Category: Film reviews (2015) (Page 6 of 7)

“A little soulless” Insurgent review

22 March 2015 / Adam Brannon / 6 Comments

INSURGENT (UK CERT: 12A)

Director: Robert Schwentke

Music: Joseph Trapanese

Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet

There hasn’t been a better time to be part of the Young Adult revolution. From Stephanie Meyer’s underwhelming Twilight saga to Suzanne Collins’ superb Huger Games trilogy and everything in between, there is something about this genre that audiences love to read and to watch.

Coming a little late to the party is Veronica Roth’s Divergent franchise. After last year’s bland debut, a new director in the shape of Robert Schwentke (Flightplan, Tattoo) takes on the second film in the series, Insurgent, but can it finally bring something to the table? Continue reading

Run All Night continues Neeson's action hero status

“Neeson at his gritty best” Run All Night review

15 March 2015 / Adam Brannon / 3 Comments

RUN ALL NIGHT (UK CERT: 15)

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Music: Junkie XL

Starring: Liam Neeson, Ed Harris, Joel Kinnaman

It’s fair to say Liam Neeson has picked some decidedly dodgy acting jobs since his rise to become an A-list Hollywood action hero. From a disappointing turn in the most recent A Team movie to the laughably bad Taken 3, he seems to have been turned from fan favourite to the butt of so many jokes.

After January’s poorly received Taken 3, Neeson returns to give the genre another go in Run All Night, but does Jaume Collet-Serra’s intriguing direction return him to the top of the food chain? Continue reading

“A little rough around the edges” Chappie review

8 March 2015 / Adam Brannon / 1 Comment

CHAPPIE (UK CERT: 15)

Director: Neill Blomkamp

Music: Hans Zimmer

Starring: Dev Patel, Sigourney Weaver, Hugh Jackman

District 9 was a tough act to follow for first-time director Neill Blomkamp. His follow up to 2009’s sci-fi sleeper hit was the mediocre Elysium that whilst having a gargantuan budget and the likes of Jodie Foster and Matt Damon, failed on the most basic of levels – storytelling.

Here, Blomkamp returns a little wiser and much richer with Chappie. But does it hark back to the brilliance of District 9? Continue reading

“Reasonably accomplished” Focus Review

1 March 2015 / Adam Brannon / 1 Comment

FOCUS (UK CERT: 15)

Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa

Music: Nick Urata

Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, BD Wong

Will Smith desperately needed a film to catapult him back onto the silver screen A-list after M. Night Shyamalan’s critical and commercial disaster After Earth.

The Hollywood favourite recently spoke about how the movie bruised his ego and made him reassess his position as a serious actor. His latest film Focus, is the first after a brief hiatus, but does it mark a return to form? Continue reading

“Best reserved for the DVD shelf” The Wedding Ringer Review

22 February 2015 / Adam Brannon / 2 Comments

THE WEDDING RINGER (UK CERT: 15)

Director: Jeremy Garelick

Music: Christopher Lennertz

Starring: Kevin Hart, Josh Gad

The comedy genre is one which goes through many cycles. You can go for years with lacklustre efforts featuring big-name celebrities like Norbit and Johnny English: Reborn, but every so often something special comes along to remind you how funny films can be – a la Bridesmaids or The Heat.

This year’s first offering is The Wedding Ringer. Fronted by Kevin Hart and Josh Gad, it follows the story of a loner who is forced to hire a best man to ensure his upcoming wedding goes without a hitch. But will it have you in fits of laughter or running from the altar? Continue reading

“A tiresome affair” Fifty Shades of Grey review

14 February 2015 / Adam Brannon / 8 Comments

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY (UK CERT: 18)

Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson

Music: Danny Elfman

Voices: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Rita Ora

The Fifty Shades phenomenon is something very hard to calculate. Yes, we know its sold millions of copies worldwide, but its readership is likely to be much higher. I’m sure someone somewhere will know another person who didn’t go out and buy the book, but just borrowed it.

Creating a film from E.L. James’ novel was never going to be an easy task for numerous reasons. The harsh reality is that Brits have mixed views with regards to seeing sex on the big screen – nonetheless, Sam Taylor-Johnson, director of the critically acclaimed Nowhere Boy, was chosen to helm an adaptation. But is it a success? Continue reading

“Genuinely moving” Big Hero 6 Review

5 February 2015 / Adam Brannon / 1 Comment

BIG HERO 6 (UK CERT: PG)

Director: Don Hall, Chris Williams

Music: Henry Jackman

Voices: Ryan Potter, James Cromwell, Damon Wayans Jr.

The Marvel Studios movie train has been non-stop over the last few years, from Iron Man to The Avengers, it shows no signs of slowing. Now though, a take-over by Disney has ensured both studios enter into rather unknown territory.

The first film from this collaboration is Big Hero 6, an animated superhero film in the same vein as Pixar’s The Incredibles. But does it reach those dizzying heights? Continue reading

“Simply Brilliant” Kingsman: The Secret Service Review

30 January 2015 / Adam Brannon / 7 Comments

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE (UK CERT: 15)

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Music: Henry Jackman

Starring: Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Michael Caine

Director Matthew Vaughn has brought some visually striking films to the big screen in his fairly short career, from the brilliant Layer Cake, to the movie which many credit as saving the X-Men franchise, First Class, he certainly knows his way around a camera.

However, Kingsman: The Secret Service is probably his riskiest proposition yet. Can a dark comedy about upper-class British spies with their tailor-made suits compete with the very best films in the genre? Continue reading

“Incredibly harrowing” American Sniper Review

23 January 2015 / Adam Brannon / 3 Comments

AMERICAN SNIPER (UK CERT: 15)

Director: Clint Eastwood

Music: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller

There’s something about Clint Eastwood’s varied directing career that puts him among the greats of the craft. Along with Spielberg, Scott and Fincher, Eastwood has created some of cinema’s greatest films – yet he goes about it in a completely different fashion to his peers, he doesn’t shout about it.

Here, Eastwood directs Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller in his latest offering, American Sniper, but does it stand as one of the better films on his resume? Continue reading

“A charming adaptation” Into the Woods review

17 January 2015 / Adam Brannon / 1 Comment

INTO THE WOODS (UK CERT: PG)

Director: Rob Marshall

Music: Nathaniel Mechaly

Starring: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden

Wolves, witches and giants all appear in the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s popular musical which takes all the best bits of our favourite fairytales and mashes them together in one engaging, song-filled rollercoaster.

However, musical movie adaptations are notoriously difficult to get right, from casting restraints to the inclusion of all the songs, transferring them to the silver screen is not something to be entered into lightly. So does director Rob Marhsall’s effort elevate itself above its peers? Continue reading