The Avengers: Age Of Ultron

I'm going to try not to spoil this one, I swear.

Earth's mightiest heroes are back again and director Joss Whedon revels in his element here, It's explosive, visually gorgeous and has more one liners than you could throw your shawarma at. Opening up to a Bond style infiltration scene we can see that there's been a few missions between films since The Avengers work as a strong unit, often teaming up with each other to throw moves that devastate the opposition, all the while exchanging trademark Whedon banter between each other. Thor's fish out of water style comedy still remains a personal favourite and he delivers continuously. The confidence takes a blow however when they face themselves with HYDRA experiments Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, "He's super fast and she's weird". Wanda gets into the teams heads and and we see their deepest fears, each hallucinogenic trip spawning seamlessly from their reality.

The villain of the piece voiced by James Spader breaks the mold when it comes to Marvels usually two dimensional villains, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr/Iron Man) has the idea to dabble with an AI code found in the HYDRA base to create a self aware safety protocol to protect the world so the Avengers can take it a little easier, Stark telling Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo/Hulk) that it would achieve "peace in our time," however as in any artificial intelligence scenario, the Ultron program goes rogue and comes to the conclusion that world peace can be brought about by the extinction of humanity. Cue drama.

The films highlights are the characters interactions with each other, ten movies in to the cinematic universe and the core team members are already well established and yet for a team mainly compromised of leaders the friction that results is satisfying, mostly that the relationship between Stark and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans/Captain America) paving the way to the upcoming Captain America: Civil War. There's even a budding romance between an unlikely couple and I think I can finally say it...

I like Hawkeye.

That's right the bow and arrow guy, fighting besides monsters and literal God's, Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye is actually one of the stand out performances, possibly for being short changed in the last Avengers movie but he has some of the funniest lines and really puts things into perspective to a later reformed Wanda. I think on Whdeon's part Hawkeye was written to be the most relatable team member as without powers and still giving as good as he gets we feel we could be part of the action too.

The film is visually incredible and each action piece is memorable for the most part, a crazed Hulk going head to head with Iron Man's hulkbuster armor is a stand out moment yet the third act of the film isn't too dissimilar to the end of the first Avengers, countless fodder enemies merely being there to make the heroes look good and straying just a little too close into disaster porn. It's not Michael Bay bad, far from it in fact it just feels unnecessary in parts.

My only two gripes with the film are that despite Ultron being a compelling and unconventional villain he is sidelined a little for more of the teams interactions. An eight foot killer robot with a Stark -esque personality and dry humour is a delight to see and Spader is clearly having a field day with it, I just wish they showed us more of him. The other is quite an unpopular opinion but Samuel L Jackson returns as Nick Fury and it's not needed in the slightest, he gives a pep talk and that's really it.

  Yes I'm probably seeing this through rose tinted glasses but I loved Age Of Ultron, Whedon manages to juggle all these conflicting egos delicately and only teases future events to come rather than shoehorning them in like many other Marvel films have been known to.

See it for the child in you.

The Theory Of Everything

Biopics always tend to be an ambitious project for actors and directors alike, the portrayal of real life figures can easily come across as gaudy but thankfully the life of theoretical physicist Dr Stephen Hawking, much like his real story, passes all expectations.

Also there's no spoiler tag since his biography is open to the public, don't be shocked at the reveal that he gets motor neurone disease.

From humble yet great beginnings we are introduced to the films main focus, Stephen (Eddie Redmayne), a bright yet somewhat lazy astrophysics student studying at Cambridge University. While attending a party he meets fellow student Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones) a student of literature and the pair hit it off despite their differences when it comes to science and religion, a somewhat recurring theme in the film. Stephen seems at a loss when trying to figure out what his thesis will be, while his focus lies elsewhere, his professor, Dennis Sciama (Thewlis) brings him along to a lecture on black holes and the building blocks of the infamous essay "Singularities and the Geometry of Space-Time" were set.

Throughout his daily life and the blossoming romance between himself and Jane there are subtle visual clues that allude to his oncoming disability, from slight slurred speech to the fumbling of chalk the ongoing threat of the disease about to take over fills you with dread, it doesn't take Redmayne long to charm you and it's hard to see such awful things happen to a genuinely likable character. Eventually after a nasty fall, for me was one of the most standout moments in the film, that being his diagnosis from the doctor. They sit beside each other on a bench in an empty hospital corridor as the full details of Lou Gehrig's disease are told to Stephen under a rising white noise, the shots are solely focused on facial reactions and the poignancy of the question "will it affect the mind?" lingers. Something perhaps put in by the screenwriter to foreshadow Stephen Hawking's resolve to make the best of the hand he's been dealt. Yet the doctor retorts with the grisly news that "the mind will be fine, it's just you won't be able to communicate your ideas."

The film is based on two memoirs written by Jane Wilde herself and chronicle the ups and downs of her marriage to Hawking, there is an interesting parallel between Hawking's ailing health and the deterioration of their marriage, the pair eventually have three children yet don't have the money to get a carer to assist Jane with Stephen. Realising she never really achieved any of her goals and a meeting with local church choir conductor Jonathon (Charlie Cox), what begins as additional help around the house eventually stretches into a mutual attraction between the two and further straining her marriage with Stephen.

Though both Redmayne and Jones are relatively new on the big budget scene, they display excellent chemistry and there use of mannerisms and quirks from their real life counterparts gives the whole thing an incredibly organic feeling. Portraying disability is always an arduous task for any actor and many times in the past it has come across as hammy and mostly insulting, yet Redmayne manages to keep you under the illusion that he really is going through the phases of physical degredation authentically and sympathetically.

Evocative, harrowing and above all a story that inspires hope, The Theory Of Everything gently keeps religion and science at its side to portray the power of the human spirit. That's super cliche'd but watch the movie and you'll see what I mean. It's incredible to watch Redmayne and Jones with that inkling they very well could be this generations Mckellan and Smith.

The Hobbit: Battle Of The Five Armies

The finale to to the Middle Earth saga may not rise up to purge the bad taste left in some fans mouths after the first two Hobbit movies but still manages to recapture some of the original trilogies magic if not a little too late.

Spoilers and shizz...

Leading off immediately from where the Desolation Of Smaug left us we see the Haughty dragon laying waste to Lake Town with only Luke Evans' Bard the Bowman to stop him. Though it's an incredibly short sequence (about ten minutes to be exact) it stands out as one of the most memorable scenes in the movie and captures one of the stories main themes that the unassuming are capable of greater things than thought possible. Not to take anything away from Bard, he's pretty handy with a bow and is a great leader but I wouldn't exactly call it a fair fight, think Mother Teresa fighting off Zeus or something.

Returning to our heroes however, Thorin Oakenshield (Armitage) and his company have recaptured the lonely mountain and it's from the gold littered halls the battle of the five armies all kicks off. Bilbo Baggins, the circumspect protagonist of the story begins to worry about the movies main focus, Thorin, the dwarf prince now finally retaking his homeland is overcome with horrific greed which sends him spiraling into a Gollum inspired madness with a voice eerily reminiscent of the dragon, Smaug.

The strained relationship between the patient Bilbo and abrasive Thorin stands out as one of the films greater moments, Armitage and Freeman share a natural chemistry and even wrapped up inside the fantastical nature of the plot, it's in both of these character we find the most humanity, balancing on both ends of the scale. Though the film is mainly composed of one very long (maybe a little too long) battle of the titular five armies of middle earth, there are undercurrents of sub plots that occasionally draw reference to the original trilogy and finally feel like they belong as opposed to Jacksons' usual shoehorning, yet other plots don't really get resolved and it's all down to the two main gripes with the film.

First off the extended cameo of fan favourite Legolas (Bloom) actually fits and at times even makes you question whether the inclusion of him would have improved the novel (perhaps not but y'know...) Lee pace returns again as king of the wood elves and Legolas' father, Thranduil in a part he plays majestically. Through his speech and demeanor to the cast around him he moves with a grace a warrior should not possess but he makes riding an elk look pretty badass. Time shared between the two gives up some character development behind Legolas that though isn't necessarily needed, it does cement his place in this story all the more.

I love Ian Mckellan, he's fantastic in everything he's in and I'd be happy seeing him play anything, he could play the shark from Jaws and I'd still enjoy it, his role as Gandalf however is drastically cut short in this film however to make room for a forced love triangle between one of the dwarves and new character, Tauriel the elf (Lilly) which is brought down by lackluster and paint by numbers dialogue, I can say this with great confidence as any time a scene arose with the pair of them a groan could be heard all around me in the cinema.

That and this bastard taking up far too much screen time to use the same retired joke at least eight times in the movie.

Though the Battle Of The Five Armies has plenty to go around and an over abundance of CGI aside, captures some of the magic of the battle of Minas Tirith from the Two Towers, Billy Connoly provides some genuine comic relief as the rowdy Dain Ironfoot and the battle between the council of Elrond and the weakened Sauron keeps the pace going even though the story seems to be a little stretched once again.

Speaking of the themes of the movie, While Bilbo would have normally been the narratives focus, instead he's somewhat sidelined so Thorin can take center stage, and as the themes of greed and redemption are personified through his actions it's incredible to watch Armitage organically transition between the two which are made all the more powerful by his final confrontation with the white orc Azog.

I could absolutely go on throwing around the pro's and cons of this movie for pages but like Jackson's final endeavor to Tolkein's master piece I'll end this somewhat cleaner.

Though not all of the die hard Lord Of The Rings fans will enjoy this it still stands as an all around good movie, ending on a familiar scene fans may recognise with the panoramic shots of New Zealand and the soft sounds of Howard Shore's Shire theme, The middle earth saga ends as a story worth telling.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Not so happy Hunger Games everybody.

The penultimate chapter of a four movie series based on a three part book series for young adults proves to be most harrowing yet, Katniss becomes an unwilling symbol in a war between the capitol and the remaining districts yet her head seems more focused on saving her friend Peeta.

Spoilers if you haven't seen/read this yet.

Jennifer Lawrence returns in the role that arguably kick started her main stream career as Katniss Everdeen, two time survivor of the vicious hunger games and all around downer. Living in an underground resistance base after being saved at the end of the quarter quell, here she is introduced to the rebel leader, President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), a no nonsense manipulator who seems disinterested with her associate, Plutarch Heavensbee's (the penultimate role of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman) plan to film a propaganda film to stoke the fire underneath the already burgeoning hatred each district has for the capitol.

Despite its target audience the thing that struck me most about Mockingjay is it's somewhat realistic and gritty interpretation of guerrilla warfare, a crew of film makers including Game Of Thrones' Natalie Dormer, are tasked with following Katniss as she visits the remaining districts in secret to put together a propaganda film that will give the oppressed masses a call to arms against the capitol. Lawrence manages to give some weight to her characters reaction to the carcass of her old home and the numerous war casualties, a particular scene involving her losing her stoic demeanor as the result of a makeshift hospital being bombed is perhaps the highlight of the film as it is in this moment she truly becomes the 'mockingjay' and the revolution commences.

Though no good story is without its villain, Donald Sutherland relishes in his role as the suave manipulative President Snow. Playing a psychological chess game with Katniss throughout, he seems to trump her at each turn and uses his greatest weapon, the previously captured Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) as a bargaining chip to break her resolve. In all honesty there is very little action in comparison to the first two films but manages to somewhat make up for it with scenes reminiscent of the blitzkrieg from WWII and urban warfare from the violence in the east. You have to respect the stories aim to bring awareness to modern atrocities to its demographic.

Unpopular opinion time but with it's realistic portrayal of war (that gripping first person view of the SWAT infiltration) it's somewhat undermined by the forced love triangle between Katniss, Peeta and her old friend Gale (Liam Hemsworth/baby Thor.) Yes Katniss is a reluctant symbol for the revolution but it is implied her purpose is realised after the hospital bombing and she would become a self sacrificing and resilient force for good, so why is it the love triangle seems like a bigger deal to her? Katniss is a strong and independent role model but between choosing to save Peeta or fighting a greater injustice they had the chance to really show a heroic side to the character yet waded a little too deep into teenage drama, Like I said unpopular opinion but I stand by it.

As I mentioned earlier however the imagery only somewhat keeps you involved but at just over two hours long and the narrative stretched to fit two movies, Mockingjay at times feels a little bloated and unnecessary, naturally this is only my opinion and many fans would combat me on this point but I can't help feeling that the trend of splitting books into multiple films is nothing more than a money grab to extend a franchises longevity. I'm looking at you Peter Jackson.

All in all it's a good setup for the final outing but Mockingjay suffers from its run time and distinct lack of lasting content, I loved Catching Fire however so maybe I'm just expecting a little more from the series. As blockbusters go, Mockingjay is still worth seeing for all audiences.

It's going to kill me if Hoffman's last movie isn't great...

Gone Girl

A beautifully portrayed story of the marital spat from hell, just to let you know there are going to be SPOILERS from here-out so trust me when I'm telling you to go see it before you read this, if you'd like to come back and read when you're done that'd be great!

David Fincher, director of classics such as Fight Club and Seven once again plays with your brain like a marionette, Gone Girl is a psychological mystery movie that not only makes you question the conventions of the world around you but the world according to your own mind. Our protagonist and antagonist (really it switches so much it's just easier not saying who's who) Nick and Amy Dunne are two former writers who have had to relocate from New York to Missouri due to the recession and the degrading health of Nick's mother. Told in both internal and external flashbacks we see the rise and fall of the Dunne families marriage, both are introduced as witty, likable and an instant and believable chemistry that lays testament to Affleck and Pikes acting abilities.

Flash back to the present and we see a changed couple, Nick has become distant and cheating partner with a much younger woman whereas as Amy is portrayed as a beaten wife losing faith in even trying to salvage her marriage, all this is shown after the main driving force of the story. As Nick returns home the house shows signs of a break in and Amy appears to be kidnapped.

Nick is quizzed by the intuitive Detective Boney, a character that features as a heavy contrast to her partner, a bigoted cop who just see's things as they are which later on mirrors your own perceptions of domestic abuse, More on that later though. Naturally you try to figure out her disappearance from the get go and your assumptions are fueled by any evidence dug up by Boney and her partner or through the interactions between Nick and his twin sister Margo, a bar owner who seems to serve both as Nicks conscience and our insight into the real Nick.

I'll be honest and admit I suspected Nick as the killer due to some scenes of domestic violence and fairly harsh narrative on his part, it lured me in and just made me appreciate the reveal all that more. Rosamund Pike deserves her Oscar nomination. Amy is described as incredibly intelligent and a little standoffish right from the start but even this was downplayed. Very reminiscent of Sharon stone in Basic Instinct and Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, Pike joins the great halls of psychotic spurned lovers, framing Nick for everything and leading him into state execution, Amy Dunne will terrify you in her soft spoken tone and remorseless actions.

Plagued by the media circus led by Amy's disappearance and the news' yo-yo portrayal of him as a good husband/uncaring sociopath/anti-Christ, Nick attempts to track down the other former partners in Amy's past, a rapist and a stalker. As it turns out one of these is not like the other and the man accused of raping her was framed by an angry Amy for not liking the ties she bought him, in retaliation she maims herself and plays off peoples perception of her as a helpless little woman, a trope again portrayed later as a room full of FBI agents and Boney all fall head over heels for her and treat like the precious thing she is, all except Boney who begins to see the psychotic Amy as a wolf in sheep's clothing.

The film raises themes from the forefront, the corruption of modern media and the see want you want to see style of journalism we see on a daily basis. Tyler Perry plays a somewhat shameless Lawyer who teaches Nick ways of presenting himself on camera to win over the general public, everything is calculated and reiterates the false apologies you see from celebrities and politicians.

What I found most interesting was the portrayal of domestic abuse on both partners behalf, statistically men are the more abusive gender when it comes to relationships but it doesn't for a second mean that women can't be abusive either. While Amy never really harms Nick physically she psychologically tortures him like a maestro, reducing the big strong man to a nervous wreck who stays awake at night behind a locked door in fear his wife will destroy him.

Dark, twisted and above all thought provoking, Gone Girl is a fantastic adaptation of Gillian Flynn novel of the same that cements Affleck's string of quality movies and hopefully springboards Rosamund Pike into more heavy hitting roles. Go see it already.

Guardians Of The Galaxy

Oh good Christ yes.

So I'll try not to fan boy too hard on this one but this was a fucking great movie, like being a kid and watching Star Wars again for the first time.

Marvels newest wild card seemed like a bold move 2 years ago when it was announced but may well be on it's way to becoming one of the studios freshest outings. Going against the grain of comic book movies having to be somewhat gritty and dark Guardians only takes itself serious for a split second at the start, from then on it revels in its own goofiness and unashamedly breaks the mold.

Beginning in the 80's a young Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) finds himself abducted by a group of space ravagers after a traumatic family experience, he becomes well versed in the goings on of the galaxy and only has a few mementos of his life on earth, most importantly a Sony Walkman and his 'awesome mix tape vol 1'. Quill is a charming yet crass man child known for more than a few run ins with the law and has dubbed himself 'Starlord', something he wishes would catch on more. He later steals the films macguffin, a mysterious silver orb the universe's heavy hitters all seem to be after in a scene very reminiscent of the first five minutes of Raiders Of The Lost Ark and after this the whole plot is thrust into mayhem. There is an incredible prison escape scene in which we are introduced to the other guardians before they're a team, the driven warrior Gamora (Zoe Saldana swapping blue for green) a hulking and revenge bent Drax The Destroyer (Dave Bautista) and the seriously odd couple Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel proving the same line throughout)

Director James Gunn realistically brings these offbeat characters together exceptionally and never making it feel forced, all the more credit in that these actors were having to act among 2 CGI characters. It's hard to say who steals the show however, Pratt is enigmatic and perfect as the relatable yet morally skewed Starlord, he's effortlessly charming and may well replace Robert Downey Jr as your favourite marvelite. Coming straight behind however is the pairing of Rocket and Groot, one is a crass talking Raccoon with a penchant for big guns and bursts of anger while his muscle/house plant is a Goliath like talking tree who can change shape, limited only to the words "I am Groot" Diesel still manages to convey different emotion between each uttering, you almost start understanding him. If you loved the macabre conversation between Han Solo and Chewbacca you'll be in your element here.

My only real gripe with the movie lies in its villains, you have three (potentially four but those are spoilers...) baddies who hold back the Guardians in one way or another, Lee Pace's zealot like Ronan The Accuser is visually dynamic but seems a little 2D, he's bent on destroying another race his planet is at war with for reasons that aren't really elaborated on too deeply. Doctor Who's Karen Gillan plays the cyborg adoptive sister of Gamora and does well to establish her as a sinister femme fatale with almost reptillian movements and at times a spurned angry child with the mother of all daddy issues, her on screen interactions with Gamora however are no way near enough so here's hoping we see an extension of this in the 2017 sequel.

Visually breathtaking and a soundtrack you'll be replaying to yourself for months to come, Marvel has no qualms with taking you into the unknown and bringing you out a believer. Believe the hype.

"You said it yourself bitch, we're the Guardians Of The Galaxy" the new kids on the block definitely give their earth dwelling cousins a run for their money. This film is the tits.
I read once that if The Avengers are The Beatles then these guys are The Rolling Stones.

Go see it already.

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

The sequel to 2011's Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes hits hard and may well be up there with some of the great sequels such as Empire Strikes Back and The Dark Knight.

Set roughly ten years after brainy chimp Caesar (Serkis doing what he does best) leads an ape uprising on San Francisco, he has started a family and rules over the now tribal Apes who all inhabit the Muir Woods. Caesar stands as the apes ruler while his friends you may not remember from the first film, stand as his confidants. Koba the heavily scarred bonobo chimp has a long standing resentment of the humans who probed and experimented on him acts as mentor to Caesars teenage son Blue Eyes. Maurice the orangutan takes charge of the young apes education and teaches them the rules of their new world, most importantly, 'Ape must not kill Ape.' you could say both Maurice and Koba each represent a half of Caesars conscience, with the heavy decisions that befall Caesar he is often seen hearing advice from each of his friends, Koba however tends not to be as forgiving.

Enter the eventual human side of the story, the out break of ALZ-113 virus meant to cure Alzheimer's instead wiped out 99% of the human population and has been dubbed 'Simian Flu' however there is a small band of survivors apparently immune to the virus residing in the dilapidated ruins of San Francisco. Having burnt through nearly all of their energy, Malcom (Jason Clarke) takes a small group through the woods in an attempt to restart a hydro-electric dam. Thus begins the uneasy downwards spiral of trust between the apes. Caesar recalling the memories of his old foster father is slowly easing into assisting the humans much to the dismay of Koba.

Interestingly enough the seamless CGI and grand storytelling of course paves way for more sequels, I found myself being fine with an entirely CGI movie, the relationships between the apes feels so foreign yet close all at once. Compelling visually and one of the best credits I can give the film is that you forget a lot of this is built up on a computer, you're taken into the world and accept it for what it is. There are less ham handed call backs to the original series, I didn't feel like a Charlton Heston quote would improve any of it, the only thing that was a bit of a callback was the soundtrack which genuinely works, nothing gritty or what we're used to getting lately, but the beating of tightly wound war drums gives an authentic tribal feel in a concrete jungle.

Naturally the human cast take the back seat and none of them really remain that memorable, even Gary Oldman, veteran actor and a man who surely has merited an academy award by now doesn't have too much to work with. The true praise deservedly goes to the motion capture team who brought the apes to life, convincing behaviour and movement yet strangely human in parts, Andy Serkis once again proves he's the king of motion capture but Toby Kebbel gives him a run for his money in this one. Kebbel plays the ally turned antagonist Koba, a character that quickly became one of my favourite villains of the decade, sure he looks frightening and you tense up a little when he moves around the human characters but he's at his most terrifying when the film portrays how intelligent they have really become. Violent, sadistic and meticulously cunning, Koba is an oddly sympathetic villain who carries the explosive third act where things literally go apeshit.

 A worthy entry into a saga of (mostly) classics, (looking at you Tim Burton). If you enjoy your big budget blockbusters with compelling storytelling this will probably tide you over long enough for the sequel.