The Manchurian Candidate

You have to stick with this film. At the start it is seriously confusing because I had no idea about this plot and I got super confused by everything but I did get there in the end. It seems weird and at times a little confusing if you know nothing about the film but stay with it and everything will be okay.

Denzel Washington and Liev Schreiber star as two men who are, well, I don't really want to say 'brain washed' but they are ex army, with one guy having bad dreams and the other being a war hero and on the path to Vice President. They both served and Washington was the captain of the unit that they served in but something happened and they went missing for a few days when they were serving. Two men in their unit were killed and the others survived but one guy was also having bad dreams, came up with a conspiracy theory and then convinced Ben (Washington) of this theory. So this film is about Ben attempting to discover the truth about what happened.

Also in a supporting role is Meryl Streep. She has a very obvious and yet still secretive role in this film. We all knew that she had it in her to play that character but she hasn't quite managed to display it in any previous roles. The ending is great but slightly unexpected. She is brilliant and she is something different in this film. Hearing her voice as much as we do also opens up other option for her career.

I kinda wish that I had seen it sooner because it gave me a chance to see a different side of Denzel Washington. The serious, silent side that was obvious in 'man on fire', or 'inside man', was expected but this was different. This wasn't even the drunken and slightly angry character that I witnessed during 'fences', instead, this character was totally different and worth watching.

Son of Rambow

A comedy about Rambo. Some kids making their own film based on Rambo but I actually think that their film is a lot better than Rambo.

You may recognise the face of Ed Westwick, (the slightly questionable older brother) who made his name from the tv series Gossip Girl. Or even the face of Will Poulter (The voyage of the Dawn Treddor) but most of these faces you are unlikely to recognise, I certainly didn't.

What is written on the case is that this is a comedy, that it is hilarious but I actually didn't find it that funny until the end, when I got to see the entire film that they had made. I expected it to be more comical that it was and it was a bit of a let down for me because it didn't absorb my attention and make me laugh a lot. I felt like this was all false advertising but that doesn't make it a bad film.

Ed Westwick took on a different character and because he was one of the few of the gossip girl cast who can actually act it is a little disappointing that he hasn't had more roles. He is versatile, he could be the next Johnny Depp but no one will know because he hasn't had a real chance to show his versatility. Depp had to use all channels available to him to even get a role, let alone get to make more than one film and Westwick needs to find a way to get some more screen time because Harrison Ford is past it and Ryan Gosling is actually a terrible actor so there isn't much competition out there  between people who are young and can act, as most young  or even older actors can't actually act. There are many roles for him if he can find them.

Considering that I didn't like Rambo much, I think that I prefer this film over the Stallone film of Rambo. Most of us will be able to remember what it was like to be a child and obsessed with a film (for me it was Harry Potter). We play gsmed all the time in the playground and the park and our garden, anywhere and we all wish that we were in the film. These kids did what we all wished that we could have done and made a film and for that reason I like this film and rate it highly.

Tootsie

This is the film that inspired the very funny, Robin Williams movie 'Mrs. Doubtfire'. Instead of Robin Williams it is Dustin Hoffman and he doesn't do as many voices as Williams but he does cross dress to get work because no one will employ him as an actor and a man because he argues with every director he has ever worked with.

Dustin Hoffman is a seriously underrated actor. For a while now he has been playing supporting roles instead of the lead but when he was younger he was the selling name and he hasn't lost any of his talent through age. Young Dustin Hoffman is the man that young people can look at and find attractive. There is a lot more to this film than the plot that 'The Graduate' had, which is the film that he is really known for.

This film is entirely about him. Not about the soundtrack or about Bill Murray (who is a fantastic character in this film), just about Dustin Hoffman. Bill Murray is probably playing the best character of his career in this film. He has had some great roles but single handedly permitting Michael Dorsey, aka Dorothy Michaels, to stash his female outfit and handle ignoring his girlfriend because he has fallen in love with this actress that he works with. Dorothy is the strong female character that every woman from that era wanted to be, needed to be and couldn't be at that time. It's hilarious and wonderful and everything that a true comedy is. You watch it and you see what he does, how he gets in to character and it is funny without it even really trying to be funny. That kind of commitment is refreshing to see.

Never underestimate a film made in the 80's.

Rebecca

This film was brought to my attention years ago when I was doing A-level literature and studying ' The Bloody Chamber' because of its weird similarity to Rebeca.

This is a Hitchcock movie, one of his first and one that stars Lawrence Olivier. Made or released in 1940, black and white, which is Hitchcock's preferred way of filming and personally, I think that black and white complements the music that always emphasises the suspense of a Hitchcock film. Black and white is the way that he should have gone with for all his films. It helps to make things more scary and harder to predict.

Olivier is much  better than James Stewart because he can actually act and isn't just himself in every film that he has ever been in. Unfortunately for Hitchcock all of his real stars become bigger or make decisions that impact their career and life. Olivier went on to make many other movies and didn't want to keep selling Hitchcock movies, Grace Kelly got married, became Princess of Monaco and wasn't permitted to continue with her acting career and Julie Andrews really made her name from singing and after damaging her voice made the odd appearance and turned to writing children's books and doing voice acting for the Despicable me series of films.

There is more to this film than the similarities towards this famous mistreatment of women. This film is an adaptation of a novel and the novel sold very well. I haven't read the novel but I do know that this film is a strong film. With Olivier holding the lead and giving off probably the most convincing performance in a Hitchock movie (although Carry Grant is close) any woman taking on a new role and trying to make a name for themselves can relax and just play their part because they know that next to one of the all time greats they can play off him.

Tragedy strikes at the end but there is a sense that none of the characters were really wrong or bad. We all think that because this plot is similar to the marquis de sade that Max De Winter (Olivier) is going to miss treat his wife but he's not what we are expecting and that makes for a nice surprise. The ending is always exciting and as someone who owns at least ten Hitchcock films I am very excited to watch the rest of them.

Trolls

This film was one of the Kid's films of the year because of the song 'can't stop the feeling' which earnt Justin Timberlake a lot of hype and nominations for awards.

Anna Kendrick has really made a name for herself. She started out as Scott Pilgrim's sister (at least in my filmography she did) and then moved on to singing in musicals. She has style, sass, attitude and is considered by many to be gorgeous but even more than that, she has serious talent and a great voice. Admittedly this film is a little harder to judge her talent because she is a pink animated character singing, hugging and playing the ukulele.

'Trolls' is aimed at young children and tries to teach the idea that happiness can always be found and status doesn't mean anything. It's a good idea to be teaching to children as it will probably help a little in reducing teenage depression but there is no evidence to suggest such a thing, so please don't take my word for it. Justin Timberlake looks good as a blue animated troll. He makes odd decisions in relation to his film career, some are good decisions and some are stupid decisions which can only end in disaster. This guy has made his name on singing and dancing. That is what he is good at and he can go on making money like that forever because he is Justin Timberlake. Films are a bonus for him so I wish that he would make more good choices like this film. He got to take on the complex character who tried to steal the show, which is a new development for him and a new character for him. It suited him.

Not as good as 'Moanna' but possibly better music (in my opinion). The only other kids film on my blog list this year is 'Sing' and that is the kids film that I am most excited about.

The Hitman's Bodyguard.

This film is genius. This is as good as Kingsman, if not better.

Ryan Reynolds has started to be in films in which the character that he plays also has a serious inability to stop talking. He looks good as a bodyguard, well dressed, well shaven and driving nice cars. If it weren't for the constant talking it is one of the many careers that you could see him moving in to when he stops getting the good characters cast his way. Always slightly arrogant but you can overlook it because it always come back to haunt him and makes him stupid. His character has that heroic feel that you knew it was going to have but there are moments when you see the caring and compassionate side to him.

Unfortunately, no matter how good he is, he just isn't comparable to Samuel L Jackson. This guy has all the language from 'Pulp Fiction', the attitude from 'XXX' and the skills from 'Star Wars'. In short- they told him to be badass and he went for it. This guy owns this film. It's not about Ryan Reynolds, its about Samuel L Jackson and even though it is supposed to be about Reynolds' character Michael, it really is about Darius Kincaid. This film has the feel of any James Bond film but with the comedy to go with it. Watching Jackson in the speed boat was similar to watching Roger Moore in a speed boat during 'The Man With The Golden Gun'. Everything that you remember an action film being- this is it.

There is sentiment in this film and for once they don't focus on the CIA, instead, choosing to go with Interpol instead so as to make all agencies look bad and not just continuously go for the same people. The sentiment comes from Darius Kincaid (Samuel L Jackson) and what he would do for his wife. His wife is strong, controls her audience and teaches you a few things about how to interrogate someone. There are things that you would do for someone that you love. They may be crazy things but you would still do them- as shown in this film. Even Meatloaf couldn't have dreamt up some of these things.

www.ninjabookbox.com

Morgan

Last year on the blog we reviewed a film called 'ex-machina'. A film about robots, experiments and tricking the system. I mention it now because 'Morgan has a similar feel to that film.

What you get from this film is a strong woman, or rather, two strong women and a system that involves programming humans to turn them in to controllable  weapons. Previous films such 'Aeon Flux' and 'Equilibrium, to name a few, have touched upon this subject and the idea that you can develop a human who is controlled and therefore can become the perfect warrior. Morgan takes it a step further and actually shows all the flaws with this idea. The cast are incredible and the lack of emotion displayed by the leads are incredible. Being able to kill without emotion is scary but very hard for anyone to pull off on screen because we are human and compassion and other similar feelings are part of being human. This display is incredible and even though I have probably said it before, thinking back to 'Hitman' when the lead was emotionless and fantastic, this team are taking it all to a different level. 

Morgan has a twist, a set up for a sequel and any sequel made, if kept to the level of this film would be phenomenal. There are times when we j

Sympothised with the character of Morgan and actually wanted her to hurt the person yelling at her because shouting doesn't help anything. Ask any teacher and they will tell you that shouting doesn't make any child more willing to do what you are asking them to do. Kindness and appealing to a child, showing that you are human and getting on a level that they can appreciate is the best way that you can  reach a human and I felt like script writers are still missing a trick because they create these characters who provoke violent reactions and then try to convince the audience that the character didn't deserve what was coming. It is a stereotype of a doctor involved in this type of case that they shout a lot and don't care whereas casting someone as a character who actually believes that what they are doing is helping and will make things better appeals far better to our human nature.

Morgan is like 'The hunger games' crossed with 'Hitman' and a few other films. Morgan is the next step to this idea of human perfection. Every script writers wanting to write something in this field need to watch this film and capture the same characterisation.

Fantastic film.

Beverly Hills Cop

Eddie Murphy is still sort of a new addition to this blog. He's been known as Donkey since Shrek was released but as he is known as a comedian and I don't find him funny I have been really reluctant to let him feature on this blog because of that but 'Trading Places' was a very good film so he has earnt his slot on this blog.

Beverly Hills. Where to begin? I see a lot familiar faces in this film. 'Neil' from 'The Santa Claus' and 'Clifford' from 'Some Kind Of Wonderful' are two cops who team up with Eddie Murphy. One doesn't trust him or like him and the other eats all the food that is offered to him and attempts to have his back. There's comedy in this film but it comes down the same police story I have seen many times. A police officer is disgraced and put on vacation and uses it to get at a criminal in Beverly Hills.

This film is good enough. It's dated and I am struggling to imagine what the real attraction of it would have been because no one in this film was convincing and the only conclusion I can reach is that this film is the basis for 'Rush Hour' but that doesn't help much because I found Chris Tucker so irritating that I didn't enjoy that film. I didn't find it funny and I found everything to be unrealistic but this is a personal opinion. All of them have done better things with their careers and it hasn't stopped anyone in this film carrying on with their careers which is very good. Beverly Hills Cop is the foundation for many other film ideas but it didn't quite come off this time around. Needless to say that I will not be reviewing the sequels.

Jungle Book

No, this is not the Disney animated film because I grew up with that film. This film is the live action movie that made it to cinema last year and kick-started the live action movie fling that is going on with all the Disney movies at the moment.

This film bragged some of the biggest names in film world today such as Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba and Christopher Walken and yet it wasn't talked about in the same way that 'Beauty and the Beast' was. Maybe that is because the later is a magical film for any girl or woman whereas 'The Jungle Book' doesn't have that magic and it never did- it never had the 'Tale as Old as Time' dancing sequence in a fantastic dress that makes every girl want to be a woman and have that moment. Before I actually move on to the names and their performances as live action characters I will look at the scenery. A kid walking through a, well, I don't want to say jungle but river, lake or part of Africa are probably inaccurate as well. The stream running, the rocks, the flowers, there is something special in that scene but I needed more of it to really capture my attention.

As a musician the first thing that I am going to do is complain about the reduction of songs in this film. There are a few songs in this film but not as many as there were in the original film and you should never remake a Disney film and remove the music from it. I liked the music that was in the original film and even if I hadn't liked it there needs to be a constant musical presence in a film like this and there wasn't enough of one to restore the joy that was given in the original film. They remade this film from a Disney film so we are always going to compare it with the original film. So to anyone out there just about to tell me that I can't compare these films then be quiet because I can.

The feedback that I received from this film (from my sister) was that she was disappointed with the casting in that Idris Elba with his east London accent couldn't quite pull off being an evil character but I could hardly notice it and it didn't bother me because Evil doesn't have an accent but we have come to stereotype it over the years with an English accent or a gangster accent. It's not about where you are from, it's about who you are.

Bill Murray surprised me. His voice surprised me when he was singing and I really couldn't recognise his voice without actually seeing him and not a bear. Taking the time and allowing this film to go back to being any other film and to be considered 'old' has allowed me to forget who was in it and watch the film as a film, see what I see, recognise what I see and hear and not know and judge who was in it to start with. I thought that Bill Murray was finished. I thought that his cameo in Ghostbusters was signalling the end of his career because he actually was never that good to start with but he isn't- not based on this performance.

The Jungle Book is not as good as the live action 'Beauty and the Beast' and I haven't seen the live action 'Tarzan' so I can't yet include that one but they are going in the right direction. They are going in the right direction and there have definitely been worse films made in recent years without the live action but it is needed and it does help to bring the Disney movie to life more for the adults who don't want to spend all their time watching Disney animated movies because they feel like they should have moved past that point. Stop stereotyping and just allow yourself to focus on what is in front of you. This remake stays close to the original and does its best.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 2

The final part! Three years and four films before I could write this review. I remember writing that the second film was like the first film and almost made the first film seem pointless because everything that they had worked for, everything that they had achieved was ignored when they had another hunger games. Then the third film was all about getting Peta back after he was captured during the second hunger games and the fourth film was about what the first film was really about- taking down Snow- oh and did I mention... ANOTHER hunger games?!

I have enjoyed these films because Katniss is a strong character but unlike in the 'Divergent' series, which is all about 'Tris', who is pathetic and totally dependent on 'Four', 'Katniss' (Jenifer Lawrence) is strong and not reliant on anyone. You think that she is but she completely fools everyone at the end of the fourth film. Just remember that I haven't read the books so I had no idea what was coming. Now that I have seen the films I will at some point, attempt to read the books.

The music is fantastic in this series and I can't help but love the stand off between Katniss and the character portrayed by Phillip Seymour Hoffman. He watches everything (sounds a little weird) and understands her better than she does but she hasn't actually truly understood just how well everyone around her knows her. The only reason it has taken this long for them to capture Snow is because he knows everything about her. He knows how to get to the people close to her, how to motivate her and how to make things work. She hasn't understood this about herself and she still doesn't by the end of the film.

Each of these characters reach the end of their development. Peta remains as useless as he was to start with and when at first he seemed cool, now he just seems like a less attractive, less useful version of 'Four'. Elizabeth is the one to watch. Her hair is fantastic and it never stops being fantastic. When I see her in 'Pitch Perfect 2' I often think that she only took on the role of director so that she could give herself a hair budget and let's face it- if you could do that, why wouldn't you? If you are a fan of 'The Hunger Games' then each of these films have a reason to watch them and are quite good even if they are infuriating at the plot going round in circles for a while. I understand that they stayed quite close to the books and that the second book was written to be as irritating as the film makes it out to be so I will give it the benefit of the doubt because the next two films, which admittedly would make the book read very well, are very good when you think of them as one book, one plot and leading straight and intentionally into the other without any break. Don't forget that Mockingjay was made into two films to get more of the book, or more action time in to the movies and that they really are just one very long but quite good film.

I can say that I am glad to have finished this series.

Last Action Hero

It has been a while since Schwarzenegger featured on this blog and to quote his famous saying 'I'll be back' and we made sure of it.

Arnold seems to be taking the piss out of himself in this film by going for the same lines and the same stunts that the kid has seen before, meaning that we have seen before because we see it in every movie he has ever been in. I don't like spelling his name so he is going to be known as Arnold on this blog and nothing else. Arnold is partnered up with a kid who manages to have a magic ticket (no, not a golden one) that takes him through the old movie screen and in to Jack Slater 4, becoming Last Action Hero.

The kid is exceptionally irritating. I know that we all think that Jake Lloyd is the most irritating kid to feature on screen but this kid gives him a good run for his money. If you can ignore the kid and just focus on Charles Dance with his ginger hair and spectacular glass eyes, along with Ian McKellen playing death then you have a film worth watching. I think that we all know that Arnie would take down Charles Dance in a fight but I feel like Charles Dance would be a sniper and Arnie wouldn't actually know how to fire a gun- his strong point is with his hands.

The stunts in this film were something that I liked. The idea behind this film is favourable and admittedly, is a bit of a fall back for anyone now writing a film plot after having a mental block for a while but that doesn't matter too much. When you play to your strengths you are likely to create a film that appeals to certain sections of the world and this guy is still favourable because a lot of people are his fans and are action fans. The car chase is a little weird because in today's world we can see that he would have been dead if the shooters had actually aimed. It has to look realistic and then it has to not be  too close for us to worry about Arnold and for the time that this movie  was made it looked good and made it very enjoyable. You can probably imagine being a kid, sitting on the edge of your seat and watching a film like this, the action, the suspense and then being totally in suspense with the action of this film and what is going to happen.

You've got classic lines in this film. Everything that you could love about an action film or about Arnold is in this film. Last action hero really shows what it is like to be a policeman and what it is like to go through a divorce. You're not popular, except to all the people that you put behind bars and your family leave you when other people start leaving their card and gunmen to kill you. Divorce, empty house and not much going there- isn't a life that I want to have.

Much better than I was expecting it to be.

Resident Evil: Extinction

More vampires and more killing. We're halfway there in this series but I have not, as of yet, acquired the other half of the series to watch so they will have to patiently wait their turn on the blog list but I am sure that they will feature sporadically over the next few months.

Resident Evil have managed to make five films out of the same story but I have to accept that it was first a game and that it probably had more plot than has been shown in the films. If we think back to the second film, she makes it to the center of the base after the population of the city have been exposed to the virus which turns them in to Zombies and then she destroys that base but is permitted to escape by the Doctor who is responsible for making her the way that she is. In this film she is going after the doctor (Ian Glenn) who himself becomes infected with the virus and turns in to a horrible monster so as to create the epic confrontation at the end of the film between the heroine and the villain.

Extinction leaves it open for the fourth film and from what I remember of the fourth film that is just a lot of her killing a lot of people/ zombies. Extinction focuses on her enemy and her sole purpose of getting to him and destroying him but at the end she awakes all the other attempted clones of her and decides to team up with them to take down the organisation responsible for making her the way that she is.

What can I say about this film? Milla Jovovich is sexy and fantastic with a gun. Everything that I said about her in the previous film review is true for this film. She can kill someone using only one foot and that is terrifying but what is even more terrifying is that she is the female equivalent of Christian Bale in 'Equilibrium', less emotional, more controlled and generally better than everyone else. Her team are losing battles and members until she decides to team up with them again and take on everyone single handedly. The film is exactly what I was expecting and longing for after watching the first two films.

A Few Good Men

Another Tom Cruise film and I apologise for there being so many on the blog this year but he has made a lot of films and I haven't seen that many of them so over the next few years they are going to feature a lot. The same thing goes with Tom Hanks and Matt Damon.

A few good men stars Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore. For me this is only the second film with Demi Moore in that I have seen, with the other film being 'Ghost'. This film is still when Tom Cruise was young and cementing his name in the film industry and this time he plays a Navy JAG lawyer. He is known for never having been in a courtroom because he is assigned to people who are innocent and cuts deals so that he doesn't have to go to court but this time, after a large bulk of the film he decides that his clients are innocent and he gets to see the inside of a courtroom. Demi Moore is a commanding officer responsible for the two officers in custody and she is also assigned by the family of one of the accused as his attorney. The two of them argue a lot but she drives him on in all the right ways and gets the best out of him.

On the other side there is Jack Nicholson who somehow always manages to look a little psychotic and is a commander in Cuba. He is rigorous and believes very much in the code that they have in which the unit comes first. One member of that unit attempts to get NIS involved and in doing so is accidentally murdered after a 'code red' was authorised by the commander. This case and this film is always intriguing to watch because you often think that a man like Jack Nicholson can't be broken in a court room by someone like Tom Cruise but the passion, the risks taken and the determination brings out the character of Nicholson and he plays it so well that you actually fear for the life of Dan Cathy, who is standing in front of him. Watching Kevin Bacon attempt to do all that he can do to win a case which he doesn't want to win and go punch for punch with Tom Cruise is also worth the watch and the wait.

A few good men is actually a good insight in to what the code and honour mean to the people who protect our country and it is also a good insight in to how graduating from law school doesn't necessarily mean that you are a good lawyer. Dan Cathy was convinced that his clients were guilty before he met the commander and that is when it all changed. He had resigned himself to losing and was at the point of giving up when everything changed.
Watch the film because this is another good film and I was impressed with all of them.

Ong-Bak

Thai martial arts film and once again the first to feature on the blog. Experiencing the different type of martial arts is brilliant. Once you watch them you start to realise the different training and techniques that are used, which is why no type of martial arts is the same as any other.

This film made Tony Jaa's career but even so I still can't think of another film that he has been in. Martial arts are selective to a culture and unfortunately it isn't a culture that has truly taken off in this country yet. There are some absolutely genius martial arts films that are well known such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon but there really aren't that many unless you are a fan of them and by a fan I mean that you actually regularly watch them.

Ong-Bak is a Buddha statue that gets deformed and decapitated when thieves cut off the head of the statue. A villager called Ting (Tony Jaa) attempts to relocate the statue and bring it back to his village by travelling to Bangkok, beating the underground fighting king and working for a crime lord. Don't question the methods, only question the martial arts, choreography and relentlessness of Ting to get back the Buddha statue. Muay Tai is a specific type of martial arts that is subjective to Thailand, you wont find it anywhere else in the world and you are unlikely to see a lot of films with this type of martial arts in it.

I would assume that those who have kept reading to this point are serious fans of martial arts and actually know a lot about this film. This is another film that you have to watch subbed and please don't watch it dubbed because dubbed is painful for everyone. So if you are a fan of martial arts films then watching this is essential to help you distinguish between martial arts from different cultures and countries. It's not just the name but actually knowing what they look like and how to recognise them. There is always a twist in the plot and nothing can go smoothly because there are always more enemies to fight and more people who are convinced that one style of fighting is better than the other, however, if you are looking for a reason to watch this film then watch it for the perseverance of Ting and just witnessing how important that statue of the Buddha is to him and his village.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

The much anticipated and long time coming new Spider-Man film. Andrew Garfield was okay as Spider-Man but the second film was so rubbish and they turned his character in to one that felt like 'Sam' from 'Transformers' i.e a sweaty teenage boy who was a little egotistical. Glad to say that because of the way that the marvel universe is going, this film was never intended to be part of a stand alone series like the other Spider-Man films and therefore there is less focus on Peter Parker and his ego and more focus on Spider-Man and his development with the assistance of Tony Stark.

Tom Holland looks like he could be the face of Spider-Man for a while. His body is one of someone who is not 14 (obviously) but his face looks  young enough for them to get by and to suggest that he has a few films ahead of him if they so wish to include his character in more films. Everything in this film is a slight twist on any other Spider-Man film and I did leave the room grinning at the end of the film because of the twist. M.J is probably the best character in the entire film and it is so nice to see that films are actually trying to be ethnically diverse.

I have to get this rant out there now. I do object a little to the suit that he has. At the end of the film we do see signs that he has natural powers and he does talk about being bitten by a spider in the film but most of the emphasis was on this suit that Stark gave him which enabled him to do so much more with his webs but again, the webs were something that we see him making in school lessons and so I wonder if they are implying that the only power he was given from the spider was strength and weird grip. In a world full of powers we really don't need another terrible Batman film by emphasising the technology too much and ignoring the powers. Iron Man doesn't have any powers and he is almost the marvel equivalent of Batman but every team has one and no one needs another on their team.

Apart from all that it was a very good film. I liked it a lot more than I was expecting to but I was told that it was the bets film that had been released this year and in my opinion it is not better than Wonder Woman. I look forward to seeing Spider-Man feature a lot more in the marvel universe as there could be a bright future for this character. Probably the best marvel film released this year but I didn't see 'Logan' so I cannot compare it to anything.

Gentlemen Prefer Bondes

Marilyn Monroe stars as though of us who are familiar with the film 'Moulin Rouge' start to understand the basis of Nicole Kidman's character and the importance of the song 'Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend'.

My issue with this film is that is that Monroe is playing a very stupid character- probably bringing up the stereotype of 'Dumb Blonde'. This character plays so much on her looks that it irritates me a little, well, more than a little, enough to settle on a lot. Monroe is attractive, she always was. She can sing, she can dance and she can act so why she has starred in a film in which she plays a stupid and somewhat naive women is beyond my ability to comprehend. Monroe is an icon and the music, dancing, fashion, looks etc are there for a reason. She is the hype of this film and way the hype of the time but next to her stands a brunette who is intelligent, attractive, can sing and can also dance so who is this film about men- men at the time or a woman's idea of men at the time?

This film has humour and some ridiculous moments when I spent time staring at what i was seeing on the screen and actually asking myself if what she was doing was ever possible. The answer is that I don't know if you can fit through a window on a cruise ship but I get the feeling that the answer is probably no and that those windows are probably half the size of a size 2 women and really weren't designed for Marilyn Monroe to attempt to squeeze through. Monroe is a Grace Kelly, or rather- Grace Kelly was probably a Monroe. I see so much talent in them, so much passion and skill and I wonder where it all went wrong for them and the answer is in marriage choice (probably).

I loved the dancing and the outfits in this film but my favourite part of this film was when she told her future father in-law that she wasn't marrying his son because of his money, she was marrying her son because she wanted her future father in-law's money. It's nice to be truthful but there is a time and place for it and maybe admitting that you are a gold digger and only after the money before you have got your hands on it possibly isn't the best way to go but it did seem to work for her as she ended the film in a wedding dress and a diamond ring about to walk down the aisle.

Monroe films and a bottle of wine are the best combination for a Sunday evening and luckily for me I have at least another four Monroe films currently sitting on my desk which should see me comfortably through the summer.

The Jazz Singer

As always, I have to start by promoting http://www.ninjabookbox.com and provide the discount code CLARE15.

Now that the business is done I can get down to doing my voluntary job of reviewing an old almost silent classic called 'The Jazz Singer'. This is a film about a man who is the son of a cantor, who in turn is the son of a cantor etc. The family is Jewish and this boy was destined to be a cantor in the eyes of his father. The son decides that he doesn't want to be a cantor and instead wants to be a jazz singer his father beats him and the boy runs away. Many years later the boy has become a famous jazz singer and is performing across the world with his act but he goes back to see his parents. His relationship with his mother has always been good and he plays the piano and sings to his mother before his father comes in and tells him that if he is not going to be a cantor then there is no place for him. Months later some members of the synagogue come to see the jazz singer and ask him to sing for his father because his father is sick. Initially he says no but at the end of the film he goes back to the synagogue and performs as a cantor before going back to his show and keeping up the life that he had and enjoyed.

There is a random part in this film where there is suddenly sound for no reason and then after a few minutes it goes back to being a silent movie. The rest of the film is decent. The plot is very simple and it is all about a man who pursues his dreams, places his happiness before acceptance from his father and makes a life for himself that he enjoys. Al Johnson is no Charlie Chaplin but this is a 1927 film that made history for being the first film with a synchronised score and lip synchronisation when singing. In 1927 this film made history. In Singing In The Rain we learn this myth that silent actors make up whatever they want to say because the subtitles show what should be said and they don't think that anyone will be watching but what makes this film a little bit more special is that in this film you have to be able to remember your lines and act them out. It isn't a case of being told to look angry and then having that shot filmed before changing to a different look, it is a case of actually having to act as if you would in a colour and sound film which makes Al Johnson and the cast so much more impressive.

There is a remake of this film with Neil Diamond in and I do fully intend to watch it. Being able to hear the sound that should accompany this film will help me to draw comparison and better appreciate this film. If you consider yourself a film buff but haven't seen this film then you know what you need to do- watch it and further your screen education. Appreciate what it did, what it meant and the triumph it made in 1927 by giving up 90 mins to watch this film.

Despicable Me 3

People of all ages love these films. They are silly without being too silly. The plot flows naturally without anything being ridiculous and the ideas are, at times, ingenious.

Gru gets married and this film is him understanding that his family is the most important thing to him. After loosing his job he discovers that he has a rich twin brother and that his dad was a super villain. Gru goes back to being a villain but only so that he can return to being a good guy again. That sounds weird but the enemy in this film is called Balthazar Brat, a child actor who got upset when he hit puberty and his tv series was cut by Hollywood. He is exactly the type of villain that you would expect to find in one of these films- ridiculous shoulder pads and hair, dancing to Michael Jackson and blowing gum.

A blonde, slightly more camp Gru is called Dru (Drew) and definitely not as good a villain as Gru- so if you thought that Gru was a terrible villain in the first film then you are mistaken. The minions rebel and take control of the prison after wining a singing competition. Of course, in the end they break out of prison to help Gru and Dru save Hollywood from giant Balthazar Brat and of course, save the girls who were once again kidnapped by the villain of the film.

The gadgets are cool, the car is cool and the soundtrack is brilliant. Gru being a villain is fantastic and having the golden car and other things at his disposal means that he gets to show what he could have been like had he not have been raised by his mother and left to work with someone who managed to freeze themselves in carbonite. Everything that you enjoyed about each of the films before this one is shown in this film. I wouldn't say that it is the best film because I still feel like the first one was the best but they have all been good and enjoyable. Gru is the best thing that Steve Carrel has ever done with his career.

Now You See Me 2

The first film was incredible. The second film should be just as good because it still has most of the previous cast but adds in a small part for Daniel Radcliffe which is always nice.

The first film was about magicians but this film seems to be more about the group and their leader trying to make a living for themselves and sorting out how to stop Morgan Freeman from getting his own back on them. I have to say this up front- some of the stunts, especially with the card, is just ridiculous and not physically possible and yes I mean the laws of physics.

I am just loving watching Mark Ruffalo's career unfold. In the last 5+ years he has done a phenomenal amount of good films and I often wonder how he manages to pull it off each year. He's been around for a while and been in known films such as 'Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind' made in 2004 but his career really took off after taking on 'Bruce Banner', 'Begin again' and 'Now You See Me'. He is still, probably the standout performer in this film. Watching Daniel Radcliffe attempt to beat up Mark Ruffalo was never going to work because Daniel Radcliffe isn't threatening but full credit for trying.

Michael Caine in a little cameo towards the end was another fantastic twist in this film. I actually love these films. Like Ocean's Eleven, this film has the sort of magical feel and will have a special place in my heart for when I needed an excuse to watch films and eat cake. You think that you know this film, that you have it worked out but you don't. If you take that attitude and stop paying attention you will have no idea when it ends or why it ends. Now You See Me 2 is so well written. It's not as spectacular on the eyes as the first film was but that was what attracted you to the film in the first place. Now you have watched the first film you need a clever plot and some more development in these films to make it all better and help you to really get in to the feel of these films. If you are going to make a sequel then this is how it should be!

Going Postal

A few of us with different blogs are joining together for a Terry Pratchett year. Bex with her Armchair by the sea blog has organised a discworld readathon throughout the entire year. Tame the boardgame are supposed to have been posting about the games such as Ankh Morporkh, Witches and Thud.

Going Postal is one of the better Discworld films and the first one to be reviewed on this blog. I have already seen this film many times but have never sat down to review a discworld film. Charles Dance is a much better Lord Vetinari than Jeremy Irons was in 'the colour of magic/ the light fantastic'. David Suchet is fantastically short and a wonderful villain. Watching him try and square up to Charles Dance is always humorous.

I've never read this book but watching this film is as enjoyable as watching 'Hogfather', which will be reviewed at Christmas. Sometimes, with discworld films they get the casting all wrong but not with this film. Everyone I know who has watched this film has enjoyed it and said that it was much better than the two films combined (which were not good). Going Postal introduces the game 'Thud' and also introduces the Golems and some key characters of the watch.

If you are new to Pratchett's Discworld then you have to try and understand that of the 30-40 + novels in this series they are split into sections. Some are about the Wizards (most of them) and that is why they made the colour of magic and light fantastic, then you have some about the witches and the tv series witches to go with that, then there are those about the watch- soul music and most of the novels that go with Lord Vetinari and the running of Ankh Morporkh and then those that are about death which would be Hogfather. Some of the TV series are good and hopefully they will be reviewed later on in this blog.

For all the women out there wondering why they should watch this film I will now tell them the answer to their question. The answer is that you get to watch a woman with a four inch stiletto heel push it in to the foot of a man who deserved it and watch her get the better of him many times over!

If you are a Poirot fan then watch this film. Being able to watch David Suchet as someone other than Poirot in film is always a joy and a rare thing to behold. If you are a black books fan then there is a reason to watch this film.

Just watch it. Don't argue- watch it and then get back to me and tell me what you thought of it.