Minions: The Rise of Gru

The little yellow pills of fun are back, and ready to take on the world in a new adventure.

Gru’s childhood is about to a little heated, as his dreams of hitting the big villain league get a little out of control.

In this heartwarming tale of adolescence, Gru finds his way in the world, with the help of his little yellow minions, to use his talent for getting up to mischief.

But what he doesn’t expect, is meeting his villainous idol, who takes him under his wing and shows him the ropes.

From incredible animation, to crazy plot twists, this film delves into the mayhem of the minion world.

But what this film loses in fluffy unicorns, it makes up for in jokes, that are there to bring a new level of enjoyment to the franchise.

Though this film won’t be everyone, it is an easy watch, and makes for good and wholesome family entertainment, that will make everyone from your 5 year old to your second uncle twice removed glow from ear to ear.

Adrift

Castaway is not a strong enough description for this understated miracle of sea-ventures.

Going overboard takes a whole new meaning when two lovers find themselves in the aftermath of an ocean storm that tears through their boat and their relationship, leaving them stranded with no land in sight.

Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin make for an indispensable team as they achieve ultimate couple goals in performances that will almost certainly become award worthy.

Despite the inevitable sadness that threatens this films good nature, the plot allows for a whole host of emotions that provides both humorous relief and loving interceptions, which is an enviable achievement considering that the film is based upon a real story.

Tully

Older doesn’t always mean wiser.

Finding herself a little worse for wear after the birth of her third child, Marlow follows her brothers advice and seeks assistance from a night nanny.

Despite being labelled as a comedy drama, this film is anything other than comical, as the seriousness of life becomes an ever-growing deeper seeded problem for this overwhelmed mother of three.

Charlize Theron takes this role in her stride as she heroically channels the challenges of motherhood with effortless finesse, making the story both believable and relatable without comprising on the film’s desired production.

Though the film faults itself with false advertisement and a somewhat limited audience base, the intrinsic talent is enough to carry the weightless and often disappointing plot.

Ready Player One

When reality gets you down, there’s only one thing to do; enter into virtual reality.

In a world tarnished by technological advancement and chaotic gains, Wade Wilson finds himself the unlikely hero as he enters into a virtual reality adventure at the heart of the OASIS to save civilization and put a stop to the vast inequalities at play.

The artistic vision for this film is wonderfully striking, with video game artistry at the core of this production, creating both nostalgia and wonder for all those watching. In addition to the magnitude of colourful awe, director, Stephen Spielberg, has ensured that the CGI throughout the film, of which there is a lot, complements, rather than takes away from the story.

With many of the young actors starring in this Spielberg spectacular unbeknown to the audience, the actors are able to achieve a level of charismatic talent that is refreshingly new, with the added bonus of having little to compare it to but their presence on screen, due to their unfamiliarity.

Despite the acting and cinematography excelling throughout, it is the story that lets the vibrancy of this film down, with much of plot getting lost in translation due to the overlong running time, that leaves the audience feeling more exhausted than entranced.

Peter Rabbit

Peter Rabbit returns with a hop, skip and a jump into a new carrot-fueled adventure.

Peter and his family burrow into a new challenge as they attempt to infiltrate Mr. McGregor’s vegetable garden. However, what begins as a feud, soon escalates into a full-on battle between man and rabbit.

James Cordon heads up the rabbit frontier as the voice of Peter Rabbit, with his London barter adding an unexpected comedic factor to this well known mischevious character.

With Margot Robbie narrating this live-action quest and Domhnall Gleeson (Mr. McGregor)  acting alongside Rose Bryne (Bea) as lovestruck neighbours, the cast of this film is astoundingly talented, which does nothing but add to the magic of this old tale.

Will Gluck has managed to direct a fantasy into a reality by bringing together phenomenal cinematic technology, alongside equally gifted actors to make a film that will remain a family favourite for years to come.

Watch the trailer here.

Fifty Shades Darker

A film with as much full-fronted nudity in it as this one does, can never be good, mainly because it’s verging on the point of becoming pornographic.

Struggling to get to grips with a normal relationship, Mr.Grey finds himself trying to win Anastasia’s heart back once more. But as is the case with many of Christian Grey’s ‘relationships’, there are rules, however, Anastasia does not want to submit to them.

The acting, as you may expect from such a film, is nothing special; it does excite, nor does it inspire, it is simply average in it’s execution. A disappointment would suggest that more was expected, it was not.

The camera angles are laughable throughout, with strategically placed ornaments covering various degrees of genital exposure. At times, the props used to subdue the show of human flesh are so horrendously comedic, you have to repeatedly remind yourself that this film is actually trying to market itself as a serious romance drama.

It has become beyond difficult to subjectively review this film, not only because it goes against the grain of  the cinematic experience, but because it preys on the vulnerable to fund it; predominantly middle aged woman, who are looking for ‘more’. Admittedly, this is a huge over generalisation, but to a certain extent, is very true nonetheless.

How a story, that is essentially glorifying sexual abuse has come to be such a prominent part of our society, is quite frankly an embarrassment to filmmakers everywhere. But of course, this story did not just come into being through the medium of film, no, it was firstly a book, and not just any book, and international best seller.

It is the very nature of this film’s existence that is having a dyer affect on the film-industry, which has almost become a dumping ground for lacklustre film-makers with a remarkably large budget. It is a sad reality, and one that I hope will eventually be squashed.

Swallows & Amazons

Holidaying in rural Britain has never been so dangerous.

A wonderfully British family film turns out to be a spy thriller in a remake that is sure to warm hearts throughout Britain.

When the Walker family take a much anticipated holiday in the Lake District and decide to explore a deserted island, they get more than they bargained for when they come across a couple of Russian spies who are up to no good. 

But that’s not their only problem, turns out that the island isn’t as deserted as they first thought and has previously been inhabited by the explorers calling themselves The Amazons, aptly leading into a Swallows Vs. Amazons battle for the islands territory. 

This conflict doesn’t last for long, however, as the two groups soon realise  that a bigger problem is at large,  meaning that a quaint childhood tiff soon erupts into a real world war as the children fight to bring justice to the undercover Russian spies.

Though not the most conventional of films in terms of Hollywood recipes, this truly is a classic British film that is a perfect family film, with not only stunning acting, but breath-taking scenery and a heartfelt story-line.

For once it seems as though a classic tale has been brought back to the big screen with not the incentive of money, but rather with a love for storytelling.

Superman v Batman: Dawn of Justice

One man, two aliens; no it’s not a weird pornography movie, it’s DC’s latest attempt at a superhero movie.

I say ‘attempt’, because quite frankly it is underwhelming. 

Sure, they’ve stuck a new guy in the bat suit, but that just isn’t enough. Don’t get me wrong, Ben Affleck gave it a good shot, but Christian Bales shoes are big ones to fill.

When two franchises collide, it needs to be effortlessly executed. Did DC triumph in this area? Absolutely not. 

But it’s not all bad, the special effects, whilst potentially overcompensating for a rubbish storyline, were definitely a delight to behold; I mean, who doesn’t love an explosion or two?

Morale of this story; DC need to spend more time in pre-production, and less time with the stunts department. 

Zootropolis

Bunnies that fight crime, Foxes that sell popsicles on the blackmarket, and Mafia rodents; welcome to Zootropolis, where mammals are their own boss, and there’s not a human in sight.

One bunny with a big dream is on a mission to change the world, and she’s not about to give up anytime soon, despite her parents’ disapproval.

Since being an infant, Judy Hopps has dreamed of being the first rabbit to join the ZPD (Zootropolis Police Department), but she gets a little bit more than she bargained for when she takes on her first assignment as a newly appointed police rabbit.

Unfortunately, her dreams of making the world a better place soon vanish with her first assignment. Yup, that’s right; all those late nights spent training at the police academy really paid off, because Hopps is now a world class…metre maid.
But never fear, Hopps soon rectifies the slight hitch in her world saving plan by taking matters into her own paws.

What makes this film so gloriously entertaining and loveable is not the insanely brilliant animation, nor the priceless popular cultures spoofs that have worked their way into the storyline; it is the story itself, which utilises every aspect of a Disney classic, and envelops its audience into a timeless world that can be revisited again and again.

So as long as you’re not afraid to brave a cinema full of children this Easter, this film is pawsitively worth a watch.