Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

I love Star Wars and despite feeling disappointed by this film, I still wanted to find something to love. Unfortunately, there was not much. I have really enjoyed seeing these new characters over the last four years but here they felt distant, remnants of their former selves even. It’s partly the fault of the film's pace, it doesn’t take a breath, ever. It’s all go from the start of the film, even the opening crawl contains a plot point that I would much rather have seen unfold in real-time.

You never get a moment to let the characters breathe, to feel their pain and their struggle as they fight their way to what the film tries to make an emotional climax. I feel here like Disney got scared, scared of the loud minority of toxic fans that hated The Last Jedi with a passion and, instead of ignoring them, they pandered to them. Here JJ Abrams tries to please everyone and inevitably will probably annoy more people because of that. You can’t please them all and trying to forgive certain plot points of previous films without ever thinking about how it actually relates to the story left a sour taste in my mouth.

Here we get action for action’s sake and never any build-up to those moments that could have been epic elsewhere. I remember getting goosebumps throughout The Force Awakens as it led up to a climactic and powerful battle on Star Killer Base, same with The Last Jedi as we only see relationships develop in unique ways, making the pivoting of Kylo Ren's morality in that film even more emotional in its conclusion. Here we get lightsaber fights aplenty but they don’t have the emotional weight that we’ve seen before and they’re even mainly shot in close-ups making it difficult to follow the action.

The film feels rushed, I’m sure a lot of effort went into it but it lacks the love and affection that the previous films in the trilogy oozed. Even the special effects don’t feel so special, Leia’s part in the film feels disjointed and you can tell she’s not there. It only works to undermine her incredible performance in The Last Jedi as here she serves little to no purpose other than saying lines that feel better placed in a fortune cookie. I feel like it would have been better just to leave her out entirely than to shoehorn old footage of her into the film. They make the effort this time to turn Maz Kanata into a puppet and she feels like she’d be more at home in a theme park than a movie.

The dynamic between Kylo and Rey still remains the high point of this trilogy and there’s some fun to be had with them here. However, nothing feels as nuanced or as human as the interactions we saw in the last film. The whole film is just plain lazy at times; with its awkward dialogue, a multitude of MacGuffins and five or six death fake-outs that render any of the peril you are supposed to feel useless.

I would have happily waited longer to see a more carefully created and original closure to the Star Wars saga but instead, we get a rushed sprint to the end: a lazy attempt to link everything together and the characters we’ve seen grow throughout two films reduced to stereotypes of their former selves. Love or hate The Last Jedi it opened doors for an exciting new universe for Star Wars but instead, the studio got scared and backed away into a conclusion that takes no risks and ultimately feels bland and lifeless. I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed.

2.5/5

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Solo: A Star Wars Story

A troubled production, a box office flop (kind of) and mixed reviews…. Solo: A Star Wars Story must be a pretty bad film right? Not at all really. It’s a lot of fun, a good Star Wars story and a lot better than we’ve been led to believe. Read on to find out my thoughts on the film or listen to them on the Cinebois2Cinemen podcast which you can find embedded at the bottom of this review!

Solo: A Star Wars Story is directed by Ron Howard after original directors Chris Lord and Phil Miller were fired off the project- sparking a tonne of reshoots and allowing Howard to take sole credit for the film. It follows the origins of Han Solo when he joins a gang of galactic smugglers. Indebted to the gangster Dryden Vos, the crew devises a daring plan to travel to the mining planet Kessel to steal a batch of valuable coaxium. The film stars Alden Ehrenreich in the role of young Han Solo, he doesn’t do a complete Harrison Ford impression but easily holds the film with his charm and wit. Donald Glover plays young Lando Calrissian, donning more of a Billy Dee Williams impersonation but absolutely nailing it and - with his limited amount of screen time - leaves you wanting more. There a whole host of new characters including Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Paul Bettany. They’re all doing great things and - unlike the Star Wars universe’s first anthology film, Rogue One - the new characters are all very interesting, layered and have a level of mystery to them.

With this being a prequel film, it has its slightly more cringey moments; as you learn how Han got his name and his blaster and that line etc… but you also get to see some cool scenes like how he first met Chewbacca, now played by Joonas Suotamo, and he very nearly steals the whole film. Thankfully a lot of these moments are played out near the beginning, allowing the story to just become its own thing, a fun heist film set in the Star Wars universe. In fact I would argue that this film could be enjoyed by anybody who hadn’t seen any of the other Star Wars films. I reckon it would probably get a lot more critical acclaim if it didn’t have the Han Solo name attached to it. Did we need it? No. But I enjoyed it quite a lot as a fun sci-fi film. Despite knowing the outcome for the lead, there are still a lot of stakes for everyone around him and the film manages to have a lot of surprises up its sleeve.

Tonally wise this feels like Star Wars, specifically the original trilogy; groups of characters sneaking around, going undercover and fighting for themselves and the little guy. As a huge Star Wars fan this makes me happy. As a film fan though, there is no doubt that I wanted more from this anthology series, rather than the one off prequels for characters we’ve already seen before. We need to expand the universe: there’s more to this world than Luke Skywalker and friends. I personally would love to see Lucasfilm give out $20 million to several up and coming diverse directors and see let them make a film set within the world. Nothing epic, just small stuff like “Hey, here’s a horror film.”, “a comedy film” or “a romcom” set in the Star Wars universe. I thought that we might have been getting something like that from Lord and Miller’s version of the Solo film. As much as I enjoyed this version of the film, I would love to know if I would have enjoyed their version as much. The film definitely has less comedic moments than you’d expect and is more of an adventure film. However, I still believe Ron Howard was a great choice to have take over the ship.

Another great choice in this film was the music. It wasn’t afraid to use the classic Star Wars fanfare when needed but composer John Powell added his own original scores as well which really fit into the world and sounded amazing when loud on the big screen. He’s be a great choice for future instalments as John Williams has already said that Episode 9 would be his last film. As much as I loved the sound, the visuals to accompany it were not always as good as we’ve seen from recent Star Wars films. Don’t get me wrong, most of it is great but the first half an hour or so is so weirdly dark that you can barely make out some details on the characters face, I felt myself squinting a lot. I thought this might have been a projection problem from my screening but I’ve heard similar complaints from other people. So if anything, don’t go see it in 3D.

Despite the worry and low expectations, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It’s not the masterpiece that The Last Jedi was (screw you haters) but it is a good fun ride none the less. The great moments outweigh the slightly cringe prequel moments. Star Wars isn’t dead people, it’s very much alive. This film even teases further connections to the expanded universe as well as a thread which might link all these spin off films together. Go watch it this weekend, you won’t be disappointed. I’m rating Solo: A Star Wars Story a 3.5/5.

What did you think of the film? Let me know in the comments below.

And now for the listening section. Thanks again to Danny and Alfie for having me back on the podcast and allowing me to get all nerdy over Star Wars. 

Thanks for reading/listening!

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

How to talk about this film? Especially right now while it’s new and people want to be kept in the dark about everything. I’m going to play things a bit differently today, to keep this review SPOILER FREE I am not going to talk about any plot, but instead just my experience of the film and the non-specific elements that worked and didn’t. I hope it doesn’t come across as too vague but you need to see this film without knowing anything prior because there are moments in The Last Jedi that you are only ever going to experience once.

  

There is nothing more exciting than experiencing a new Star Wars film, I’m a bit of cliché’, it was this franchise that kick started my obsession with film and storytelling leading me down the road I am on now; an aspiring screenwriter. There’s a lot of hype on my end when going into the cinema to see a new Star Wars film and there definitely was a lot of it last night when I went to the midnight screening. Because of this hype, expectations can sometimes be set too high, it is just a film after all, and history has proven it is difficult to make a Star Wars film that is going to please everyone. And this film is not going to please all fans. I will hold my hands up and say that for the first half of this film, I was enjoying it, but I was not blown away by it. It’s fast paced and action packed but it lacks an edge or an element of something to grip you, to make you feel you are truly watching something special, however this does change, most notably in the third act when every story, every character, every piece of set up begins to get paid off, and paid off, and paid off. And the pay offs are some of the best Star Wars moments in the franchise. I had to control my excitement in the cinema at times as I grinned from ear to ear, it elevates the film to something greater and surpasses expectations, both good and bad.

  

This is going to be a film that gets talked about a lot, there’s a lot of controversial decisions made for the sake of the story and characters that not every audience member will be on board for. Even I had my gripes with some though I am generally more forgiving since this franchise was built on crazy ideas and they should not be playing it safe as they try to make this something new. Talking of which, this film is not a carbon copy of The Empire Strikes Back like many, including myself feared, there are elements (it’s like poetry after all!) but I would say this film is part Empire, part Return and part its own off the walls, insane thing. There are parts that feel like Star Wars and parts that feel completely different, and not all those parts work, there is some disjointedness along the way but the overall product is very much its own film, it doesn’t even feel like a middle chapter with no beginning or no end, and I am so glad that Director Rian Johnson has been able to pull this off.

An incredible score, great cinematography and mostly awesome special effects are something to be expected from Star Wars now, but what blew me over this time were the performance’s from the cast, both new and old. This is very much a character based story and everybody gets their time to shine as layer upon layer is added to increase the richness of each, which in turns helps push the plot to new and interesting avenues. You’ll hear a lot of talk about Mark Hamil’s performance over the next few weeks, and rightfully so, but the real MVP’s for me were Carrie Fisher and Adam Driver as General Leia and Kylo Ren. Carrie Fisher didn’t blow me away in The Force Awakens so I was slightly worried about her having a larger role in The Last Jedi but I was not to be concerned, she was incredible, she acts her ass off and delivers some of the most amazing and soon to be iconic moments of the film/saga. Her passing last year was a very sad and painful time for a lot of fans but to see her play this character to the fullest and near stealing the show whilst doing so is an amazing tribute to her. And now on to Adam Driver, if you didn’t like his character in The Force Awakens (I still think he was the best thing about that film as well though…), get ready to have your mind changed as he plays the most interesting villain the franchise has ever had. He takes Kylo to new heights, adding so many dimensions to the character and really stealing everybody’s thunder whenever he’s on screen. Big blockbuster films need to take a page out of this films book when it comes to creating compelling and relatable villains. I don’t usually try and campaign for Oscars for pop culture films because it rarely ever happens (or deserved, which is usually the case), but his performance in this film is probably my favourite of any this year, he honestly blew me away and it would be a shame if he didn’t get any recognition for it.

Overall this film has a few problems but with a third act that pays off in such a satisfying way and whole host of characters developing in unique and interesting paths; this film is still a very, very good film. It’s a film about mistakes and becoming better because of them, something that could be said for the series as a whole and this film overall. Rian Johnson has made an amazing Star Wars film that’s packed with so much content that I’m happy we’re getting a two-year break before the next one just to process it all. And talking of processing, this film is definitely going to need a re-watch before any views of mine are fully solidified, there’s just too much going on to react to it all but upon a first watch, I am rating The Last Jedi a 4.5/5.

What did you think of episode 8? Better than Empire or worse than Clones? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Finally, I’ve had some time to sit down and write this Rogue One: A Star Wars Story review! In a way I have been a little nervous about this review, I liked the film but I didn’t fall as head over heels for it as other moviegoers seem to have. Read on to find out why. As per usual this review is SPOILER FREE.

Rogue One follows the band of rebel spies who attempt to steal the plans for the Death Star, who we first heard about in the opening crawl for A New Hope. The film stars a whole host of characters, most we haven’t seen before, played by a talented ensemble cast including; Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen, Wen Jiang, Riz Ahmed, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker and Mads Mikkelsen. Now it should be noted that even though we have a female character in a central role, this film is still very dude heavy. It’s a diverse cast in terms of race but its lack of diversity in terms of gender still leaves a lot to be desired in this new age of Star Wars films. Don’t get me wrong, everyone in the cast is great, some a little underused, but I really hope Disney push diversity in their Star Wars films further as we go on.

Now onto the film itself. For the most part I really enjoyed it. There are some really great moments and some really badass moments that will make any Star Wars fan squeal with delight. The final act of the film is just pure enjoyment at its finest. However, I do feel like my enjoyment could have been heightened if I was more invested in these characters. Some of them get more time than others to shine but I never really felt for any of them that much, their backstories were summed up as they had all had bad things happen to them because of the Empire. Cool. Is that it? The main character Jyn gets a little more time devoted to her story so there is more of a connection with her, but considering this is very much an ensemble film it would have been nice do dive deeper into some of the other characters.

The story itself though is something that the prequels should have inspired to be. This film adds to A New Hope and makes the story richer because of it. If this is what we’re going to get from these ‘spin off’ films then I am totally in for more. If I had had the time I would have re-watched A New Hope right after this because I feel like my experience might be different because of this film. This is a really good thing.

Another thing I loved was the special effects, apart from the odd CGI character (they’re not awful but you’ll know when you see it), the effects in this film are pretty much flawless. Like The Force Awakens this film finds a fine line between practical and computer enhancement making this one of the best looking Star Wars films yet. Seriously, the Death Star has never looked better.

Now I know I keeping going back to negatives but this is my final gripe with the film; the score. Now I realise this was probably one of the most difficult decisions to make, do you go with a completely new score to differentiate from the episodic films or do you keep using John Williams’s iconic compositions. In the end they decided on going for something that was a bit of both, which for me just didn’t work. The music riffs off of the classic William’s music but changes little elements of it, so just as your humming along it takes a left turn, I couldn’t help but find this really noticeable and annoying, like a fan film trying to use the same music but can’t because of copyright issues, it kept taking me out of the film. I really wish they had just gone for something completely different.

Overall this film is a great time at the cinema, a good edition to the Star Wars lore that will make a lot of fans happy. For me it suffered with some of its character development and gender diversity but I was still won over by its special effects and some of its truly incredible sequences. If the spin offs can only improve from here, then we are in for some really great Star Wars stories in the future. I am giving Rogue One: A Star Wars Story a rating of 3.5/5. I preferred The Force Awakens but we still have a bright and hopeful future ahead for Star Wars films.

What did you think? Best Star Wars film yet or worse than the prequels? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars, Star Wars, Star Wars...

Before we start, this is a SPOILER FREE review, you can read this review before you see the film if you wish! I'm not going to give anything away, which may mean this review is quite short, I have plans to maybe give some more spoilery thoughts in the future but for now I wanted to give my intitial opinion of the new Star Wars film.

If you want to find out what Star Wars means to me, go back and read my previous post; Why I Love Star Wars. That should give you some context as to where I am coming from when it comes to my love of the franchise.

So first things first, Star Wars is back, like actually back! The Force Awakens brings back everything you loved about the original films and moves the story forward for the first time since 1983. It brings in a whole new roster of characters and actors and merges them in with some of the original cast. When the film starts with the new scroll of text and the sudden blast of music don't be ashamed if it brings a tear to your eye, don't be ashamed if any of the scenes bring a tear to your eyes, there's a lot of heart and effort put into this film to make it feel like the Star Wars we used to know, maybe a little too much at times but we'll get to that later.

Lets start with the actors. Our new big three is made up of Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Issac who all do amazing in their roles and give some of the best performances we have seen from any of the Star Wars films so far. They are perfect as our new heroes, and I left feeling that even if the original cast hadn't been involved, The Force Awakens would still have been a great Star Wars film with just our new characters! With the new film we also have a new lead villain, Kylo Ren, played by the absolutely superb Adam Driver, he gives a standout performance in the film and brings a lot of layers to the character who is very scary due to his conflict and unpredictability. As seen in the trailer and poster we have the return of Han Solo, Princess Leia and Chewbacca, the original actors all provide great performances and evoke a lot of nostalgia. Harrison Ford looks like he is really enjoying himself in this film and gives one of his best performances in years as the scruffy looking nerf herder. At the end of the day though it is the droid BB-8 that steals the show...

The story is great and provokes a lot of call backs, nostalgia and plenty of homage, particularly to A New Hope, which at times does become too much as the story points of the first film are reused a lot in the new one. With a franchise as big as this one is in the world of pop culture then you are going to expect a few nods and call backs, but sometimes it did feel as if we needed more original plot points to keep us going.

Director JJ Abrams does an amazing job of bringing the world of Star Wars to life by returning to old puppetry and costume/makeup effects that still look more real than anything you could make on a computer today! This does get proven within the film and most of the time it looks so real you could touch it however, whenever a CGI creature or character comes on screen it is pretty obvious, and this is a shame. It's not Jar Jar Binks bad but you definitely hope it would be better. Personally I would just keep to practical effects, we don't need mo-capped characters in a world that looks so real.

One of my favourite things about the film is the camerawork, the camera is barely static and is constantly being moved around all over the place and makes for some incredible looking shots and stunning cinematography. There are shots in this film that had me grinning like a child again and I really loved being brought back into the world in such a beautiful way. Star Wars has never looked better.

Abrams has brought Star Wars back to life for old and new generations. I had an absolute blast watching this film and went through all the emotions I had watching them as a child. The hype was massive and I think the film mostly lived up to it, I had so much fun watching this film, it was a blast sitting in the cinema again and hearing the incredible John Williams score blasting out loud. I think I'm going to have to watch it again soon just to soak it all in but right now I would definitely rate this as the third best Star Wars film we have seen, under Empire and Hope. It's not perfect but they have done a good job of getting the awkward reintroduction out of the way and making audiences excited for Star Wars again, the ending is the best of any Star Wars film and only promises greater things to come, I am already super excited for Episode 8 which has the potential to be the best Star Wars film yet. I am rating The Force Awakens a 4.5/5. Go see this film in the cinema, you will not be dissapointed!

What did you think of the new Star Wars film? Love it or hate it? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Our outfits for the midnight showing. Less people dressed up than we thought... Totally worth it though!

Why I Love Star Wars

Don't know if you guys know this, but there's a new Star Wars film coming out next week...

Now I am super excited for this film, so excited in fact that the only other film that came close to the amount of excitement and anticipation I feel right now was when the first Avengers film came out. On this blog you have seen me rave about a lot of things and probably consider me a bit of a Marvel fanboy, which I am, but today I wanted to talk about my first cinematic love, Star Wars.

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was the first live action film I remember seeing at the cinema. It was a big deal to me, I was 5 and I had mainly watched animated films, going to see a live action film felt very grown up to me. I wasn't aware of Star Wars before that, I wasn't aware how much anticipation had been building up for the film I was going to see, and then the let down that people had afterwards. I obviously didn't have that let down when I first saw Episode 1 because if I did I wouldn't be writing a blog post called 'Why I Love Star Wars'. However stick with me, this isn't a post trying to convince you that the prequels are amazing, because they are far from it, but they do hold a special place in my heart.

Having loved Episode 1, the obsessive side of me began to come out, I wanted everything Star Wars. And this was when I came across Star Wars: A New Hope at a video rental store. My amazement that there was another Star Wars film only increased when finding out there were three more out there! I rented Episode 4 and yet again fell completely in love with the world of Star Wars. The world building in the film is unlike anything else we've seen in film before and with every character featured in the film we have a rich and vibrant backstory. Being able to explore these as a child was something special because it made you feel as if you knew more about each character than anybody else.

I had everything Star Wars related, costumes, toys, books and games. I still have a lot of these things, including a massive box up in my attic full of action figures and vehicles that I had played with many times. In my young mind I have made Epidode 7 already, and 8, and 9, and 10... It was at these times that the seeds for a dream job in film were laid and subliminally making these stories lead me to screenwriting. Yet again another reason to love Star Wars.

I remember every time I went to the cinema I was waiting for a new Star Wars trailer to arrive, I was completely hooked during the era of the prequels. After Episode 3 came out my obsession began to slowly dwindle. I still bought all the games but there wasn't a constant bombardment of new content to digest, I have never been one to watch the shows (though I am giving Rebels a go!), my obsession then turned to Marvel, reading comics and falling for the character of Spider-Man. Even with the annoucment of Disney buying Star Wars and making new films, I was excited but it didn't start the obsession again. If anything I was just happy to know I would see more Star Wars in the cinema and now maybe even one day be able to experience it with my own children, another reason I have kept all my toys! When the obsession kicked back in it was with the first teaser trailer JJ Abrams released, all of sudden I was brought back into realisiation that I was A LOT more excited for Star Wars then I had been letting on!

Now I'm at breaking point, days to go, midnight tickets booked and costumes sorted. I work part time in a toy store and nearly every week I keep spending my wages on The Force Awakens figures. My personal favourite a BB-8 Funko Pop! I've rewatched the Star Wars saga in anticipation, even with my girlfriend who I am lovingly dragging along to the midnight showing, I'm sure she can't wait either...

A photo posted by Alex Hunt (@superalexman) on Dec 5, 2015 at 12:42am PST

I don't think we'll be dissapointed in The Force Awakens. This is the first time the fans have been allowed to make a Star Wars film and that is being proven with every interview or behind the scenes footage we have seen with JJ Abrams, or any person involved with the making of the film on or off the screen. The problem with the prequels is the fact that George Lucas thought he knew what audiences wanted from more Star Wars films but unfortunatley he was wrong. I have enjoyed and fallen in love with the films, I have studied them and broken them down and watched every bit of material I can find involved in the behind the scenes of the film, I like to think that everybody involved with making the film has done the same things, we are the fans and we know why we love Star Wars. Also, three of my favourite actors of the last five years, Adam Driver, Oscar Issac and Domhnall Gleeson are in this film! The one thing George Lucas should have done before making the prequels, which I assume he hasn't, is attend a lecture on his own series of films, to watch the endless amount of fan videos and breakdowns on YouTube that go into depth and detail about why Star Wars is so popular and the staple of pop culture that it is today.

We've been warned though, it is difficult to make a good Star Wars movie, the prequels proved that. But I think The Force Awakens is going to be good. I can feel it.

Star Wars, the prequels, the originals, they are inspiring, they inspired me to go into the proffesion that I am still striving to break into today. Even if you are still on the fence about the new Star Wars films just remember, these films are going to inspire a whole new generation of filmmakers, storytellers and dreamers.

And that is why I love Star Wars.

Thanks for reading!

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

I've been quite busy recently and haven't had time to write a review for the the third instalment of The Hunger Games franchise. I saw the film last week and my feelings are a bit mixed on it. Carry on reading to find out why.

So the third film follows the first half of the final book in the trilogy. Following pretty much after the events of the second film, we see Katniss in District 13, where she must help start the rebellion by being the 'Mockinjay' symbol to create war propaganda and unite the districts against the Capitol. I've read the books and was surprised they were going to split the last one into two films. Unfortunately every young adult franchise seems to do this now and Lionsgate are going to want to keep on milking The Hunger Games cow because it has made them a tonne of money. Because The Hunger Games franchise has been so well done, I thought this film might show me a viable enough creative reason for splitting the films. It does not. The film drags and hasn't got enough content to keep me fully engaged throughout. In my opinion they split the films where the book finally gets interesting. This means the second part should be pretty great but I am not longing for it like I was after watching the brilliant Catching Fire.

Katniss is a great character and she has always been played superbly by Jennifer Lawrence. This film is not an exception but does feel less like Katniss is helping move the plot of her own film. Obviously this is not a great time in her life but there is only so much upset Katniss I can take, she took a backseat in this one and rarely engaged in the action. This is similar to the book, however she does do a lot more in the second half, so I guess we'll just have to wait a year to see Katniss at her best.

Now don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad film. In fact there are quite a few really awesome and powerful scenes. The only problem is, is that the awesomeness is mixed in with long, boring scenes that drag. I just want to see the main character do something!

One of things I like about the films is that they can delve into the world more than the books did, because we aren't just looking at this world from Katniss's point of view. Mockingjay continues this and shows a really well developed and thought out world. We get to see some awesome rebellion scenes and find out more about the villains like President Snow, who was definitely my favourite character in this film. He is pretty darn scary. Donald Sutherland has brought way more to that character than I ever got from the books. I love all the political and social undertones to the film and they are the themes that separate this franchise from other young adult films. A love triangle is present but it never feels like the driving force of the film. I like that Mockingjay still feels different and cool.

So Mockingjay is an ok film with standout scenes but pretty dull ones as well. I feel if the third book was one film, with just the awesome scenes from part 1, and then whatever is to come in part 2, we could have been looking at one of the best trilogies of our generation. However this is not the case and the once superb franchise now has a dent in it, not a big one, but a dent none the less. I'm still excited for part 2 but not as much as I was last year after watching Catching Fire. I am giving The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 a rating of 3/5.

Here's hoping the second part is a lot better!

What did you think of Mockingjay Part 1? Are you still excited for the final instalment next year? Let me know in the comments below.

On a different note, the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer came out yesterday and it looks incredible! I grew up on Star Wars and I cannot wait to go see a new one in the cinema! Go watch it if you haven't already!

Thanks for reading!

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D HFR

This could be one of the hardest films I have had to review. I didn't know whether to be excited for The Hobbit or not this year. I was a massive fan of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and didn't want Peter Jackson to ruin its legacy by releasing a prequel that I didn't believe could be as epic as the previous films. Then there was the news that it was going to be turned into three films, which I'm still not too happy about. Though after seeing it last night I am pleased to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the film and it sure does feel good to have Middle Earth back on the big screen. However I'm not too sure that watching the film in 48 frames per second (fps) is the way forward. But more on that later. I would just like to mention that this review is spoiler free.

The first part of The Hobbit trilogy follows a gang of Dwarfs who want to reclaim their home and treasure stolen off them by the dragon Smaug. Led by Gandalf who insists that the hobbit Bilbo Baggins would be a great addition to the gang.

The journey the gang take is very similar to the journey taken in The Fellowship of the Ring, but the film does not feel the same. It stands on its own but still has that light but serious tone that was kept throughout the whole of the franchise. And like the rest of the franchise, this film had a top notch ensemble cast, of which you probably already know, but I want to pick out the two people I thought were the best in this film, and those two are Martin Freeman and Richard Armitage who played Bilbo and Thorin. Both were outstanding in their roles and the film would not have been as good without them. Everyone one else was also on form but they were the two performances that stood out the most.

I must say I was expecting this film to be quite a slow one, with a lot of the action to be left for the sequels but this was not the case at all, there was blooming loads of it! This film may not have as many grand scale epic war scenes as the other films did but the action set pieces are brilliant. My only criticism would be the amount of CGI and animated characters put into the mix which sometimes looked out of place because of the format that I saw it in.

This comes to my point about this being a hard film to review because although I loved it, I really did not like the higher frame rate that I saw it in. Films are usually filmed and shown in 24 fps but Peter Jackson decided to film in 48fps and give us the option as to which format to see it in. As a budding filmmaker this format intrigued me and I was very interested to see what it looked like. I can only describe it as  being almost like a super HD version of the film. Everything was in focus and it seemed a lot like live television. A lot of critics have been saying that it looks so real that it looks fake and now after watching I can understand what they mean by that. Unfortunately because it looks so real, when there is animation involved it is obvious. Which is too bad because the animation is some of the best I've ever seen but unfortunately still doesn't look real, or at least not real enough to be shown in 48fps with human actors. When all that was on the frame was animation, it looked incredible but when you mix it, it looked awful. This isn't good because it takes you out of the story and back into the cinema where you are watching the film. If a company was to make a motion capture animation film in 48fps then it would definitely work but live action not so much. I can't help but feel I may have enjoyed the film just a little bit more in its regular format.

The 3D however does look stunning in 48fps but because the stuff on screen looks fake then they kind of cancel each other out. Still though, some of the best 3D I've seen.

If you are a fan of The Lord of the Rings then you are going to love this film! I felt very nostalgic seeing Middle Earth in all it's beautiful glory on the big screen once more, a feeling I hope to get again when they release the new Star Wars film in 2015.

If you are a fan of the book and read it when you were younger like me, then you will be very happy with how they adapt some of the best bits for the big screen. My favorite bits of the book such as the scene with the three trolls and the game of riddles between Bilbo and Gollum (who looks better then ever!) are also my favorite parts in the film. Although Peter Jackson has stretched certain scenes out to make them bigger and more cinematic, it never feels too far from the source material. The film, like The Lord of the Rings, just felt a little bit too long, but I can now see why they were going to split the story into two, but splitting into three is yet to be justified in my mind.

Everything you loved about The Lord of the Rings is back and thankfully it maintains it's excellent standard. I am looking forward to the next two instalments but will most likely see them in 24fps. It's hard to rate this film because no matter how much I loved it there was still a lot I didn't like because of the format I saw it in, therefore I am giving The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey a rating of 4/5.

What do you think of the 48fps? Which format is the first part of The Hobbit best in? Did you like the film at all? Please comment below!

Thanks for reading!

Star Wars Episode 7!?

The news broke this morning that Disney have just bought the Lucas Film company and plan to make a new Star Wars film ready for a 2015 release. This of course sparked Internet outrage and as a massive fan of Star Wars I don't know whether to be excited or annoyed at the prospect of a 7th film in the franchise.

A lot of people are complaining that Disney will ruin the franchise but if you ask any major fans they will probably agree that the image of Star Wars was ruined when they released the first prequel. So why would they know go and make a sequel to the original trilogy?

Well for one reason we will no longer have George Lucas involved, or at least not in a directorial or producing role.In fact he is only going to be an outside contributor which kind of means he won't have much input. Which means we can get someone new to create a Star Wars film, including making a script which doesn't have bland and crappy dialogue. Now we can get some new fresh ideas to help restart the franchise and hopefully bring back the glory of when the first 3 films were released.

Where they go with Episode 7 is anyone's guess. Will Mark Hamil reprise his role as an older Luke Skywalker? Probably not. But hopefully Luke will play a background role in the new film, perhaps bringing him alive through the technology they used to create another Jeff Bridges in Tron Legacy. Will any of the original cast be back, who knows? I for one am anticipating where they hope to go with the new film.

In terms of who should be directing, I don't have a clue, there are the obvious choices like Joss Whedon and JJ Abrams, but I doubt that will happen. My guess it could be someone like Jon Favreau or Mathew Vaugn (could this be the reason he left the new X-Men film?). Whoever it is though will have a massive amount of pressure on them to create a Star Wars film that fans and critics alike will enjoy. May the force be with them.

When it comes to the script, I say hire one of the guys who wrote the well reviewed Star Wars novels or comics, surely their ideas would make a lot of sense in the development of the series.

I don't really see why making a new Star Wars film is a bad idea, surely this just help make the franchise live longer and hopefully become one of the biggest ever. I for one feel like a child again at the prospect of seeing another Star Wars film. In fact I am even more excited for 2015 as Disney will have hell of year, what with The Avengers 2 and Star Wars Episode 7. They are sure going to make a load of money! Lets hope both films are of excellent quality as well though.

2 and half years until a new Star Wars film, didn't expect to hear that this morning... What are your thoughts on a new film in the franchise? Please comment below.

Thanks for reading!

The Hunger Games Review

Ok so if you have read any of my early posts you will know that I have been looking forward to this film for a while after having my mind blown by the books. I booked tickets as soon as I could after recent hype suggests this could be massive! Well... It did not disappoint!

I thank the director Gary Ross for not making this 'the next twilight' as it has been wrongly accused of being. This was a sophisticated film that had it's own unique style that pulled it apart from any other film I have seen before. I'm sure there will be some who join the 'Team Peeta' and 'Team Gale' groups but for me, I'm more 'Team Katniss'!

Jeniffer Lawrence is Katniss Everdeen. She truly does take over the role and holds the film throughout, even against the acting legends such as Donald Sutherland, Stanely Tucci and Woody Harrelson. The world will definitely be watching her then! If you are unsure of plot (where have you been?) then here it is: 'Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place for the latest match.' This may sound cheesy but it is far from it!

The films cinematography is superb and it visually looks incredible. The camerawork is mainly handheld and shaky which gives it it's own style though sometimes is overused and can confuse the scene ans starts to make you dizzy. The visual effects are great and The Capitol personally reminds me of the planet Naboo in Star Wars. The 'girl on fire dress' which fans of the book have been eagerly waiting to see is the only down point of the film as it does not look brilliant but then again imagination is each to their own.

The music contributes to the emotion of the film even when it is not present. With the ambient music and unique cinematography the film feels like it should be an indie and not the big blockbuster I am sure it will become.

This though is not a film for kids, not because of the graphic content, (which there is enough for us older teens to enjoy!) but because it is quite slow paced and dramatic which is not bad at all for us movie buffs out there! It really is emotional and I felt myself getting goosebumps and welling up at numerous scenes from the very start! Some bits in the film I felt more emotionally connected to the characters then I did when I was reading the book!

But I am not saying it is better then the book, because it is not. The books go more in depth about certain situations and you can understand the characters motives more. Though there are some bits of the film that I thought were better then the book and better then I imagined them to be! The film even adds stuff in that was not in the book, which really work as we are no longer watching just from Katniss's point of view like the books, but we see outside the games, including one very emotional and powerful riot scene which was actually one of my highlights of the film!

Overall a very good and faithful adaption that leaves you hungry for more. Though I do worry for the sequels as the first film has raised a very high bar. I am not afraid to admit that this is one of the best films I have seen and definitely the best film of 2012 so far! Bring on The Avengers!

Thanks for reading!

Team Katniss!

 

Star Wars 3D

13 years ago I was asked by my parents which film I wanted to see in the cinema with them. I don't know why I replied 'Star Wars' but I did. From the end of the film my addiction for the franchise had been triggered and my pocket money from that weekend onwards was spent on the latest action figures and lightsabers. 13 years later and Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace is my second to last favourite film of the franchise, with The Empire Strikes Back being my number 1. At the time of The Phantom Menace's release I did not know of the anger around the film from previous fanboys. But now I can see why. But don't get me wrong, it's not a terrible film.

Going to see Star Wars Episode 1 in the cinema yesterday brought back many childhood memories. 3D or not, I was going to see this film if they ever re-released it in the cinema. As soon the credits started rolling up the screen I felt like a 5 year old boy again. The first 15 minutes of the film are promising, with some great action from super cool jedi Qui Gon Ginn and his padawan Obi Wan Kenobi. Unfortunately being the keepers of peace the two jedi's go on to save the annoying Gungan's life. the Gungan being Jar Jar Binks.

When I was younger I thought Jar Jar Binks was hilarious. Now I see that he is not. This is where the film suddenly becomes a disaster as Jar Jar Binks is an out of place character in the Star Wars universe. There were many moments throughout the film that me and my friends had been wishing that the 3D version had been re-edited to kill off this annoying character. Unfortunately not.

Without Jar Jar Binks I think the film would have been better recieved when first released. Don't get me wrong the young Anakin Skywalker can be a tad annoying also with his high pitched 'yipee!' making me want force choke him. Could you ever imagine Darth Vader saying 'yippee!'?

Some of the acting is a bit blank but the film does hold some great set pieces. The pod race is one. The visual effects are great and still hold up today, unfortunately not as good in 3D as I was hoping. Even with George Lucas adding litte extra snippets of footage for 3D only. How he got this footage I don't know?

The other great scene is the three way lightsaber fight between the two jedi and Darth Maul. The choreography is incredible and as soon as the sith takes down his hood and the music starts getting louder you know you are in for a treat!

I also no longer have nightmares over the creepy younger Yoda puppet they originally used as it has been replaced by it's digital counterpart. Actually come to think of it, a lot of character were digital in the film, some okay (Sebulba) some not so much (Jabba The Hutt).

Overall the 3D was okay but I would have paid to see this film anyway. The feeling and emotions it brought back made me feel like a kid again. It's not as bad a film as the fanboys make it out to be but could do with some re-editing. The film allows the franchise to be seen by a new generation of Star Wars fans which is only a good thing. If this goes well, there could be a new 3D Star Wars film every year, I cannot wait to see the original films in the cinema, especially The Empire Strikes Back as that really would be incredible!

Excuse me as I go get my Star Wars action figures out of the loft. May the force be with you!

3D Or Not To Be? That Is The Question.

I, like many, am not a big fan of 3D. It seems like a new gimmick that allows institutions to make more money on their film products. And not many films have left an impression on us that 3D is the way forward to cinema. We get hooked in to the film being in 3D and every filmmaker claiming it is better 3D then the last. This tends not to be the case and we waste our money on paying extra for a pair of glasses that only darken our viewing experience.

There are those that take care in this new technological advancement in filmmaking. I am of course talking about James Cameron and Martin Scorsese. James Cameron brought us Avatar two years ago too the big screen in 3D. And the audience had never seen anything like it before. We fell in love with 3D and expected the rest of the film world to follow. This did not happen and we were given crappy conversions of films like Clash of the Titans. 

Conversions are films that were filmed in 2D and filmed in 3D. Sometimes this is used because the 3D cameras are expensive but sometimes its just a money making opportunity. I personally get very annoyed at these conversions, if you are going to make a 3D film you film it in 3D! If you are going to make a franchise in 2D why convert the last one to 3D, HARRY POTTER!? It has recently been announced that The Avengers will also have the conversion treatment, as much as I can't wait for the movie I will not pay out for an extra dimension! Especially when it was made in 2D!?

If you are going to do a conversion you need time and care to be able to put into it. Star Wars I has been undergoing the 3D conversion for over a year now. That is film I will pay out to see and not just because I am a massive fanboy.

Somebody who does give time and care into their filmmaking is Martin Scorsese who I mentioned earlier. His most recent film Hugo was his first step into 3D which he has been fascinated with since he was a child. I went to see Hugo a couple weeks ago and it really was a masterpiece and the 3D was incredibe. Personally I found it better then Avatar. You could tell that the director thought about every frame and how to use 3D to its best in it. 

If Hugo is what the future holds for 3D then it sure is the way forward but if 2012 is full of crappy conversions then I can see it dying out within the next couple of years. Thankfully we are being blessed with two major films next year that are actually being filmed in 3D and will benefit from this technique. I am talking about The Hobbit and The Amazing Spider-Man, which as you already know I am extremely excited for!

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