The LEGO Movie

The LEGO Movie is an animated comedy film starring an ensemble cast of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Alison Brie and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

The Lego franchise has enjoyed many successes ranging from the conventional building blocks to video games and now its own movie and this is no exception when it comes to a success.

The film tells the story of Emmet, who is just a normal Lego person; he is happy and falls in place with all instructions given. However, he is also the supposed one who is foretold in a prophecy to save the Lego universe from the clutches of the tyrannical ruler known as Lord Business.

I’m going to leave the plot details there to avoid any spoilers and to talk about this film as a whole itself.

First off, the animation is brilliantly done, it’s completely CGI (Save for a few live action scenes) yet it was done in a way to make it look like stop motion animation in order to give it that authentic Lego feel.

The voice acting is of course top notch, although I do feel that Liam Neeson’s performance was a bit too animated and didn’t feel fluid enough, it’s like he was almost restricted. But apart from that, everything was just beautifully acted and gave the entire Lego Universe a life of its own.

The humour is another wonderful aspect of this movie. The gags and one liners are absolutely brilliant. It comes off as something that both children and adults will enjoy tremendously. The whole movie feels really fresh and original. The settings in the movie really stand out, not only do they show off the whole Lego sets, but it gives everything a sense of life and sets it up as a legitimate universe.

There are two comedians I am really not a big fan of, Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell. However, Ferrell’s role in the movie might have just changed my mind about him. He provides the voice for Lord Business and keeps it funny, yet professional. He also appears on camera in the live action sequence yet brings a more toned down, serious performance instead of his usual over the top ranting.

All in all, this a 100 minute Lego commercial, yet it is a fantastic production, it releases your inner child, making you want to pull out your old set and let your imagination run wild.

With that in mind, The LEGO Movie gets a constructed 9 out of 10

Aftershock

Aftershock is a disaster film with horror elements starring Eli Roth, Ariel Levy, Nicolas Marinez and directed by Nicolás López.

The film is set in Chile and after a massive earthquake hits, the darker side of human nature is explored. The narrative is told through the story of three people who are travelling through Chile, they meet three girls, arrive at a night club and once the earthquake strikes, they do what they can to survive. However, the earthquake has also broken the walls to a nearby prison which of course lets all sorts of psychos out on the street.

If you are a huge horror fan, then the name Eli Roth should stand out as one of the pioneers of horror. As he is the one who started a whole new genre known as “Torture Porn” with his films Hostel and Hostel part 2.

Although he didn't direct Aftershock, his name is attached as producer and he stars in the film, which I suppose is a good way to garner attention to the horror fans as any film with Eli Roth should be pretty good.

This is sadly not the case this time around. The one problem is the characters don’t seem to have any back-story whatsoever, there are one or two who have a very minor backstory but it isn’t enough for us to identify with them. “This is a horror, so why should we care about the characters?” I hear you ask. Well for one, the first 40 minutes of the movie just focuses on them exploring Chile and going to parties, with absolutely nothing else happening. The only reason for this incredibly long exposition is to get the audience emotionally attached with the characters. However, due to bad acting and bad script writing, it just does not happen.

Another problem with this movie is the supposed theme of exploring the dark side of human nature. Before watching this movie, I had a feeling this was going to be on par with The Purge, which also has similar themes. However this is not the case. The escaped prisoners that are mentioned hardly show up, except for one scene, and that scene itself is devoid of all tension. For the most part of the movie, the protagonists have to deal with street hooligans and rioters who were shown as terrible human beings from the start.

The fact of the matter is, this film had a lot of potential, but it is left disappointing and nowhere near what it could have been. Even the gore hounds, who know Eli Roth’s work, will be left empty handed as the gore is quite minimalistic, with maybe one or two scenes at best which will leave you wincing.

The one thing going for this film was the ending. I was expecting a traditional horror movie ending, but was left pleasantly surprised with the little twist.

My advice would be to give this a skip and wait for Eli Roth’s next film, The Green Inferno, which is due for release in September 2014.

So with that in mind, Aftershock gets a mild tremored 4 out of 10

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The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best

The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best is an independent dramedy starring Ryan O’Nan, Michael Weston, Arielle Kebbel and directed by Ryan O’Nan.

The film focuses on a man named Alex, a struggling musician, who is desperate on getting recognition and getting somewhere with his music. His partnership with a fellow musician sours at the beginning of the movie due to his lyrics being far too depressing.

He battles in both his musical career as well as his day job, that is until he meets a fellow musician by the name of Jim. He convinces Alex to join him on tour, playing at a number of small gigs and eventually take part in a Battle of the Bands.

The only problem is Jim doesn't really possess any proper instruments; all he has with him is a whole bunch of children’s instruments which he utilizes on stage.

When most people think of independent films, they’ll most likely be turned off as they feel that it won’t have the same impact as with a movie funded by a major studio. The fact is, this is a fantastic movie. The performances are really solid and you are able to feel the emotion in the acting and particularly in the music.

As I mentioned earlier, Jim utilizes children’s instruments and it sounds really great accompanied with Alex’s acoustic guitar. Which is another great thing about this film, the music is really good. It’s got this really relaxed, chilled vibe and it just has this entire feel-good tone.

In fact, this is a feel-good movie which will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside. If you are a musician yourself or more specifically a guitarist, then this is a movie which should be on the top of your list to watch.

With that in mind, The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best gets a strummed 8 out of 10.   

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Transformers: Age of Extinction

Transformers: Age of Extinction is the fourth film in the Transformers franchise starring a fresh cast of Mark Wahlberg, Kelsey Grammar, Nicola Peltz, Peter Cullen returns as the voice of Optimus Prime and of course the film is directed by Michael Bay.

Age of Extinction was said to be a reboot, yet the film takes place five years after the events of Dark of the Moon. Bay did state, however that he chose not to use the previous cast members as he wanted a fresh start to the fourth installment; I suppose that’s his idea of a reboot.

As I mentioned, the movie is set five years after the third film and the Autobots are in hiding, as the government has severed all ties with them and a selected group of CIA operatives are hunting them down and exterminating them. This is all due to nefarious purposes but I’ll just leave it there.

The film also tells the story of Cade Yeager and his daughter Tessa. He’s an inventor but they are struggling financially as he hasn't really invented anything ground breaking yet. That is until he discovers Optimus Prime which sets the plot of the film in motion, which is to basically rally the remaining Autobots, find out who is behind the extermination and try and live peacefully again.

What I didn't like about this film:

Transformers: Age of Extinction is just unnecessarily long, it’s just under three hours and after the halfway mark you begin looking at your watch wondering when it will be over. Now there’s nothing wrong with long movies, provided they’re done well, look at the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Harry Potter films. Yet Age of Extinction just draws out, I felt rather bored and uninspired as the film dragged out.

Although Mark Wahlberg is a welcome breath of fresh air into the franchise, it does take away that human connection that Sam Witwicky had with Bumble Bee and the other Autobots. There is just no emotional attachment between Cade and the Autobots as he just discovers Optimus Prime and then he just goes along with them.

The plot is just far too complex and busy, given the enormous length of this film, not all the loose ends are tied together; this is obviously done to set up a sequel…that nobody wants.

Michael Bay just doesn't seem to learn his lesson when it comes to adding comedy. He tried in Revenge of the Fallen to add more comedy and it just failed miserably. So what does he do, he tries again, now he was able to obtain a few laughs but just like his other movies, the timing is all wrong, just isn't needed and it serves no purpose.

There are massive plot holes in this movie. So many events are left unexplained or just illogical, the main one for me was a new power that Optimus Prime suddenly has. It was never used in the previous movies which could have aided him tremendously, yet he only uses it in this film and only at the end of the movie.

What I did like about the film:

Although the movie is far from perfect, it did earn a few brownie points. Bay is known for his over the top action and explosions which is saturated in this film. It does add to the visual brilliance of Age of Extinction.

Apart from the silly dialogue used by the Autobots, the human cast members did offer solid performances. Mark Wahlberg specifically does a really great job in this film and felt perfect in his role.

The main selling point besides the film dripping in action is the CGI. The effects are amazingly done; it feels so real and is a perfect treat for the eyes.

So just a quick break down of this movie, if you’re looking for decent storytelling and heartfelt human emotions, ignore this film. But if you don’t mind a movie forsaking logic and a good plot for over the top action, fantastic CGI, gorgeous cars and enough explosions to make Gordon Ramsey look like a sweetheart, then you’ll love this movie.

All in all, it’s not a terrible movie, but it could do with some major improvements.

Transformers: Age of Extinction gets a Decepticonned 4 out of 10

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Empire State

Empire State

Empire State is an action crime film starring Liam Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Emma Roberts and directed by Dito Montiel.

It tells the true story  of a heist that took place in 1982 where $16 million was stolen from the Empire State Armoured Truck Company.

So we meet Chris Potamitis, who settles for a security guard job after he fails to get into the police department. He is first assigned truck duty and goes out with a partner to collect and drop off money, but after a botched hijacking, he is assigned night duty instead. He discovers that the security at the main building is rather poor which is surprising seeing as it stores millions of dollars.

He decides to take a couple of thousand as he knows the money isn't counted so it won’t be noticed and after he gets away with it, he blabbers to his trouble making friend. This of course sets the wheels in motion to pull off a job and steal all the money in the vaults.

Now Empire State never made it to the theaters and went straight to DVD. When a movie goes straight to DVD it says that the studios just don’t have enough confidence that this film will do well financially and in most cases, this one included, they’re right.

The acting isn't all that perfect, although I have to admit that Johnson is getting better at his job. There also seems to be a few pacing problems as it seems like large chunks of the movie was left out just to get on with the story and due to time constraints.

Then there is the heist itself. This is of course nothing like Ocean’s Eleven or any other heist movie. The robbery is just so simplistic, so anti-climactic that you wonder how true to the story it actually is. Then again is it this simplistic approach and not a grand scheme that does give it that whole realistic feel.

 One thing I did enjoy in the movie was a change in culture. The movie is set in New York so normally one would expect either your typical Yankee or Italian families. But in this case they settled for a Greek family which seems to add a bit of freshness.

So with that in mind, Empire State gets a thieving 5 out of 10

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Mud

Mud is a coming of age drama starring Mathew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Reese Witherspoon and directed by Jeff Nichols.

It tells the story of two 14 year old boys named Ellis and Neckbone, which I assume is his nickname as he doesn’t have another name throughout the whole movie.

They come across a boat stuck in a tree, and naturally as any 14 year old would do, they claim it for themselves as their own little tree house. That is until they discover it’s occupied by a vagrant who goes by the name of Mud. (They do have rather strange names in this movie)

What follows of course is an adventure for the boys as they discover his past and try and unite him with his lost love.

Mud was shown at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival and won numerous awards as stated on the DVD cover. This is somewhat misleading which I’ll get to momentarily.

The acting is really solid, the performances in Mud are quite stellar and there is absolutely no fault here and it’s easy to see why Mathew McConaughey won an Oscar, leaving poor ol’ Leo in a dust cloud.  Even the films younger actors, Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland are able to convince you that their characters are real and pull you into their world.

Now this is where it becomes misleading; although the story itself is pretty decent, it is rather slow paced. Granted this is a coming of age story so we are supposed to grow and learn with these two boys but it just seems to take forever to kick off and get somewhere.

The music of the film, although it suited the movie perfectly, was just too much at times and it felt just too American.

And this is why I believe the awards are slightly misleading: To an American audience, I can understand the appeal and the appreciation, but to an international audience the same allure isn't there.

I’m not saying this is a bad movie at all; it’s just not going to be to everyone’s appeal.

So with that in Mind, Mud gets a sweet Southern 7 out of 10

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X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-Men: Days of Future Past is the latest film in the X-Men franchise which stars an ensemble cast of Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jenifer Lawrence, Halle Berry and many many more. The movie also sees Bryan Singer return to the helm of the X-Men franchise.

Days of Future past starts off in the not too distant future, where an army of mutant hunting robots known as Sentinels are exterminating both mutants and humans.  A plan is hatched to end the war by sending someone back in time to 1973 to stop the inception and creation of the Sentinels, thus creating peace and altering the timeline to what we know today.

Wolverine volunteers to go as he is the only one who will be able to survive. He travels back in time where he has to meet up with a younger Professor Xavier and convince him that he is from the future and alter the timeline. And how do they send him back in time? Well these are mutants we’re talking about and we know that their powers come in all forms, from the plausible to the outright bizarre.

What I didn’t like about the film:

The first 20 minutes into the movie had a few supporting characters who really didn’t deliver a solid performance. (I’m basically just nit picking here just to give my review a bit more volume. In truth it’s brief and hardly worth mentioning)

The absolute worst part of this film is there is no Stan Lee cameo. That’s right folks, since the insurgence of Marvel films in the early 2000s, Stan Lee has made a cameo in every single movie; except Days of Future Past.

He claims it was due to conflicting schedules that he just wasn’t able to make it to the set. However, he also “jokingly” claimed that it was a marketing ploy to make one question whether you had seen Stan Lee or not. Thus you buy another ticket and watch the movie again just to find out. In all honesty, I came close to doing that as I couldn’t remember seeing him. Sadly, he is left out in this movie.

What I did like about the film:

Everything was just amazing. The juxtaposition of bright colours in the dreary future just looked so stunning. Hugh Jackman played Wolverine to perfection as did every other cast member in their perspective roles.

The visuals are absolutely mind blowing. There’s an entire slow motion sequence that isn’t just pure brain candy, it’s also quite funny.

However, the highlight for me was the inclusion of Peter Dinklage in this movie. He is of course better known as Tyrion Lannister from the hit TV series Game of Thrones. We’ve grown so accustomed to seeing his as a Lannister that it’s quite refreshing to see him in a different role which he of course nails with perfection.

Now I do urge you to watch the movie till after the credits as there is an awesome post credit scene which sets up the sequel X-Men: Apocalypse, due to be released May 27, 2016. A movie I absolutely cannot wait for as I would love to see Singer’s interpretation of Apocalypse. He is of course The X-Men’s greatest threat as he is basically extremely powerful and also…immortal.

So with all this is mind, X-Men: Days of Future Past gets a mutated 10 out of 10

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