Daddy's Home - Film - 2015
Dad vs. Step-Dad.
The two clash in this comedy extravaganza... or they just crash and burn.
Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell star in this (meant to be funny) family film about a dad and step-dad battling it out for Sara (the mother) and the children's affections.
I will say that one thing I admired about this film, amongst all else, was the subject it chose. With divorce a very common event in our society, step-parents come along with this; being a step-parent is not always an easy task and this film does help highlight this for the whole family.
If you have read my Sisters review you will see that I pointed out that the film was based upon the cheap laughs of the audience, this one is the same. Although it is a family film, so yes I wasn't expecting a huge amount when I walked into the cinema, I was expecting just a bit more from Will Ferrell especially. Having not seen Wahlberg in a comedy role before, he was interesting to watch however, I feel as though he pulled off his dad character well.
Although I wouldn't say the film is bad per say. Just incredibly predictable and obvious jokes to go with. I feel as though these two could have been a bit more subtle and clever about their jokes and still keep it as a family film.
3/10
It is maybe worth a watch when it becomes available to stream on Netflix etc. but for now I wouldn't be rushing out to buy this film.
Sunday 8 May 2016
Another One?
Creed - Film - 2015
Creed is the follow on from Rocky Balboa. It was almost ten years since we last saw Rocky on our screens.
Creed follows the story of Apollo Creed's son (you will know this if you have seen the previous Rock films however, this is not necessary to watch Creed).
Creed is about the trials and tribulations of Adonis Johnson - Adonis Creed - who is trying to make his name in the boxing world without the help of his father's name. He seeks out Rocky Balboa to help train him and bring him up to his fathers level.
Although there are references to the previous Rocky films, such as Rocky and Apollo Creed's fights. You would not have had to have seen the previous films to watch Creed. I hadn't seen any since Rocky III and I still managed to follow the film without a problem.
Although, this film is good in the way that the actors are good. The story is pretty average. What you would expect from a boxing film. They tend to follow the same formula, he trains, something happens and pulls him down, he gets back up to fight, the last fight of the film.
Stallone is looking pretty good in his old age, plus he is meant to be a man of ill health in the film so he definitely looks the part.
Despite, the predictability of the film, I did enjoy Creed. It was easy to sit back and watch. Didn't have to think too hard about the story to understand it or enjoy it. It was simply a film.
No real twists and turns so to speak. It was interesting to learn more about Apollo Creed, and will admit made me want to watch the old Rocky films.
5/10
This was your average boxing film made for a specific audience. Although I didn't mind the film it is definitely not one I would write home about. If you enjoy sporting films this is definitely for you.
Creed is the follow on from Rocky Balboa. It was almost ten years since we last saw Rocky on our screens.
Creed follows the story of Apollo Creed's son (you will know this if you have seen the previous Rock films however, this is not necessary to watch Creed).
Creed is about the trials and tribulations of Adonis Johnson - Adonis Creed - who is trying to make his name in the boxing world without the help of his father's name. He seeks out Rocky Balboa to help train him and bring him up to his fathers level.
Although there are references to the previous Rocky films, such as Rocky and Apollo Creed's fights. You would not have had to have seen the previous films to watch Creed. I hadn't seen any since Rocky III and I still managed to follow the film without a problem.
Although, this film is good in the way that the actors are good. The story is pretty average. What you would expect from a boxing film. They tend to follow the same formula, he trains, something happens and pulls him down, he gets back up to fight, the last fight of the film.
Stallone is looking pretty good in his old age, plus he is meant to be a man of ill health in the film so he definitely looks the part.
Despite, the predictability of the film, I did enjoy Creed. It was easy to sit back and watch. Didn't have to think too hard about the story to understand it or enjoy it. It was simply a film.
No real twists and turns so to speak. It was interesting to learn more about Apollo Creed, and will admit made me want to watch the old Rocky films.
5/10
This was your average boxing film made for a specific audience. Although I didn't mind the film it is definitely not one I would write home about. If you enjoy sporting films this is definitely for you.
Absence
Firstly, I want to apologise for my absence.
K.A. Editing has been taking up a lot of my time, as well as a lot of issues personally.
But I am back to stay, K.A. Editing (please visit our website www.kaediting.com) is thriving (with a new partner might I add) and everything is back on track.
So, be prepared for reviews of your favourite films regularly and this time I won't stop!
Once again, I want to apologise for my sudden absence. It won't happen again!
K.A. Editing has been taking up a lot of my time, as well as a lot of issues personally.
But I am back to stay, K.A. Editing (please visit our website www.kaediting.com) is thriving (with a new partner might I add) and everything is back on track.
So, be prepared for reviews of your favourite films regularly and this time I won't stop!
Once again, I want to apologise for my sudden absence. It won't happen again!
Laughs? Not Here.
Sisters - Film - 2015
Sisters was meant to be the crowning moment for women in comedy. Comedies best two women Amy Poehler and Tina Fey joined forces to create this meant to be feel good film.
Two words: Let Down.
Both women are known for their clever wit, sharp jokes and overall hilarity. What did Sisters deliver, cheap jokes, boring story line and flat characters.
I expected a lot from these two, I generally try and avoid women comedians, I don't find what they think is funny, funny, at all. These two were different with their contributions to comedy such as 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation, both of which are thoroughly enjoyable.
Sisters used every cliche joke in the book, you could see the joke from a mile away.
There was no subtly or even thought that went into the film, just cheap laughs that they knew the audience would give.
There was a practically non-existent story, which ended exactly how you would expect it to when you see the first five minutes of the film.
Nothing surprising, shocking or even funny happened in this film.
1/10
I have nothing good that I can say about this film.
All there was, was cheap laughs for the audience; although this may be okay for some people, I expected a lot more from these two.
Sisters was meant to be the crowning moment for women in comedy. Comedies best two women Amy Poehler and Tina Fey joined forces to create this meant to be feel good film.
Two words: Let Down.
Both women are known for their clever wit, sharp jokes and overall hilarity. What did Sisters deliver, cheap jokes, boring story line and flat characters.
I expected a lot from these two, I generally try and avoid women comedians, I don't find what they think is funny, funny, at all. These two were different with their contributions to comedy such as 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation, both of which are thoroughly enjoyable.
Sisters used every cliche joke in the book, you could see the joke from a mile away.
There was no subtly or even thought that went into the film, just cheap laughs that they knew the audience would give.
There was a practically non-existent story, which ended exactly how you would expect it to when you see the first five minutes of the film.
Nothing surprising, shocking or even funny happened in this film.
1/10
I have nothing good that I can say about this film.
All there was, was cheap laughs for the audience; although this may be okay for some people, I expected a lot more from these two.
Saturday 30 January 2016
Break the Story... Break the Silence
Spotlight - 2016 - Film
The Spotlight team of The Boston Globe are a small investigative team, they handle sensitive stories that others would not. In 2001, the newspaper has a new editor Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) who has big ideas on how to make the newspaper better. He leads the Spotlight team into the story that turned into something bigger than they ever imagined.
After a story is written about one Catholic priest molesting a child, Baron wants to ensure that the Spotlight team investigate even further and see what they can uncover. The team go searching in the old archives, interviewing, and tracking done leads where possible, they stumble across a massive number of priests in the Boston area alone. However, Baron didn't want them to stop there. After more digging, it was time for them to take on the system, and shake the Catholic Church to its core.
What made this film so good, was the fact that is was real. There was no additional relationship/family fluff to make it into a 'more exciting' movie. Tom McCarthy (director) realised that the story he had, was good enough. There is no need to ruin a TRUE story, with other 'fluffy' action just to make an audience happy. They even included the events of 9/11 which also added to the realistic feel of the film.
There wasn't one cast member that I could fault. Each one had obviously put meticulous time and effort into their roles. Many had studied there 'real-life' counterparts for the film. This really showed in the way they were acting, especially Mark Ruffalo, he has a well deserved Oscar nomination for this film.
This film was a lot better than I ever imagined it would be. Someone who does not necessarily enjoy true stories. This film was full of intrigue, interest and realism.
9/10
There was very little to fault about this film, the only thing I would have liked was to see more of the priests reaction. Despite them out to take down the system from the top down, we only met the cardinal once, and one priest. Although, rightly so the focus was on the victims. It would have been good to see the reactions of the priests and the clergy.
The Spotlight team of The Boston Globe are a small investigative team, they handle sensitive stories that others would not. In 2001, the newspaper has a new editor Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) who has big ideas on how to make the newspaper better. He leads the Spotlight team into the story that turned into something bigger than they ever imagined.
After a story is written about one Catholic priest molesting a child, Baron wants to ensure that the Spotlight team investigate even further and see what they can uncover. The team go searching in the old archives, interviewing, and tracking done leads where possible, they stumble across a massive number of priests in the Boston area alone. However, Baron didn't want them to stop there. After more digging, it was time for them to take on the system, and shake the Catholic Church to its core.
What made this film so good, was the fact that is was real. There was no additional relationship/family fluff to make it into a 'more exciting' movie. Tom McCarthy (director) realised that the story he had, was good enough. There is no need to ruin a TRUE story, with other 'fluffy' action just to make an audience happy. They even included the events of 9/11 which also added to the realistic feel of the film.
There wasn't one cast member that I could fault. Each one had obviously put meticulous time and effort into their roles. Many had studied there 'real-life' counterparts for the film. This really showed in the way they were acting, especially Mark Ruffalo, he has a well deserved Oscar nomination for this film.
This film was a lot better than I ever imagined it would be. Someone who does not necessarily enjoy true stories. This film was full of intrigue, interest and realism.
9/10
There was very little to fault about this film, the only thing I would have liked was to see more of the priests reaction. Despite them out to take down the system from the top down, we only met the cardinal once, and one priest. Although, rightly so the focus was on the victims. It would have been good to see the reactions of the priests and the clergy.
Thursday 21 January 2016
Survival Of The Fittest Has Never Been More True
The Revenant - Film - 2015
I went to an early screening of The Revenant and I was expecting a very gruesome, tough and hard hitting film. All about the survival of a man who is fighting not only for his life but for revenge.
What I got? Well, it was a very long film, about half way through my attention did wain a little bit. It kind of got to the point of 'Just hurry up'. Now the person I went to see it with (a guy) did not flinch at the time, so maybe this was just me.
Second, brutal? I think not. Not for someone my age who has had gone through brutal animes, video games and Quentin Tarantino films. Yes, there is a bear attack which is quite graphic, there are a few eating raw meat situations which did make my tummy turn a little bit, but I wouldn't use the word brutal to describe this film. Now, I am aware that people of the younger generation may be more desensitized to the blood and gore, but, I feel that even my dad would not find it that bad.
I would say the story itself was good, it was very minimalistic in the sense that it surrounded two major story lines, revenge and survival. Simple, yet dramatic.
I hope Leo finally wins his Oscar for this, although if he does he would be winning an Oscar for saying very few words. Although, I have heard the fish and liver he eats, are real which is just gross, but impressive for an actor to be that into his work.
Anyway, it was a good film. It would be one I would watch again with people who haven't seen it for instance but it would not be one that I make my mission to watch again.
8/10
I thought it was a very good survival film, it showed the sheer will needed to survive, it felt real and there were moments when using the camera, it made you feel as though you right there with them. And this is what I enjoyed most about the film, the realism. There was no outrageous Hollywood effects. The scenery was beautiful, some may say distracting but I felt it just added to the realism of the film.
This is a 'marmite' film, you either love it or you hate it. If you don't mind a little bit of blood and gore, and enjoy the survival aspect of a film then this is definitely for you.
I went to an early screening of The Revenant and I was expecting a very gruesome, tough and hard hitting film. All about the survival of a man who is fighting not only for his life but for revenge.
What I got? Well, it was a very long film, about half way through my attention did wain a little bit. It kind of got to the point of 'Just hurry up'. Now the person I went to see it with (a guy) did not flinch at the time, so maybe this was just me.
Second, brutal? I think not. Not for someone my age who has had gone through brutal animes, video games and Quentin Tarantino films. Yes, there is a bear attack which is quite graphic, there are a few eating raw meat situations which did make my tummy turn a little bit, but I wouldn't use the word brutal to describe this film. Now, I am aware that people of the younger generation may be more desensitized to the blood and gore, but, I feel that even my dad would not find it that bad.
I would say the story itself was good, it was very minimalistic in the sense that it surrounded two major story lines, revenge and survival. Simple, yet dramatic.
I hope Leo finally wins his Oscar for this, although if he does he would be winning an Oscar for saying very few words. Although, I have heard the fish and liver he eats, are real which is just gross, but impressive for an actor to be that into his work.
Anyway, it was a good film. It would be one I would watch again with people who haven't seen it for instance but it would not be one that I make my mission to watch again.
8/10
I thought it was a very good survival film, it showed the sheer will needed to survive, it felt real and there were moments when using the camera, it made you feel as though you right there with them. And this is what I enjoyed most about the film, the realism. There was no outrageous Hollywood effects. The scenery was beautiful, some may say distracting but I felt it just added to the realism of the film.
This is a 'marmite' film, you either love it or you hate it. If you don't mind a little bit of blood and gore, and enjoy the survival aspect of a film then this is definitely for you.
Sunday 10 January 2016
The Danish Girl
The Danish Girl - Film - 2015
The Danish Girl is based on the novel (which is based on a true story) by David Ebershoff, about the unusual romance between Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili (Eddie Redmayne) began her life living as Einar Wegener a famous artist, married to Gerda. However, Lili was always lurking behind Einar, Gerda helps to bring Lili to the surface, but this leads to Lili never wanting to go away. The film follows the miracle of Lili showing herself to the world.
The majority of the film is based in Denmark, however, they travel to Paris for Gerda's art. Here, they meet with a doctor that changes Einar's life.
Eddie Redmayne, although good in other films, was spectacular to watch. You could tell the moments when Einar was Lili, you could see the anguish behind his eyes. He was very well supported by Alicia Vikander (Gerda) whom played the loyal and supportive wife. The great thing about this film was that you could watch and feel like you watching their real-lives. Everything was realistic about the film. When Einar was Lily, it still looked like Einar to an extent, they didn't plaster on the make-up to hide who was underneath.
A bad thing I will say about this film is, it is a one trick pony. Once you know the story, even though it is a romance, it would be difficult to watch over and over again. I personally would not watch this film again willingly despite it being good.
The strength that emanated off of both the lead characters was something to marvel at. They both deserve an award for the performance that they gave. It is also amazing to think that these two people existed, Lili Elbe remains a strong icon within the transgender community and rightly so.
This was a realistic romance, that highlighted a major issue in 1926 for those who believed themselves to have been born in the wrong body. An issue that is still around today for many people, albeit the methods with dealing with this are a lot less brutal than they used to be, it is still something that many cannot or will not accept.
I enjoyed the film, it was definitely worth watching however, it is not a film that I would watch again.
7/10
What really sold this film was the level of performances both leads gave.
The Danish Girl is based on the novel (which is based on a true story) by David Ebershoff, about the unusual romance between Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili (Eddie Redmayne) began her life living as Einar Wegener a famous artist, married to Gerda. However, Lili was always lurking behind Einar, Gerda helps to bring Lili to the surface, but this leads to Lili never wanting to go away. The film follows the miracle of Lili showing herself to the world.
The majority of the film is based in Denmark, however, they travel to Paris for Gerda's art. Here, they meet with a doctor that changes Einar's life.
Eddie Redmayne, although good in other films, was spectacular to watch. You could tell the moments when Einar was Lili, you could see the anguish behind his eyes. He was very well supported by Alicia Vikander (Gerda) whom played the loyal and supportive wife. The great thing about this film was that you could watch and feel like you watching their real-lives. Everything was realistic about the film. When Einar was Lily, it still looked like Einar to an extent, they didn't plaster on the make-up to hide who was underneath.
A bad thing I will say about this film is, it is a one trick pony. Once you know the story, even though it is a romance, it would be difficult to watch over and over again. I personally would not watch this film again willingly despite it being good.
The strength that emanated off of both the lead characters was something to marvel at. They both deserve an award for the performance that they gave. It is also amazing to think that these two people existed, Lili Elbe remains a strong icon within the transgender community and rightly so.
This was a realistic romance, that highlighted a major issue in 1926 for those who believed themselves to have been born in the wrong body. An issue that is still around today for many people, albeit the methods with dealing with this are a lot less brutal than they used to be, it is still something that many cannot or will not accept.
I enjoyed the film, it was definitely worth watching however, it is not a film that I would watch again.
7/10
What really sold this film was the level of performances both leads gave.
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