didn't know what was going to happen and that is exactly how it's portrayed in the movie. Please don't be put off in believing that the movie is boring either, it's harrowing, thrilling and very very real! Stunning moments of cinematography that capture the explosion perfectly! Frightening close ups of the fireball that will have your heart thumping out of your chest!

Production designer Chris Seagers has created a very impressive set design, so realistic he allows you to fully immerse yourself into the movie, believing that what you are seeing is real, not a movie. A truly magnificent film, that is gripping, thrilling and truly inspiring after watching the bravery of those on board the rig. The soundtrack is brilliant, composed beautifully by Steve Jablonsky and Gary Clark Jr, it just works, it's gentle, simple and works the same way a score on a documentary would. It's not about the soundtrack it's about the story. The people.  Perfect for those who love movies based on true stories, absolutely terrifying! Emotional and very real!

Blu-Ray Special Features:

Beyond the Horizon:

Behind the scenes look with Mike Williams, Mark Whalberg and Director Peter Berg, ensuring that the movie was authentic and true to the real accounts. Very interesting to see Mike Williams and have his account on what happened that day. A small insight into how they created the rig and how a rig really works.

Captain of the Rig Peter Berg:

Director Peter Berg discusses what inspired him to direct the movie with producer/actor Mark Whalberg. How he chose to direct the actors to get the best from them. Sound designers Steve Jablonsky and Gary Clark Jr discuss how they chose the score.

The Fury of the Rig:

A 30 minute segment on how they created and designed Deepwater Horizon. After seeing how fantastic it looks on screen it's really very impressive. The detail that went into the design is amazing! The special effects team show how everything was made and design, very fascinating.

Deepwater Surveillance:

Camera's perspective on how each major scene was shot. How additional scenes were put together. Goes through numerous amount of scenes, very interesting.

5/5 stars

Cheaper by the Dozen 2

Cast: Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Hilary Duff, Eugene Levy, Tom Welling, Piper Perabo, Carmen Electra and Taylor Lautner.

Director: Adam Shankman

Release Date: 2005

Running Time: 1hr 30 minutes

Genre: Family/Comedy

Rating: PG

Synopsis:

The Bakers are back again this time, they are on Summer vacation and find themselves competing with a rival family of eight kids.

Eugene Levy and Steve Martin steal the show in this wonderful sequel to "Cheaper by the Dozen" of course his family are up to mischief again this time however they are on vacation. There's someone new in the directors chair this time though Adam Shankman, who also brought us "Rock of Ages" and "Bedtime Stories" another wonderful family film. This movie is set two years after the first one, so the cast have changed a little bit, the girls in particular have grown up rather a lot. We've got the same lovable cast and a few new faces including Eugene Levy, who is known mostly for the "American Pie" films, Carmen Electra and Taylor Lautner before his "Twilight" days.

Normally I'm not one for sequels, however I was thoroughly impressed with this film and preferred it over the first one. I'm convinced it's the storyline that has won me over. Nora's left behind her model boyfriend and found someone new Bud they are expecting a baby, Lorraine is off to College and Charlie is opening up his own garage. Despite there being a different director this time round, Shankman has still managed to bring a wonderful feel good vibe to it. Eugene Levy and Steve Martin work wonderfully together in this film, both are absolutely hilarious. Their chemistry is fantastic and really shows on screen. There is some serious competition between the both of them during this movie. Just like the first one there are plenty of funny moments, if not more!

This is exactly the kind of movie that makes me excited for Summer! Fun activities, wake boarding, jet skiing, camping, roasting marshmallows over a hot fire, I love that they have shown all of that in this movie. It's the ultimate summer movie for family's. I love the house they are staying in, a proper big Summer house, It's pretty decent in terms of set design, I feel like family films are always very simple, no special effects, nothing really special at all, just easy watching with a storyline that is really easy to understand. I really like how this movie is shot, it's very well lit up, there's just an overall feel good vibe to it. The second chapter to this movie is definitely much better then the first.

This film has a wonderful soundtrack with songs from Sugar Ray, James Mraz, Maroon 5 and Madonna. John Williams also allowed his "Jaws" theme to be used in this movie, the scene in which it's used is absolutely hilarious. The overall score is brilliant, it works alongside the story beautifully, uplifting and fun for some scenes are for other scenes, it's more gentle and relaxed. It tells the story perfectly, just through music.

This is a wonderful family film, with a beautiful ending! I'd highly recommend this film to everyone, it's perfectly suitable for children of all ages. I'd definitely recommend this over the first film! Far more entertaining.

I loved this film.

5/5 stars

Cheaper by the Dozen

Cast: Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Piper Perabo, Tom Welling, Hilary Duff, Alyson Stoner and Ashton Kutcher.

Director: Shawn Levy

Release Date: 2003

Running Time: 1hr 38 minutes

Genre: Family/Comedy

Rating: PG

Synopsis:

The Bakers are a family of 14, move from a small town in Chicago to the big city, after Tom (Steve Martin) gets his big break to coach a football team. His wife (Bonnie Hunt) also gets her dream job, getting her book published, however when she's away getting her book published, Tom has a hard time keeping things in order...with 12 children!

This is a remake of the classic film from 1950 which originally starred Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy! Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt star in this wonderful remake, directed by Shawn Levy who also brought us the hit movie "Night at the Museum" which starred Ben Stiller. It's become apparent that Levy likes to make feel good family films. Cheaper by the Dozen is made up of a wonderful cast, especially with big star Steve Martin who you might recognize from "Father of the Bride" or "The Pink Panther" he works beautifully alongside the beautiful Bonnie Hunt, their chemistry is perfect in this film. Ashton Kutcher has a very interesting role in this movie. One scene in particular is extremely funny!

The acting in this film isn't perfect, but it's still really good,  It's still really enjoyable. Although Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt steal most of the show, as the loving parents to twelve mischievous children. This movie reminds me a little bit of the remake "Yours mine and ours" which starred Dennis Quaid. I do feel like this is a slight rip off and visa versa. It is what it is though, don't expect too much from it. There's the odd moment where I think some of the acting is absolutely ridiculous particularly the line "Save my baby" it sounds awful. Not too sure what the screenwriters were thinking when they wrote that line.

On a lighter note, there is definitely a nice feel good family vibe to this movie. As a whole the storyline is really good and doesn't take long to get going. It gets straight to the point pretty fast. There is really good characterization between each child, each one in their own right does a pretty good job. There are some moments that might pull on your heart strings a little bit. Let's face it, it wouldn't be a family film if it didn't right? There are some truly hilarious moments, soaking underwear in meat is all I'm gonna say! Some moments will definitely make you laugh out loud!

"You soaked his underwear in meat...that is so wrong....funny...but wrong"

The cinematography really isn't too bad, Shawn Levy clearly likes his film to have a certain vibe to them. Lots of lighting, straightforward photography. Nothing spectacular, no special effects as such, plenty of comedy and fun! As a whole this is a really entertaining film with a wonderful cast. This is a perfect movie to watch on a Sunday afternoon with your kids! Don't expect too much and you'll love it.
The soundtrack really isn't too bad with hit songs from bands like Simple Plan and Sum 41, If your not too sure who they are, I guarantee you'll kids will know! Heartwarming and funny!

Cheaper by the Dozen was really good!

4/5 stars

American Ultra

Cast: Jessie Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Topher Grace, Connie Britton, Walter Goggins and Bill Pullman.

Director: Nima Nourizadeh

Release Date: 2015

Genre: Action/Comedy

Running Time: 1hr 36 minutes

Rating: 15

Synopsis:

Mike (Jesse Eisenberg), spends the majority of his time getting high and writing a graphic novel about a superhero monkey. However what Mike doesn't know is that he was trained by the CIA to be a lethal killing machine. What he doesn't know is that his former agents have targeted him for termination, with his new skills he must save him and his girlfriend from getting wasted.

Jesse Eisenberg and Kirsten Stewart are not two people I really enjoy watching in movies let alone in the same movie together! I'm not entirely sure what it is, but I just can't seem to warm to either of them. Kristen Stewart's acting come across as far too wooden and Jesse Eisenberg's characters always seem to be annoying in some way or another. Kristen never seems to show any real characterization in her films, including this one. Jesse Eisenberg is the same, I mean is this Lex Luther or Mike Howell? I honestly can't tell the difference. Nima Nourizadeh is pretty new on the scene when it comes to directing, with this and one other film, the only movies to his name.

The storyline isn't too bad, but the writing is coming across as pretty poor. Nothing is explained about the characters at all. Oh they work for the CIA? Where's the back story on it? One might say that the director doesn't want you to know any of that, but due to the lack of storyline, you find yourself asking far too many questions and finding yourself confused. Kristen Stewarts character doesn't come across as convincing for one minute. The characters and the acting as a whole are pretty poor to be honest. Was Nima high when he directed this? Some characters appear on screen, and absolutely nothing is explained about them. James Bond's worst nightmare? Deepest respects, I understand all directors start somewhere, but this one is quite obvious.

The only good thing about this movie is the cinematography and a really cool room involving where both characters are kept in hiding from the FBI which involves a lot of ultraviolet lights. There aren't really any special effects and I definitely wouldn't really call this an action film, just because there's two explosions. The set design really isn't too bad, as I mentioned before there is a really cool room of ultraviolet lights and well...that's about it. In terms of how this movie is shot, it's really not too bad, there are some awesome moments of photography, it's a shame the acting and directing couldn't really live up to that as well.

In all honesty I think they could of done a really good job with this movie if they had shown some sort of back story to the characters, just to help explain to the characters what is actually going on in this film. It isn't until half way through the film that you potentially understand Kristen Stewart's character, and even then it doesn't make that much sense. This whole time Mike is trying to propose to Phoebe (Stewart) but there's isn't an ounce of chemistry between the two of them. This is far from a romantic comedy involving several CIA agents.

There isn't much of a soundtrack apart from during the end credits where we hear The Chemical Brother's hit song "Snow" from their album further.

I wouldn't really recommend this film to anyone, especially if like me you aren't a fan of Kristen Stewart or Jesse Eisenberg. Slow, hardly an action, bad characterization.

It's a no from me I'm a afraid!

2/5 stars