Month in the Movies: April

April was another busy month for myself at the movies, with myself being able to see 11 new films at the cinema. If you aren't sure what this post is about, each month I look back at the movies I seen in that month and rank them based on a combination of how good the movie was and how much I enjoyed it.  Now that's been explained, lets get started with the list!

11. Jane Got A Gun

What could of been a great time to build a great female character, Jane Got A Gun really failed to capitalise on its concept. The film also doesn't use its strong cast to their full capability in what was a drawn out western.

Final Verdict = C

Check out my review for Jane Got A Gun here

10. Midnight Special

A highly anticipated movie for me that turned out to be quite meh. Very slow paced with not a lot happening and then a very bizarre ending didn't quite connect with me as I hoped it did. The same goes with the impressive cast which was a big part of making me excited for this film. For me one of the biggest disappointments of the year so far. 

Final Verdict = C

Check out my review for Midnight Special here

9. Hardcore Henry

The first person action movie was fairly entertaining at times and did feature some very impressive work. However the style does get old after a while and really does lose its effect. A poor ending as well contributed to its downfall. The reason it is higher than Midnight Special and Jane Got A Gun is due to enjoyment of the film with some great action as well as fantastic work from Sharlto Copley.

Final Verdict = C

Check out my review for Hardcore Henry here

8. Huntsman: Winters War

I definitely feel I'm in the minority when it comes to this film. I had a good time with this one and I feel this was quite a lot down to the cast. Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain delivered with Nick Frost bringing in the humour in which most others have heavily criticised. It's not a masterpiece but I feel there's definitely enjoyment in this film.

Final Verdict = C+

Check out my review for Huntsman: Winters War here

7. Friend Request

I went into this film thinking it was going to be complete garbage. However I can say that I was pleasantly surprised. A good lead along with a new take on witchcraft lead to some creepy scenes throughout. The film undoubtedly could've been better if it had not used so many loud noises for scares.

Final Verdict = C+

Check out my review for Friend Request here

6. Bastille Day

Idris Elba's James Bond audition went very well and has cemented himself as a main contender to be the next 007. A highlight of the film also featured his charisma and chemistry with co-star Richard Madden made for some very funny moments. Some nice action scenes as well made Bastille Day a pleasant viewing.

Final Verdict = B-

Check out my review of Bastille Day here

5. Miles Ahead

A very interesting look at a famous musicians life in what was lead actor Don Cheadle's directorial debut. An impressive debut to say the least with some good work from co star Ewan McGregor. The film slows down at parts which gets in the way of it being a great film. However Miles Ahead is worth checking out for sure!

Final Verdict = B

Check out my review of Miles Ahead here

4. The Jungle Book

The live adaptation of The Jungle Book was a huge success with possibly the most impressive uses of CGI in film history. That wasn't the only good thing about the film with the stellar cast putting in wonderful performances in each of their voice acting. This film may of convinced me that these live action films might be a good idea and well worth my time.

Final Verdict = B

Check out my review of The Jungle Book here

3. Green Room

This indie horror-thriller is one of the surprises of the year for me so far. This incredibly dark film is full of suspense throughout the run time and has you gripped. Anton Yelchin and Imogen Poots bring some fun to the film with Patrick Stewart leading the sinister villains as it balances tones incredibly well. Well worth checking out, I was fortunate enough to see a pre screening for this great film!

Final Verdict = B+

Check out my review for Green Room here

2. Eye In The Sky

Eye In The Sky is possibly the best thriller of the year. Morally complex to the core and full of dilemma's, this movie will most definitely create discussion to those who watch it. A fantastic cast really deliver in what is a thrill ride from start to finish. One of my favourite movies of the year and one that I have seen twice in the cinema!

Final Verdict = A-

Check out my review for Eye In The Sky here

And my number one movie in April is...........

'Bastille Day' Review

'Bastille Day' stars Idris Elba as a badass cop who takes no nonsense from anyone and isn't afraid to get tough with his suspects. That alone is probably enough to get a lot of butts into the seats for this film. But would 'Bastille Day' actually be worth your time? Or would it wind up being a generic and forgettable action-thriller movie?

When a skilful pick pocketer (Richard Madden) accidentally causes what seems like a terrorist attack in Paris, he is then hunted down by Sean Briar (Idris Elba) a CIA agent who looks to bring justice. When the mess that has happened is explained, it is undercovered that there is something much more deadly to worry about as more terror attacks are planned to be carried out. They must now work together in an anti terror mission before it is too late on France's national day.

Mason (Madden) and Briar (Elba) being forced to work as a team.

It would be very easy to say that 'Bastille Day' was simply Idris Elba's audition tape for him to be the next James Bond. If he hadn't done so already, Elba has cemented himself amongst the contenders to take over from Daniel Craig. His performance in the action of this film, could easily fit into a Bond film with him pursuing enemies as well as using weapons and hand to hand combat. His ruthless attitude towards his work adds to the similarities and to why we could possibly have Elba as the next 007.

Our next James Bond possibly?

Elba also shows fantastic chemistry with his co-star Richard Madden throughout the film with the two characters being quite the opposites of each other. Not only looks wise but also with Elba being a part of law enforcement and Madden's character Michael Mason being a thief who looks to make his money through selling others belongings. The two interact and play off each other very well and the pairing also bring a lot of laughs to the film. Due to this, the film is much more funnier than you probably would of expected.

As an action film, there are most definitely some impressive scenes. One of the first action scenes involves Briar having to chase Mason down going through buildings and rooftops. At times this chase was a little slow paced but I actually think that this added quite a bit of realism to the scene as they were actually performing the scene on a rooftop rather than just in front of a green screen. A problem that I did have though was the film at times kept changing how they were filming the action. There were times when the action was being filmed very well and it was clear to see everything that was going and it looked fluid. However the film at times did resort to some cheap tactics such as shaky cam which makes it pretty unbearable and incredibly hard to watch.
Albeit this, there is a scene that has a little feature within the trailer which has the action taking place in the back of a van. This scene in particular was my favourite and involves some great chaotic action. All within the constraints of the back of a van made it more impressive for me which appeared to be quite a fresh piece of action.

The film is allowed to progress a lot in this film due to some of the characters being quite clumsy. A lot of times throughout the film, people will blow their covers or place things and lose sight of them to progress the story. This happened far too much throughout the film for my liking. Also the insinuation of hashtags being a main drive for a lot of the films events was a way of keeping it youthful but mainly pretty silly. It also leaves one quite important thing up in the air by the end of the runtime. There is quite a lot of convenient and silly things that go on throughout the film but if you can look past that and just see it as adding to the fun, then you will get enjoyment from it.

Final Verdict: Bastille Day = B-

A very fun action movie and Elba and Mason are great together. However the film at times is quite a dumb action movie and nothing more really. There is definitely enjoyment to get from this film though and would be worth your time!

So have you seen Bastille Day? If so what did you think of the film? I hope this review has possibly even convinced you to maybe check this film out. Once again, thank you for reading, it is much appreciated!

By Angus McGregor