MitchReviews

The world of film and television seen through my eyes, aren't you all lucky?

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Guardians of the Galaxy Review

Director - James Gunn Release Date - July 31st 2014 Stars - Chirs Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista and Bradley Cooper In the far reaches of space, an American pilot named Peter Quill finds himself the object of a manhunt after stealing an orb coveted by the villainous Ronan. Review Is Guardians of the Galaxy the best Marvel film to date? No. Is it a whole lot of fun and ONE of the best? Most certainly. Guardians of the Galaxy was most certainly a gamble to take on the part of Marvel. The Guardians aren't a main stream property that most of the general audience, if any, would know by name. However Marvel are the Kings of the cinematic universe at the minute and Guardians is a gamble that was worth taking due to the links the story has with that being built around the Avengers and Thanos. In a sense the group effectively become the B-team Avengers, or Avengers Outer-Space Edition and because of that it would have been easy for Marvel to copy the formula put in place by the Avengers and go for exactly the same tone. However the director, James Gunn, took a risk and stuck for the large part to the tone created in the source material and created a movie that doesn't always take itself too seriously and almost becomes a parody of the standard super hero movie. The film isn't perfect, the villain in the movie, Ronan the Accuser, played by Lee Pace, could have been further fleshed out, but this is not to say he is a bad villain, as he is not. Also the acting on the parts of two characters, Nebula and Drax the Destroyer, played by Karen Gillan and Dave Bautista respectively, could have been better. But all the other actors did a stand out job, particularly Chris Pratt who played the role of Star-Lord. But it was Bradley Cooper who voiced the character of Rocket Racoon that stole the show. Often reflecting on strange traditions we see in movies Rocket was a breath of fresh air and provided many genuinely funny moments throughout the movie. Furthermore there were some genuinely awe-inspiring scenes. One of which came when... *Minor spoiler alert* Ronan meets with Thanos and we get to see the uber-villain in all his glory for the first time. It was a very cool moment to witness and keeps the audience waiting with baited breath for our next glimpse at the main bad guy of the entire universe. James Gunn has also earnt his chops now as a sci-fi director as many scenes felt like a cross between Star Trek and Mass Effect, creating a beautifully realised galaxy, with some stunning action sequences that'd make any Star Wars/Star Trek/Mass Effect/Firefly fan happy. However, I was dissapointed in the use of the Collector, I thought he'd have a larger role in the film and was let down by the fact that he's only in one scene and is pretty much used for exposition in-between action sequences. Plus now it seems like his role is over as he has nowhere left to go, which seems like a waste of the potential in his character. Overall James Gunn and Marvel managed to create a wondeful new property that I have no doubt we will be seeing sequels of for many years to come, and that can only be a good thing as they left the film feeling like there is still so much out there to explore in the galaxy. Will we perhaps see a cross-over between Guardians of the Galaxy and the Avengers? Storyline wise it would make sense, but I wouldn't be disappointed if it didn't happen as I feel that there is so much story to mine from the Guardians that they don't need to cross-over any time soon. Final Score - 8.5/10

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Okay so I don't usually talk about movie trailers, but I thought it'd be a dis-service to the world that Peter Jackson and Tolkien have created, both in the books and on the screen if I didn't talk about the trailer for the final Hobbit film (And subsequently Middle Earth film) that was released today. First off let me just say that this trailer is fantastic! There's no two ways about it. Everything that is done in this trailer is done with perfection and there's so much that I want to talk about that I'm scared I'm going to miss something. So let's begin with the overall purpose of this trailer. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING that is put into this trailer is to wrap up the Middle Earth story as a whole, not just the Hobbit films. From Bilbo's opening words of "One day they'll remember. Everything that happened, the good, the bad, those who survived and those who did not". He's talking in a sombre tone and whilst in the context of the movie he will be referring to the events he has seen, in the larger context he is talking about the story of Middle Earth as we know it, the entirety of it. Then to further push this idea, Pippin's song from "The Steward of Gondor" in Return of the King is used. This isn't just because it fits the dark and sombre tone of the trailer, but because it links everything together nicely and reminds us that what we are witnessing is the final chapter in everything Middle Earth, from the story that is unfolding now to stories that have already been told to us. What makes this trailer even more clever is that the final shot used at the end of Pippin's song is actually a mirror of the shot used in Return of the King, with a force of archers (Orcs in Return of the King, Men in The Battle of the Five Armies) ready to fire. No one character takes centre stage in this trailer, instead the time is evenly (Somewhat) distributed amongst many main characters. But it is perhaps Thorin who once again steals the show, not just with his exclamation of choosing war, but when he asks the Dwarves (I suppose) to follow him "One last time". If you look at the larger picture and the shots of many different characters used when he asks, it almost feels like it is Peter Jackson asking us the audience if we will follow him one last time into Middle Earth. The trailer is perfect on so many levels. It delivers the action that we would want to see coming from a film called The Battle of the Five Armies, but it also delivers on emotional levels that not many other films have ever been able to lay claim to, the emotion that an entire saga is coming to an end. The final Harry Potter film is one of the few that springs to mind as an example of another film using this technique. I for one will be watching this trailer hundreds of times over the coming months in eager anticipation of this film. So I implore you all to watch it and go to the cinemas this December to see the final chapter in what has truly been an epic saga.

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Edge of Tomorrow Review

Director - Doug Liman Release Date - May 30th 2014 Stars - Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt An officer finds himself caught in a time loop in a war with an alien race. His skills increase as he faces the same brutal combat scenarios, and his union with a Special Forces warrior gets him closer and closer to defeating the enemy. Review Going into this film my expectations were not as high as they probably should have been, (as has been stated by many reviewers before me) the trailer reminded me of Oblivion, which I had come out of thinking it was very mediocre. This film however exceeded all expectations I had and was a genuine joy to watch. Tom Cruise's latest delve into the sci-fi genre is a movie that on paper should not be entertaining. Watching to a large degree the same event unfold over and over again, with minor changes, would in the hands of most directors not be something that entertains the audience for any extended period of time. However Doug Liman does such a fantastic job of implementing small but noticeable changes each time we come back to the scene that helped engage the audience. These changes also made for very comedic aspects to the film, as well as delivering stunning visuals and wide landscape shots of the ensuing battle which really helped to explore the epic feel of the film. No matter how you feel about the man's personal life, love him or hate him, he really helps this film. Not only by bringing the star power that he has proved time and time again that he has, but also through his acting ability. Cruise takes on a different role than many would suspect in this film and it only goes to serve his credentials as an accomplished actor. Emily Blunt is also fantastic as the female lead in the film and the chemistry she builds with Cruise throughout the film works very well, helping to build a believable comradeship between them. Whilst the supporting cast is few and far between, especially in terms of their screen time until the final third of the film, they still manage to hold their own and deliver solid performances. Whilst the film isn't perfect, I would have liked a better ending, it is a fantastic cinema experience that really hits hard when it matters, causing you to fall in love with these characters that you're seeing go through such hardship time and time again. Unfortunately the film hasn't performed as well at the box office as many would have liked, and that is a real shame as the current trend in Hollywood has seen it become incredibly difficult to find the funding for an original film property, whereas Prequels, Sequels, Spin-offs and reboots are coming through the flood gates. Which makes it hurt even more when an original property (To a large extent, it is based on a manga call All you Need is Kill) such as this one doesn't do well at the box office, as not only does the film not receive the recognition it deserves but it also distances studios further from wanting to make them. Overall Edge of Tomorrow is a film that I encourage each and every one of you to go a watch, not just in support of an original film but in support of a film that is actually really good. Final Score - 8/10

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Guardians of the Galaxy

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The Lego Movie Review

Director - Phil Lord and Christopher Miller Release Date - 7th February 2014 Stars - Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks and Will Ferrell This all-star cast of Hollywood legends and up-and-comers tackle a new style of animation that delivers on so many levels…… Review: Okay so who would have ever thought that a film about Lego could be this successful? I for one didn't and until I saw the theatrical trailer for this film I was very pessimistic about its chances. However the trailer won me over, with a good comedic element, plenty of action and an all-star cast what could go wrong? The answer… very little. Lets get this out of the way early, The Lego Movie is not your typical animation. The first few scenes take some getting used to as you become accustomed to watching a collection of Lego pieces masterfully gracing your screen. With the CGI used in a way that makes the entire movie feel like a stop-motion picture, without it actually being one, whilst at first can be jarring, adds to the entire feel of the film in a very positive way. Anything and everything in this film is Lego (Bar some later scenes), and this is done to create an entirely perfect world, where everything works. If the animation was squeaky clean and the pieces of Lego walked around like normal people then something wouldn't feel right. The directors nailed it when they chose which direction they wanted to go in, and it pays off time and time again, allowing them to create some purely genius comedic moments that some viewers might not appreciate, whilst for others it might just help to build the world that the film takes place in. Little elements such as the way in which Horses walk, or how Lego People can do things that we can only imagine ourselves doing. The voice acting is done to a very high degree, with Chris Pratt taking the lead role as the voice of Emmet, the hero of the story. This may be Pratt's first big leading role, so to speak, which will be swiftly followed up by Guardians of the Galaxy later this year, and I think it was a great first gig for him to get. He is supported in his lead by a huge cast of accomplished actors who can simply do no wrong, Will Ferrell as Mr Business, Liam Neeson as Bad Cop and Morgan Freeman as Vitruvius are fantastic and add a legitimacy to the movie that the prodders might have been looking for. There is a huge array of interesting characters, ranging from pretty much any blockbuster films you can think of… Dumbledore and Gandalf anyone? Plus who didn't watch this movie and not feel their heart skip a bit when they heard those infamous words "I'm Batman" once more? Then there are some new characters such as Uni-Kitty and Benny who also deliver not only on comedic elements of the film but also help add to the drama at various different parts. However what I wasn't expecting, and was pleasantly pleased to see, was how well this film could deliver on emotional moments, as well as the incredibly nostalgic and heart warming message that it delivers across the course of the film. There are one or two moments where you feel true emotion for these characters, without spoiling anything, there are both sad moments and other moments where you pull behind various characters and urge them on. This film hits on so many levels that it's hard to fault it at all and I'm already pegging this film to be on my Top Ten Films of 2014 list in just under 12 months time. It's a film that not only appeals to children, but the humour and action is so well done that I can't see any reason why adults would have a problem watching as well. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the film, and quite frankly I can't wait to watch it again, but until I do I'll continue to walk around the house humming "Everything is Awesome" and playing the video game… Mr Business have you brain washed me? Final Score = 9/10 For more News and Reviews be sure to hit the subscribe button

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The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug Review

Director - Peter Jackson Release Date - 13th December 2013 Stars - Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen and Richard Armitage Did the magic of Middle Earth return once more?… Before I begin let me just say that when you're dealing with a film franchise as big as something such as the Middle Earth films then there is some magic quality that can define whether that film is a hit or a miss. It's the case with any film of this magnitude, with a following that is as strong as this. However it is that magic that makes it very hard to review a film, as despite the film style, acting and narrative if that magic is missing then the film may simply not live up to the hype that comes before it. For me, The Hobbit sequel is missing that magic. That is not to say I didn't enjoy the film, as I did, but for me Middle Earth is like a second home. When I watch the first Hobbit movie, or the Lord of the Rings films then I feel like I know exactly where I am and it creates that magic I was talking about. But this film for me didn't feel like a Middle Earth film, not in the way that previous films have felt anyway. Throughout this film the pacing was completely off; the beginning and ending of the film felt incredibly rushed, whilst the middle dragged in large where it needn't have. As soon as the film finished I knew what the problem was and I knew it meant I was going to have to eat my own words; three films is too much. Coming out of the film I was greeted with the feeling that should this have been the second of two films then I would've been a much happier movie-goer. The reason I say this is because I have the feeling that ending the first film where he did, Peter Jackson (Who has an awesome cameo in this film which mimics his cameo in The Fellowship) backed himself into a corner in regards as to what would happen in this film. For a film that is 2 hours and 40 minutes long, not a lot happens and I blame that on Jackson having to create a third film. Even with the added content there isn't enough to fill out three films and it's really beginning to show. None of the characters in this film, except for Smaug himself, seem to have any kind of resolution by the end of the film and every single one of them is just sort of hanging around. There is no sense of an ending, instead it feels like the next film should be called "The Desolation of Smaug Part 2", not it's own entity. From Legolas, to Thorin, Gandalf and Bilbo; there is no character in this film who has any sort of meaningful arc. They all just find themselves in different situations, and then all of a sudden the film ends. When seeing Gandalf for the last time, or Legolas, I couldn't have told you that this would be the last time we would be seeing the characters on the screen for this film, as they all felt like throw-away scenes. This being said the film is not all bad, in fact it's far from it. The voice acting by Benedict Cumberbatch as the Dragon Smaug is incredibly well done, and no relation can be drawn between Smaug and the Necromancer (Also voiced by Cumberbatch), which may have been a worry for some going into the film. Smaug is without a doubt the best asset this film has to offer, he brings a sense of cockiness and anger to the film, something that is needed considering the lack of Azog in this film. However that in itself has it's own faults, as due to there being no real Orc threat through this film, especially to the Dwarves in the later stages, the film as a result lacks any major conflict that can be fought without a Dwarf getting burnt alive. There is no emotional climax to the film like there was in the first film where you see Thorin stand up to face Azog whilst the fire rages all around him. Instead of anything of that sort we are treated to the Dwarves either running around frantically trying to escape flames, or elsewhere standing around a table, before watching a Dragon flying off into the distance as our epic climax. Martin Freeman was once again very good in his role as Bilbo, especially during his interactions with Smaug, as was Ken Scott who delivered the one emotional moment of the film as Balin, when the Dwarves first step foot into Erebor. Luke Evans (Bard the Bowman) may have been underused in this film, but from what we did see he has the potential to be a very kick-ass character in the next film. Evangeline Lilly was also good as the newly introduced Tauriel, who could quickly become a fan favourite Elf; however a previous fan favourite, Orlando Bloom (Legolas), really seemed to be honing it in compared to his performances in Lord of the Rings. His character not only seemed more withdrawn, but also seemed far more stubborn than his older self we will see in 60 years time. Something big will have to start changing in Legolas by the end of the third film before it becomes believable that this is the same character we all fell in love with. Overall I had fun watching The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, but I didn't love it and I didn't feel like I was venturing back into Middle Earth, which for me is the biggest disappointment of them all. Any film to have been set in Middle Earth so far has been put into a group and altogether they are my favourite ever films, in case anyone cared, but unfortunately I don't think I can put this film in with them. The average Lord of the Rings or Hobbit fan will probably go into this film and really enjoy it, but if you're like me and live for this franchise then you may find yourself being less than pleased with what you find. Final Score - 6.5/10 As always hit the like and re-blog buttons if you liked what you read and be sure to hit subscribe so that you never miss the News and Reviews.

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Godzilla trailer

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Frozen Review

Directors - Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee Release Date - 27th November 2013 Stars - Kristen Bell, Josh Gad and Idina Menzel Disney hits it's stride once more…. In a film that is eerily similar to the Disney films of old, it appears to be that the magic of the movies has returned once more. Following hit-or-miss adventures such as Brave and Wreck-It-Ralph; it has taken the combined efforts of Monsters University and Frozen to show us that Disney is well and truly back, not to say that Brave and Wreck-It-Ralph weren't good, just in the mind of this film reviewer weren't as good as Disney's previous works. Instead of being the generic love story that would've been so easy for Disney to go with they instead take a few risks and shake things up. Instead of focussing on the love between the loveable guy, Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), the story instead focusses on the love between two sisters who have been estranged for a long period of time. The sisters Anna and Elsa (played by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel respectively) are the key focus of the film and it is their relationship that really sets this film apart from other Disney films. The voice work is superb and that only helps to add to the already fleshed out personality of each character. But I would be remiss if I didn't mention Josh Gad who plays the voice of Olaf the Snowman here, as his comic timing and delivery of his lines are in a class above everyone else in the film. As a result Olaf becomes one of the most enjoyable sidekicks (That aren't Minions) in a long while, serving not only as comic relief but as an emotional connection between the two sisters. Similarly the songs are performed to perfection, and are the main reason that this film feels like you're watching the perfect combination of modern princess movies, blended with the classical style of songs and epic adventure seen in older Disney films. The opening sequence is of the same strain as that seen in Dumbo and as a result immediately creates an aura about the film that sets the tone for the rest of the film, by not only delivering a great song but also through the directing of dark shots, mixed in with the humour of a young Kristoff and Sven. The most impactful song in my opinion comes about a quarter of the way into the film as we witness Elsa's transformation into the "Ice Queen", the song titled "Let it Go" has already been tipped to be a front runner in the up-coming Oscars for Best Song and I wouldn't bet against it. Idina does a great job with the lyrics, but it's also beautiful to see the character of Elsa being "free" for the first time in a long while, and you can literally feel the joy exuding from the screen. A lot of this has to be put down to the credit of the visuals department, who have without a doubt done a fantastic job with Frozen. They put across perfectly at different stages of the story how Ice can be both beautiful at times, but is also a dangerous element when not handled properly. This comes across beautifully in some of the designs created, whether they be natural occurrences on the screen, or something that is created by Elsa; they each have their own beauty but underlying danger about them. That isn't to say I thought this film was perfect as it's not, there were certain aspects that could've been left out of the film or at least minimised. The most striking aspect of this for me was the Trolls, they served a purpose but only for one scene at the beginning of the film. When they reappear later on they feel forced, despite being the tool by which some comedy gold is created by Olaf. The screenwriters could easily have left them out and set up other ways for the protagonists to figure things out, as after their second appearance they never appear again. Also I can see a lot of younger people wanting further closure on the relationship between Anna and Kristoff at the end of the film, as despite not being the main focus of the film there is still a love story there, yet it never really gets brought about full circle. Maybe this is Disney's way of setting themselves up for a potential sequel should Frozen do well at the Box Office, while also allowing time to develop the relationship between the sisters first. But should a sequel not be made then there will certainly be a gap left to be filled in the narrative, however for now I will give them the benefit of the doubt. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed watching Frozen, not just because it reminded me of the "old-school" Disney films from when I was growing up, but because it brought something new to the table. It's a great film for families, especially sisters, but it also brings enough to the table to be enjoyed by your everyday movie-goer. Final Score - 8/10 For more News and Reviews be sure to hit that subscribe button, and don't forget to like this post, reblog it and be on the look out for the next post from MitchReviews.

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Godzilla

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Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor

BBC One have taken to Twitter to confirm that the title of the Doctor Who christmas special will be "The Time of the Doctor". If you want to watch the preview for the episode which followed the 50th Anniversary Episode then hit the link... http://comicbook.com/blog/2013/11/23/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-teaser-trailer/

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Geronimo

[doctorwho]

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Robocop

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Thor 2: The Dark World Review

Okay, so for the first time in a long time I went to a midnight screening of a film on the day of release, did I regret it? Let’s find out…

First off lets just get across the point that Thor 2 is nothing like that of its predecessor. The humour changes from fish-out-of-water to a more refreshing back and forth banter between brothers Loki and Thor. Saying that it becomes easy to see why so many others are claiming that Loki steals the show throughout the film, in that Tom Hiddlestone shines in everything that he does. This isn’t however a plan to play down the importance of and effort that Chris Hemsworth puts into his role as Thor. Chris has visibly adapted to the role since his on-screen debut as the Asgardian Superhero, and that only adds to the furthered brilliance of these respective characters. Whereas these two shine in their roles the more they play them, others such as Natalie Portman who portrays Jane Foster continue to wade their way through the film, not in my opinion detracting from the overall experience, but not adding anything to it either. With this being a sequel it is in the interest of the director, Alan Taylor, and the script writers to create a movie that feels much grander in comparison to the first, the stakes have to be higher and the enemy has to be all the more… evil. Thor 2 accomplishes one of these goals, as compared to the danger suffered by one small town in the original Thor, it is now the fate of all the Realms that comes into play at the hands of Christopher Ecclestone’s Malekith. On the whole the idea of Malekith is a good one, his race, backstory, demeanour and army all create the idea of a menacing and vengeful overlord. However it is often difficult to live up to the ideas created on paper and this is one of those moments. Malekith is a poor Marvel villain when all is said and done, whether that is down to Ecclestone’s performance or simply the fact that in a 2 hour movie he isn’t given any time to develop his character’s motivations. He is there simply to provide an obstacle to Thor while the Avenger deals with various sub-plots such as Loki, Jane and his Father Odin (Anthony Hopkins).

One of the many problems that people had with Iron Man 3 is the lack of aid given to him by either SHIELD or the other Avengers. Being that Thor 2 takes place before Iron Man 3 as it is the immediate follow up to The Avengers, it was risking suffering the same criticism. However the time in which Earth itself is turned into a war-zone is a very small space of time, not only that but it takes place in London, well away from the epi-centre of SHIELD activities and Captain America. As such it is forgivable to say that either SHIELD didn’t have time to react, or the British Government decided they didn’t need their help as seen by the fact that, even though a pitiful attempt, the Government does send fighter jets to attempt to deal with the threat.

At this stage the relationship between Thor and Jane still feels relatively forced, and the chemistry appears to lie elsewhere between Sif and Thor, two equals who appear to be one in the same. But no, Thor is still insistent on pursuing the Earth girl.

There’s so much to say about this film that I could go on for hours, but instead I’ll condense my final thoughts into short bullet-points that will now end up each review that I do…

- Some of the shots used by the Game of Thrones director are beautiful and much greater in scope and imagination than the first film

- Sometimes the humour didn’t know when to stop and didn’t allow breathing space following dramatic moments - Kat Dennings was very good in her role as Darcy Lewis

- The mid-credits scene felt very out of touch with the rest of the film

- Loki stole the show once again, take that for what you will, positive or negative, being that this is a Thor film

- It was clear where certain things had been re-shot after original filming (No spoilers), but there were elements that didn’t make sense and we’ll put that down to Marvel changing their mind on direction

Overall thoughts are that it was a very enjoyable film, and coming off what I felt was a very disappointing Iron Man 3 it was good to see Marvel get back on track with what for me a film definitely worth going to the cinema at midnight to see. Sometimes the humour should have been cut back, but then at the same time the humour that was deployed was very well done and even matches some of the stuff found in The Avengers.

Final Score - 7/10

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Set two years after The Avengers, Marvel bring you Captain America: The Winter Soldier

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MAGNETIC - KickStarter

We're a bit late to the party on this one but we here at MitchReviews have decided to back a project on Kickstarter that might interest some of you. It's a psychological sci-fi film, being made by Michael epstein and Sophia Cacciola (For more info see the link at the bottom). The Kickstarter ends on Wednesday but that's plenty of time for you to make a small donation for this promising project which is now trying to reach it's Stretch Goal of $10,000. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/michaeljepstein/magnetic-a-psychological-sci-fi-feature-film

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Johnny Storm Cast

It was confirmed last night in an exusive post on SchmoesKnow.com that Michael B Jordan has out pen to paper on the role of Johnny Storm, in the up-coming Fantastic Four reboot. A role which Jordan had long been linked to. While a bold move to cast the Human Torch as an African-American it is one that is being highly praised by many fans due to the seemingly high calibre of acting Jordan can deliver in these types of roles.