filmsExaminer

This is the much anticipated sequel to the smash hit launch film released in 2014, featuring the same band of misfit (superhero) buffoons that most fans (even Marvel fans) didn't even know about. It was obvious that the cast were still clearly very comfortable in their characters. Whereas the first film was all about building a team of trouble-shooters, this was more about friendship and family, and we see Quill finally meeting his father, 'Ego' who turned out to be the villain in the plot, although not a really great memorable villain and this is where the plot lost it way a little for me in act 3. My wife loved the original film and she's far from a superhero fan, I loved the original film, but this 2nd installment falls a little short, although it was still highly entertaining and funny with fantastic 3D effects that were full of depth. You'll enjoy the excellent 80's soundtrack as well that runs from Quill's 'Awesome Mix 2' cassette tape. You don

The stars are a husband and wife who are running a zoo in Warsaw, they are a courageous couple who conceal and ultimately save hundreds of Polish Jews from the gas chambers during the WW2 Nazi Germany invasion. Some scenes of Jews being executed are very hard to watch. Generally the actions of the Nazis will shock in places! This melodrama is worth a watch, though it's hard not to compare with Schindler's List. 7/10.

This is a film of a true and important historical drama set during WW1, about the Armenian Genocide of 1915. With a great cast, staring Christian Bale, who plays an American journalist, reporting the truth. Oscar Isaac, who plays an Armenian, medical student, who goes to Constantinople to study, and Charlotte Le Bon, who consequently plays the love interest in the love triangle aspect. So, this is the clear depiction of the cruelty and in-humaneness that occurred and events that the Turks do not acknowledge and are still denying to this day. An extraordinary film. Highly recommended. 8/10.

This is a horror thriller featuring a respectable cast. The BELKO Experiment is an interesting film about the human nature, and how characters (you think you might know) can change when their lives are threatened or put into jeopardy. BELKO is a hi-tech company with offices all over the world, the film starts as 'just another day at the office' but quickly progresses to a kill or be killed randomly thriller. Steel shields snap down over all the office glass windows and the staff are instructed by a mysterious voice over the tannoy to kill 30 colleagues in the next two hours or 60 will die randomly, the voice explains the rules which the staff must adhere to in order to survive. So the game is simple, kill your colleagues and which-ever single individual is left at the end of the day is free to leave! The ensuing violence is relentless and very brutal. Initially the story building is very inventive but when the violence starts feels more like a low budget film! Not intentional

When I can tick "based on a true story" and "British film-making" I invariably know that I'm in for a treat. This important and emotional true story, is a politically charged drama set in 1947 about (on one side) an African King-in-waiting who risks losing his country for the woman he loves, and (on the other side) his potential white Queen who sacrifices her family for the man she falls in love with. The first half of the film shows their meeting and falling in love. The second half shows the white racism that existed to a black / white relationship and the black African culture that responds to a potential white queen. What a difficult situation at a delicate period in history. A highlight is the emotional "I love my people" speech, which is where the prince addresses a crowd to stake his case for why he should be king and why they should accept his white wife. The film has an old fashioned look and feel. There are strong performances, especially f

NO SPOILERS!!! (see why at the end) I won't spoil by revealing the two twists in the plot. this film will keep you guessing right up to very end, I doubt whether you'll guess the eventual outcome! An emotional tear jerking drama, with a Stella cast. But why does this film feature in so many top ten worst films of 2016? I can't understand the poor reviews this has attracted. This has been criticised for being yet another Will Smith 'OSCAR bait' film, but don't listen to the professional critics, I've seen enough rubbish in 2016 to know this isn't that bad. Will Smith's character writes letters to three things, the three pillars of life, he's suffering severe depression after a tragic loss. These letters are posted in order to reconcile his emotions and gain closure (it's in the trailer, so not a spoiler). He spirals deeper and deeper into depression and doesn't seem to care that his business is in jeopardy as well. Bereavement can't

Comedy (though that's being extremely generous). Amy Schumer plays the 'usual' character she always plays, she's a selfish individual who gets dumped by her boyfriend just before they're due to go on holiday. The tickets are non-refundable so creating a dilemma, who to go with? So her mum (Goldie Hawn) eventually agrees to go on this exotic holiday. There's some great mother / daughter chemistry at the start but even that fails to develop further when the adventure element starts, from that point forward it stops being funny and you stop caring what happens! The film is funny up to the abduction and fails after that! See this if you really must, but when you're drunk and the incoherent plot won't matter! Nothing compared to 'Train wreck' and certainly nowhere near as good as 'Bridesmaids'. No out-takes – oh c'mon there must have been loads! In summary, this film is utter garbage. It'll make you want to poke your eyes

Fantasy adventure starring Johnny Depp as Jack Sparow. As in all the other previous 4 films the premise is ... A 'curse'... or 'dead men' ... or 'revenge'... or in 'pursuit of an artifact' ... or in 'pursuit of Jack Sparrow' across the sea theme. In this film Jack Sparrow has previously wronged Captain Salazar (the ghost sailor character) - Salazar is pursuing Jack across the oceans and they are both in search of Poseidon's trident (which can undo all curses). The first film is a great swashbuckling adventure, Jack Sparrow has a knack for getting into and out of trouble with only his wit and cunning. Unfortunately in this latest installment he comes across as a complete buffoon. The sequels have consistently gone downhill (sorry!). If there needs to be a 6th film they should probably call it >>> "Pirates of the Caribbean - The curse of the un-dead sailor, who goes to the end of the World (in the Black Pearl) in Search of Ba

This is a comedy action adventure - Adapted from the 1990's TV series (which I wasn't a big fan of either). All things considered, what made the original TV series popular was that this was televised in the pre-internet era when soft porn wasn't so readily accessible to teenage boys. Lots of attractive girl's slow-motion running must have been quite a draw a the time! The premise this time is the stunningly beautiful life-guards (who have a family atmosphere) not only save lives but also get into a wacky adventure along the way. This time they're foiling drugs smugglers who are attempting to get their pills into the Bay. Essentially the jokes were not very well written and did not work for me to a large degree, it would probably be best to watch this very drunk to make sense of the poorly written plot. This film is definitely for you if you want to see jiggly boobs in slow-mo! Otherwise there are thousands of YouTube clips that do it better. 2/10.

There are 2 aspects that drew me to this DC origin action film. > The Rotten Tomatoes 93% rating. > Very hot Gal Gadot as Princess Diana, cast from clay and brought to life by Zeus. As this is an origin film we see Princess Diana grow from childhood to the superhero adult (a bit like Superman). She belongs to a society run by women in a paradise island where the weather is summer all year round and the landscape is perfect. It looks like a Greek island, probably Lezbos judging by the large number of 'hard looking' girls on screen. They are all young, attractive and they can fight. In contrast the world outside is miserable, grey, violent and at war. The women are great warriors, Diana undertakes many years of rigorous fight training and she possesses supernatural powers as well. Eventually Diana manages to displace her trainer and becomes the all-powerful and really hot (I mean really hot!) Wonder Woman. So everything is wonderful until Chris Pine arrives with 'war

The Shack takes the viewer on Sam Worthington's spiritual journey. After suffering the death of his daughter he spirals into depression, he receives a letter inviting him to meeting at an abandoned shack where his religious faith is restored by three mysterious characters. Not the usual role for Sam Worthington and he does a good job of a difficult subject. The message is very good, but looking at Sam's tragic situation I can't honestly say that I could forgive no matter the circumstances! So, does God exist and could you forgive? You need to watch and decide for yourself. 6/10.

Philip Ashley is an orphan and adopted by his cousin Ambrose. Ambrose goes to Italy due to ill health where he meets, falls in love and marries Rachel, he frequently writes to Philip suspecting that she is poisoning him. Philip urgently travels to Italy but by the time he arrives Ambrose has died and Rachel has disappeared. Philip wants revenge and returns to the estate in England that he will inherit on his 25th birthday. Would you believe it! Philip falls deeply in love with Rachel, so much so that he hands over his entire inheritance on his birthday (yes really!) It is then that Philip starts to get sick after Rachel makes him a special tea (do you think it contains the same poison?!) The question we ask at the beginning of the film is "Did she? Didn't she? During the film we ask "is she up to the same shenanigans?" At the end a lot is left unresolved and I felt a little unsatisfied. So ... do you think she did it?! v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

Historical drama, very dialogue heavy, which is right up my street! Stars Brian Cox performing in a Shakespearian manner. This is not to be viewed as a biopic but was a snapshot of the 3 days leading up to D-Day. Winston Churcill was very resistant to the plan due to the potential high loss of life, he believed the D-Day mission was a bad idea and tries to convince the military leaders and politicians around him. Throughout the film he is seen to be struggling with personal and political conflicts. Winston is portrayed as a great warrior, probably more so than he really was. Non-the–less he was extremely brave and has since been voted as one of the greatest Britons who ever lived. A great film that would make a great (probably greater) stage play. 9/10.

Chris Evans plays Frank, he has been taking care of Mary (the maths prodigy) since her mother (Frank's sister) committed suicide. Frank wants to give Mary as 'normal' childhood as possible but at the same time he's struggling with whether this the right thing for her. Her grandmother is desperate to isolate her so that she can reach her full maths potential. This conflict results in a courtroom battle for custody of Mary during the middle part of the film. We see that 'Capt. America' can do 'sensitive' and McKenna Grace will be a huge star, she steals every scene she's in. This is an entertaining drama where the premise is - if you have a gifted child should they have a normal childhood life or should you focus on exploiting their full potential? The film is immediately engaging with some humorous scenes, some where you least expect them, and some emotional scenes towards the end (so keep your tissues handy) Recommended. 8/10.

Retelling of a classic, a fast paced fantasy action adventure. Very obviously directed by Guy Ritchie, this film has the usual Guy Ritchie feel and style of fast editing and witty banter. The story is of the hero's journey from childhood to king. A little bit of Lord of the Rings. A little bit of Harry Potter. Very heavy on CGI. Jude Law is the standout evil scumbag king, but Charlie Hunnam is just an OK 'King' character, what this was really missing was Tom Hardy as the King (OMG how was he not the obvious choice after the BBC TV TABOO series) and finally, David Beckham should probably stick to football. The music score was excellent and perfectly atmospheric. So in summary, this is an entertaining film, not really great but not bad either. Worth a view in 3D. 6/10.

Ridley Scott directs this Sci-fi horror, which is a sequel to Prometheus and prequel to the original film, that was made almost 40 years ago. The plot sees the crew of a colony ship (Covenant), on their 7 year journey to inhabit a remote planet. They pick up a distress signal from a nearby, unknown planet which also turns out to be perfectly habitable and a virtual 'Garden of Eden',they decide to explore. Pretty soon they discover this beautiful paradise is dangerous, several crew members are horrifically killed. Now they need to escape from this horrifying and isolated world, fast! The cinematography is amazing, the alien landscapes really sets the atmosphere perfectly. The level of gore is kept high and intense throughout the film. The performances are solid, particularly Michael Fassbender, who stole every scene with his portrayals of Walter and David synthetics. David genetically engineered the alien from numerous experiments and his need to explore the meaning of life. Ult

The first 30 minutes of the film, is a passable action film, but it isn't amazing, unfortunately it quickly goes downhill. The plot is about bent Las Vegas cops, drugs, guns, abduction, action, violence - sounds promising. Starts promisingly. The opening scene is a car chase but it went downhill from there, for instance being stabbed in the side and subsequently getting in countless fights over the next 90 minutes! ... But it only seemed to hurt when Jamie Foxx was in a stairwell trying to escape! The entire film keeps you wondering … Why is this happening? That just could never happen! I wonder if they'll wheel out the next cliché? – oh yes, there it is! The last 20 minutes, comes around, and you just stop caring! The title doesn't make any sense. It's called 'Sleepless' but the majority is so boooorrrringggg. You'll get plenty of sleep with this!!! 2/10.

Noomi Rapace is a CIA interrogator who is involved in the tracing of a possible biological terrorist attack on London. The plot was easy enough to follow with a few twists to keep me from falling asleep. Orlando Bloom is far from convincing and has done much better work in the past. The film feels like an average 'made for TV action film', it also looks like it could become a series. I really hope this stops here as there's nothing new or different to really engage or want me to see more. Would not recommend. 3/10.

Whenever I see a film listed as based on a true story, or a British made film I'm immediately attracted. In this case I could tick both boxes and was compelled to view. Based on a best-selling book about a busker who is a recovering drug addict (James), the film starts in a promising manner with James eating discarded food from bins, he's emotionally down, and he's extremely hungry, hence the need to eat 'rubbish'. Unfortunately, this level of grit is not maintained. Of course, James has a love interest (Betty), who is an animal loving vegan. I'm afraid I found her acting terrible and a little bit irritating. The other main 'actor' was the cat (Bob), played by himself. Bob 'adopts' James and apparently helps to turn his life around. James suffers several knock-backs along the way, pretty much as soon as things start looking up. For instance… He's busking, gets in a fight, is arrested and subsequently banned from Covent Garden. He then starts

Stars; Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick & JK Simmons. Affleck's character is a socially awkward individual, who suffers from autism, he plays a tortured character, who is depicted very well. Someone that you can't help becoming interested in, both for his character and his condition. As a child he was a maths wizard who had a strong need to finish anything started, demonstrated by the completing a jigsaw up-side-down scene. He is missing the last piece and goes into meltdown until it is found. As an adult, Affleck is an accountant, a mathematical genius with an obsession with order and consistency. His considerable skills are much in demand with criminals and mafia in order to launder money. Affleck is a reclusive figure with a dark secret, his script consists of very few word and those he has are always softly spoken. There are lengthy character building scenes via flash-backs, these explain how dealing with autism as a child and the strained relationship he had with his militar

To start with I'm a Harry Potter fan and have seen all the films, however, I deliberately made sure that I knew pretty much nothing about this film, besides the fact that it has nods to Harry Potter, and don't tell me this is not related to Harry Potter as the film starts with the distinctive Harry Potter theme music so the connection cannot be dismissed. But Harry Potter this is DEFINITELY NOT! Set in New York in the 1920's with Pokémon-like "beasts" and an awkward English character called Newt. I'm sorry to say that I couldn't understand the plot … I kept thinking "why is this happening?", and "I can't believe that just happened!", and "Where is this leading?" and "I'm not invested in that character or that character". Less than 24 hours after seeing this and I'm struggling to remember anything except for the weird mating dance that Newt has with a massive beast, I imagine this was his attempt to en

A WW2 romantic thriller about 2 spies who fall in love. Stars a Canadian spy played by Brad Pitt, whose character parachutes into French Morocco to complete a mission to assassinate a Nazi officer, he meets a French spy played by Marion Cotillard. There is a tangible sexual tension between our heroes, they fall in love, complete their mission, move to London, get married and have a daughter. All seems well, but new information comes to light. Brad is called to a secret meeting in the depths of GCHQ, there he is told that his wife is not all she appears to be, and suspicion is she may be a German spy! The news results in Brad needing to investigate and take appropriate action. What I liked … The lovemaking scene in a car during a sandstorm What I didn't like … The impromptu party scene back in London, could they really have had a raucous, noisy, brightly lit party during a wartime blackout? The film is worth viewing for its styling and has a convincing old fashioned look, but I'

Based on a true story, this is a British made ROMCOM loosely based on the story of Harry the Hermit. Starring Brendan Gleeson and Diane Keaton. Harry the Hermit, was an Irishman who became famous for setting up a makeshift shack in a corner of Hampstead Heath. The film shows property developers trying to evict him, in order to build luxury apartments. Later we see Brendan's character in court, where he successfully claimed squatter's rights to the land, having lived there for 17 years. Consequently he was awarded a deed to the land, which he sells at the end of the film for £4 million (if I remember correctly). So it all ends happily ever after and the 'odd couple'(Gleeson / Keaton) become a couple and sail off in the original shack that he reconstructs onto a barge. There are lots of cliché scenes and jokes, some recycled from previous British ROMCOMS. The film is predictable, and a little boring for that reason. Essentially this is just OK. I would not recommend t

This is a black comedy drama about the death of the Soviet dictator, Stalin, and the events that follow. Made with a fantastic cast, none of which use false Russian accents. Though this is a slapstick comedy there are also some horrific execution scenes. It was clever in places, and a little heavy going in other places too. This probably deserves a more in-depth review that I wish I could provide. The impression I had on leaving the cinema was the film would make a better stage play, where the actors would be confined by the narrow dimensions of a stage. Recommended. 8/10.

The Secret Superstar is a Bollywood drama about a 14 year old Muslim girl who just wants to sing. She creates a YouTube channel and records a video of herself, wearing her mum's burka, playing her guitar, singing her own song that goes very quickly viral, she is known as 'The Secret Superstar'. Her father regularly beats her mum (his wife) for the most trivial things, the atmosphere at home is always tense. She is noticed by a famous macho chauvinist (and just divorced) Bollywood musician, who secretly arranges for her to fly to Mumbai to professionally record a record. The condition for recording the song is our heroine is introduced to the female lawyer who beats the musician at his last divorce case and she asks her to prepare divorce papers for her mum. Stay in your seats during the end credits to see a very funny dance sequence. Recommended. 8/10.

I bit of a shambles really. The first 30 minutes concentrates on character intros and 'plot' development. The second 30 is all gross, innuendos and non-PC jokes, where the audience hardly laughed. The third 30 is where it becomes a movie worth watching - Brent shows his very vulnerable side, he realizes he will not achieve his dream of becoming a rock star and goes back to sales rep-ping. But at least he tried and his heart was mostly in the right place. Rewrite some of the humour and screen as an hour long TV special would have been so much better. 3/10.

The concept of giving supermarket produce personalities sounded good, makes you think of 'Toy Story' but this film is pitched to an adult audience. The trailer is also funny but these are the only bits worth watching, at least the bits that could be shown without offending the majority of another audience. We booked with relatively high expectations of humour with (perhaps) a couple of moral messages, again Toy Story comes to mind (how wrong was I) If your idea of funny is unnecessary swearing then (unfortunately) this film is definitely for you. It seemed like every other word contained the 'F' word, after a while this wears thin and then you begin to realize it was being used instead of clever humour. I think I probably smiled 2-3 times. For me there was so much swearing it spoilt any developing 'plot'. I wouldn't recommend to anyone, whether 15 years old or older. 1/10.

Stars Jonah Hill and Miles Teller, supported by Bradley Cooper in a minor but important role This is a fact based melodrama of two old school friends who meet again at a funeral and become arms dealers. The US government is awarding military contracts and the 'chums' are there to 'pick up the crumbs' of which there are many The film is basically split into 3 parts 1)Character building, we discover their individual motivations. 2) The rise of their arms dealing empire. 3)Greed gets the better of Jonah's character and the empire falls Bradley Cooper is the guy able to help fill the orders with his dubious connections, he explains his inclusion on a terrorism watch list prevents his own dealings. He is always portrayed as the bad guy until the end scene This movie is much better than I expected, Jonah's laugh is distinctive and very contagious. There is some strong language but the certificate 15 is probably awarded due to the very frequent drug use. I would de

This is the third film in a trilogy, I hadn't seen the first two but that didn't seem to matter. This is an excellent standalone piece of gritty British film-making. The film was tense, violent and gripping with tight direction and fine performances. It managed a 15 certificate, but it must have only just scraped it! Cracking script - the writing is genius and comical at times, telling the story of the lead character (Sam), who is trying his best to rebuild his life but cannot escape his past. Great soundtrack - I'm not a huge fan of rapping but this fit perfectly and added to the film atmosphere. Humour - the humour was pitched just right, especially with the 'gangster' who kept getting beaten up and relationship between Sam and Henry and the conversations between Henry and his girlfriend. The only drawback was that the climatic duel at the end wasn't very original and seemed a little cliché Highly recommended British film-making. 9/10.

Si-Fi horror movie. An agent (Kate Mara) is sent to a 'secret' facility to perform a risk assessment to determine whether the lab created 'Morgan' should be terminated. I don't mind a slow burning film but this is too slow to begin with before picking up the pace half way through. It's was at this point my wife turned to me and whispered "do you think that agent character is one of them" (meaning artificial) – so she saw that coming probably well ahead of when she should of. Of course, Kate Mara is another experimental, earlier prototype thingy and I'm sure you're not supposed to realise before the final showdown during Morgan's attempted escape. …If you want to see a terminator style film, then see 'Terminator' …If you want to see a film about artificial human enhancement, then see 'Lucy' …If you want to see a film that discusses what it takes to be human, then see 'X-Machina'. I'd hesitate to recommend, as all

Jason Statham doing what he does 'best', predictable punch-up, shoot-em-up movie. Our hero is forced to perform three almost impossible assassinations and make them look like accidents, or the 'girl' gets it. Jessica Alba (the 'girl') is Statham's love interest, who he's just met, who we also learn later in the film runs a charity for children in Cambodia – honestly? Really? C'Mon! The plot is very similar (almost identical) to the first film. He faked his death in the first film and again this time. Seems to be the popular reoccurring theme. He flits around the world Thailand, Brazil, Australia, Malaysia, and Bulgaria getting the 'jobs' done. Invariably will most probably do all the same stuff again in the third installment ..... let's call it 'Mechanic Re-resurrection – Where's my car? Like the one in Transporter!' Compared with the first film this isn't as good, just too similar but not done as well. If you're a Sta

This is a Japanese fantasy movie from LAIKA, combination of stop motion animation and CGI, which already looks like a classic. The film starts with the opening line narrated 'If you must blink, do it now' and from there on you will find yourself totally immersed. Kubo is the tale of a humble child, earning a meagre living telling stories to the villagers, while playing his basic three stringed instrument. Kubo has a magical skill for origami, the paper folds itself when he plays. Kubo previously lost his left eye to the evil 'Moon King', and the Moon King wants the other remaining eye, it's important that Kubo does not go out after dark as this is when his other eye is most put at risk, so guess what … he goes out at night. After summoning some evil spirits, he must go on a quest to find his late father's mystical samurai amour and sword, or he will risk losing his remaining eye as well. On this journey he's befriended and aided by a courageous 'Monkey&#

This is a British comedy horror with gory, brutal, bloody violence. The protagonists are two sisters and two blokes who are long-time friends, one of them is almost 30 years old and still a virgin, the other is a very confident cocky guy. The premise is an interesting idea where the girls are the villains. They are seen at the beginning brutally murdering two unsuspecting guys who they picked up and bring home for a 'good time!' The objective for the girls is sacrifice 5 blokes (the last needs to be a virgin) to resurrect their dead father. The objective for the guys is go out, party, meet girls, and have sex before the birthday deadline. The plot gets really crazy towards the end.  Worth watching to see if the characters achieve their goals. 7/10.

'Hell or High Water' is a modern day Weston, a heist 'buddy' movie with a political backdrop, think of 'The Big Short' with a western theme. I was compelled to watch this when I realised the writer of SICARIO also wrote this. A gritty drama about a divorced dad and his brother, who devise a plan to only rob 'West Midland Banks' in order to save their family's farm from repossession. The Texan area has been hit hard by recession, a failing farm industry, and oil drilling. The sense of depression is immediately illustrated in the opening scene by some graffiti sprayed on a wall that reads "3 tours in Iraq - no bailout for me." Remember the banks were being bailed out worldwide. In every aspect the banks were the true villains. Just as a reminder, and every so often, the barren roadside billboards advertise debt management, refinancing and other related bank services. The bank raids are the scenes with most suspense and drama, you can really f

I'm not a horror movie fan but this can also be considered a thriller, filled with tension and elements of horror. The film opens with 3 kids' (Rocky, Alex and Money) mid-robbery, unfortunately their loot isn't generating much cash so their fence suggests sealing just money instead. They have a wonderfully simple idea, rob from a blind man who has just inherited a large sum of cash. Should be an easy steal – WRONG. The man also has a large, very vicious dog that features several times during the plot. Both the blind man and his dog build tension in equal measure. They approach the house and drug the dog, it's important to know that everyone else in the street has moved out. However (once in the house) their plan quickly escalates into a home invasion, survival horror nightmare. Initially you'll find yourself feeling sorry for the innocent looking blind man until you realise he's a monster. The kids become the hunted. There were many times when I was holding my b

This is the true story of two Czech soldiers who parachute into Czechoslovakia, their mission (codename Anthropoid) is to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich, Hitler's 3rd in command. The two men are helped by a small but dedicated resistance movement. This is a two hour movie. The first hour is devoted to planning the mission, and it seems to plod along, building the two main characters and their romance with two local girls. The second hour is devoted to the actual assassination and the resulting retaliation shoot-out in a local church. The film is better for the deliberate slow burning start, as you learn (and care) about the characters, the members of the resistance and the subsequent consequences of their mission. The action, particularly during the gripping gun-battle, steps up several gears. The cinematography and atmospheric soundtrack are tense and fits perfectly, will have you on the edge of your seat. This is a violent, disturbing in places film about a real event during WWII,

I like British made cinema or cinema with a strong British contribution, so I take no pleasure in my poor review. This chick-flick, ROM COM revolves around a group of characters, without any real depth, who move sluggishly through a predictable and boring plot, this time taking place several years after the 2nd instalment. The message here is that a woman is ultimately unhappy unless married, with a baby (to make her life complete), and so Bridget's quest continues. Renee Zellweger returns with her fake British middle class accent, this time she's celebrating her 43rd birthday, and this time in search of (you'll never guess) – love, but also this time with the dilemma of pregnancy to one of two possible fathers. Bridget's character narrates the 'important' points (as normal), and just to highlight where to laugh. Colin Firth wheels out the same boring very 'proper' English character. The standard awkward atmosphere exists whenever Bridget is less than 20

I love factual films, so was compelled to see this was based on true events. Set in the mid 1980's, Bryan Cranston goes undercover as Robert Mazur who brings down the Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar and the corrupt bank (BCCI), the bank that launders truly enormous (in the billions) sums of money. Not a terrible film but the storyline has been done many times and I couldn't help thinking the film didn't deliver anything particularly new. Not an outstanding film with very few memorable scenes, the only that comes to mind is the anniversary cake scene. If you're a Bryan Cranston fan you'll enjoy this. However, if you want to see a film based on the war on drugs then there are better examples, for instance, the fantastic 'Sicario (2015)', or to a lesser degree and with a comedy edge 'American Hustle'. 5/10.

It's a risky move to remake a film that's already been told twice, the last time (in the 60's), a very well reputed western and the version before that (in the 50's) being a truly excellent Japanese samurai epic. So what do we have here – a film based on a familiar plot, with familiar characters and familiar well-known outcome? Looks like a recipe for disaster – WRONG! If you're becoming bored with Marvel superhero films then this offers an alternative anti-hero style film. The cast here are more diverse than in previous versions but I feel they were perfectly chosen for the current time, you gradually get to know and care about each of the characters. The film also has a great mixture of comedy, bright one-liners are thrown into some scenes, sometimes lessening the tension. Looking at the trailer I had great expectations. The film revolves around an assembly of goodhearted criminals and eccentrics, who soon unite over a common cause, specifically the take down of a

This is a tribute movie about the 2010 BP oil disaster that focuses on the events leading up to and including the terrible explosions that created the oil spill. It shows the human side of the riggers, as they go about their daily routines. Their thick Texan accents were hard to follow (for me at least), and their dialogue definitely was designed to shows how tough oil riggers really are. The BP corporate management staff on the rig are all portrayed as 'idiots', who were continuously taking shortcuts trying to moderate the project deadline (already overrunning by 43 days). The first half of the movie was a slow burn, building the characters, which were very cliché. The 'disaster' second half section plays out more like a Michael Bay's noisy action movie, with loads of special effects and the standard 'shaky' cam. After a while, I actually got a bit tired and bored of all the stuff exploding, banging, and smoky scenery. This movie is more concerned with the

The author is a long-time collector of old black and white photos many of which show 'creepy' scenes or images that were posed to look 'creepy'. These were the author's inspiration for this movie. Some of the actual photos are used as a prop (stored in a box under a bed). This movie is based on one of these photo inspired best-selling novels. The protagonist (Jake) is devoted to his grandfather – he has always enjoyed story time with him. After his grandfather dies, Jake discovers clues to a mystery that crosses many different time-spans. He finds a magical place known as Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. The house is home to many children with special powers (peculiarities) - Jake discovers that he also has a peculiarity which is central to the plot. The musical score is very atmospheric and typically Burton. The cinematography is dark and moody and also typically Burton. if you're a Tim Burton fan then you'll really enjoy this, but not just

A dark film with a twisty plot, and a film that keeps you guessing. Sometimes I notice the audience ratios, and in this case there were mostly women at my screening, many who audibly gasped at the most horrific moments, of which there were a few. Not a terrible film but not a great film either, the only aspect saving this from looking like a 'made for TV movie' was the fantastic performance from Emily Blunt, she was much more convincing than any of the other actors. Very fitting that her character (recently divorced woman with a drink problem) should have dealt with the perpetrator with a cork-screw! The flash backs are a clever tension builder. This film is worth watching if only for one of the best acting performances from Emily Blunt, my rating is almost entirely awarded for her role (I'm a huge fan). 6/10.

Tense horror about a group of former university mates at the end of a night out, they were generally discussing where to go on holiday next. A couple head for a convenience store to buy more booze. They discover that the store is being robbed and the first bloke manages to duck behind some shelves, the other is assaulted and killed, the first bloke is too afraid to step in to help, he is visibly riddled with guilt for doing nothing. Later the group decide to go hiking in Sweden in memory of their friend that got killed, he was an enthusiastic hiker. The environment is harsh and grim, there is lots of 'blokey' banter. Unfortunately one of the group sprains their ankle and so to save time they take a short-cut through the eerie forest. It begins to rain, so they take shelter in an abandoned cabin. The group are picked off during the night, in the cabin and during their onward journey by the monster. Though the monster isn't the best design, the atmosphere was tense and

This is a buddy cop thriller with a surreal black comedy edge. Though this is British Film Institute funded, it's probably best that you know beforehand that this is not your typical Guy Richie style gangster movie. Set in Mexico, the two antihero cops are ultimately good guys at heart, they just prefer not to do anything by the book, they're mostly out for serving themselves than serving the public. They learn that a million dollar heist is being planned, and they set about letting the crime happen in order to ultimately steal the cash. The horizontal wipes and the soundtrack (mainly Glen Campbell) gives this film an old-fashioned feel. You can't help comparing some of the scenes with Tarantino's work. I liked the zany black humour, the chemistry between the two cops, the atmospheric close-ups, and the on-going 'indestructible' car 'joke'. You'll enjoy this film if not easily offended by racist or sexist jokes, the purpose of which is to create cons

My favorite kind of films are those based on fact. This is a powerfully charged, gripping drama and a film based on actual events. A film is of a very dark piece of American history, a disturbing tale of survival, faith and perseverance, a raw film about somebody standing up for themselves against the odds. Civil War medic, Newton Knight (played by Matthew McConaughey) deserts his post to take his dead sons remains (who was also a young soldier) back home. When arriving back he discovers that the Confederacy are commissioning almost all the people's crops and hogs for their troops, and so Newton decides to take a stand with as many effected local people and slaves to help him as he could muster. Definitely not light viewing, this shows the struggle against an unfair and dictatorial regime and the struggle for anyone who was standing up for their simple rights and for freedom. The performances from everyone involved are convincing, particularly McConaughey, Mahershala Ali and Gugu M

BFI - Film 4 drama - written and directed by British filmmaker Andrea Arnold, filmed in the USA. Our skip-diving heroine 'Star' is a teenage girl with nothing to lose. She joins a band of misfits travelling the Midwest going door-to-door selling magazine subscriptions. The band are a microcosm, they are a band of societies rejects but feel they at least belong to each other. They not only pitch to the privileged wealthy, we also see a scene where a 'failed' pitch to squalid poverty leads Star to buy a basket load of shopping to fill the empty fridge, she has sympathy for people in her own situation. 4:3 aspect ratio has been used to emphasise the atmospheric close-ups, and the big skies shot to emphasis all the youngsters big aspirations. There are many visual metaphors of insects, mainly to remind us that the moth is trapped and so is Star, the wasp wants to escape and so does Star. The cows in a truck are on their way to be slaughtered and so represents the depressing

I remember the first film being relatively competent, so anticipated another relatively enjoyable sequel, although the title should give you a clue, and maybe should have been more accurately titled 'Don't Bother Going' instead of 'Never Go Back'. The script was mediocre, there was no real chemistry between Reacher and the other characters, and especially with his (big spoiler) supposed 15 year-old daughter, who pops out of nowhere. While it has its moments, this is nothing more than a formula action flick, full of clichés and lame dialogue. There's a total of three or four very short action sequences throughout the whole film. I'll keep it short because there's no need to waste more time thinking about this, I've watched this and have warned you so that you don't have to waste your time and money. 2/10.

This is an emotional Disney made film, a feel-good film based on true events (my favourite kind of film) about a Ugandan girl (Phiona) who becomes a chess prodigy. The plot is a fairly straight-forward underdog-done-good type film, starts with Phiona arriving at the start of an important chess tournament, she shakes hands with her opponent and the camera immediately flashes back to her early days in the slums of Katwe. The film handles some really difficult situations sensitively, Phiona is from an extremely poor family, who can barely afford to eat and live in a run-down shack with a broken tin roof. Phiona's life is particularly rough. One day she and her brother discover an after school project run by 'The Sports Outreach Institute.' The other slum kids initially make fun of Phiona because she smells terrible, indicating she was from an even worse part of the slum. However, Robert Katende (David Oyelowo) see in her great potential to become an excellent chess player, and

This is a reasonable popcorn film but not without its faults. Unfortunately, all the best bits were shown in the trailer, you might be as well to watch the trailer x6 on a loop! Unfortunately, Gal Gadot was probably miss-cast. It's hard to put my finger on it, but I just wasn't sure how to take her character. I suspect that, even though I enjoyed her lingerie scene, any film success will probably be due to the trailer containing this scene. Unfortunately, while it has its humour and action sequences, this is nothing more than a formula flick, full of clichés and some fairly lame dialogue. There's a total of three or four laugh-out-loud scenes, which were all included in the trailer, and some very short action sequences. I always like a really good (bad) villain as well, but I'm sure a really good (bad) villain would have been wasted. Not a good film, but certainly not a terrible film, just mediocre all round. 5/10.

BBC Films (BFI) production. Palme d'Or winner (2nd win for Ken Loach). This an extremely emotional film with a political foundation. The film focuses on two individuals, Daniel and Katie. Dave Johns is Daniel, a 59 year old carpenter and a widower, who has recently suffered a heart attack. The film starts with a simple black screen with an audio recording of Daniel on a phone interview, dealing with an impersonal and heavily scripted Healthcare Adviser. The answers he gives result in 12 points, rather than the 15 required to claim benefits. Daniel gets JSA and is forced to create a CV to circulate for jobs he is unable (unfit) to take. He is internet illiterate, and is finding it difficult to get to grips with the online world, although the DWP is digital by default. Daniel also needs to prove he is actively searching for work or he will lose some benefits. When he is finally offered work he has to turn it down on his doctor's advice so he gets sanctioned and the downward spira

Firstly let's take a quick look at Benedict Cumberbatch's filmography; (Hands up if you spot a pattern …:) He played an arrogant investigator in 'Sherlock Holmes'. He played an arrogant scientist in 'The Imitation Game'!. He played an arrogant military officer in 'War Horse'!!. He played an arrogant villain (Khan) in 'Star Wars into Darkness'!!!. Guess what … he plays an arrogant neurosurgeon in this origin film of 'Doctor Strange'!!!! +++ OK enough of that +++ The film kicks off and after a brief character building section, we see Doctor Strange speeding along a windy road, he loses control of his sports car, the resulting accident causes devastating injuries, and he almost completely loses the use of his hands (pretty essential for a surgeon). Ironically the only surgeon able to perform the necessary surgery on himself, is himself. After some failed experimental surgeries, Strange meets a former paraplegic who is, not only able to wa

This is a Dream-works colourful animated film, a musical based on a small plastic toy with 'wild' hair. Basically the characters are either happy Trolls or miserable Bergans. The Bergans eat Trolls in order to feel happy because Trolls are always happy (is this like a drug?). I knew nothing in advance about this film, but my wife wanted to watch. I think a 6 year old (especially a girl) would love this film, though I'm not completely sure it would hold their attention throughout. I fell asleep briefly half way. I am definitely not the target audience for this film, but I suspected that might be the case. I saw the film approx. 8 hours ago and now I can hardly remember anything besides some enjoyable musical scenes, especially good cover versions of 'True Colours' and 'Sound of Silence'. Some tongue in cheek gags for mums and dads to appreciate, maybe a few more would have been good. Trolls may not be terrible but it's just a jumbled 'mess' tha

This is a highly stylised, thriller from Tom Ford. A violent film with a revenge theme, a theme reflected in several of the characters. The opening title sequence shows several obese women, gyrating in burlesque costumes (weird!), this is evidently a human art installation, and we then learn that the female lead character 'Susan' is an art dealer. Susan, receives a package in the post, a draft manuscript from her ex-husband 'Edward', who was a struggling author and who she hasn't spoken to for 20 years. The book is called 'Nocturnal Animals' and is dedicated to herself. She begins to read while her current husband is away on 'business' and imagines the scenes set out in the book. As she continues reading she begins to question her current loveless marriage. There are many flash- backs to her early life, when she first met her ex-husband. The atmosphere is clearly illustrated by a flash-back involving her mum, who warns her not to marry the author due

I really wanted to see this when I learned that it was directed by Denis Villeneuve, the same director of 'Prisoners' and (one of my favourite films of 2015) 'Sicario'. This is not a typical sci-fi alien invasion film, more a thought provoking suspense drama with a surprising amount of emotion, especially at the beginning. In the opening scene we see Amie's character suffer the death of her daughter through cancer, so the audience are immediately made to feel sympathetic and on her side. The basic story behind this deliberately slow burning film is the first encounter between aliens and humanity. 12 alien space craft appear at 12 random landing sites around the Earth, sparking a global crisis. The world leaders (initially) work together to determine the reason for the alien visit. We discover that the aliens will need humanities help in 3000 years. In order for humanity to help them in the future we must first be able to understand them. Amy Adams' character (a

Set just after World War 1 in a remote part of Western Australia, a veteran traumatised military officer, Tom (Fassbender) takes on the role of a light house keeper at 'Janus Rock', he falls in love with Isabel (Vikander) and they get married and try to start a family. Unfortunately Isabel suffers two miscarriages. Coincidentally after a terrible storm a random row boat washes ashore with a baby and her dead father on-board. Tom pulls the boat ashore and the pair consider the future of the baby. Tom wants to do the right thing, but Isabel who is still in grief persuades him not to report the incident. Subsequently, Tom buries the man and they raise the baby as their own. Besides the wide open landscapes, wide open seascapes, wild weather and convincing bleak conditions the first act seems pretty dull. But the film really comes alive when the couple return to the mainland to christen the child (now 4 years old). Fassbender accidentally comes across the baby's true grieving m

Let me begin with my assumption that I wasn't going to like this film, but the 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes made me curious, and I'm now really glad I watched. This is an Intense driving action film for both action and music fans. The story is of 'Baby', who is a teenager and the best getaway driver in the business, his quirk is he plays music continuously through earplugs to cope with constant tinnitus following a childhood accident. Baby works for a crime boss, brilliantly played by Kevin Spacey. Baby is the lucky charm and is used for every bank job or armed robbery. Baby meets a waitress who provides the romantic element and who shares his passion for music. They fall in love and plan to run away together. But, of course, Baby has just one last job before he can leave the crime world. The plot is very cleverly written, there's an excellent non-stop soundtrack that coordinates the action and music, that is as much a character as any of the actors. The car chas

This is an intense horror drama where the suspense builds slowly. The action is mainly set in one house isolated in the woods, the only entry / exit is through the eerie blood red door. All we know is there's been some kind of pandemic and the plague is spread by any physical contact, everyone needs to maintain some very special precautions to stay safe. The scenes are dark with atmospheric lanterns lighting the interiors and causing a claustrophobic feeling. The film is a slow burner during the character building sections, where two families are thrown together, each are struggling to survive. This is a complex emotional survival drama, not the usual jump-scare. The title is little misleading though, there wasn't any single monster to threaten the families at night. BIG SPOILER (Don't look down >>> DON'T!) > EVERYONE DIES IN THE END. 8/10.

War action fantasy drama with some bleak and brutal scenes, the level of violence makes me wonder how this was awarded a 12A rating! Astonishing! Humans are being infected by a virus that affects speech, those that aren't sick are at war with those that are. Caesar is at the centre of all this, he is a 'Moses' figure, his motivation is to free captured 'slave' apes from the human camp and lead them all to safety, there are many other religious references and holocaust related images. And you can't help drawing comparison with some scenes lifted from Apocalypse Now. I can appreciate a film with s revenge theme, so was engaged almost immediately. 'Bad Ape' is a new comedy relief character and scene stealer. 'Nova' is a new young speechless human girl character, she has an important role, it takes time to understand her significance. This is a worthy conclusion to the trilogy, I wager where won't be a fourth film featuring Caesar. 8/10.

An action film with some comedy scenes. Even though there's another new actor taking the helm, this is thankfully NOT another origin story. Stars Tom Holland, who is playing by far the best wise-cracking Spider-man to date, his age is more aligned to the comic-book character. His age also makes another 2 or 3 further films possible. Michael Keaton is the 'Vulture'(the villain) but one with some sympathy and a character with an enormous twist. The love interest is a little cliché, but I guess we can't really avoid this central character! Spider-Man's pal 'man in the chair' is a very funny character and really needs further development in subsequent films. Tony Stark (the mentor) provides a highly technical Spider suit with a heads-up display just like Iron-man's, he installs a 'training wheels protocol' while Spider-man gets to grips with what it can do. It's obvious that Spider-man is still a youngster and still learning how to be a hero

Comedy (nonsense) starring Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler. They play a couple who need to find a way of funding their daughter's college fees after the scholarship they were hoping for doesn't come through. They setup an illegal underground casino with the help of their neighbour and the money starts rolling in. There's a sub plot involving a corrupt local politician, who is stealing the town's money, but he gets what he deserves in the end. The comedy is dark in places, especially where the stars adopt their gangster alto egos, 'the butcher' and 'the burner'. The comedy is wild in places, but I'm afraid not all the jokes work. It's got a few LOL funny scenes, but mostly it's overly peppered with weak humour. Was there really a script to follow, or mostly spontaneous? I'd like to say this was great improvised comedy, but I'd expect much more from the two stars who have both performed better in previous comedies. As always the outtake

Animated comedy third installment. I really wanted to enjoy this so went in with high expectations. The plot revolves around the stealing of a giant diamond by a former 80's children's TV star turned villain. Gru fails to capture this villain and is subsequently fired from his job. Gru finds out he has a very wealthy twin brother (Dru) who wants Gru to return to his evil ways. Together they recover the diamond and defeat the villain. As you might expect the Minions provide all the funniest scenes, I laughed whenever the minions were on screen. Essentially there aren't enough minions sketches. The 3 daughters were as sweet as ever and provide plenty of 'ahh' moments. There's also a great 80's soundtrack. The first film was genius. The second film was great. This third film was OK but not great. A fourth installment would be just despicable. 6/10.

This is a horror action thriller and launches another franchise (Dark Universe series) Starring Tom Cruise, playing himself (again). He accidentally uncovers the Mummy's tomb and awakens an ancient evil that wants to bring an end to the world! Unfortunately Tom Cruise was probably miss-cast as the lovable rouge who steals ancient artifacts. Cruise is just too old for the character he played, who ultimately has a conscience and who wants to do the right thing in the end. The film starts in the past and brings you up to the present day, there's some humour and great special effects, but in conclusion this is just a mash up between Indiana Jones and Mission Impossible with Zombies thrown in. 5/10.

Before we talk about the film let me tell you about the cinema visit. At my screening were a group of elderly men from the Royal British Legion, who were setting up a table in the cinema foyer. Displayed were a framed set of medals, a small black n white photo of a young soldier and sat to one side a very old man in a smart grey suit... You're already ahead of me, the photo and the old man were the same person. I must have seemed curious enough to prompt a 'carer' to speak to me "Do you want to meet a genuine Dunkirk veteran?" Though not sure what to say I agreed, assuming that a hand-shake would suffice. But NO! The old boy was still bright as a button, his hand-shake was frail, his hand thin, bony, and gnarly. The veteran was about to see the film but I was still able to ask a few questions. "How old were you in the photo?". The answer was 20. "How old are you now?" The answer was 99. "Was the evacuation with small boats and dinghies exa