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Passengers (2016)
Passengers isn't as bad as you think.
Critic reviews have bashed this film because of a certain action Chris Pratt's character, Jim, makes near the beginning of the film. This has lead to a lot of people saying that his actions were 'sexist' which I don't agree with. The main plot is about Jim and Jennifer Lawrence's character, Aurora, who are both woken up 90 years too early whilst on board a spaceship that's on a 120 year journey to a new planet. Because Jim is the first to wake up, he's completely alone, apart from an android bartender known as Arthur (Michael Sheen). Jim spends most of his free time with Arthur, getting drunk, playing basketball and also trying to make the most of his situation by finding a way to go back to hibernation. Unfortunately, after a year, depression kicks in which leads to him almost committing suicide. After walking back, he walks past one of the hibernation pods and notices Aurora in it, who is, clearly, a beautiful young woman. Now, isolation can drive people to become mentally unstable and make quick decisions. This is what happens here. Jim spends a long time trying to talk himself out of waking Aurora up but, unfortunately, he can't bear being alone and, because he's a mechanic, he knows how to wake one of the passengers up. Aurora believes that her pod has simply malfunctioned, like Jim's, as he can't face the truth. I think that people are being too quick to judge Jim and the entire film just from one action. Not one of us has ever been in his position where he's truly on his own. This is where Passengers succeeds, in my opinion, as it's caused some thought provoking discussions between viewers. Yes, Jim's decision could be considered a flaw but that's no reason to hate the film as there's so much to like about it. Yes, I do think it would've been better if the film was shown from Aurora's point of view and Jim's decision to wake her up could've been revealed as a plot twist but I'm not the filmmaker. Passengers could've been better but it's still, overall, one of the best science fiction films released in 2016, along with Arrival and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence both give strong performances as the two leads. In the run up to the film's release, they went on a international press tour where they visited various countries and did press conferences and interviews. In these interviews, I could clearly see the chemistry between them and it radiates on screen. A montage shows them having fun together by watching films, playing basketball, dancing and going to the bar, just like any normal couple and is one of the most entertaining parts in the film. The set design of the Avalon is exquisite. I can tell that a lot of hard work has gone into creating it. A lot of ships I've seen in science fiction films are quite standard and there's nothing special about them. However, the Avalon is like a outer space cruise ship. This is because the passengers are woken up six months before they arrive at the new planet and this is when they can enjoy the rest of the journey. The bar is also a clear remake of the bar that features in Stanley Kubrick's classic, The Shining. Passengers also feature some impressive visual effects. There's a scene where Jim and Aurora fly outside the ship and, because of the computer generated imagery, it really does look like they're in space together. The point I'm making in this review is that I don't think it's right to judge a film based entirely on one character's action. Despite the unfair negative criticism this received, this is still worth a watch for fans of thought-provoking science fiction and romantic drama. No, it's not as good as Arrival but at least it's not as bad as Independence Day: Resurgence or Jupiter Ascending.
Joy (2015)
One of the most underrated films.
As I'm writing this review, Joy currently has an average rating of 6.7/10. In my opinion, I think it should have a higher rating. This film is full of great performances from the whole cast (especially Jennifer Lawrence as the title role) and brilliant directing from David O.Russell. This film manages to be inspiring as it tells the story of the title character, Joy Mangano, a divorced mother- of-two, who struggled to support her family and pay the bills. However, she comes up with an idea for a mop that could easily be wrung out without getting the user's hands wet and can be thrown in the washing machine and come out 'clean as new'. Joy is determined to get her invention noticed and does everything she can to make it a product. It doesn't come without its difficulties though. This film shows both the highs and lows of her journey as she went on to become a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur. As I watched Joy's story unfold, I felt incredibly inspired. Despite the lows of her journey, she never gives up which is what I liked most about her. Her determination made her likable and made us, as an audience, want her to succeed. Her family, especially her father (Robert DeNiro), are doubtful about her invention but continue to support her anyway. Jennifer Lawrence's performance as Joy is incredible. She truly understands Joy and manages to show her determination and is definitely Oscar-worthy. This film is, by far, one of the best films I've ever seen. Why this film is getting negative reviews is beyond me. If you're wondering whether to see this film, I'd definitely recommend it. There is no target audience, this film is suitable for both teenagers as young as 12 and adults. Overall, I think that this manages to tell the true story of Joy Mangano in both an inspiring and compelling way.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015)
A thrilling conclusion to an amazing franchise!
When The Hunger Games was first released almost four years ago, I had no idea it was going to be the successful franchise it is now. I was fourteen when I watched the first film and began reading the books and each film just got better and better. This is definitely the case with Mockingjay Part 2, the thrilling and emotional conclusion of the franchise. I would also say that this is the film that, I think, is the most faithful to the original book of the same name. There were so many parts in the film that I remembered reading about when I first read the book three years ago. Whilst I was reading the books, I didn't know how the cast and crew were going to make a film adaptation in a creative and successful way. Nevertheless, they managed to do it. Jennifer Lawrence returns, for one last time, as Katniss Everdeen, the main protagonist. In Mockingjay Part 1, Katniss is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and is finding it difficult to cope without Peeta Mellark, her former tribute and love interest from District 12, as she doesn't know if he's dead or alive. She meets the President of District 13, Alma Coin, who is unsure that she is the right person to be the face of the revolution due to her struggles. However, Katniss proves her wrong and films short films, known as 'propagandas', to distract the Capitol and to persuade the people of Panem to join her fight against President Snow. However, things don't all go to plan because, when Peeta is rescued, he has been hijacked and tries to kill Katniss. This is because he's been hijacked which means that the Capitol has corrupted his memories of her to make her appear violent or a threat to him. Now, Mockingjay: Part 2 picks straight up where Mockingjay: Part 1 left, with Katniss recovering from her injury. Despite her struggles, she is still willing to be part of the fight against the Capitol but President Coin refuses and sends her to District 2 to film a propaganda, much to her annoyance. She is desperate to kill President Snow for everything he has done and goes on a rogue mission to join her fellow soldiers to take over the Capitol. President Coin is not happy with this and sends Peeta, who still has negative views on Katniss and continues to have violent acts of rage towards her. However, he is slowly recovering from his disordered views of Katniss and he begins a game called 'Real Or Not Real' to help him know the truth. This was one of my favourite parts in the book as I thought it was a clever way to help Peeta understand his disordered image. Director Francis Lawrence has stated that this is the most violent out of all The Hunger Games and he's not wrong. When, fellow tribute, Finnick mockingly states, 'Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 76th Hunger Games', it truly is like that. The Capitol itself is like an arena with thousands of deadly traps and bombs, known as Pods, lying on every corner. Katniss and her team of soldiers, one of which includes friend Gale Hawthorne, must avoid all of these traps in order to make it to the President's mansion. I had read the books so I knew what was going to happen but I was still shocked at how brutal certain people's deaths were. One specific death scene had me in tears when I first watched it as the character was one of the most likable in the series and the character died in such a violent way. There was also another death scene which had me in tears but wasn't as violent as it was so sudden. These deaths may come as a shock to people who haven't read the books. There are several new characters played by some of the best actors. Despite being only on screen for a short time, they still manage to pull it off. In fact, every actor in this film was amazing, especially Jennifer Lawrence. She is perfect as Katniss and really understands her character well. Throughout the films, I think she's definitely matured and grown into the role. I've also got to mention Josh Hutcherson as Peeta. In The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, Peeta had a charming and sweet personality but in this film, he's lost that charm due to the Capitol torturing him. He goes from being violent one minute to being really emotional. Josh really managed to make me feel sympathy for Peeta. I think this is a great conclusion to one of the biggest film franchises and I would definitely say that it's the best of the four films as there's plenty of violence, suspense and emotional moments. With brilliant acting, intense scenes, amazing special effects and great directing, this is one of the best book- to-film adaptations I've ever watched.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
A step up from the first!
I was a huge fan of the previous film, The Hunger Games, and the books so I was so excited to watch this and the film didn't disappoint. Jennifer Lawrence returns as Katniss Everdeen and the film is set a few months after she and fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark (played by Josh Hutcherson), have won The Hunger Games. There has been an uprising in the districts due to the fact that were two victors instead of one and Katniss and Peeta have to face these results of their rebellion on their Victory Tour where they visit the 12 districts and make a speech about how thankful they are to have won the Games. After finishing the tour, Katniss thinks she is well clear of the Games until President Snow announces that each living victor from the previous Games will fight to the death in the 75th Hunger Games, also known as a Quarter Quell. Since Katniss is the only female victor from her district to have won the Games, she has no choice but to battle other tributes in the arena once again. Will she survive the Arena again? As much as I loved the first film, I definitely think this one was better which is quite rare as, usually, the sequels are worse than the first film (Kick-Ass 2, Taken 2, and many more) but in this case, the second film was a lot better than the first. I think the Games in this one are a lot more violent and scarier than the first Games as the Capitol are doing everything they can to prevent a rebellion from happening. Jennifer Lawrence is perfect as the leading lady, Katniss Everdeen, she really understands the depths of the character and shows it. We are also introduced to several new characters, including the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as the latest gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee. In one of his last performances he is the perfect casting as Heavensbee, he is exactly how I imagined him in the book. We are also introduced to some new Tributes as well including Sam Claflin as the charming Finnick Odair and Jena Malone as the fierce and independent Johanna Mason. These two pull off great performances. I wasn't so sure of the casting, at first, but my opinions soon changed once I watched the film. This sequel is full of drama and action and ends with a cliffhanger that will make you dying to watch the third. If you love action, then I'd definitely recommend this.
Into the Woods (2014)
One of the best musicals I've watched!
I don't know why almost everyone is slating this film. I saw it at the cinema and loved every minute of it. If you're a fan of musicals, you'll certainly love this film. It's about a baker, played by James Corden, and his wife who can't have children due to a curse put on the baker's family tree. Fortunately, the witch, played by Meryl Streep, turns up and says that in order to have a child they'll have to get four things: the glass slipper from Cinderella; the red cape from Little Red Riding Hood; Rapunzel's hair and a cow from Jack and the Beanstalk. I thought this was a fun idea and had always wondered what it'd be like if fairy tales were to cross over each other. The songs were great and catchy, some of the characters fun and likable, and there were plenty of humorous moments that honestly had almost the whole cinema laughing and an ending I was not expecting at all which I won't spoil. I loved the casting: Meryl Streep is perfect as the witch, to be honest, I can't imagine anyone else as the witch; I loved James Corden and Emily Blunt as the baker and his wife, they had great chemistry together and Anna Kendrick as Cinderella, I've always thought she'd do well at playing a princess and I wasn't wrong. Definitely one of my favourite musicals. I would recommend this to fans of Les Miserables and Enchanted.
The Incredibles (2004)
Just simply 'incredible'!
This film came out when I was 7 and I loved it! 10 years later, I am now 17 and I love this film just as much, maybe even more. It is, in my opinion, one of Pixar's best films and yet one of the most underrated ones. Whenever someone says 'Pixar' most people will think of the Toy Story trilogy. As much as I love the Toy Story films, I think The Incredibles is better, to be honest. The plot revolves around Bob Parr who is better known as the famous superhero 'Mr. Incredible'. Things are going great for Bob, saving the citizens of Metroville and he's just about to marry Helen (better known as the superhero 'Elastigirl'), but, unfortunately, after letting a criminal go loose and accidentally leaving many people injured, Bob and Helen are forced to leave their superhero lives behind and live as normal citizens. Around 15 years later, they are happily married and have three kids (Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack). Bob also works in an office but doesn't enjoy it and dreams of being a superhero again. Luckily, he gets his chance when a mysterious message sends him a to a secret island where he battles a giant evil robot. But, as he tries to hide his secret superhero life in order to protect his family, Bob faces one of the biggest challenges ever. I loved everything about this film, not only was there lots of action and suspense, there was plenty of humour too! There are also many signs of character development. I think that this is one of the best superhero films ever, I mean, who wouldn't want to be in a family full of superheros? If you love Pixar films and are a huge fan of superheros then I'm sure you'll love this film as much as I do! Really is, just simply, incredible.
The Hunger Games (2012)
Great adaptation of one of my favourite book series
I don't know why this film got so much criticism when it first came out. I was in the middle of reading the first book when I saw the film and I wasn't expecting to enjoy it but I can say that it was much better than what I expected. Of course it doesn't include 100% of the book but then again which book adaptations do? The plot is set in the distant future where every year a male and a female between the ages of 12 & 18, from each of the 12 districts, are sent to fight to the death in the 'Hunger Games' to win money and food for their district. When Katniss Everdeen's younger sister gets picked to fight, she volunteers in her place. There are very talented actors in this film. One who stands out to me is Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Katniss. I had never heard of Jennifer before so this is the first film I had seen her in and in my opinion, she is the perfect person to play Katniss. Josh Hutcherson, who plays Peeta Mellark, is also great in this. At first, I didn't expect him to be so good, as I had seen him in his other films and I thought him more of a comedic actor but I was wrong. Both Jennifer and Josh understood their roles and showed it perfectly. Gary Ross is also a good director and knew exactly who and what he wanted in his film which is important in directing. If you want a better understanding of this film, I would suggest you'd read the books written by Suzanne Collins. They're the main reason why I love this film so much. I would recommend this film to fans of action and adventure as this film is full of it.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
A really funny film, a great adaption of Roald Dahl's classic book
This film was released when I was 8 and I remember being really excited to see it at the cinema. The film didn't disappoint and after I got the DVD, I couldn't stop watching it. Fast forward almost 10 years after it's release, it is still one of my favourite films. The plot revolves around Charlie Bucket, a poor boy who has luckily won a ticket to visit Willy Wonka's factory along with four other children and the chaos that happens during the tour. I have seen many of Tim Burton's films so I knew this wasn't going to be a subtle adaptation and of course Johnny Depp would be in it. So if you've never liked any of Burton's films or aren't a fan of Depp, then I can guarantee you will not like this film. Burton and Depp fans though will most likely love this film. I think Depp is great as the main character, Willy Wonka, who is a chocolate tier and has recently reopened his factory to 5 lucky winners after closing it when workers stole his recipes and sold them. Is Depp better than Gene Wilder's Wonka? I'm not going to compare the two as they're both very different and great films, which happen to be an adaptation of the same book. But Depp does bring a lot of energy and comedy to the character, which I love. Freddie Highmore brings a really good performance as Charlie despite being only 12/13 at the time of filming but then again if you watch his other performances, especially Finding Neverland which he was in with Depp, you can see why Burton chose him for his character. I love the humour in this film, I don't think I've ever laughed so much at a film. The music in this film, created by the talented Danny Elfman, is brilliant and so catchy and make me love the film even more. All in all, a fantastic film. 8/10
Love Actually (2003)
I actually loved this film
This is the perfect romantic comedy to watch at Christmas or, in my opinion, at anytime. The film is set five weeks before Christmas and tells several different stories that involve different kinds of love, so there is something for anyone. There is also a great British cast list, including: Hugh Grant as the new Prime Minister who falls in love with Martine McCutcheon's character who has just started working for him; Liam Neeson who, after losing his wife, helps his stepson to win the girl he loves; Colin Firth who, after finding out that his brother is sleeping with his wife, goes to France to write a book and falls in love with his housekeeper but there's a language barrier as she's from Portugal; Emma Thompson who has to stay strong even though her husband, played by Alan Rickman, is having an affair with one of his workers and Bill Nighy, who has just released a Christmas single based on Wet Wet Wet's song 'Love is All Around' replacing the word 'Love' with 'Christmas', and it's about him promoting his single but in the worst way possible. In my opinion, I loved each story, the actors were all brilliant, there were plenty of laughs throughout and I loved the random cameos from the likes of Ant & Dec and Rowan Atkinson. I would definitely recommend this to anyone that's a fan of romantic comedies and doesn't mind a bit of cheesiness.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Romantic film about two young lovers
This film was beautifully made by Wes Anderson. It's about two young lovers running away to be together after meeting at a play at a church. Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward were great as Sam and Suzy, especially in their debut feature film. And there are some Anderson favourites as well, including my favourites: Bill Murrary as Suzy's father Mr Bishop, whose performance, as usual, is very funny; Edward Norton as Scout Master Ward, who isn't the best Scout Master and, after one of his Scouts runs away, finds it hard to keep his Scout group together, leading to disaster and Jason Schwartzman as Cousin Ben, who doesn't appear until later on in the film but is, as usual, the very random and funny one. Bruce Willis was also comedic as Captain Sharp, who is having an affair with Mr Bishop's wife, played by Frances McDormad, which makes the relationship between him and Mr Bishop awkward and tense, which brings more humour to the narrative. While this film is very funny, there are some dramatic twists in the story, which I wasn't expecting and made this film even better. Great story, great cast, brilliant film!
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
One of the best films I've ever seen!
I remember seeing a poster of this movie in my local cinema and what attracted to this movie was the cast. Most of them were my favourites so I went home and researched this movie and watched the trailer and it looked great! And when I went to see it, the film did not disappoint. I remember in the cinema it was only me and a friend that went to watch it and I left thinking that it was underrated and that it deserved so much more recognition. It was this film that got me into some of Wes Anderson's other movies and soon I became a fan of his films. I definitely would say he's one of my favourite directors. Anyway, this film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, is about Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes) who is a hotel concierge and his lobby boy, Zero (Tony Revolori) and after one of Gustave's mistresses passes away, he becomes a suspect and he and Zero are forced to run away and are lead on a very grand adventure. I definitely would say to anyone who is unsure of this to go and watch it, it might exceed your expectations. Overall, a great film with great actors.