Kick Ass 2

A Very Un-Kick Ass Sequel

Director: Jeff Wadlow

Release Date: 2013

Rating: 15

Running Time:105 mins

Genre: Comedy/Horror

Actors: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace-Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jim Carey

Some films just don't need sequels.

So the everyday superhero's adventures continue with the overly bloody and overly ridiculous 'Kick Ass 2'. I felt like they had the potential to do something great with this but instead they choose to go too over-the-top and try to be too outrageous, taking a lot of enjoyment out of the film. Don't get me wrong, I loved the first installment due to it's originality, humour and action, but this sequel just could not compete in the same league, and the first one even had Nick Cage in it, an actor who I have seen in nothing good ever.

It felt too much like the writers thought that due to the success and popularity of 'Kick Ass', they had to raise the stakes of 'Kick Ass 2' and involve more violence, gore and characters, but for me, they did this too much. 

I think the best way of summing it up was that there was too much going on and it got to the point where it was just too stupid and unbelievable. The first half was good, well it was better than the second anyway. It felt like it was going somewhere and had the chance to be something good, but then it got too over the top, too fast. The violence in it was more than I would expect in some horror films and at one stage it felt more like a 'Final Destination' installment rather than a 'Kick Ass' one, particularly seeing as at one point we see two cops get murdered with a lawn mower. It just felt like death, death, death in every scene, and this made it feel like it was becoming too serious to be a comedy. 

I don't know whether the writers plan to make a 'Kick Ass 3', but if they do, I hope they go back to the old school 'Kick Ass' rather than the new one, cause the two films are just in completely different leagues to one another.

3/10

Blue Jasmine

An Original or Remake?

Director: Woody Allen
Release Date: 2013
Rating: 15
Running Time: 90 mins
Genre: Romance/Comedy/Drama
Actors: Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Peter Sarsgaard

Woody Allen delivers an interesting film with his new rom com 'Blue Jasmine'. Having seen that the film had earned a few oscar nominations, I was interested to check it out, though normally this film is not one I would usually go for I did end up enjoying it. However although the film managed to entertain me, I did feel it lacked a certain originality as I did feel it felt too closely linked to Tennesse Williams' 'A Streetcar Named Desire' from the 50's. In the film, like with 'Street Car', there are two sisters though very different people, one marries into wealth and the other marries into a much more simple and hard up life, though who's to say who's happier. We join Cate Blanchett on a plane to go and stay with her sister, claiming to be broke and in need of refuge. Whether or not 'Blue Jasmine' is or isn't Woody Allen's way of modernising William's play, there's no deny it is basically a remake. Cate Blanchett's character is so close to the character of Blanche in 'Street Car' that the first thing that both characters do when they arrive is have a drink of alcohol and as the plot develops we begin to realise that bother characters have a drinking problem and there are other similarities shown placing the stories so close together, the ending can almost be anticipated. 

I did feel however having said this, Woody Allen delivered this film in a very interesting order, whereby the events were not shown entirely in order and made room for some big reveals along the way. In this way I found that to be effective, due to the way that it was able to grab me and keep me interested in what was going on as, even though it could be arguably a 'rip off', I did find the film to be very entertaining.

The acting in the film was one of it's strongest traits. Cate Blanchett's performance was enjoyable to watch and she really stole the film with her acting. It always amazes me how dedicated to a role Cate Blanchett actually is, and how her performances always manage to so memorable and diverse. This can be said particularly when thinking about films such as Martin Scorsese's 'The Aviator' where she played Katherine Hepburn, a Galadriel in 'The Lord of The Rings', a role she is normally remembered by. Hopefully due to her role in 'Blue Jasmine' and the Oscar nomination she's earned, she may grow more renowned for her other roles that she's played and people can see what a talent she is.

To sum up 'Blue Jasmine', it's probably fair to say that if you have seen 'A Streetcar Named Desire' you won't be missing anything not seeing this. However, it is an enjoyable and surprisingly complex film, but equally one you can sit down and relax watching rather than focussing hard on.

6/10

Capote

A Farewell to Philip

Director: Bennett Miller

Release Date: 2005

Rating: 15

Running Time: 115 mins

Genre: Biographic/Drama

Actors: Philip Seymour-Hoffman, Catherine Keene, Cliffton Collins Jr

A truly controversial film about death, imprisonment, homosexuality, and whether a crime is worth a mans life.

When watching Bennett Miller's 'Capote', a biopic drama about 1950/60's writer Truman Capote, I didn't find it the most gripping of films, and it was one I feel could have been at least half an hour shorter due to it's slow pace making it not the easiest of films to digest. Nevertheless what it was able to do was show me what a great actor Philip Seymour-Hoffman was and how versatile he could be. And looking at the other Oscar nominations from 2005 it was a well deserved win by the late actor. It's maybe not the best film that Philip Seymour Hoffman has been in, his best probably being 'Punch, Drunk, Love' due to his brilliant chemistry between him and Adam Sandler and the way he can pull off such a brilliant villain in 'Mission Impossible: III'. However what's got to be said about 'Capote' is how Hoffman was able to perform such a different role to others he's done.

'Capote' has a very similar feel to films like 'Dead Man Walking' with Sean Penn and Sigourney Weaver due to the way it focuses on the impact of being on death row. It's one of those films that portrays the message really well that, no matter the crime, should should we really end the criminals life? It's fair to say it's certainly a hard hitting film, not just because of the subject, but also because it's such a loss loosing this actor.

I suppose the best way to put it is that, it's not Philip Seymour-Hoffman's best film but it could very much be his best role as we can see how diverse the actor was. You'll be deeply missed Philip.

5/10

Spring Breakers

The Most Misleading Film of 2012


Director: Harmony Korine
Release Date: 2012
Rating: 18
Running Time: 110 mins
Genre: Drama
Actors: James Franco, Vanessa Hugens, Selena Gomez

I've got to admit, this film was nothing what I was expecting. In all fairness I wasn't expecting much, most likely a sort of 'Piranha', without the Piranhas, type of film where we see alcohol and drugs get the better of wild young adults in a comedic way, probably similar to the despicably awful 'American Pie Presents' films. Yet what I ended up watching was more along the lines of Piranha meets 'Drive' due to the way it tried to be so 'arty' and dark. I don't know if I was pleased by this fact, due to the way that it was advertised so differently I really wasn't in the mood for a crime thriller when I came to watching it and would've rather have seen something slightly more light-hearted.

James Franco was good, Selena Gomez was good, Vanessa Hudgens was good, the other two were good, but there was something about it that wasn't good. I think it was probably because it pretended to be something it's not and then tried to act like it was something really dramatic and spectacular but really it was just a bit boring. The use of flashbacks and flash forwards, it was hard to know what was actually going on. They acted like Spring Break was some amazing experience, almost a religious pilgrimage people go on to find themselves and become better poeple, when really we all know it's an excuse to get heavily inebriated and have to come back home and get a tetanus shot. 

I suppose to sum up I just don't know which catagory this film fitted into. It was interesting, but I don't know if I would call it good per say. I think the best way to sum up 'Spring Breakers' is 'experimental' and a way for all those Disney Channel kids to prove they are no longer kids and we should all now start looking at them as serious actors. But I don't know if I'd recommend it because it's just too fake.

5/10

Drive

Gosling Becomes A Badass

Director: Nicholas Winding Refn
Release Date: 2011
Rating: 18
Running Time: 96 mins
Genre: Thriller/Drama
Actors: Ryan Gosling, Cary Mulligan, Bryan Cranston

Part time stunt driver and car mechanic by day, get away driver by night, it's fair to say that 'Drive' is a film that just oozes coolness from the word go. I suppose in  a way this film could be refered to as a sort of modern day 'Taxi Driver' with intense car chases, heists and brutal violence. Plus the performances from Ryan Gosling and Bryan Cranston are so well done, it's hard to find anything about this film that I didn't like. I think it's fair to argue that 'Drive can be seen as a real boys film about cars, guns and violence, but it's underpinned by quite a poignant love story as well, making it a much more layered film than first thought, and one that could actually appeal to quite a range of audiences.

I think one of the reasons for this is that there's something about Ryan Gosling that makes him so universally likeable to everyone, almost like a modern day Jimmy Stewart. It is fair to say though that 'Drive' shows him in a completely different light to some of his other well known films such as 'The Notebook' or 'Crazy Stupid Love'. Bryan Cranston offers a once again superb performance in the supporting role and again shows his versatility as an actor, seeming once again completely different to other roles he's played.

In a way I'd argue that because the  shots are so carefully constructed and  well put together the cinematography almost beats the story in this film. Straight away it's given a very dark feel and one that makes us unsure of whether to even like Ryan Goslings character, but as soon as you see him behind the wheel, it's hard not to. 'Drive' definitely a film that will shock you but also amaze you, probably not a film for everyone but definitely one that stands out as a fantastic thriller worth watching.

8/10

Moonrise Kingdom

The Perfect Escape

Director: Wes Anderson
Release Date: 2012
Rating: 12
Running Time: 100 mins
Genre: Adventure
Actors: Bill Murray, Ed Norton, Bruce Willis

Having never come across a Wes Anderson film before, I must say I was so surprised at how much I enjoyed 'Moonrise Kingdom'. It's one of those films that you can watch and just enjoy, simply through the way that it doesn't take itself to seriously and you can have a laugh whilst watching it. Needless to say now 'Fantastic Mr Fox' and 'The Royal Tenenbaums' are next on my to watch list, as I now feel that I have to see more from this adventurous and eccentric film director.

The idea for the story is simple, two young eccentric children fall in love and choose to run away together and what goes on is able to shock and surprise audiences offering a lot of laughs. Given that the two protagonists are starring in their first debut leads in a film, I'd say for people of their ages they pulled off exceptionally admirable performances and accompanied by a range of talented actors, including a brief cameo from the fantastic Harvey Keitel, it's no wonder this film was so easy to enjoy. What's particularly interesting about 'Moonrise Kingdom' is that there is no real antagonist and we're able to see what's going on from the point of view of all the characters. Ed Norton, like a lot of his other roles appears to be a slightly wimpy and timid character but is able to prove himself as the film develops and grows to be one of the most likable characters in the film. It's also good to see that Bruce Willis was able to star in a film this side of the century that can actually be credited as 'a good film'.

We Anderson delivers fantastic direction in the film, particularly through the use of it's over the top effects, like in one particular scene where we see Ed Norton has to leap into a hut of exploding fireworks, it's just a lot of fun to watch. There's something about 'Moonrise Kingdom', I wouldn't call it surreal, but it paints a picture of a world much different to the 'boring' one we live in. I found this to be through the use of colours and scenery, in a way it felt quite similar to the world created in 'Cat in the Hat', although maybe that's because the film takes place near a big red and white lighthouse. The visual style is created in such a way that it does stand out and in that way, it can be credited as a very arty and highly thought about piece of cinema. Whatever it was about the film, no matter how unrealistic or outrageous, it was very sweet and enjoyable in every aspect.

8/10