27. Baby Driver

Baby Driver came out yesterday, and we had the pleasure of seeing it on it's opening night. I hadn't seen much advertising for the film (but I do spend the trailers at the pictures on Buzzfeed wondering what flavour crisps I am, instead of paying attention.) We checked out the rating on Rotten Tomatoes and it had 100% so we were well in. Obviously as the film has only just been released, it's not the biggest achievement to have 100%, but it's still a pretty  good indication that the film is going to be a good one.

The starting credits are rolling, and the first scene is really interesting and creative. It's a contemporary dance sequence, where the lyrics are hidden in the scenery of the shot. I thought it was really innovative and new, nothing like anything I have seen before, and it grabbed my attention. From there we are right into a car chase. Again the chase was fast, but interesting, it had action, but also twists and turns in it's plot, not just a car chase.

Baby Driver follows Baby, a getaway driver (duh) for armed robberies and such. Baby (Ansel Elgort) has a passion for music, and uses it to aide him in his driving, a job that a big mistake landed him in, years ago. We follow him as he meets a girl (Lily James) and tries to ditch his life of crime, to no avail.

Baby Driver is sort of a cross between Drive, and Ocean's Eleven. I was worried that it would just be a carbon copy of Drive (I urge you to watch this if you haven't already), but it has it's differences. There's a different backstory, and different characters, as well as Baby's involvement in the heists, and his interaction with others. It also is a humorous film, with real laughs in places. The comedy element was done well, as it enhanced the plot, as opposed to turning it into a slapstick movie. There is also the cleverness of how the jobs are pulled off, or not, similar to Ocean's Eleven. Again, I think it was different enough to make it stand out.

The action scenes in the film were brutal, and violent, but these scenes are included, again, to enhance the plot, and not for the shock factor. I really enjoyed the action, and it definitely wasn't boring. The film is 2hrs long (you know how I feel about this) and yet I wasn't clock watching, I was interested to see what was next. However, I did, last night, have a dream of massacring a load of people and then jumping off a cliff, so I guess if you are of a nervous disposition it could haunt you for weeks!

The soundtrack to the film was also really well done. There were so many classics from so many genres, and it was just really interesting to see how they worked with the film. As a music lover I especially appreciated this. If the soundtrack is released I definitely want it for my car!

Overall, I'm going to give Baby Driver an 8.5/10. I really want to give it a 9, and I really do recommend you going to see it, but I can see a lot of similarities drawn from other films. The first two scenes of the film are by far the most original, and the most interesting and creative, but when we get towards the end, some of the scenes don't match up to this. Don't get me wrong, they are full of action and work well with the plot, but I was just so in awe at the opening titles and how it was so imaginative, I can't help but think that the middle and end can't quite match it. Please go and see it and let me know what you think!

26. Wonder Woman

I'm so late in uploading this, but I've been super busy and also I have been enjoying the glorious weather we have been experiencing/complaining about. Last week's film was Wonder Woman - another superhero film. I was getting to a point when I was unsure which direction we could go with more superhero films - Dr Strange, Deadpool, the terrible flop that was Batman vs Superman - DC and Marvel just can't stop themselves. However, I really wanted to write this review today to urge you to go and see Wonder Woman if you can - it really is great.

Wonder Woman follows Diana, Princess of the Amazons (Gal Gadot), as she goes through her warrior training, something her mother has prevented her from doing for so long, to protect the tribe and paradise-like island from the imminent return of Ares, God of War. After a dramatic family incident, Diana flees to a cliff edge to do some wistful staring into the distance, and as she does so, World War I spy Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) enters the realm. He is fleeing the Germans, who realised he was undercover, and Diana saves him, coming across a man for the first time. From here, Diana realises it is her duty to stop the war happening across the world, and to destroy Ares. Much to her mother's dismay, Diana pops across to England, battles in trenches and finds her self right in the centre of the action.

I really enjoyed the film and found it really balanced. There was intense action, the training and battle scenes were exciting and interesting. Lucy Davis was fabulous as Etta, a great comedy character adding another angle to the film. I also really enjoyed the political angle on the film; discussions about war, politics and evil. Is war down to one person? Is evil just one person? Questions about deindividuation. There were many parallels to our own history which I thought added depth to the film. I really do wish it was a badass lass that sorted us all out, and again I think this film worked really well from a feminist point of view.

There were also a few twists and turns, keeping the film interesting, and I think there were surprises and unexpected moments to keep you on your toes. As well as this, the cinematography was great. The island of Themyscira was truly beautiful, and the contrast between the foggy industrial London and the dingy trenches made it enchanting to watch.

Overall, for the first time in quite a few films, I'd really recommend giving this a watch. Exciting, interesting, political, and with a female lead who shows the lads how it's done, you just can't knock it. I'm giving Wonder Woman a solid 8.5/10!

25. Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge

A little late again, but our latest cinema trip was to see the newest film in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise - number 5. I am unsure why big franchises like this continue to make films, as very few films manage to make number 5 a success (I am still hoping and wishing for Shrek 5 to be incredible, and actually if Despicable Me makes it to number 5, that will clearly be great too). Either way, I don't think the movie will be breaking any records.

The film isn't terrible, but it's probably just how you imagine. Johnny Depp plays the Jack Sparrow in the same way he always has done, Kaya Scodelario and Brenton Thwaites are the films too love interests, and there are a few cameos throughout. We'll come back to that later. Javier Bardem does make a great baddie as Salazar, but that is probably the only good thing about the film.

The film is a big mish mash of lots of events, there's a bank robbery, standard pirates with swords, a wedding, the return of the Black Pearl, seas parting, and a quest for the Trident of Poseidon. In an attempt to make the film interesting, Scodelario's character, Carina, has an interest in the stars, and is very knowledgeable on the topic. It seems like the film attempted to show how a female can intelligent and be an integral part of the plot, however, to offset this, the other characters hurl sexist abuse at her throughout, undermining her importance for a cheap joke.

On to the cameos as promised, what the hell is Paul McCartney doing in Pirates of the Caribbean 5???? Surely he hasn't run out of money, he's Macca????? The scene was so bizarre, but I actually think it's worth the watch (or at least to try and find the clip on YouTube or something) just for his appearance.

Overall, the film isn't boring, it does keep your attention, but I think the plot is unclear and there is a lot going on. It seems like the writers wanted to put as much as possible into one film to make it extravagant, but sometimes more is less. I guess this is the type of film that you could watch on a Sunday and not have to think too much, but it wasn't my favourite. There are so many more films released this year that have a more interesting plot, better acting, and that are 10x more funny. There are also films that have been a lot worse, so I give this movie a fair 6/10 .