Month in the Movies: July

The summer movie season has been quite a huge disappointment with some even calling it the worst summer for movies in a long time. There hasn't been that many hits with more controversial movies taking centre stage. July featured everything from original movies to reboots, sequels and continuations so there was a wide range, unfortunately, not all of it was quality. I was lucky enough to see 11 films this month, some very good and some very bad.

If you aren't aware of this series, I pretty much go through the month and rank the movies that I saw that month based on a combination of quality and how much I enjoyed the film. So lets get into the list!

11. Absolutely Fabulous

Quite possibly the hardest movie to get through this year, 'Absolutely Fabulous' was absolutely dreadful. Painfully unfunny with horrible characters, this movie is one of the worst that I have seen so far this year. A movie that I most definitely will never return to.

Final Verdict = F

Check out my review for 'Absolutely Fabulous' here

10. Ice Age Collision Course

The FIFTH movie in this franchise which was hard for me to believe and understand. I'm not entirely sure how this is still going on as the movies have got worse and worse but it still must attract the younger audiences. The movie has elements that have potential to create a good story but it fails to do so. Children may enjoy it but adults will definitely not do so as much.

Final Verdict = D+

Check out my review for 'Ice Age Collision Course' here

9. Now You See Me 2

I completely forgot that I saw this movie in the last month which says a lot about the film. The cast bring it once again- apart from Harrelson's bizarre performance as his normal characters twin brother. In the end the film is quite anti climatic and there isn't enough that amazes you in what seems to be a very drawn out film. 'Now You See Me 2' is an alright watch but unless you loved the first one, a film that you don't have to rush to see.

Final Verdict = C

Check out my review for 'Now You See Me 2' here

8. Ghostbusters

'Ghostbusters' was nowhere near as bad as many expected it to be which is a good thing. The film featured some good moments with the leading ladies doing a good job especially Kate McKinnon. However the comedy was not as consistent and a very weak villain hold the film back quite a lot. Although there is no need for this film to exist, it is still an enjoyable viewing that should bring you entertainment.

Final Verdict = C+

Check out my review for 'Ghostbusters' here

7. Keanu

Key and Peele deliver comedy phenomenally well and 'Keanu' is a great example of that. This movie is incredibly funny and the pair shine as they look to recover their new kitten. This movie will no doubt have you in stitches. The movie does tail off at times and loses focus becoming a complete action movie at times. The execution asn't quite there at all times but Keanu is a very entertaining and enjoyable movie.

Final Verdict = C+

Check out my review for 'Keanu' here

6. The Legend of Tarzan

The gritty continuation of the character Tarzan that nobody really asked for did bring me quite a bit of entertainment. Although some problems with the CGI, I really enjoyed the performances throughout the film such as Christoph Waltz as Leon Rom who proved to be a highlight of the film for me. Some great action really helps the film as well in what was overall an enjoyable film.

Final Verdict = B-

Check out my review for 'The Legend of Tarzan' here

5. Central Intelligence

Kevin Hart and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson were phenomenal in this movie together. The pairs chemistry was incredibly good and they have to work together again. The comedy in this movie works incredibly well as does most of the action. 'Central Intelligence' is a very good action comedy and will have you wanting more from the two leads. One of the funniest movies of the year and one to check out.

Final Verdict = B-

Check out my review for 'Central Intelligence' here

4. Jason Bourne

Matt Damon is back with a bang- sorta. Jason Bourne is a fine action movie in its own right but does not compare to the previous three Bourne films that Damon was a part of. The story wasn't as interesting as others but once again the action lives up to expectation and creates some phenomenal scenes. Damon is great as the title character with good performances also coming from the likes of Alicia Vikander, Julia Stiles and Tommy Lee Jones. A fine addition to the franchise.

Final Verdict = B

Check out my review for 'Jason Bourne' here

3. The BFG

Steven Spielberg certainly delivered another great family film as he brought Roald Dahl's classic novel to life. Mark Rylance was great as The BFG which is one of my favourite performances of the year. A real good fun movie from the excellent mind of Steven Spielberg as The BFG is a film that is enjoyable to all ages. Not a Spielberg classic but still a good watch.

Final Verdict = B

Check out my review of 'The BFG' here

'Keanu' Review

When I first heard the idea for this movie, I was like "What? No way are they doing something so stupid like that. That'll be awful". Thankfully I was wrong.

Rell (Jordan Peele) has recently broke up with his girlfriend and all seems to be going south until he finds a cute kitten at his doorstep. Thieves break into his home by mistake and steal the cute feline he had named Keanu, Rell will work with his cousin Clarence (Keegan-Michael Key) to try and get the cat back. They soon realise that a dangerous thug named Cheddar (Method Man) posseses the cat and will only give it back if Rell and Clarence under their fake personas of "Tectonic" and "Shark Tank" if they help him out. Armed with dangerous weapons and carrying a new fake attitude, the duo look to do whatever it takes to retrieve the kitten and also escape with their lives and no criminal offences.

Key and Peele have made a name for themselves in comedy for a while now with high success using sketch comedy. This is clearly shown throughout the movie as they create many hilarious scenes that have Key and Peele's genius marked all over them. The comedy within these skits work so well and are incredibly enjoyable. If you are familiar with their previous work, I am sure you will thoroughly enjoy this movie.

The performances in this film are very solid too with Key and Peele obviously standing out. Watching the pair act as if they are ruthless gangsters and fooling those who they encounter is great entertainment and shows the comedic capabilities of these two men. Credit also has to go to Method Man and his gang featuring Tiffany Haddish as Hi-C and Darrell Brit-Gibson as Trunk. The gang do very well playing off the two leads, acting surprised and enlightened to whatever they are being fooled with. It was quite a relief seeing a comedy movie this year that didn't really have a weak link or an annoying character unlike many so far this year.

There is no doubt that the comedy in this movie is very solid. Constantly using pop culture references is sometimes seen as cheap but the jokes all land and even lead to longer skits. George Michael is a topic that is used a lot through the film as Clarence manages to trick the gang members that he is one of the most hardcore artists of all time and gets them all to become mega fans. This is one of the more enjoyable parts of the film and never feels as if they are pushing it or that it lasts too long. That is just one of the many points that are referenced a lot throughout the film that work very well.

However this may be the case, the film certainly loses a bit of focus in the final act where it mainly becomes a straight up action movie. The comedy elements are still there to an extent but not as much as previously and it feels like they go much more serious than the rest of the film had led up to. The action scenes then lead to the two leads becoming like superhero's being able to take out experienced, armoured thugs with complete ease despite no prior experience. They seem to be completely at home using weapons which does take away from the movie as they obviously aren't used to it.

The movie also does seem to drag a bit at the end as new characters are introduced as the film looks to have been reaching its climax. The film probably could've handled the ending better by focusing more on the characters we already knew rather than introducing a new villain late on which I feel didn't work as well as it could have.

The last thing I am going to speak about is the cat. I'm far from a cat person but this is possibly the cutest cat you will see and it starts to make sense to why Rell and everyone else instantly falls in love with him. What seemed like a strange idea becomes actually not a terrible plot line despite how mad it is.

Final Verdict = 

A very fun movie that will have you laughing. Unfortunately, it does lose focus and doesn't end as solid as it could have.

So have you seen 'Keanu'? If so what did you think of it? I hope this review was useful for if you were planning on seeing the movie! Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my review, it is much appreciated!

By Angus McGregor