Action – cinemescope

100 Word Review – Super (2010)

May 24, 2017May 22, 2017Posted in 100 Words..., Action, ComedyTagged Comedy, dark, Ellen Page, humour, James Gunn, Kevin Bacon, Linda Cardellini, Liv Tyler, Nathan Fillion, Rainn Wilson, super heroesLeave a comment

Not a super hero movie.

When his wife leaves him for her drug dealer, an ordinary man becomes the Crimson Bolt, a hero as fallible and unextraordinary as he is, but in a red suit.

Written/Directed by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, Slither) and starting Rainn Wilson (The Office, Juno) and Ellen Page (Juno, Inception), this film is funny but extremely dark.

Think Kick-Ass but simultaneously bleaker and more brilliant.

Gunn’s twisted sense of humour fits perfectly with Wilson’s wonderfully awkward timing and skill. Not suitable for kids and barely suitable for adults, this film’s sad, dark and unmissable.

100 Word Review – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

May 8, 2017May 6, 2017Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Comedy, Sci Fi, UncategorizedTagged Action, adventure, Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, family, Fantasy, humour, James Gunn, Karen Gillan, Kurt Russell, Michael Rooker, Sci Fi, Sylvester Stallone, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana1 Comment

Quill (Chris Pratt) and the team are back, battered and bruised and better than ever.

Continuing from Guardians of the Galaxy, Rocket (Bradley Cooper) gets the gang into hot water with the Sovereign, forcing the Guardians to cross paths with Quill’s long lost father, Ego (Kurt Russell).

With the same great cast and skill-full direction of the first film, the soundtrack may not be quite as epic, but it is still the fun, fantastical journey you might hope for. Suitable for older children, it’s already been voted number 229 in IMDb Top 250, in it’s first week of release.

Don’t miss it.

100 Word Review – Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

May 6, 2017May 6, 2017Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Comedy, Sci FiTagged 1980s, adaptation, adventure, Benicio Del Toro, Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Comedy, Comic, Dave Bautista, family, film, Glenn Close, humour, James Gunn, John C. Reilly, Karen Gillan, Lee Pace, Marvel, Michael Rooker, Peter Serafinowicz, Sci Fi, soundtrack, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana1 Comment

Cosmic criminals, comedy, combat and a killer 80s soundtrack, what more could you want from this Marvel comic adaptation?

Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is taken from Earth after the death of his mum, with only an epic mixtape to keep him company. 25 years later he calls himself Star Lord, and is an intergalactic thief, caught up in a bid to save the galaxy.

Writer/director James Gunn (Scooby-Doo) does a fantastic job of creating a three-dimensional ensemble cast that includes a talking tree (Vin Diesel), a wise-cracking racoon (Bradley Cooper) and a whole lot more. It’s an absolute joy to watch.

100 Word Review – Midnight Special (2016)

April 19, 2016April 15, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Sci FiTagged Action, Adam Driver, Jaeden Lieberher, Jeff Nichols, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Michael Shannon, Sci FiLeave a comment

There is something strange about Alton (Jaeden Lieberher). The Ranch think he’s their saviour, the FBI think he’s a weapon. His father, Roy (Michael Shannon) just wants to protect him.

Written and directed by Jeff Nichols (Mud, Take Shelter), this is a dramatic yet realistic Sci Fi that will have you asking more questions than it answers in the best possible way. Co-starring Kirsten Dunst (the only woman with more than two lines in the whole film!), Joel Edgerton and the always wonderful Adam Driver (pictured below), the acting is strong held together by a stella performance from young Lieberher.

100 Word Review – Cloud Atlas

April 9, 2016April 7, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Sci Fi, UncategorizedTagged Action, adaptation, adventure, Ben Whishaw, British, David Mitchell, Doona Bae, Drama, dystopian, Fantasy, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving, James D'Arcy, Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess, Romance, Sci Fi, Susan Sarandon, Tom Hanks, Tom Tykwer, Wachowski Brothers, WachowskisLeave a comment

Adapted from David Mitchell’s novel and directed by Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run, Perfume:The Story of a Murderer) and the Wachowskis (The Matrix, V for Vendetta), this film is extraordinary.

There is no describing the plot. It crosses time and space in seconds, covering both the past, present and future as well as alternate worlds.

The cast is fantastic (Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant, Doona Bae, Jim Broadbent, Susan Sarandon) and the cinematography is exquisite. There is simply too much to see to take it in with one viewing. This film is Romantic with a capital R.

100 Word Review – Zootropolis (2016)

April 5, 2016April 5, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Comedy, FantasyTagged adventure, animation, children, Comedy, Disney, family, Ginnifer Goodwin, Idris Elba, Jason Bateman, Jenny Slate, JK Simmons, ShakiraLeave a comment

In a world where predators and prey finally live in harmony, a bunny (Ginnifer Goodwin) tries to buck the social order by becoming a police rabbit, a profession dominated by predators.

It has possibly one of the best trailers around (see below), a fantastic vocal cast (Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Shakira and Jenny Slate) and sense of humour sure to tickle both adults and children alike. Watch out for the Breaking Bad joke! From the creators of Tangled, Wreak It Ralph, Big Hero 6 and Frozen, it was always going to be a winner. It’s definitely worth seeing at the cinema.

100 Word Review – Manborg (2011)

November 5, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci FiTagged 1980s, Action, adventure, animation, Astron-6, blood, Canadian, Comedy, Fantasy, robots, Sci Fi, Vampires1 Comment

Possibly the greatest and most ridiculous film ever made, Manborg is a must-see for any fans of 1980s action Sci Fi.

Set in the future, Nazi vampires rise from Hell and take over the earth. One man is bought back from the dead by a mad scientist, who gives him some robotic modifications. He is no longer a man. He is Manborg.

Created by Canadian cult movie masters Astron-6 (Father’s Day, The Editor) and in the same vein as Kung Fury. Made on $1000 budget, it seeps with the passion of it’s creators. This film is barmy from beginning to end.

100 Word Review – Kung Fury (2015)

November 3, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Comedy, Sci FiTagged 1980s, Action, adventure, Comedy, David Sandberg, dinosaurs, Sci Fi, spoof, vikings1 Comment

In 1985, a cop (David Sandberg) masters the most difficult kung fu ever and becomes Kung Fury.

I don’t even know where to begin. This film is 30minutes of glorious insanity. Prepare yourselves for appearances from Adolf Hitler, Thor, Barbarianna (she’s a Viking who rides a dinosaur and carries a machine gun, obviously) and the magnificent Tricerecop, to name but a few.

Definitely on a par with the work of Astron-6 (Manborg, Father’s Day), it is a homage to those straight-to-VHS gems of 1980s action.

Currently on Netflix and YouTube, it’s a funny, action-packed ridiculous rollercoaster of nonsense you must watch!

100 Word Review – The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

October 28, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Romance, Sci FiTagged Action, adaptation, Emily Blunt, George Nolfi, John Slattery, Matt Damon, Philip K Dick, Romance, Sci FiLeave a comment

This is Sci Fi on a personal scale with potentially international consequences.

A politician (Matt Damon) meets a ballerina (Emily Blunt) he should never have met. Can their love survive or will the Adjustment Bureau restore order as fate intends it?

Based on the short story by Philip K Dick (Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly, Blade Runner), adapted by director George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum, Ocean’s Twelve), this film falls somewhere between Sci Fi paranoia and all out action.

Co-starring John Slattery (Mad Men) as Richardson, this is a film about destiny, choice and fighting for what you believe in.

100 Word Review – Suffragette (2015)

October 9, 2015April 15, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Action, F-RatedTagged Abi Morgan, Ben Whishaw, Brendan Gleeson, Carey Mulligan, Emily Davison, female, feminist, Helena Bonham Carter, Maud Watts, Meryl Streep, Pankhurst, Romola Garai, Sarah Gavron, suffragetteLeave a comment

A fantastic feat of female filmmaking.

Following the actions of a small group of women fighting for the right to vote in 1912.

Focusing on Maud Watts (Carey Mulligan), it is based in history and does a wonderful job at documenting a time, a struggle and a political movement that changed the world.

Co-starring Helena Bonham-Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Romola Garai, Ben Whishaw and Meryl Streep (among others), it was written by Sarah Gavron (Brick Lane) and directed by Abi Morgan (Shame, The Iron Lady).

Deliberately visually unsteady and dirty, it delivers a glimpse of the past that moved me to tears.