The Avengers

No introduction needed, The Avengers (2012) in one word: WOW! 

Making $620 million in the USA alone, it was an instant winner (by all standards) the moment is hit the big screens! Bringing together all these marvel superheroes has been something Ive been waiting for like FOREVER. I never thought anything would out-do the X-men series in terms of action being combined with multiple supernatural powers from iconic superheroes, by oh boy this hit that expectation AND some! 

It's awesome how each of the characters have a backstory (which we have seen in previous movies for most of them) and they all acquired their powers or abilities in different ways i.e. science experiments, natural intelligence, just being a God! In actual fact it was very clever having each individual film lead up to this one. 

Storyline was good, action was excellent, and lining it with a bit of comedy throughout created a well rounded feel. The only thing I didn't like was that the final battle scene was against machine things - not so keen on the whole machine/robot bad guy storylines BUT it was an epic 10 minute fight scene. Also I guess that was balanced out with individual fights between the actual superhero's throughout. How Hulk smashed Thor, the side battle between Hawkeye and Black Widow, the Ironman, Captain American and Thor triangular fight - it made it interesting how the characters didn't all get along even though they were supposed to be on the same side. And THEN they come together at the end creating a sense of fulfilment and accomplishment for their team. 

Anyway won't waffle about it anymore but OUTSTANDING pretty much sums it up. Seriously if you haven't seen it already you are missing out, whether you are a regular superhero fan or not, MUST SEE. Still my favourite film over a year after its release! 

Now I'm just waiting for the next one....as we all are...Don't think I am too worried about the individual films (Thor 2, Ironman 3, Captain American 2 etc.), although they are good, when they all come together you cant beat that! 

Rating

10/10

P.S. Just looked up info about the second Avengers: "Age of Ultron" and the rumour is that Jarvis will be the supervillain Ultron....that could make things interesting - Ironman is always the one fixing everything and creating world saving gadgets, has he actually created the biggest threat to the world? So wanna watch it like tomorrow, not in 2015....ah well patience...patience....haha

CH

Sequels

Theres often mixed opinion and controversy when it comes to movie sequels, sometimes arguments over it, some people don't care, but putting movie reviews to the side, liking a sequel is basically down to personal choice and opinion. So here's my opinion on animated sequels....because whether or not you think an animated sequel is gonna be good, chances are if your kids have seen the first one, they will want to see the next!

Despicable Me 2
The first one was hilarious all the way through, it was a fresh idea and everyone loved the minions of corse. So expectations were high for the second instalment. YES the minions were still funny, and there were some hilarious parts that even got the adults laughing ("bottom....ha hahaha) BUT I felt that the overall storyline lacked, after all there is only so much you can do with little yellow and purple minions right?! Will they make a third? Probably, let's hope its better.    Rating 6/10

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
The first 2 were great and the third in no way disappointed. The character's personalities have remained, but somehow their humour continues to have us in hysterics. King Julien is by far the funniest character, in this 3rd one taking much more of a B-plot position, keeping us entertained regardless. I thought I might be a little biased considering I first saw this while on a date...however after watching it a second time while being single, it still had the same affect, love it! One of those movies you don't have to think about, can just sit back and watch with no worries. 
Will there be a fourth? HOPE SO! 
Rating 10/10  



The Incredibles
Superhero action, special abilities, family costumes, unlikeable bad guy....what more could you want?! Seriously this movie made my childhood, it was the perfect classic superhero animation. Making over $630 million worldwide and winning 'Best Animated Feature' prize at the Oscars (2005), it begs the question why hasn't there been a sequel?!
To take a classic line from the film: "What ya waiting for?.....Something amazing I guess...!" haha!
Personally I think they set the standard so high that they would find it very difficult to come up with a sequel thats on par with the first success. However there have been rumours of a sequel coming in 2015, lets hope so, we have been kept waiting long enough!
Predicted rating: 9/10

Finding Dory
Just keep swimming, just keep swimming....
Everyone loved it, everyone calls their first clown fish Nemo and nobody can forget the infamous forgettable Dory! SO we expect this sequel to hit our screens 2015...the only question on everybody's minds is...can it really live up to Finding Nemo?....Did we already have enough of the most forgettable fish in the world?...Or will she get us laughing again like the first time?
Only time will tell, but I predict it's gonna be epic.
Predicted rating: 9/10


There's just a few, but there have been/ will be many more...any that you particularly wanna see a sequel to? Let me know, but till next time....Ciao for now guys!

CH

Step Up Revolution

So after those three slightly more serious movies, I thought I would post something a little more recent, upbeat and fun, a movie that captured my attention from the very start. Full of outstanding performance and choreography, this film is full of SWAG, if you love and appreciate dance, this is the one for you! 

Step up Revolution (2012) is the 4th and in my opinion best movie from the step up series. 

Starring Ryan Guzman, Cleopatra Coleman, Misha Gabriel Hamilton with a short return appearance of Adam Sevani who plays the infamous "Moose"(the all time favourite character featuring in each step up movie since #2).

So its generic in its storyline - guy meets girl, they dance together, something happens to push them apart, but as always it all works out in the end. The difference with this one however is that it is not a dance competition, nor battles between dance groups, it consists of "The Mob" dancing at first to get the attention of the world on youtube, but then as it progresses it becomes more a form of art, expression, protest and ultimately to send a message to the city of Miami and to the world. 

Its amazing how they created such art and imply so much meaning through the choreography and music. There's also a crazy talented guy who creates the words "The Mob" to mark each of their performances, each time out of a different material e.g. forks and spoons, or glass panels, videos - seriously creative stuff! 

Have to post the trailer, just to give you a bit of a taster, its only a couple minutes, worth a quick look:

Totally makes you wanna get up dance, awesome film, love it! 

Rating: 

4/10 for storyline (too similar to previous and very predictable)

9/10 for entertainment (choreography, music, visually mesmerising).

Expecting #5 to be 10/10 although it will be incredibly hard to top whats been done in the series so far!

Which has been your favourite from the step up series? 

CH 

The Prestige

The Prestige (2006)... what a cracking film! 

From director Christopher Nolan, you can expect nothing less than brilliance after his other successful blockbusters, known well for directing Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises and Inception. This creation lives up to those titles! 

Starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Michael Caine, the plot follows the rivalry between two great magicians in London, both trying to out-perform the other with increasingly elaborate and creative illusions, amazing their audiences and infuriating the other. As they seek for the competitive edge, the results become more dangerous and tragic consequences follow.

True to form, Nolan laces the film with a dark and mysterious feel, grabbing your attention, right till the end credits! The theme of obsession certainly compliments the secrecy from both magicians throughout.

Cutter (Michael Caine): "Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called "The Pledge". The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige"."

This film kept me guessing the whole time, from the small illusions through to the bigger plot, I was hooked the whole time, looking for  the secrets, trying to figure out the mystery. It draws you in and you can't get out until you finish the movie, and even then you are left in amazement, surprised and with admiration for this outstanding screenplay. I do not know how people come up with these ideas which, although are separate, intertwine throughout the movie and then come together neatly. Hats off to the writers and director, and of course the cast, being of such a high calibre, play their parts perfectly. 

Definitely deserves the respect and admiration the title implies! A MUST watch...but watch closely, because once the secrets and twists are out, it wont be as enjoyable, so pay attention to first time!!!

Rating: 9/10

CH

The Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black

Pitch Black: The Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black R(18+)

Movie Type: Sci-fi horror

Main stars: Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, and Keith David

Main plot:  In the distance future, a transport ship is carrying an extremely dangerous criminal known as Riddick. The ship is damaged and is forced to make an emergency crash landing on a desert planet that is surrendered by three suns, Riddick escapes from the ship after the crash. However, the survivors have discovered deadly alien predators that can only survive in the dark start attacking them. Riddick has finally decided to join the survivors to develop a plan to escape the planet, after they have discovered a soon coming eclipse that will last a year long. 

My comments: Pitch Black, as the precursor of The Chronicles of Riddick, was considered the most underrated sci-fi movies during that time. Although the movie is not so perfect due to various acting flaws (Not including Vin DieselJ) and cut scene flaws, it is still worth watching. 

Reasons to watch it:

•         It is a sci-fi based movie that contains aliens, heavy gun fires and actions, spaceship   
•         It is the first big project presented by Vin Diesel. I have become a fan of his since I watch this, and I watched nearly all his movies including the Triple X, The Chronicles of Riddick franchise and Fast and Furious franchise.

•        Riddick's shinny eye which can see through dark, plus his goggle

I      If you like Vin Diesle, and you still miss out on this one, now would be a good time to catch up. 

       I have also add a video created by tjohn1986 about the top ten of badass line in Riddick.

Peng

References are linked below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOlaDEdQIpg

http://headinavice.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/20121216134320pitch_black_poster1.jpg?w=869

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134847/quotes

Fight Club

 David Fincher's Fight Club (1999), starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham-Carter, centres around the life of an insomniac office worker whom has become trapped in a consumer's world. However through the help of Tyler Durden, he finds a way to break free from the shackles of the Ikea catalogue and corporate America; Fight Club. However, what starts as a means to briefly escape the artificial day for a moment of pure primal fulfilment, soon escalates into nation-wide anarchy.

 This film meant a lot to me as it was the very film that acquired my full attention to cinema as an art form, rather than a cheap 90 minutes of story and two-dimensional characters. Fight Club instead included an incredible cast to truly do the characters justice, incredible cinematic effects (some before their time), and of course a brilliant story as chaotic as 'Project Mayhem' itself.

 Although Fight Club is classified as a drama, the characters bring forth a mischievous demeanour allowing for some subtle humour amongst the overall dark overtones of the dystopia around them.  

 I found the motif of the form of the articles written by organs in the first person so personify the emotions of the unnamed narrator. These included:

I am Jack's raging bile duct
I am Jack's complete lack of surprise
I am Jack's broken heart

 Fight Club is best known by the initiated for it's incredible twist (which I won't divulge as it would breach the first two rules of Fight Club), but I will say that the tiny clues leading up to the reveal make for great replay-ability.

 An truly incredible piece that I would highly recommend to all.

Rating: 9/10


MM

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