50. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

The original Jumanji is one of my favourite films. Amongst all the nightmares it gave me, it reminds me of my childhood, and was one of the most played videos, alongside The Witches, at my out of school club. Loved it. In fact I loved it so much that I got the DVD a few years ago whilst I was at uni, so we could watch it as a uni family. I'm sure most people my age would agree it is a seminal piece of cinema. When I saw there was a sequel, I was ecstatic. We were lucky enough to catch Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle on it's opening evening, and it was an absolute treat.

Jumanji is a jungle board game, updated in the new film, where it becomes, what seems to me, a Sega Mega Drive/N64 hybrid game. 4 high schoolers end up in detention, and unbeknownst to them, end up inside Jumanji. In order to escape the game, they must save Jumanji, and return a gem to the top of a giant jaguar statue.

I really enjoyed the references to gaming, for example, with the story telling characters that are not helpful at all. It bought back my frustration of trying to complete Zelda. I liked how each character's qualities and weaknesses all played into the film, and I thought it was really clever. There was also good development of characters, and the relationships between the characters. A fundamental part of Jumanji is the teamwork required to complete the game, which I felt was really pertinent in the storytelling.

I enjoyed the references back to the original film, I thought it was a lovely touch, especially following the death of Robin Williams in 2014. Just seeing the 'Jumanji house' bought back so many childhood memories.

I also enjoyed the fact Nick Jonas was in it. Very random.

The Rock was great, Kevin Hart was great, Karen Gillan was great, Jack Black was great. They clearly had a ball making the film, and it was so much fun to watch. It's not the most intellectual film, but it was really interesting to watch, and there were some really funny parts at all. Again, a lot of the best bits were shown in the trailer, but the film did have much more to give. It's a really easy watch, but the story has purpose and keeps you interested, as well as giving a message to the audience as well. I saw a few kids in the cinema, and thought it must be nice for both parents and children to be enjoying the film together. I think it was very good marketing to pitch the films over 20 years apart.

Overall, if Jumanji is as much a part of your childhood as it was to me, you will love this film regardless. If it wasn't, but you enjoyed the first film, or if you were intrigued by the trailer, definitley give it a go. It's a great little film to watch between Christmas and New Year, and I know Cineworld are also showing it in 4DX (That's the one with the wind and rain and snow and fog and smells etc). If you are reading this and know me in person, the Cineworld in Didsbury have just opened their 4DX screen this week. You're welcome. 8/10. Loved it.

49. Daddy's Home 2

In 2015, we saw Daddy's Home in between Christmas and New Year. There's always that weird bit in between those two days, where some people are at work, some people aren't. You feel strange because just as you've stopped feeling christmassy you are ready for New Year and there is more prep to do, and more excitement to be had. That's if you celebrate either of them, of course, but I love New Year so much. It's when you can spend an evening with your friends, we don't tend to go out as it's so expensive, but we play games and dance until we fall over or are sick. Anyway.

So when we saw Daddy's Home in 2015, it was a filler activity, and actually it was better than anticipated. It's definitely got that laddy humour, and it's definitely silly and daft, but it gave that light relief and is a bit of a feel good film. As much as I prefer tongue in cheek, or political, or 'clever' humour, there is no doubt in my mind that Will Ferrell is an absolute genius. Anchorman is one of my favourite films ever.

So back to our sequel. The adverts and trailers I'd seen reminded me of how much I enjoyed the first film, and I was looking forward to seeing the next chapter. Again, I knew what I was getting myself into, it was going to be silly and light hearted. This time, the story follows Brad (Ferrell) and Dusty's (Mark Wahlberg) Christmas, as their fathers join them. Brad is the stepfather to Dusty's children, but following the original film, the sort their differences and manage to share the care for the children without argument. Brad's father is overbearingly kind and loving, but there is something else going on behind this, and Dusty's dad is cold and cool, not understanding of the 'co-dad' arrangement between Dusty and Brad. Following the arrangement of a Christmas holiday for the entire family, the plot is littered with ridiculous disasters that happen as the fathers work out their differences.

Now whereas with The Disaster Artist I left saying 'that was fantastic', I left Daddy's Home 2 with 'that was ridiculous'. The plot was weak, the whole premise was almost exactly the same as the previous film, and there was nothing overly exciting about it. I did laugh throughout the film, but I can't tell you any of the jokes now. There was nothing memorable. It seemed like a film for a film's sake. All of the most humorous parts were previewed in the trailers. There was nothing new. I have to be honest and say that this is one of the poorer films I have seen this year.

If you like a silly film, and you just want something easy to watch, then it does the job. But why not watch Shrek instead. The marvellous masterpiece that is Shrek. Daddy's Home 2 gets a 4/10 from me.

48. Wonder

Another Tuesday afternoon film for me, Wonder follows the story of Auggie Pullman (Jacob Tremblay), a young boy with Treacher-Collins syndrome, as his parents (Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson) decide it is time for him to enrol in mainstream school, after being home schooled.

The film deals with issues around bullying and children being cruel, as well as parents being cruel, and people's reaction to when someone is 'different'. I enjoyed the films perspective on this, and I especially enjoyed the fact that the film had a focus on Auggie's sister Via (Izabela Vidovic). The film looked at the whole family dynamic of dealing with the change of moving to mainstream school, as well as other social factors that occur along side it.

The film had a solid moral message, looking at the way people treat each other. As the film progressed, a solid group of friends are formed around Auggie, as the children realise that sometimes being 'cool' or hanging around bullies, have consequences. The children realise that what they really wanted was friendship and kindness.

The film also illustrated the issue of thinking before you speak, as this got one of Auggie's closest friends into a lot of trouble, nearly losing their friendship.

The film is heartwarming and emotional, and is written and produced well to reflect this. It's written and directed by Stephen Chbosky, the writer and director of The Perks of Being a Wallflower (he also wrote the book), and is very similar in style. For me, the plot doesn't necessarily ever come to a head, but actually the emotional story is written very well.

This isn't the best film I've seen all year, but it was enjoyable. If you want something that's relatively easy to watch, and will leave you feeling a sense of justice and happiness, this may be a good choice. I found the film interesting to watch with it's different angles, and it really investigated how the whole family felt about the struggles of the transition to school, as well as the emotional heartache of watching a son/brother have countless major operations.

I do question why Jacob Tremblay was cast, as opposed to someone with a genetic condition themselves.

Overall, I think Wonder deserves a 7/10. Not the best film out at the moment, but certainly one worth a watch.

47. The Disaster Artist

We went in blind seeing this film; we've saved Daddy's Home 2 (a sure fire classic, or aboslute twaddle) for a Christmas special, and this was the only thing left we hadn't seen. I'd seen reviews that had said the film was meant to be great. It had 97% on Rotten Tomatoes when we booked, but as we all know, as time goes on, RT ratings tend to fall. All I knew was the film was meant to be good.

The film starts and tells us it is based on a real story. My first reaction was: is it actually though. Cynical as I am, turns out it actually is. The film tells the story of Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) and Greg Sestero (Dave Franco). Tommy is an mysterious aspiring actor with a seemingly bottomless pit of money. He enlists Greg, another budding actor, as they move to Hollywood to chase their dreams.

With a lack of success in acting circles, Tommy decides to write, direct and star in his own film 'The Room', writing a part for Greg as well. With his endless cash, Tommy is quite the maverick in the way he creates the film, buying equipment instead of hiring it, enlisting only the best of the best to help him produce the piece.

The Room actually became a cult classic film (see IMDb, 3.6/10, RT 26%), and lots of people in the cinema found the film hilarious, I assume there are lots of references to it. For someone who has never seen The Room, I still found the film really entertaining, and there were some excellent comedy moments. I do imagine that there is a certain type of humour the movie appeals to though, I don't think it is one for everyone.

I found the film quite emotionally interesting. There were parts of the film where I didn't know if Tommy had a motive, or was someone who just wanted to please, or if he had no motive at all. I found it quite interesting and the mystery behind his character is fascinating.

The film makes you want to know more, and after looking up some bits and bobs, I found that the film was not only based on the original, but also on a memoir written by Greg Sestero. I now really want to read the book! The story is so outlandish yet incredible, it makes you yearn for more. I really wasn't sure what we were expecting when booking the ticket, but the first thing I said as the credits started to roll was 'That was fantastic'.

As a little treat, at the end of the film there are some side-by-side shots of 'The Room' and The Disaster Artist’s interpretation. The comparisons are great, and shows the quality of acting from all parties, and also how terrible the original film was.

The film was fantastic, it was an unexpected treat, and I have to give it a 9/10. Probably would give it more but I think James Franco is a bit of a knob.

46. Paddington 2

Long time no see, today I'm blogging from the kitchen, halfway through making an absolute mess, halfway through making a bread and butter pudding. What a great pudding. For a christmassy twist, I've used panettone instead of bread. I've never made any type of bread and butter pudding before and I've made up the recipe so it could be an utter shambles. That's why I don't have a food blog.

Anyway, we're hear to talk about Paddington 2. I saw this last Tuesday, as although the film has been out for a while, there are still plenty of screenings, and there was one in the day at 2pm. I'm now a layabout student who has nothing to do Monday - Wednesday (she says this as she picks up extra shifts) so that just suited me fine.

For anyone who has seen the first film and loved it, this sequel is just as good. It's silly, funny and charming, and it has a decent plot line, as long as you are willing to let your imagination run away with you. There were parts of the film where I was trying to stifle laughter, as the only people in the cinema was me, and a mother and toddler combo, and I thought it would be a bit weird to have a 24 year old howling with laughter in the corner.

The plot follows Paddington as he tries to earn and save money to buy his Aunt Lucy a perfect 100th Birthday present. Paddington starts his own window cleaning business, but somehow ends up in a spot of bother, and gets sent to jail. Now he needs to get out, get justice, AND get Aunt Lucy a present.

The film is full of familiar faces, Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Ben Miller, Hugh Grant, Peter Capaldi, Joanna Lumley, to name but a few. The film was co-written by Simon Farnaby, who also has a cameo. I really like Farnaby's work, and comedy. If you are a fan of the Boosh, or this years absolute classic 'Mindhorn', you might recognise him. He also starred in 2009's 'The Bunny and the Bull', a rare film I saw pre-2015. Another great surprise was the brief yet fantastic appearance of Richard Ayoade, a man who could just stand still and do nothing, and I'd still be crying with laughter. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the cast is great and the acting is brilliant. It looks like a lot of fun was had on the set.

I've just put the bread and butter pudding in the oven. Keep reading this and the next reviews for updates.

The whole production of the film is surreal is not realistic by any stretch of the imagination. Many of you will know I love a true to life film, or a documentary, or an interesting but realistic plot. However, I do like things that are fantastical in this sort of way. If you forget about reality and rhyme and reason, and let the film capture your imagination, you will love it. It's a shame the film won't be out on DVD for a while, because it's definitely a film perfect for watching with the family around Christmas, appealing to all ages (Probably the reason why it's out now isn't it)

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film, and have to give it a 9/10. It was brilliant.

45. Murder on the Orient Express

If you know me, you’ll know I love murder. Murder is in the title of the film. I’m pretty much sold. I love a murder mystery; simple whodunit plot, and I’m there. Chuck in a few massively famous faces, and what could go wrong.

Now I hate to follow suit with any other reviews you might have read/heard/seen, but this really isn’t the best film. You might see Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfieffer, Dame Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh, Penelope Cruz, but unfortunately a well billed film doesn’t make a good one. Branagh directed the film, and gave himself the starring role, but didn’t live up to it. Depp isn’t in it for very long and doesn’t leave much of an impression, Dench also isn’t in it for ages (but she is great- her side kick is Olivia Coleman, also great, but maybe not the best role for her), Pfieffer and Cruz I just found annoying. I feel like the characters could have been explored and utilised more, as of course they all have depth, and this holds importance in the story.

Sometimes the plot danced around and it lost my attention. I found this difficult, as Murder on the Orient Express is such a famous story (obviously I’ve not seen it previous to this, as I have only seen films from 2015 onwards), you’d imagine I would be fully immersed in it. I felt like I was more hooked watching The Snowman, a murder mystery with some very obvious plot holes. There was a bit of ‘is it him’ ‘is it her’ whilst watching the film, but honestly, I wasn’t overly invested. So when I found out the big surprise, I found it quite boring. I found the ending a bit of a cop out, and I thought it could have been much more exciting.

Now here is where the problem lies. Do I find the storyline dull? Or is it the way it’s portrayed. Speaking to people beforehand, they had told me it was a great plot. It must be, surely, as it is so famous. I can see how the plot could be clever, how it could all fit together like a perfect jigsaw. But through this interpretation, that is not how I felt. I felt disappointed. I wanted more from the film.

Again, we ask the question- is there too much hype? Do the big names attract the attention, but detract from the bigger picture? If you have seen the story before, I would give this version a miss. If you haven’t, I reckon it’s worth seeing it, as it’s a classic, but maybe see a different version. Maybe I’ll see a different version and let you know how I find it (probably not). Overall, I can only give Murder on the Orient Express a weak 6/10. Not worth the hype.

44. Thor: Ragnarok

I really wasn’t bothered at all about this film. I’ve never seen any other Thor film before, and we all know I’m not bothered about superheroes unless is it’s Christopher Nolan’s Batman. I’d heard really good reviews, but as the film started, I wasn’t particularly enthused. The starting scenes I thought were trying to be funny, with Thor captured and struggling to escape without his hammer. I guess this kind of sets the scene for those who managed to see the 2 other films, read any sort of comic, or be culturally aware. For me I didn’t really understand what was going on, and didn’t really care.

However, about 15 – 20 minutes into the film, I was completely hooked. The storyline was good, and captured my imagination. To keep my attention, we have lots of fun cameos from other Marvel characters. My personal favourite was Benedict Cumberbatch, where I exclaimed ‘it’s him, what’s his name, Magic Fingers’. Apparently that character is called Dr Strange (the 2016 movie wasn’t bad at all). I didn’t have a full understanding of the Hulk’s character, but quickly picked this up as we meet him along the way as well. Who knew, maybe I do like superhero films.

We also come across the best character in the film by a country mile, Korg. Voiced by Taika Waititi (the film’s director), Korg is completely hilarious, I couldn’t stop laughing his  dry deadpan humour, hilarious stories, and one liners. In fact, Thor on the whole is a pretty funny movie. It wasn’t try hard funny, and it wasn’t laugh a minute funny, but the light relief throughout the film really enhanced the plot and dialogue.

I thought the film on the whole was really well done, I guess when you are on the third in the series of a franchise, you expect it to be a bit rubbish, but I genuinely thought it was a good film. I don’t have anything to compare to, but IMdb gives both the first films a solid 7/10. I thought the acting was pretty good, the interaction between the characters and the CGI characters was believable, and the plot alongside it worked really well. I picked up the gist of the film quickly, and didn’t feel alienated, although I’d imagine there are lots of points of reference for fans of the first films.

Overall, it might sound generous, but Thor: Ragnarok gets an 8.5/10 from me. I went it not expecting much, but thoroughly enjoyed my evening. If you can catch it, it’s definitely worth a watch.

43. Bad Mom's Christmas

I am still alive, and this review is super late. In amongst deadlines, work, panic and partying, I have finally found a second to write some reviews. Yes I’m on the train. Perhaps now, as we edge towards December, it is a more appropriate time to discuss ‘Bad Mom’s Christmas’; my first festive film this year.

If you haven’t seen Bad Moms, I urge you to. Last year, we went to see Bad Moms as it was the only thing in the cinema – we’d seen trailers and it looked okay, nothing special, but something light hearted. Now I’m not going to kid you and say it’s the best comedy I’ve ever seen (that clearly goes to Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa) but it was a nice surprise. A really good, classic comedy.

Now this isn’t what you came here to read about. I just thought I’d give you a quick overview, as in 2016 I did not have a blog… instead I had a meticulous spreadsheet with a scoring system. Bad Mom’s Christmas follows the same vein: crude, silly but a good enough storyline.  Bad Mom’s Christmas doesn’t quite hit the mark for me, but it’s still a funny film, and it definitely got me in the mood for Christmas. However, the acting is average, the plot is okay, the jokes are as outlandish as you’d expect, and it just wasn’t quite as good as the original. I don’t doubt that if you enjoyed the original, you’ll enjoy this sequel, but I’m sure you’ll also agree that it doesn’t quite live up to expectations.

It also doesn’t have too much of the ‘christmassy feel good factor’ as I feel this is cancelled out by the crude and rude humour instead. It’s definitely not going to be a family favourite any time soon. But credit where credit is due, that’s not what the film set out to be.

I do like the ‘message’ of the film, if you can call it that. The film is based around being yourself and not conforming to others and I feel like it does a good job of portraying this throughout the film.

Overall, it’s never going to be the best Christmas film, but if you do fancy a light hearted Christmassy LOL then fill your boots while you can catch it. I’d give it a 6.5 for effort.

42. Happy Death Day

I’d seen the advert for Happy Death Day, and was really interested to see how the entire film would pan out. When I say interested, I mean I could instantly tell it was going to be great, or absolutely terrible. Unfortunately, I was completely wrong and it was neither. I guess you can take negatives and positives from that actually.

The film stars Jessica Rothe as Tree, as she wakes up on her birthday and bumbles through her day before a party. As she walks to the party, she gets killed. But in true Ground Hog Day style (like I’ve seen that film), she wakes up, on her birthday, in the exact same situation. As you would, she goes a different way to the party, to avoid the murderer. We soon discover that it doesn’t matter what she does, her murder is about to occur, and it does so in lots of different ways, varying in creativity.

Tree realises that to move on from her birthday, and make it to the next day, she needs to work out who the murderer is, and eliminate them.

I will be honest and say I did jump a mile right at the beginning of the film, but I don’t particularly think that it is an intense film, it’s not overly scary. Some moments of suspense worked well in building tension, but I feel the theme of the film takes away uncertainty. You know she’s going to get murdered, so I feel it takes away some of the surprise and build up.

I also am not sure how easy this film is to ‘guess’ as my good buddy George went ‘it’s them’ right at the beginning, and he was kinda right. There are twists and turns in the film, but I don’t think these are fully committed to. The way the film works is that Tree suspects someone, so goes to destroy them, still gets killed, and then wakes up. There isn’t that intense build up of ‘is it? Isn’t it’ for each suspect, and I think that comes down to the concept of the film. In this manner, it also stops it from being overly scary. I think if you’re not a big scary movie fan, but fancied something a bit spooky over Halloween, it’s definitely something you can handle. Not overly gory, a bit creepy, and a few jumpy bits.

Overall, again this film was pretty average. It did hold my attention the whole way through, and I was interested to see who the murderer was, but it just wasn’t the most exciting, interesting, or innovative film. I like films that make my head hurt a bit as I try to work them out. Happy Death Day gets a 6/10 from me. 

41. The Snowman

The Snowman I feel has had quite a lot of PR for this type of film, there were cardboard cut outs and giant posters all over the cinema, and I’d seen Michael Fassbender doing a lot of TV and radio promo. To my surprise, the film had not received great feedback, and once we’d booked the film, I checked Rotten Tomatoes and it had received a grand total of 22%. I read the blurb and thought that the film was really something that I would enjoy, so I was disappointed in the low percentage. To cheer myself up I looked up Johnny English and saw that it had received 20%. If this film is 2% better than Johnny English it will be all I have ever dreamed about.

Honestly.

Who thinks Johnny English is a 20% film. It’s a 110% film and everyone knows that.

The film introduces Harry Hole (Michael Fassbender); a successful detective with the police, with his speciality being murders. Unfortunately for him, for various reasons he is unable to take on murder cases, until the Snowman case comes along. He receives various letters with mysterious clues, as women keep going missing, and bodies keep being found. All the while, we are in beautiful Scandinavia, with beautiful shots of snowy scenes, with an effective dingy dirty grey filter, displaying the heartache of the murders, as well as Hole’s characters struggles.

It’s at this point that you may or may not know that I am obsessed with murder, true crime, crime fiction, mystery etc etc and this really is what I can watch for hours and hours. The film isn’t complex in it’s plot, and it’s relatively easy to follow. It’s definitely not revolutionary, and it won’t blow your mind. But still, it had my attention with the topic and plot line.

Unfortunately, the film is littered with plot holes, bits that don’t really make sense, and the big reveal of the murder theme at the end just didn’t make sense to me. It tried to address the reasons ‘why’ the murders occurred (every crime fanatic’s dream), but it just didn’t add up. It wasn’t difficult to work out who, and how the murderers had been carried out, and although there was a build up, it just didn’t quite deliver. The film is based on a book by Jo Nesbo, and I’m sure that the book would address these missing parts. But for a film that could have been great, it just didn’t quite get there. In that way, it reminded me of ‘Child 44’. An incredible book, but when I watched the film, ½ of it was missing! It just didn’t do the book justice. In a way I am disappointed as I think I would have really enjoyed the book, but I’ve ruined it for myself now!

I’m not saying for one minute that The Snowman is a 2/10 film. In fact I’d be quite generous and give it a 6.5/10, but it’s not a film that’s going to make you think, it’s not a film that makes you feel clever if you work out the murderer, and it is a film that left me wanting more. It’s an easy watch, it does what it says on the tin, and the cinematography is fantastic.

40. Blade Runner 2049

First of all, congratulations to me! Last year I saw 40 'new' films, and here we are, October, and I've hit that figure. This weeks film review comes from Costa Coffee, in Derby Train Station, where due to a uni open day, the bus got me here 30 minutes before my train is due. Where am I blogging from can become a new feature. Chances are it'll be either on train, near train, or in bed, but there we go. 

I was super excited to see Blade Runner 2049. The reviews I'd seen had been great, and obviously Ryan Gosling is great, Harrison Ford is great, it was all set to be great. The film starts with a handy synopsis of the original film, which was clearly helpful as I've obviously not seen it. The premise of the film is that K (Ryan Gosling) is an artificial human programmed to follow orders, working for LAPD. His mission is to retire the older, less obedient models of himself. 

The film follows K as he tries to retire the replicants, but also explores his emotion and feelings around being an artificial human. He lives with a hologram type female robot whom he is not able to love (because she's a hologram), which leads to quick an interesting/strange/bizarre subplot. He also struggles with memories, as an artificial human, he was never a child, but he still experiences flashbacks to his childhood. This is another theme throughout the film, looking at where these memories come from. 

As expected, there is also lots of action in the film, coming to a head at the end with a really intense and quite exciting action scene. Throughout the film, the action kept me hooked and interested in where the plot was going. 

Unfortunately for the film, it clocks in at a grand total 2hrs 45mins, and for me, as we know, I just don’t think this sort of the length is necessary for a film. Although I could keep my attention due to the exciting action parts, I think it’s hard to maintain the focus on the plot over such a long period of time. As mentioned before, there are many subplots, and these start to get confusing and tangled over time. There are parts where Jared Leto is the main character, but I’m still trying to work out who exactly he is, and with my understanding of the plot, I don’t think some of the parts are truly integral (not that Jared Leto was bad in the film, mind).

I also got about 2 hours into the film, wondering where Harrison Ford was. Again, he wasn’t bad in the film, but was he necessary? It felt like he was more of a cameo, and he could have been integrated more into the plot. That said, I haven’t seen the original so what do I know? 

Overall, the film is enjoyable, and if you are a SciFi/Fantasy fan you will really enjoy it. For me, not the biggest fan of things that aren’t realistic, it isn’t my film of the year, but I still think it is worth a watch. I wouldn’t say it lived up to the hype, but I’ll give it a solid 7.5/10 for the effort. Someone needs to give the movie industry the heads up that films only need to be 1.5-2hrs long. 

39. IT

I’ve never seen the original IT (it came out before 2015 so the chances of me seeing it were very slim), but I am a fan of scary films. I probably won’t go back to the original, as I often find with scary films, they date badly with the moving on of technology. I watched The Exocist, and found it hilarious, and not scary in the slightest, because the effects were so awful and laughable. I wasn’t aware of the storyline for IT, as I’ve never read the book either, but I was excited to see what it was all about. When I’m about to watch a scary film, I get excited all day about it, and as soon as I walk into the cinema I get scared and need to hide under my coat. IT was no exception.

 The first thing I liked about this film, was the fact I now fully understand the meme where the woman slides into the grid in the pavement. The film gets full marks for this alone. Meme education AND entertainment.

The tension in the film was built up incredibly well, the suspense made me so scared, and there were several points where I jumped. I enjoy this in a film, where the actual scary part is nowhere near as bad as the build up to it. I did find some of the scary bits laughable, but I don’t think that they distracted from the plot. I found the gore manageable, and not used as shock tactics or overkill. Sometimes I think gore is added to a film for goresake, and then I find it quite distracting and annoying.

I found Pennywise absolutely horrendous, those teeth are just disgusting, and he was so creepy, I thought Bill Skarsgård was great. The acting of both Bill Skarsgård and the children was great, and really portrayed the fear and emotion of the film. I think this really enhanced the plot, and made you understand how Pennywise works and how he can be beaten. I did feel like I was watching a Halloween version of Stranger Things, with Finn Wolfhard as well as the period of time it was set in.

I enjoyed the backstory to the plot, with people going missing in the town in question for a period every so many years. It again paints the picture of the film, giving it narrative, and not just being a horror film for horror’s sake. I guess this may be down to the film being based on a book, written by one of the greatest horror writers. As someone who has never read a Stephen King novel, I may be tempted to now.

Overall, I really enjoyed the film, I think it did the job that it set out to do, and has probably inspired a lot of costumes this Halloween. If you’ve not managed to see the movie yet, I’d urge you to try and catch it at the cinema, so you can get the full creepy experience (or maybe watch it at home, on a dark windy night, and leave the front door open for extra creepy noises).I’d give it an 8.5/10, one of the best horrors I’ve seen in a long while!

38. Kingsman: The Golden Circle

Firstly, again this is incredibly late. I have two films to
catch up on, this, and IT. I don’t feel so guilty about not catching up on
either. Kingsman is simply not great, and I feel everyone has seen IT. My
excuse for my lateness, is that I have started my Masters at uni, and been
juggling various types of work, uni timetabling, weekend activities. It turns
out that if you do a Masters, you have to do work outside of uni. Who knew! So
here we are. As you probably already know, my new years resolution was to write
my blog for every 2017 film I see, hence the catch up.

You might have seen me reference the original Kingsman film
in a previous review. I watched the first film for the first time a month or so
ago, in preparation for the sequel. I really enjoyed it. I found it a good
balance of comedy and action, and found the plot interesting. Predictable in
parts, but an easy watch. I found parts of the comedy sexist and dated, but I
attributed this to it being a slightly older film, and perhaps whenever it was
released, there wasn’t enough publicity around what is acceptable and what is
not. Not that that excuses it.

So coming into the sequel, I was actually really excited. I
was ready for an easy funny film that would keep my attention. What actually
happened, was that I was watching a really bizarre, silly and offensive film. I
feel the plot line was just quite silly, but not in a clever or surreal way.
The main idea is that Poppy (Julianne Moore) is trying to control population by killing off
anyone who takes drugs. A chemical is produced that when reacting with someone
who has taken drugs, they start a process in their body, starting with a purple
rash, moving to ‘mania’ and then freezing, and finally death. Here Eggsy (Taron Egerton) must save the day, and stop the chemical from being released throughout the
world. Obviously the film takes the stance that people who take drugs clearly
shouldn’t die (which probably still isn't the view of some people) but I felt the
film could have explored social issues and reasons why people may take drugs
more.

I also have problems with the way mental health was
perceived in the film. At one point I remember the main nemesis being described
as ‘having mental health issues as a child’. If that isn’t stigma, then I don’t
know what is. Also the so called ‘mania’ portrayed in the film is nothing like
mania, a medical term for a type of mental illness, or a symptom. Again, not
helping the stigma. My working background is in mental health, and I don’t
think some people who are hospitalised due to manic symptoms would be best
pleased to see their condition stereotyped as dancing around and listening to
loud music in a blockbuster film. It’s not particularly helping to educate the
audience, but more contributing to the stigma created by society.

Another strange thing about the film is the presence of
Elton John. He’s in the film loads and swears occasionally and is generally
made a spectacle out of. Why did he agree to being part of this??? It’s not
like he needs the money. I found it so strange, and it didn’t contribute to the
plot at all, except that robot dogs wouldn’t kill him as he was Elton John.
Very strange experience, I felt like I was on drugs myself just watching it.

I can understand why some people would enjoy the film, in a
similar way to how people would enjoy Zoolander 2. Actually I’m not that sure
why you would enjoy this film, but George and Bailey did. Maybe this is your
thing. It definitely did not live up to the original film, so I can only give
it a 5/10. I give it a 5/10 as Zoolander 2 got a 4 and it was marginally better
than that, and clearly, looking at the box office figures, this must be the
type of thing some people enjoy.

37. mother!

I feel like mother! has been quite well publicised and advertised, I've seen the trailer at the cinema, I've heard it being spoken about on the radio, and there even was an advert for it in a podcast I listen to, My Favorite Murder. Incidentally, if you are fascinated by true crime, you need to listen to My Favorite Murder, it's great! Anyway, from what I could see, I needed to watch this film. Psychological thrillers are definitely my jam. Ali Plumb's review on radio 1 gave it simultaneously a 2 and 4 out of 5. I was even more intrigued.

mother! is the story of Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem's relationship, and the house they live in. And yes, it is as strange as it sounds. None of the character's in the film are named, and I only realised this towards the end, but actually I think it is quite effective. The acting by both Lawrence and Bardem was so great (as to be expected) that you feel feelings towards the characters, without knowing very much about them at all. One day a stranger arrives at the house, thinking it is a B&B, and Bardem insists he stays as it is night time. Strange things happen with his arrival, and the following day, his wife invites herself in as well. She is quite bolshy, brash and rude, and rubs Lawrence up the wrong way. Next the two sons arrive, and things take a completely different turn.

Now I don't want to ruin the film, but from this point, the whole plot goes a bit mad. Completely wild and mad and I have no idea what went on. We know Lawrence has a connection with the house and hates the visitors disturbing it and it only becomes clear at the very end what the connection is. The film becomes very abstract and I can see why people wouldn't like the film, and why it really is an arthouse movie.

I did like the questions the film throws up, about fame, family and celebrity. I also think it was quite political and asked some religious questions as well. And with that, I can understand why it may be controversial. I really don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil the film, but it really is bizarre.

The acting in the film was great, I really enjoyed the first half of the film, and I like the fact I left the cinema wondering what the hell was going on. You really want to know what's coming next throughout the whole film. Incidentally, the film isn't particularly scary or jumpy, as you may guess from the trailer. It's neither of those things, it's just plain weird.

I kind of want to copy Ali Plumb and give it a 4 and a 7 out of 10, but I'm going to lean towards 7/10 because in all fairness, I was entertained, and I did enjoy it. I'm glad I went to see it, and if you've been umming and ahhing about going, I think it is worth a watch. Just be aware it's weird as hell and you'll have no idea what's going on by 1hr 45!

36. American Assassin

From the trailer for American Assassin, I was really excited to see the film. The trailer makes it look like an action filled film with an exciting and interesting plot. In all honesty, I don't think this is going to be a very good review, because I wasn't as consumed by the film as I expected to be.

So much so that I've had to read a plot summary to remind me the jist of the film. Now to give me credit I started uni last week (Hi guys I'm doing a masters. I'm going to be a Master. How great is that. I mean it will be great at the end, but right now it seems like i'm just going to have to do a lot of work. A lot of last week was filled with me being told what a Student's Union is -or the Union of Students, Thanks Derby- despite already spending 3 years of my life in a Student's Union on pound pints. So please excuse me for how uninformative this review is)

The film centres around Mitch Rapp (Dylan O'Brien) after being part of a terrorist attack on holiday, and losing his wife to be. Rapp is out for revenge, interacting with terrorists online, and trying to get his retribution through undercover work. After he meets with one of the terrorists, and it comes to a head, Rapp moves from a CIA safe house, to being offered the chance to be trained to become a Black Ops agent. From here we follow him through training, and we learn about a nuclear weapons plan the team need to intercept.

I did like the realism in the film, and it is quite scary to think about similar things happening in different parts of the world right now, in terms of nuclear weapons. Maybe because I am terrified of these things happening, my memory subconsciously erased how I experienced the film...

Overall, from my none review, the first thing I said when I left the cinema was "what a bang average film" so it is only fair to award the movie a bang average 5/10. I feel the film was too long and I ended up doing a bit of clock watching, the plot wasn't completely gripping, and I went in with quite high expectations from seeing it advertised. At the moment there are quite a few interesting looking films out, and I wouldn't perceive this as one of them. That said, maybe I would be more into it if I wasn't full of information about Continuing Professional Development, or how to use Blackboard...

35. The Hitman's Bodyguard

Seeing The Hitman's Bodyguard was an accident. There was a crash on the M6 meaning we couldn't make it to see Detroit and have tea beforehand, and as it happens, we were all rather hangry. The Hitman's Bodyguard started at 9pm, so we had a cheeky Nando's and were away.

We had no idea what the film was about, I haven't seen loads of advertising for it, and Rotten Tomatoes suggested it was a 36% film. Rotten Tomatoes was right. The film follows Bryce (Ryan Reynolds), a former 'triple A' bodyguard, after being called at the last minute to protect Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson). Kincaid is a notorious hitman, but also Interpol's last chance to prosecute a world leader for crimes against humanity. Bryce must ensure Kincaid is safely escorted from the UK to the Netherlands. As you can probably guess, along the way there are many hiccups - people trying to kill Kincaid, and Kincaid trying to escape.

From the plot summary above, the storyline doesn't actually sound that bad, it seems like it could be quite captivating, and exciting. However, in reality, it is an obvious story throughout, and the execution of it is not the best either. The film is 2hrs long, which is far too long for a movie you could guess the ending from the first 20 minutes, leaving the audience bored in places.

The film is by no means serious, and the elements of comedy do work in some places, but it isn't the funniest action comedy either. I watched Kingsman: The Secret Service last night (revision for the sequel, out next week), and found it far more humorous and exciting.

The only redeeming feature of the film was the chemistry between Reynolds and Jackson, and the way it develops through the film. From the initial relationship as prisoner and bodyguard, to them working together to survive in situations, teasing each other, and possibly even friendship. I think the acting skill here really enhanced the storyline, it's just a shame the storyline was so weak. From that initial review on Rotten Tomatoes, I think it is clear that my view is probably the view of many.

The Hitman's Bodyguard worked in one way for me, it allowed me to have my chicken, and cured my hangriness. But on reflection, if it wasn't for the M6, I wouldn't have seen this film, and I wouldn't have felt that I was missing out. When we pick a film at the cinema, it's often based on adverts, what's popular in the media, the occasional Ali Plumb review on Radio 1, but more often than not, a quick score check on IMDb and RT. The Hitman's Bodyguard wouldn't even reach my radar. Maybe that is for me to open my horizons a bit more, and read more and see more less commercial films, but on this occasion, our system was right. The Hitman's Bodyguard gets a 4.5/10. I've seen worst, but not worth the 2hrs of your life really.

34. Logan Lucky

As soon as I saw the trailer for this film, I was excited to see it. It's no secret I love films about crime, and this heist looked excited, and Channing Tatum was involved (our lead, Jimmy Logan). The film lives up to expectations, and I really enjoyed it. It's a heist movie, but there is something extra that makes it exciting and enjoyable, as opposed to predictable and boring.

Jimmy has a rocky relationship with his ex-wife Bobbie Jo (Katie Holmes), who he has daughter Sadie (Farrah Mackenzie) with. Sadie is Jimmy's pride and joy, but he somehow always ends up being late (or turning up on the wrong day), angering Bobbie Jo. She decides to up sticks and move away from Jimmy, to an amazing mansion with her new husband.

Jimmy enlists the help of his brother Clyde (Adam Driver) and decides to spice up his life a bit, by deciding to steal the prize money from a big NASCAR event. He decides to win the support of Joe Bang (Daniel Craig) to help break into the safe. Joe is incarcerated for using explosives to open safes.

The plot follows how Jimmy ends up smuggling Joe out of prison for the main event, how they steal the money, and the aftermath. As with most films like this, it's incredibly clever and interesting, and it really keeps the audience captivated in how they will pull it off.

The film is interesting as it looks at family relationships, and inter family relationships, looking at different bonds, and how people work well (or not) together. It also has elements of comedy, which again, kept the interest; it's not a serious film, but it is clever. Tatum played the character of Jimmy really well, although it is within the roles he usually goes for, there is no doubt that he can play it well. Driver was excellent at playing Clyde, he's very mysterious, and quite surprising at times - you're not sure how much Clyde is in it, or just following orders from his brother, and this is played really well. As well as this, I thought Craig was excellent. I feel we all know Craig as James Bond, but I think here he proved he can play varied roles. I was actually surprisingly impressed by his Southern American accent, and also his good-baddie role, if that makes sense.

The film finishes with an open ending, setting up for a sequel, so if that comes to light, I think it will be interesting to see if it is forced, or if there is more on the creators minds. That said, I did quite like the open ending, even if there isn't a second film.

A really entertaining film, I think it's absolutely worth the watch, and would encourage you to see it on the big screen. I give Logan Lucky 8.5/10 for its great lead actors, engaging plot, comedic script, and for making heist movies good again!

33. Girls Trip

I think I sabotaged myself with this film, I had heard really good stuff about it, and maybe expected too much. Now Girls Trip is not a bad film, in fact it does exactly what it says in the tin. It's a classic chick flick comedy, a little rude in places, but with a good story line.

The Flossy Posse is formed by Ryan (Regina Hall), Sasha (Queen Latifah), Lisa (Jada Pinkett-Smith) and Dina (Tiffany Haddish), and the girls set off on a get together after not seeing each other for years. They hit New Orleans, where Essence Music Festival is taking place, and also where a company wants to make a big deal with Ryan. Ryan is a big celebrity, writing books about how to have the perfect relationship.

With everything in everyones personal lives, the weekend seems to be a turning point for the girls, getting back together and having some respite from work, family, and relationship troubles. As you can imagine, when we get into the weekend, all is not what it seems. Ryan's relationship is far from perfect, Lisa's life as a single mum gives her no time for romance, and so on.

The film continues with love rivals, cat fights, weeing on a zip wire, and everything else you can imagine, with lots of appearances and cameos from impressive celebrities- Ne-Yo, P.Diddy, Estelle; to name a few. The film is wacky and wild, but it is genuinely funny, and I think would appeal to most people. I had it in my head that the film addressed social and racial issues in a comedic way, and that is not what the film is. What it is, is a really easy watch. It does have some messages, and I think Ryan's situation regarding her love life, and money, is actually quiet thought provoking.

The film is something perfect for a lazy evening, or hungover morning. There are laughs for all, and the storyline on the whole is okay. I just don't think it was very memorable. There are no quotes, funny one liners, and the plot wasn't overly interesting. I feel like it is a film similar to last years Sisters- a comedy with Amy Poehler. I remember enjoying the film, but it's not memorable. I can't remember any plot lines, or any jokes, and I don't feel overly enthused to watch it again.

For this reason, I'll give Girls Trip at 6.5/10. It does what it says on the tin, and would provide light relief after a heavy Saturday night, but it's not a ground breaking comedy, and it's not going to win any awards.

32. England is Mine

In amongst working 20 days in a row, having a social life, and trying to squeeze in sleep, I managed to see England is Mine, the new Morrissey film, however I didn't manage to blog about it. That could mean I was really busy, or it could mean it wasn't the best.

I am a Smiths fan, and I find Morrissey intriguing to say the least, so I was excited to see the film once I had seen the trailer. I also was excited when I saw that Jack Lowden (see previous blog entry) was playing Morrissey, however I much prefer Lowden as a pilot than as a young Moz. I also made the mistake where I watched an interview with him talking about the film, claiming to like The Smiths but proceeding to know nothing about them. They've got that song about that light that never goes out yeah? Anyway, in the interview apparently Lowden was told to only research certain Smiths/Morrissey information, which I appreciate would help him play the part, but I didn't understand why he was told not to read Morrissey's autobiography. Surely reading that would help see both sides of the picture, painted by both the media and the man himself.

I did enjoy the film, and watching in a Manchester cinema I think was also a good experience. There were local jokes, and actually, the film was really rather funny. If you haven't guessed already, the film is the story of Morrissey before The Smiths. It's the story of his early life, his family, his friendships. It's endearing and awkward, and some characters are hilariously witty. It's an easy watch, with the golden time ticket of 1hr 30mins, and if you are interested in the genre and Manchester movement, you will probably enjoy it.

I do think the demographic for the film is quite slim, lots of people hate Moz, or find him arrogant/cocky/depressing. I find him a really interesting, and though I don't appreciate everything he says or does, I definitely have respect for him, and though the film was a good insight to his early life, depending on how truthful it is.

Overall, the film was surprisingly funny, but it won't be to everyone's taste. The ending was really predictable, and I feel like if you've seen Nowhere Boy, the film about John Lennon's early life, you probably won't be surprised in the slightest. For that I give England is Mine a respectable 7/10

31. Dunkirk

I was so excited to see Dunkirk, it's based on a true event, it doesn't surpass the 2hr mark, and the cast is incredible. It didn't disappoint. Last night before we watched the film, I had a little look at the previous 30 titles I've seen this year, and I'm delighted to let you know, this takes the top spot. I know a lot of the big titles often come out around the back end of the year/beginning of next year due to the awards season, but actually, 2017 has given me a lot of bang average films (hit me up with your suggestions of 2017 winners I haven't seen if you fancy.) This movie was captivating, interesting, emotional, full of action. It really was fab. It also has Tom Hardy in it (and my new friend Jack Lowden...).

The film encapsulates the evacuation of Dunkirk (it sounds Scottish but turns out it's in France) from 3 different view points- land, sea and air. On the beach we follow Tommy (Fionn Whitehead) and his mute mate as they try to battle through the troops to grab a spot on a boat nipping back to England. Amongst setbacks and breakthroughs, they find Harry Styles, and we finally discover the real reason why he cut his hair off all those months ago. On water, Mr Dawson (Mark Rylance) is giving the Navy a hand by travelling across to Dunkirk on his private boat with his son and son's friend, in order to help bring some troops back. From the skies, we follow Farrier (Hardy) and Collins (Lowden) as they support troops on air attack on the bomb dropping enemies, fighting against limited fuel. To add to the interest of the plot, we follow the story from 3 different time perspectives; a week on land, a day on a boat, and just an hour in the air. These time frames cleverly match up as we reach the climax of the film.

The film also really followed the British way of life, and anytime a soldier had any kind of break or respite, they were offered a brew. 'Don't worry love go down there there's tea!' 'Go down stairs and grab yourself a brew and a blanket'. A sentiment I can wholly get on board with.

As you can see by the fact I am using proper bulky paragraphs, and not twiddly sentences, I was really encapsulated by the plot and it really held my interest, especially as we switched between the 3 plots. The script was very small, with very little dialogue, but it wasn't needed. The story told itself between the fabulous acting, the tension, the music, the sound effects and the cinematography. I could go on. The cast itself is full of well known, credible actors (Rylance, Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy) and some new faces, but the acting was incredible, and the whole thing was casted really well. I thought Styles would be in it for promotion reasons, or just because he's Harry Styles and he can do what he wants. Apparently he was cast out of 1000s of hopefuls and Christopher Nolan had no idea who he was (everyone knows who Harry Styles is???).

To add to that point, everyone had great cheekbones. Really lovely ones. It was a sight to see. I reckon someone in the makeup department must have had an eye out with all those sharp and edgy faces. However, my one disappointment was Tom Hardy. Almost the entire film he spent hiding behind his Bane mask, until the final scenes. What a tease, and what a waste of an excellent face. Spoiler alert but you essentially have to wait until the end of the movie for him to unmask and reveal his chiselled by angels face.

Overall, I very clearly loved the film. Full of non-stop action and emotion, not bulked out with meaningless romance, or sexism, or silly humour. Get yourself to the pictures to watch it, where you can really find yourself in the film, with the loud effects and great quality screen. It's my must watch of the summer!!! My only gripe being that Tom Hardy's face needed to be in it more, it's a 9.5/10 from me. Go and watch as soon as you can.

30. War for the Planet of the Apes

This is another film which is a franchise- this time we're on number 3 and I clearly haven't watched either of the previous films. However, much to my delight, the film summarises its predecessors in 2 short sentences right at the beginning, so as you'd imagine, saving myself 3hours+ of my life and it's in my good books.

From what I can gather, something happened involving a virus or something, and apes started to evolve to become more human-like. This caused distress to humankind, who then found themselves at war with these new badass monkeys.

Originally I thought us humans would be the goodies (because I, a human, am a number one goodie), however, it soon becomes clear it may not be as simple as that. The film follows Caeser's (Ape leader and also Andy Serkis) epic journey to regain justice after his family were brutally attacked.

I surprised myself by becoming really immersed in the film, as I really didn't think it was my thing. I was pulled in by the political values and emotive stories told by the apes. The CGI and voice acting was incredible, as you really start to have empathy for the monkey tribe, despite them not all being verbal. Alongside this, there was exciting and interesting action scenes, gripping from the beginning, to the end.

Unfortunately, because I crave for a realistic film (Where my docu-films at???), I kept transporting myself back to the outskirts of Manchester, realising I was watching several apes riding horses, and there were moments where I found it hard to contain myself. This was also not helped at all, by the film trying to add an element of humour. 'Bad Ape' (Steve Zahn) wears a hat and bodywarmer combo and joins us for the lols halfway through the movie speaking broken English to lighten the mood. In this case I found it just distracted away from the storyline, as oppose to enhancing it.

Another point I did enjoy, was the gorgeous cinematography. There are some amazing shots of Canada, almost rivalling the beauty of 2015's 'The Revenant'. I was half expecting an ape to cut open a horse and sleep in it.

Overall, War for the Planet of the Apes was a pleasant surprise for me, providing a great story, and one that made some great, relevant points. Despite this, there still were some faults to the film, and for that reason, I will give it a respectable 7.5/10

29. Transformers: The Last Knight

Transformers is onto it's fifth film - another franchise making this milestone of late (See post 25 for my review of Pirates of the Caribbean 5). I find it difficult to see how directors and producers think that film number 5 is a viable venture, but then I am more than ready for Shrek 5 and I predict it will be a lucrative venture. I'm waffling now.

Anyway, I remember when Transformers came out, and I remember seeing it at the cinema, and loving it. But I never saw any of the film's follow ups, and I've never really been that interested in watching them. I was intrigued to see if I'd enjoy it, or, 10 years on from the original, it wasn't my type of thing anymore. Let's face it, I'm probably not the part of the demographic it's aimed at.

The film starts by giving a history, and taking us back to the Dark Ages, where Transformers answered Merlin's call for help in an epic battle. Merlin was provided with a very powerful staff, which can only be controlled by certain people.

Then we come back to the modern day, where Transformers and humans are at war. Transformers are in hiding, in what seems like an area 51 type get up. Few humans believe that humans should work with, and not against the Transformers, including Cade (Mark Wahlberg) and Izabella (Isabela Moner). They play the part trying to resolve the conflict, but taking the Transformers side, you can probably guess how the plot pans out from here. 

Viviane (Laura Haddock) ties the past to the present as a professor of history, who explains the myths and legends of the Dark Ages in her job at a museum, but also dispels them as untrue, and made up. Viviane gets caught up in the war, and soon realises there may be truth behind the myths. 

I find the concept for the film quite interesting, and I like the historical element; using fascinating myths and legends and amending them to fit the films reality. I think using a technique like that can make the movie quite immersive. 

However, the plot and the story itself complicates itself. There was too much crammed into over 2 hours, when a simpler plot, and 45 minutes less, could have produced a better result. I thought at one point it was coming to the climax, and yet 20 minutes later we were into another big epic scene and there was still more to come. 

Because of all these twists and turns, you may think it's exciting, but for me, I found it made it less memorable. What was the big scene? What was the main bit? Because there was so much action, it made me feel like I didn't know which bits were crucial, or which bits were meant to tell a story.

Overall, this is something you could definitely give a miss. 10 years on from the first film, is it still relevant? Did we need a fifth film? I guess if you're a die hard Transformers fan, you'll still like it, and enjoy the historical element, but from anyone else, you're not missing out. I'll give it 4/10, I have seen worse films, but perhaps not that many. 

28. Despicable Me 3

It's no secret that I love Despicable Me; a fun cartoon with lovable characters and hilarious Minions. That's right, I fall on the 'love 'em' side of the marmite flavoured annoying yellow creatures. If you don't already know, Despicable Me is centred in a world full of heroes and villains, full of battles to either be the best, or the baddest. The central character in our film is Gru (Steve Carell), and since 2010 (yes, that's 7 years ago, do you feel old?) he has flitted between the baddest baddie, and a hero, served by his adorable Minions (we last saw them in 2015 in their own film).

The antagonist in this film is Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker), who previously was a child star, starring in his own show 'Evil Bratt' where he did just that. Upon the TV show's cancellation he took on the character, and is aiming for world domination. Clearly it is up to Gru to sort this out!

We discover that Gru has a twin brother, Dru, who is quite the opposite to Gru- cheery, charming and full of beans. After the initial annoyance, Gru and Dru team up to take on Bratt.

Amongst story lines about catching unicorns, a high speed car chase, and an island full of pigs, Despicable Me 3 holds the attention of the audience, whichever generation they sit in. The thing about these films is that they really work for those of any age, without alienating anyone.

Unfortunately, with 2 other films and a spin off behind it, Despicable Me 3 is not the greatest in the series, and it is more than likely the worst. The plot wasn't the most memorable, but it was rather predictable, and to be honest, there simply wasn't enough Minion action for my liking. The best bit of the film by far was a Minion pretending to be an air hostess, welcoming his peers onto the plane 'Bello, Bello, Bel-lo, Belllllo....' had us in stitches for ages.

If you have kids or nieces or nephews or what have you, I'd definitley consider taking them to watch the film, especially with the holidays coming up. You will end up giggling as well as them, and it is genuinely not a bad film choice. If you are watching it as a true Despicable Me fan, it is still worth a watch, but don't be expecting miracles. I can only give Despicable Me 3 6.5/10 for trying!

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 .

24. Baywatch

I was 'lucky' enough to see Baywatch before it was released to the public, not because I'm a big time blogger, but because I am a Cineworld Unlimited member. I think the fact that I've left it until a day after the release to write my review shows it's distinct bland and averageness. I was jumping out of my seat to slate The Belko Experiment, and I couldn't wait to talk about politics and justice and just how great Get Out was. Baywatch? Not so much.

The story follows Mitch (Dwayne 'THE ROCK' Johnson) and his crew of lifeguards as they have trials for new recruits. Matt Brody (Zac Efron) is on board by default, along with Ronnie (Jon Bass, casted for cheap laughs) and Summer (Alexandra Daddario, casted for incredible body, alongside Kelly Rohrbach and Ilfenesh Hadera). Together old timers try to convince the new recruits that being a life guard is not just about swimming and stopping people from drowning, but something bigger. Mitch tries to convince the ensemble that there are drugs plots and plots to take over the beach front, littered with the deaths of important members of the community.

Amongst Johnson and Efron showboating, and many shots sexualising women's bodies, the story comes to a head in a nightclub, with a silly dance off scene and some fish. The plot is wishy washy and not memorable, yet obvious. The jokes are silly and obscene and cheap. The Rock is The Rock, and Zac Efron is just in it to suggest the film is not just for men to ogle at the women. I feel like the film tried to make the script seem like the women were in it for more than just looking great, but the main plot was clearly all about Matt Brody being great. I feel like it tried to not make it sexist whilst making it overtly sexist and it just didn't wash with me. I'm not hating on women looking great, because damn I am jealous, it's the fact that that is all they were casted for. Why can't women look great, be full of brains, save the day, kill the baddie and be the main focus of a 'comedy' like this? Or is that another story all together?

It still doesn't quiet meet the dismal lows of Sausage Party, but it's simply not a great film. If you like The Rock and silly LAD humour and looking at hot women in swimwear then maybe this film is for you, but I left feeling bemused, like I'd lost a few hours and like I need to lose about 40 stone. Not my favourite. 4.5/10, could try harder.

23. Alien: Covenant

I've never seen an alien film before. It's clearly not my thing. It's about aliens. It's in space. It's not very realistic. There is potential for lots of mindless gory violence. It's over 2 hours long (2hrs 2mins to be precise).
I was ployed with the promise of Nando's, and to be fair, it wasn't truly awful.

Essentially the film is about a ship of people (and a lovable robot) travelling to a habitable planet to colonise and set up shop, similar to many other space based films I've seen this year. Seriously, where are they all coming from. I said I didn't like space and now space films are all over the show. I can't get rid of them. I'm sure about 20% of all the films I've seen this year are in space.

Anyway.

They come across a planet that's about 7 years closer that they 'must have missed' during research, and decide that will do, and to head for that instead (We all know where this is going). Some members of the crew land on the planet and start to explore, and that's when things start to go wrong. The main ship comes down the the planet to give them a hand (seriously, why did everyone think this was a good idea??) and it all starts kicking off.

Michael Fassbender plays the robot on board the ship, and also the robot from the previous film apparently. Without spoilers, there is a major plot around both his characters. It's all very intense but it comes to a head in a scene where Michael Fassbender 1 is teaching Michael Fassbender 2 how to play the recorder. No idea the relevance, but I couldn't stop laughing. It was true comedy genius, although perhaps not intended. I did wonder at one point that maybe my Tango Ice Blast had been laced with LSD as I really wasn't sure what was going on.

The film was predictable, but I quite liked the ending. It was dark and jumpy and scary, and it did hold my attention throughout the film. I was going in and expecting it to be completely terrible, especially as I assume it's probably about number 40 in the franchise by now. If you like this type of film, if you like the previous films (I assume), then you will enjoy this. There are gruesome bits, and bits where you will jump out of your seat, and I think if you want something that's an easy watch in this sort of genre of film, then it does the trick. Alien: Covenant get's a pretty respectable 7/10 from me.

22. Mindhorn

When I first saw the trailer for this film, I honestly couldn't contain my excitement - I think if you saw the trailer and had the same opinion, you won't be disappointed. However, I do think that you have to 'get' a certain type of humour/comedy style to enjoy it. I love alternative/surreal comedy, so just the thought of something with Julian Barratt AND Steve Coogan is like my dream. I then also realised Russell Tovey was in the film and I was even more excited.

The plot follows Richard Thorncroft (Barratt), who is a failing actor dreaming of any work bigger than a toothpaste advert. His biggest role was as the title character in 80s detective series 'Mindhorn'. Mindhorn's USP is the fact he can see the truth. Thorncroft's agent sorts him out with a job helping the police - there's a killer on the loose on the Isle of Man (Mindhorn's hometown), and he is proposing he will only speak to Mindhorn, despite him being fictional. Thorncroft travels to the island, meeting old flames and work mates whilst trying to solve the murder and catch the killer.

The film was everything I wanted it to be, it was funny, silly, you could even say there was a plot twist - it was truly great and I couldn't stop laughing. I'd honestly watch it again right now, and very few films I feel like I could watch over and over in close proximity. I know in a lot of my reviews I talk about things like morals and character development and interactions and all that rubbish, but there isn't much to say about this film. It simply does what it says on the tin, and it executes it really well. Barratt is so good at playing the 'uncool' character trying to play it cool - Coogan is great as the rival costar. Thorncroft's old stuntman is played by Simon Faranby  (who also co-wrote the screenplay with Barratt) - if you are a Boosh fan you may recognise him- and he is excellent part of an interesting love triangle, throwing hilarious insults in Thorncroft's direction.

Mindhorn really did live up to my expectation, it was laugh out loud funny all the way through and just was such a lighthearted easy watch. It hit my idea film time of 1 hour 30 minutes, was full of great comedians and looked like they must have had a great time filming it. My one criticism would be that it wasn't quite as good as Alan Partridge:Alpha Papa. That may be because we are so familiar with Alan, and he is already a character who we know and love, whereas Thorncroft & Mindhorn are totally new. With that, I urge you to watch both - and I give Mindhorn a solid 9/10! (If you don't like this type of film/comedy though, I feel like you may sit all the way through the film wondering what's going on)

21. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

It will almost certainly not come to you as a surprise that I have not seen the original Guardians of the Galaxy. For fear of boring you, the reasons for this may include: film came out pre 2015, film looks unrealistic, film is set in space. There is a talking space tree for crying out loud. With idea to broaden my horizons, and because I had had reviews from friends telling me 'actually it's alright' I took one for the cinema team, and this was our film this week.

Obviously, reading this review, you have to know I haven't watched the first film, and am just giving my view of this sequel. I have no idea about any of the characters historys. The premise of the film is for this gang of superhero like characters to a) escape from a planet they have just robbed from, and b) it becomes apparent the main story line is to find the true heritage of main character Peter Quill (Chris Pratt).

The plot is simplistic but it is quite fun, and it has a good message (does it really matter who's genes you share?). The adventure is full of laughs and is bright and vivid, easily captivating attention. The group dynamics are interesting, a will-they-won't-they romance, sibling rivalries, and characters that subtlety dislike each other, but come together well as a team. I thought this was interesting and a potential USP in this franchise, as often in films like this, there is a 'good side' and a 'bad side' and less focus on inter-group behaviours and communication (sorry I actually feel like I'm writing a uni essay discussing that, I'll get back to my normal self now).

The soundtrack to this film is really great. I was looking for a new car CD the other week (yes I am 100 years old and still love a good Compact Disc), and was just browsing the new in section of Amazon Music, and there was the Guardians of the Galaxy Soundtrack everywhere! Download, CD, Vinyl, what was all the fuss about?! Now I know. Great tracks from the 70s fit really well with the story and the action in the film, and bring about that sense of nostalgia, and instil that 'feel good' factor into the audience. I feel like I want to buy the CD now but I am definitely not enough of a GotG fan to buy it - what if people ask me questions about the film, god forbid?

For me, the down points of the film are those action sequences that go on and on and on for no reason, when we all know what the outcome is going to be. I do know that this is the part that some people love, but I do often find this boring, as you probably know. I can see how this would really add to the appeal if Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Action is your thing. Also, I know I mentioned the plot line before and it's simplicity, and it is a simple premise, but the film I feel tried too hard to make it complex with bits of subplot which I just didn't find memorable - I watched this film on Wednesday; it's Sunday today and there are bits that just don't spring out to me already - I'm scratching my head wondering how they spread out this plotline into 2hrs 16mins.

I think if this is your type of thing, it will tick all the boxes for you, and will be a really enjoyable watch, with quirky characters, laughs and a soundtrack that delivers. If you're on the edge, it's definitely not a terrible film, something worth a watch but not something you would watch again. That said I'm not going to knock this film too much, as with all my bias against this film, I still enjoyed it, it features the lovely Chris Pratt, and has a whole sequence choreographed to Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain'. My rating for GotG Vol. 2 is 6.5/10

20. The Belko Experiment

One third of the way through the year, and on film number 20, half the amount of films I saw in 2016. To celebrate this milestone, we watched the worst film I've seen in a long while. A film as bad as Zoolander 2, Sausage Party or even... the terrible Fantastic 4 remake.

We decided to see the Belko Experiment, as one member of the cinema club who doesn't like horror films was living the high life in Las Vegas (George) so myself and the other member (Bailey)(and our mate Katie) took the opportunity to see a scary movie (note the name checks - just seeing if they actually read my blog).  Bailey and I both loved Get Out, and I really love the adrenaline rush of watching something scary, and laughing at other people (and myself) at the jumpy bits. I wasn't really sure what The Belko Experiment was about, I'd read a sentence about it and it looked like a grim Saw-esque psychological horror. Fine by me.

Turns out it wasn't a gory psychological horror, in fact it was a shambles littered with overkill.

The plot follows offices workers in Colombia, who hear a voice over a tannoy in their block telling them that two workers must be murdered in the next 30 minutes, or else something worse will happen. Ensue panic. The rest of the film is essentially all the characters deciding whether to kill each other or not, trying to gain access to weapons, hiding, trying to escape, and further instruction from the tannoy.

As mentioned, along with this is a lot of gore and violence. Seasoned readers of my blog will realise I often find mindless violence boring and pointless, and I'm not overly shocked by 'TV gore' as it's often really unrealistic. There's a lot of blood, guts and excessive battering of each other; alongside interesting ways of killing each other- think a lift, think sellotape.

A good horror normally is also sexist and often has an underlying romance with a woman who is often sexualised. In this horror, there was an office romance, and although it wasn't overly sexualised (thumbs up) it was dull and dreary and unnecessary; not adding anything to the plot line. Also, humour is sometimes a tool used in psychological horror/thriller type movies (again, see Get Out). In The Belko Experiment there are some cheap attempts at jokes that didn't really work, some obvious comedy about the token stoner character in the film, and essentially nothing funny. Another tool often used in this type of film would be an ambiguous ending to leave you wanting more, or to make you think about the plot days after you watch the movie. This film tried to do that, the ending is designed to make you thing about bigger things, but for me the plot was so half arsed I really wasn't bothered, and it left me wondering what I had done with the last 89 minutes of my life.

Which brings me to my final point. The fact that it was only 89 minutes was the only redeeming factor for this film, I don't know if I could have lasted much longer. Verdict? 3/10, must try harder.

19. Going in Style

First off, apologies for the lack of blogging! If any of you read my original post you may be aware that the purpose of this blog is to record all the films I've seen in the cinema this year; unfortunately we had a break week last week. In the meantime I've become obsessed with an american law drama series 'How to Get Away with Murder', and BBC documentary 'Reported Missing' but that's not what any of you came to read about.

This week has been interesting - we went to see Going in Style, a film about 3 old men deciding to rob a bank. It all came a bit to close to the bone when an hour before the film started I had a call from the bank telling me that someone had cloned my card and emptied my account (it's not all bad as there wasn't much in there to start with), but I still managed to enjoy the film once I'd got over my initial frustration!

The film is actually a remake of a 1979 film of the same name - I wasn't aware of this until after I saw the film. Joe (Michael Caine), Willie (Morgan Freeman) and Albert (Alan Arkin), are all friends who work at the same company. The company gets bought out and pension schemes are scrapped, all at the same time as Joe is caught up in an armed robbery at his own bank. From here, the three men are annoyed at the situation they are left in and feel like it is unjust. Joe suggests robbing a bank, as he witnessed, as the criminals got away with it. Slowly all 3 come round to the idea and hatch a plan.

Along the way, we learn about the men's families, and their other motives for getting the money. We see them attempt robberies as practices along the way, with hilarious consequences. The movie is fun, and the ending is clever and interesting. It is your classic heist movie, with a small twist. If you like The Italian Job, Ocean's 11, Now You See Me, you'll probably enjoy this film. My only gripe here, is that I didn't think it was original enough (well it is a remake but work with me here). The USP of Going in Style is the comedy value; the fact it is 3 pensioners robbing a bank. For me, there weren't enough laugh out loud moments, and the story and plot didn't work hard enough to make this a stand out film. With Now You See Me, the element of magic makes the plot really interesting, Ocean's 11 you have 3 robberies and a whole mob of people and so on.

What I'm trying to say here, is that while Going in Style is no doubt a fun movie, it is nothing revolutionary or dramatically different that makes it special. Of course I enjoyed my self in the cinema, watching Caine, Freeman and Arkin literally having the best fun making this film, but it's not going to win any awards, and it's perhaps a film I'm not going to be itching to see again.

For that reason, I give Going in Style, a 6.5/10. It does what it says on the tin, and it's an easy watch for a lazy day or a hangover day, but it's nothing that I haven't seen before. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are still my heroes though.

18. Free Fire

I saw the trailer for Free Fire a few months ago, and to be honest, I wasn't particularly blown away. I don't get excited by violence or guns or anything like that, and although there were funny bits in the trailer, it didn't seem hilarious. Most of the time it's the funniest bits that go in the trailer, but let me assure you, Free Fire was so much better than I was expecting.

The beginning of the film sees a deal about to go down in a warehouse, but it seems quite suspicious that something else is going on; low and behold, about 10 minutes later we're in the middle of a shootout. As I mentioned, I'm not particularly bothered by violence, but if you've read my review on Hacksaw Ridge, you'll know I find it quite boring. I don't like mindless shooting or attacking. Free Fire is different. There's motive for the gunfire, and there are tactics around it, as well as the humour accompanying the aggression. The rest of the film, and the entire plot is about this shoot out, and without ruining it, it's about working out who's side you're on, and who you're rooting for. There's drug addicts, arms dealers, snipers, middlemen, and god forbid, a woman.

Without any spoilers, that's the entire plot. What I liked about the film was the character development, and connecting with each person, learning about their psychology and trying to understand their motives. The use of humour throughout really added to the effect of this, and it really was 'laugh out loud' funny- something you sometimes struggle to get in a comedy!

In some parts, it was quite gory, so if that's not your thing, you may want to give this film a miss. I'm not all that squeamish, but I did have to cover my eyes at one point. Again, I think the gore wasn't there to shock, or to try and impress the viewer, I thought it worked in line with the plot. Sometimes I think films just include gore for gore's sake.

I thought the casting and acting for Free Fire was great- some great names like Brie Larson and Cillian Murphy, and some lesser know people, like Sam Riley, who played Ian Curtis in Control. I've never heard of Sharlto Copley before, but he was absolutely fantastic, and hilarious as Verne.

To add to all that, it also hit the perfect run time of an hour and a half, so I'm sure you can guess it's a high scorer - 8.5/10. If you fancy going to see a film this week, I'd go with Free Fire!