'Assassin's Creed' Review

When hearing of a video game movie coming out, the worst is expected. There is just something that doesn't transcend from the game to the big screen. This is sometimes due to budget's, poor casting and just not the right people behind the project. However, 'Assassin's Creed' reunites MacBeth director Justin Kurzel with Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, the two leads in said film. Due to this, many were optimistic as there was all the potential for there to finally be a good video game adaptation. Unfortunately, the wait goes on.

Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) is sentenced to death after committing murder. He is put to death but wakes up in a high-tech facility in Madrid, Spain. Lynch has been brought here to be a part of some revolutionary technology that unlocks genetic memories. Lynch is used to access the memories of Aguilar, a member of the Assassin's Creed in 15th Century Spain. As well as doing this, Callum will look to gather skills to help against the modern day Templar association.

Much like 'Silence' - the other New Years Day release- 'Assassin's Creed' is a fairly difficult watch. Unlike 'Silence', however, is that it is for completely different reasons and none of them being positive. 'Assassin's Creed' is a very disappointing and quite frankly, a terrible movie.

With a concept only comparable to the likes of 'Avatar', where a person is transferred into a body in some sort of way, 'Assassin's Creed' fails in explaining simply what is happening. This aspect is a huge part of the film as it is how the best parts of the film are made possible. For fans of the game, you are at an advantage as you already know how it works. The film seems to think as if everyone knows this already which is a big reason to why this failed. If you are building a new action series, you don't brush over key elements that are integral to the story. Due to this, it becomes unclear to what is actually happening. As we see Fassbender's Callum Lynch being hooked up to the machinery, we see the Spanish Inquisition and the assassin Aguilar. We also do see the machine moving Lynch around which gives off that it is the machine that is doing all the work. However, later on, there are elements that make it seem as if Lynch is doing the work in this machine himself. This is never settled and leaves you thinking what exactly is going on. In fact, this is the case in other stages within the film. You'll find yourself constantly wondering what on earth is going on throughout the film, whether it be from character's actions or the modern day Templar stuff. I call it Templar stuff as it's not fully explained and even worse, so boring that you don't care or bother about it.

For the most part, the parts of the film involving Aguilar within the Spanish Inquisition is done fairly well. There are some great action scenes and chases which show off some of the staple features in the video game series. The problem is, you don't care. There isn't any reason to care about the characters within this film as there aren't any characters. This transcends in both parts of the film which is baffling, how do you manage to get people to not care about characters played by Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard?. There's nobody who is particularly interesting or has something commanding about them in the entire film. The film just hopes that you will do so after seeing some cool action scenes but it doesn't work like that. There is no character building and worst of all, no reason to care about the main character. If you're looking to create a franchise, you have to make a likeable hero who the audience care, want to get behind and will come back to see again. Had the film not had Michael Fassbender in the leading role, it would've been a total disaster.

The cast in 'Assassin's Creed' was something to get behind from the start. Michael Fassbender is one of the top actors today, having done great work in the likes of 'X-Men', 'Macbeth' and 'Steve Jobs' in recent times. His co-star in 'Macbeth' and Academy Award Winner Marion Cotillard provides support yet again with Jeremy Irons and Brendan Gleeson doing so too. But the film doesn't take advantage of the talent in their grasp. All the actors are adequate in their roles but none of them are pushed at all. The film relegates the star power involved by simply not utilising it. The performances aren't the problem with this film as so many other aspects let it down.

Justin Kurzel struggles to even make 'Assassin's Creed' a beautiful looking film. One of the best things about the 'Assassin's Creed' games is being able to scale up the tallest buildings, where you can then look around the area and take a look at the breathtaking scenery. In some cases, yes, Kurzel does do a great job alongside cinematographer Adam Arkapaw, take the shot featuring Atletico Madrid's Vincente Calderon Stadium in the background as an example. Arkapaw clearly has the talent to create some great work and he would do so in this film. The rooftop chases allow Arkapaw to succeed as well as other moments involving the assassin's escaping. However, a decision was made to add a huge array of dust and light exposure into most scenes that looks to showcase some scenery. This just made everything look horrible and really took away from some of the good work that had been done. When you have some as talented as Arkapaw on board, you let him showcase the beautiful locations. Another part of the visuals that lets down in the use of CGI. Effects shouldn't be as noticeable in film's today, especially big budget films like this. Yet, in this film, there are occasions that not only is it noticeable but looks awful. The sight of the assassin diving from tall heights is associated heavily with the franchise as sort of a trademark manoeuvre. Seeing these moments should have been a thing of beauty, like how many fanboys mark out over seeing their favourite superheroes perform iconic moments. Instead, we get a far inferior look at these moments compared to the game as the effects don't match up well at all. A later example of this features Aguilar diving off of a bridge and as he is diving headfirst, he performs a forward roll in order for him to land. To simply put, it looked very cartoonish as the effects exposed this action from looking smooth at all. This was very poorly done which represents the entirety of this film very well.

There is a good 'Assassin's Creed' story within the source material. The idea of going back and changing events to benefit the world should work but only if done right. In this case, it wasn't done so at all, focussing on the mundane and not explaining things well enough. The action shows that there can be a great action franchise within 'Assassin's Creed' but there isn't a reason to care. This was a real missed opportunity for not only video game movies but action too.

Final Verdict = 

So have you seen 'Assassin's Creed'? If so, what did you think about it? I hope that this review was useful for if you were planning on seeing the film or not. Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my review, it is much appreciated!

By Angus McGregor

'Silence' Review

2017 starts off with a movie from the legendary Martin Scorsese, you can't really complain about that. 'Silence' seems to take Scorsese away from his usual type of film as it looks trials within religion rather than within crime. As it is different subject matters, would Scorsese's magic transfer into 'Silence'?

Two Portuguese Priests Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Francisco (Adam Driver) look to travel to Japan in order to find their mentor Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson). Ferreira has apparently denounced his faith as he faced prosecution due to his association with the Christian faith. The pair now faces high danger in Japan as if they are caught by the Japanese, they will be imprisoned, tortured and possibly even killed. Their faith will be tested to the limit as the try to locate Ferreira.

The film year of 2017 starts off with a particularly hard watch. No, I'm not just talking about the 2 hour and 41-minute runtime but the subject matter and story of 'Silence'. Scorsese looks to explore how powerful faith is and how far it can truly drive people. The story focuses on how Christianity was pretty much banned and punishable by death during the time of Kakure Kirishitan, also known as 'The Hidden Christians'. This leads to some hard to watch scenes due to torture and also just how the story pans out. Scorsese doesn't hold back here, showing images of people being burned alive, crucified against waves and beheadings to name a few.

 The film is actually fairly frustrating as you see the priests struggle in Japan and you actually feel this in the audience. This happens particularly in the later stages of the film as it does seem to drag but remains effective at the same time. You, like the Christians, are frustrated by the lack of advancement in the priests quest due to this which is actually a very clever piece of filmmaking. This, however, does make it unlikely that you may rewatch this film as it is enough to sit through one time as it is. Although the film experience cannot be denied, as the film comes closer to the climax, you do feel the run-time start to take its toll. What comes with the frustration may even seem boring and disengaging to audiences as it seems to lose its tension and grip on the viewer. The ending isn't nearly as effective as the rest of the film and due to this, you want the film to start to wrap up. The bad thing about that is that there is still about half an hour to go in the film. 'Silence' most definitely isn't the most entertaining film but it's worth so much more than that. It is to carry this message of how strong faith can be, no matter how hard times are. 'Silence' is an experience, you go to be a part of the film and feel what the characters are going through.

Of course, faith is the main part of the story but Scorsese does not hold back at questioning the faith. The question of how God could allow this suffering under his watch is constantly on thought throughout the film, especially as the Japanese try to break the faith. We see characters denouncing their faith to save their lives with the basic question "Is the suffering worth it?" also being posed to those who have been held as prisoners. This does lead Scorsese to go a bit over the top with Garfield's character as he starts to resemble Christ more as the film goes on. This does seem most overdone once Garfield's character hallucinates and see's Christ in his own reflection.

Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver were strange castings in the role as the Portuguese Priests. For one, neither of them are Portuguese or even look remotely Portuguese, Driver in particular. Not only do the two not look the part but there are some inconsistencies within their accents that are distracting. Garfield is most noticeable as early on his character seems to over pronounce but it weaves in and out of the film throughout the runtime. Other than this both actors, do excel in their roles, showing the grief and hardship that they are going through whilst carrying out their mission. There was a particularly interesting dynamic within Driver's character being frustrated - see how that comes up yet again - but it never really seems to go anywhere. Instead, the main focus is on the fresh-faced Garfield who seems to have put the days of Spider-Man behind him and has become a very solid actor. Liam Neeson also features in this film but not as much as you'd maybe hope. Yoshi Oida, Yosuke Kubozuka and Issey Ogata lead the rest of the cast that brings a feeling as if you are in Japan. The use of the Japanese language is very effective throughout this, as well as using actors with thick accents as it sets up that authentic feeling. Kubozuka's character Kichijiro was a great addition the film as his actions made him unpredictable, bringing some humour at times which didn't feel out of place.

What Scorses does immensely within 'Silence' is created arguably his best-looking film to date. Shot entirely in Taiwan, Scorsese works alongside cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto to create some breathtaking shots. A wide range of long and overhead shots showcase the beauty of the set-up Japanese coastlines, mountains and villages, despite some of the horrible things that are going on. Prieto may very well be on track for another Academy Award nomination - with his last being over 10 years ago - as his work was of the highest standard. Scorsese's use of screen space works very well as well as his work in tight confines. The pair manages to make everything from the delightful scenery to the vilest of acts look marvellous. There is a high quality that oozes throughout the whole film as Scorsese has undoubtedly made one of the most visually appealing films of recent times.

'Silence' won't appeal to the casual filmgoer. Sure there is violence seen throughout the film but this isn't going to leave you particularly thrilled after the film. The slow pace will not appeal to the casual audience and may feel that the film doesn't do anything to keep the attention needed for it. However, Scorsese's message is undeniably effective throughout the film and although it may not be thoroughly entertaining, 'Silence' is a great experience.

Final Verdict = 

As 2017 has begun, I have decided to change my grading system. Instead of the academic style (A+, A, A-), I will now create an overall percentage based off of 10 points related to the film. Aspects like Entertainment, Performances, Story and Directing will always be taken into consideration and the rest of the 10 will be made up of aspects related to that genre or style of a film.

So have you seen 'Silence'? If so, what did you think of the film? I hope that 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

Top 10 Worst Films of 2016!

Yesterday I posted my '15 Best Movies of 2016' list (check that out if you haven't already) as I celebrated the best that 2016 had to offer. However, 2016 was not completely great as there were many awful films that came out last year. In saying that, here are the 10 films that I really despised in 2016. These films are just awful and not worth your time at all. *SPOILER ALERT* There will be a lot of comedies on this list.

Before we got onto the list, we have some honourable mentions. There were many awful films this year but these are the ones that were lucky enough to just miss out on my list:

Inferno

Warcraft

Bad Moms

Why Him?

Alice: Through The Looking Glass

Ice Age: Collision Course

& The Angry Birds Movie

10. Keeping Up With The Joneses

With the cast that this film had, it should have at least been entertaining. Unfortunately, each of the four main cast members were phoning it in, in what was a very poor "action-comedy". The story was handled very poorly as an interesting concept was not used to its full capacity. The results of this was a very bland, boring film that nobody should ever see,

9. Collateral Beauty

A perfect example of how you can have all the talent in the world within your cast but if you have a terrible story and script, it will fall apart easily. This was the case with 'Collateral Beauty' that tried so hard to be an Oscar type movie, instead it became one of 2016's biggest jokes in film. Most of the performances don't do the film justice either as this one flopped big time. One of 2016's last films, 'Collateral Beauty' certainly isn't beautiful.

8. Independence Day: Resurgence

20 years after the original, 'Independence Day' finally got a sequel. Unfortunately, we wish we never got that sequel. 'Resurgence' lacked the character, impressive effects, great action and most importantly, the fun of the original. This was a depressing watch as this was one of the worst sequels in 2016. The cheek to try and set up a third film after this was laughable and hopefully we never get that film.

7. Rock The Kasbah

This film didn't get much advertising with not many people seeing it and that isn't really a surprise. Again, the cast within this film was very solid so the film should have at least been somewhat entertaining. Unfortunately, we got yet another terrible "comedy" that even Bill Murray could not save. A very dull film that failed on all levels, particularly the entertainment side.

6. Gods Of Egypt

Despite what director Alex Proyas wants you to think, 'Gods of Egypt' is a truly terrible film. Gerard Butler leads a terrible cast of non Egyptians in this CGI fest that looks awful. The CGI in this film looks incredibly bad that it is fairly embarassing. The story is dull and the action isn't exciting as 'Gods of Egypt' flopped. This attempt to create a larger than life epic could not have ended up worse than it did. It's hard to believe that there were 5 worse movies than this.

5. Zoolander 2

Well done 'Zoolander 2', you were the worst sequel of 2016! Boy, was this an absolutely atrocious film. Everything wrong with modern comedy was in this film, especially the over saturation of celebrity cameos. This film was so incredibly lazy that the return of previously funny characters couldn't gloss over it at all. Nobody asked for this sequel and the world would have been a better place without it. A shambolic comedic display from Ben Stiller.

4. Absolutely Fabulous

Maybe I shouldn't have went to see a film based off of a TV show I hadn't seen before but 'Absolutely Fabulous' was painfully bad. I was the only person in my screening for this film and I can see why. Yet another "comedy" failed to do anything remotely funny, as the awful characters talked nonsense and didn't do anything entertaining for the full film. It took everything I had to not walk out of the cinema with this one and looking back, I wish I did.

3. The Boss

Surprise surprise, it's another comedy! Looking back at the year, 2016 had some pretty awful comedies and you'll struggle to find many worse than 'The Boss'. Another terrible film in the inconsistent filmography of Melissa McCarthy which had Peter Dinklage providing one of the year's worst performances- that's how bad it is! Again, this film is simply not funny and the most enraging. There is plenty of talent in this film but it is so lazy that it was infuriating to watch. I remember being agitated whilst watching this as my mind completely rejected this terrible film.

2. Monster Trucks

Seperating these last two is probably the hardest decision I've had to make on this list but at number is 'Monster Trucks'. 'Monster Trucks' has one of the most stupid ideas for a film and that transcends into the film. The combination of pratical and CGI effects for the monsters work attrociously in this film as the cast bring some of the worst performances of the year. It baffles me to how this idea got turned into a movie. 2016 ended terribly as I saw this movie that somehow got a huge budget. The only thing that stops this from being the number 1 worst movie is that it had some so bad it's funny moments. Unlike my number 1.....

1. Nine Lives

Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey is turned into a cat. This film has Christopher Walken as some sort of pet shop, voodoo magician. This film is incredibly stupid, painfully unfunny and a real travesty of a film. There is literally nothing good about this film. The story is stupid, the performances are awful, the effects are awful, everything is just terrible. I want to know who greenlight this film as well as who was able to convince these talented actors to be in this film. This film should be used in torture camps as that is what it was like when watching Kevin Spacey provide the voice to the cat in this stupid movie. The biggest waste of time I've ever had in the cinema, 'Nine Lives' isn't just the worst film on 2016, it's one of the worst films of all time.

So that concludes my list of the worst movies in 2016. Lets hope that we don't get anything as bad in 2017, although that is probably inevitable. I now want to know what movies you thought really put a downer on 2016. 2016 was quite a mixed year with some great and terrible films. Here's hoping that 2017 can improve on that. Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my blog, it is much appreciated!

By Angus McGregor

Top 15 Films of 2016!

The year is finally coming to an end and with that, critics, bloggers and movie fans have been posting their lists for their top movies of the year. As the year is now over, here is my own personal list of the top 15 movies of 2016. There were many films I could have put on this list as I seen 130 films this year at the cinema- of course not all were good but the worst list will come later. These are the top 20 films that have resonated most with me this year so either I've rated them highly, thoroughly enjoyed them or feel that they will stick with me for a long time. In some cases, they will cover more than one or all of those points. These films are based on what was released in the UK during 2016, so if you're looking for the likes of 'La La Land' or others, they aren't out here yet, unfortunately. So now let's get into my top 15 movies of 2016.

As everyone knows, making this list is extremely hard as there have been so many great films in 2016. Narrowing it down to 15 was very hard and meant that there were some films that just missed the cut. So with that in mind, here are some honourable mentions:

Eye In The Sky

The Nice Guys

Deepwater Horizon

Swiss Army Man

The Neon Demon

Moana

10 Cloverfield Lane

The Conjuring 2

& The Light Between Oceans

15. Deadpool

Starting off the list is Rated R superhero that surprised us all, Deadpool. When looking back at the year, nobody expected this film to be as good as it was. 2016 will be remembered as the year Rated R superhero films were born, whether that turns out to be a good thing or not. 'Deadpool' however was hilarious with great action scenes, as Ryan Reynolds made up for 'X-Men: Origins Wolverine'. The film was everything you wanted from it as its simple story worked very effectively.

14. Star Trek Beyond

Next up is the only blockbuster this summer that fully delivered. 'Beyond' was incredibly entertaining with great action scenes as the rebooted Star Trek franchise continues to grow. It is a real shame that this didn't make much money at the box office as this was the blockbuster that we needed when so many were failing us. The performances were all great especially Chris Pine and Sofia Boutella who really shined in this film. It's a real shame that we won't see Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov again as he will be sorely missed after his tragic passing.

13. The Witch

I went into 2016 as quite a sceptic when it came to horror films. After 2016, I have been transformed into quite a fan, with 'The Witch' being a big reason to why. 'The Witch' was a unique, slow burn, eery film that was very effective that really shocked me. I didn't expect to love this film as much as I did but the film is beautiful and extremely well acted. 'The Witch' is the best horror movie this year and one that you must check out.

12. Spotlight

The Oscar Best Picture winner comes in at number 12 for me as 'Spotlight' was fantastic. The story was very interesting but also very shocking due to the subject matter. The performances really help make this film and I am still not over the fact that Mark Ruffalo didn't win Best Supporting Actor for his efforts in this film. Not the most rewatchable film but powerful nonetheless and well worth your time.

11. Hunt For The Wilderpeople

Taika Waititi burst onto the scene in 2014 with 'What We Do In The Shadows'. Two years later, he has returned with yet another New Zealand comedy and to the same effect. 'Hunt For The Wilderpeople' is a delightful small comedy starring Sam Neill as a grumpy old man who has to look after an adopted child. The pair gets lost in the outback in New Zealand and the antics that ensue are achingly funny. One of the year's best comedies as this comedy was a real breath of fresh air.

10. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

If the year has a 'Star Wars' movie that I really enjoy, you can guarantee that it will be on my list for my top movies. 'Rogue One' brought us a new story and a new look at the Star Wars universe like never before as it focussed on the actual war between the Rebellion and The Empire. As far as third acts go, you'll struggle to find many better than 'Rogue One's. Had the film been as strong throughout the whole film, it probably would've been higher up. The film, though, was full of great moments that will have fans feeling like kids once again.

9. Zootropolis/Zootopia

Disney's 'Zootropolis' was my favourite animated movie of the year as the world inhabited by animals was highly entertaining as well as fairly deep. The characters were fun and enjoyable for kids and adults alike as Jason Bateman was a perfect casting as Nick Wilde. The film is so incredible as its world building is second to none with clever humour throughout the whole film. The film handles serious issues very well, giving equal enjoyment to adults as well as for younger children.

8. Arrival

Denis Villeneuve further cemented himself as one of Film's best talents with his great sci-fi 'Arrival'. The film isn't your typical alien invasion story but its approach to the genre is equally as effective. The film is very clever and will really make you think during the film and will leave its mark on you once you leave the theatre. A clever twist makes rewatching this film feel like something new as you see it from a different perspective and can pick up new things. Amy Adams is incredible in her role and should get plenty of recognition during award season. If you haven't done so already, make sure you give this film a watch.

7. Captain America: Civil War

In a year where superhero films felt very fatigued, Marvel continued to show how great they can be with 'Captain America: Civil War'. The film does a great job at moulding a story around the tension amongst the Avengers, pitting favourites Iron Man and Captain America against each other. Again, I'm a huge fan of this franchise which has made this resonate with me a lot more than some of these other films. The action in this is unmatched as 'Civil War' makes sure that all of its characters have their special moments, from Giant Man to the introduction of Spider-Man. Entertaining from start to finish, 'Civil War' fully delivered for me.

6. Nocturnal Animals

I'm surprised that this did not crack my top 5 but in at number 6 is Tom Ford's second film 'Nocturnal Animals'. This unique film handles two stories that intertwine very well, creating a very intriguing and emotional film. The performances in this film are incredible with Jake Gyllenhaal and Aaron Taylor-Johnson standing out. I really hope the pair are recognised at the Oscar's, especially for Taylor-Johnson. A very stylish film that has a very well crafted story, Tom Ford certainly did a great job in his return to film.

5. Creed

Going way back to the start of the UK cinema year for this one. 'Creed' continued the 'Rocky' legacy incredibly well as Michael B Jordon starred as Donny Creed. Sylvester Stallone brought one of his best performances to the table but this time as a trainer rather than as a competitor. 'Creed' is a great sports film that hits all the emotional spots whilst providing the best boxing footage ever in a film. Director Ryan Coogler and Michael B Jordan were unlucky to miss out on Oscar nominations for 'Creed' as this film showed how continuing a franchise can be done.

4. Hell Or High Water

This modern western film was one of the biggest surprises of the year for me. I'd heard great things about the film but I never expected it to be as good as it was. The film focuses on two bank robbers as well as on the Sherriff who is trying to catch them before he retires. The cast of Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Jeff Bridges is one of the best this year with all giving incredible performances that could all gain nominations during award season. The slow burn cat and mouse chase is very entertaining and tense at moments. An example of how the smaller films outshone the big budget films this year as 'Hell Or High Water' came out shortly after a very poor summer. 

3. The Edge Of Seventeen

You wouldn't have thought that we'd see a film like this ever again after John Hughes tragically passed away in 2009. However, newcomer Kelly Fremon Craig burst onto the scene with 'The Edge of Seventeen' which she both directed and wrote. This modern coming of age film related with me so much which was very surprising considering it is about a 17-year-old girl. This had great humour, performances and emotional moments as this instantly became one of my favourite movies of the year. Hailee Steinfeld and Woody Harrelson are excellent in this great movie that will stick with me for many years to come.

2. Room

I caught 'Room' on the last day that it was in UK cinemas and I am so glad that I did. I have never had such an emotional experience watching a film in the cinema before. This film had me hooked from start to finish in this emotional rollercoaster of a movie. Brie Larson fully deserved her Oscar for her performance and Jacob Tremblay is one to look out for in the future. An extremely powerful film that deserves a lot more recognition. This film will definitely affect you when watching this, a truly fantastic piece of film.

1. Sing Street

When I saw the trailer for 'Sing Street', I really didn't expect much. After I saw the film, I was in love with it. I was stunned by how good this small Irish film was. The film is perfect as it is charming, funny, emotional with a great message. The music is also phenomenal as this talented cast produced great original work as well as great hits from the past. 'Sing Street' is the most fun I have had the cinema this year and is what I'll remember 2016 for. The perfect feel good film that I will rewatch for years to come. 'Sing Street' is the reason why I go to the cinema and I urge you to see this one if you haven't done so yet. I haven't recommended a film more this year as I truly loved 'Sing Street'. Due to this, 'Sing Street' is undoubtedly my top film of 2016!

So that rounds up my list of the top 15 films of 2016! I now want to know what films made your list! Make sure to come back for my Top 10 list of the Worst films in 2016, that will be a fun one. Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my blog, it is much appreciated. And all the best for 2017!

By Angus McGregor

'Why Him?' Review

2016 has been a very mixed year for comedy movies. There have been some great ones this year with some really clever humour. However, there has been a whole bunch of terrible comedies, mainly in the Rated R range. Unfortunately for viewers, 2016 has powered one last terrible comedy before the year finishes.

On his birthday Ned Fleming (Bryan Cranston) finds out that his darling daughter Stephanie (Zoey Deutch) has a boyfriend. Stephanie invites her family to her boyfriend's home for the holidays in order to meet him. Once the Fleming's arrive, they realise that Stephanie's boyfriend is vulgar, unfiltered, mega-rich Laird Mayhew (James Franco). Ned immediately dislikes Laird who wants to propose on Christmas but won't do so until he has Ned's blessing. Laird has 5 days to win him over whilst Ned tries his best to get his daughter to separate from Laird.

'Why Him?' features the likes of Bryan Cranston, who is an experienced actor in comedies and has done great work in the genre. Alongside him is James Franco, an actor who also has done some good work within the genre. Megan Mullally is also in this movie who has also done great work, receiving multiple award nominations for her role in 'Will & Grace'. One of the best comedic minds in film right now Keegan Michael-Key is also in this movie. With this amount of talent surely this film would be pretty funny right? Sadly, no. Well, surely it'd be fairly entertaining right?......

This is the latest Rated R 'comedy' this year that has completely missed the mark. Instead of coming up with clever jokes that can be crude, the film just resorts to random cussing, terrible pop culture references and characters saying things very loudly. The film relies heavily on these types of jokes which really hurts the film as if you are not a 12-year-old boy, you probably won't find it funny. Director John Hamburg wrote this film in what was his second dud of the year after 'Zoolander 2'. Much like that film, 'Why Him?' seems to lack a lot of creativity as it relies on the characters saying the F word a hundred times in a sentence. This film also looks to rely on cameo appearances throughout the film as well for cheap laughs. If this is the standard of comedy we are getting now then we truly are in dark times. If you like this immature kind of comedy then you will probably love this film but in the end, the film is simply moronic.

Cranston is alway enjoyable to watch and is the least guilty culprit out of the main characters when it comes to the comedy. He can only do so much and his natural likeability also helps but it cannot help the poor writing. The funniest person in this film was easily Keegan Michael-Key who goes all out in his role as a German estate manager. Michael-Key completely transforms into his character and has the best moments of the film, showing why he is one of the best in comedy right now. Unfortunately, it ends just about there. All James Franco does in this film is speak like a 12-year old who think he's cool because he can swear. It gets pretty old very quickly and you are really unsure as to why Stephanie is with him and changing her life for him. The younger brother in this film was pretty insufferable as he looks to follow in Laird's footsteps with the way he acts.

The story looks to contrast Ned and Laird at first and then show them to actually be quite similar at the end. The only thing, though, that the two are similar with is that they are both honest. Ned doesn't hold back in telling people what he thinks but only in private. Laird just says whatever he wants with no filter. This is the basis that the film tries to create a similarity with but it just isn't the same. Due to this, the ending seems very force as Ned seems to just forget about everything and accepts Laird, who hasn't changed at all. This was very lazy as it forced the ending rather than actually building the story to make a visible arc from the characters. 

'Why Him?' really isn't anything spectacular. If you've seen any of the other poor crude comedies this year, then you've pretty much already seen this film. It is the same run of the mill rubbish with no creativity within whatsoever. Some decent performances can't save this terrible comedy, that ends the year of 2016 horribly.

Final Verdict = 

So have you seen 'Why Him?'? If so, what did you think of the film? I hope that this review was useful for if you were planning on seeing this film or not. Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my review, it is much appreciated!

By Angus McGregor

'Collateral Beauty' Review

Will Smith is still on the hunt for an Oscar and with his latest film 'Collateral Beauty' looks to help him do so. But would this finally be the film that earn Smith that illustrious award? To be blunt, the answer is no.

When succesful advertising excecutive Howard (Will Smith) suffers a great tragedy, he becomes disconnected with life. To help cope, he writes letters, not to people but the entities of Love, Death and Time. It comes as a shock to Howard when the entities come to visit him in real life.

'Collateral Beauty' is perhaps the most Oscar-baity film of recent times that has completely fallen flat. The cast within this film most definitely has the capability to be an Oscar winning ensemble cast as it features past nominees Will Smith, Keira Knightley and Ed Norton as well as winners Kate Winslet and Helen Mirren. The cast is incredible to say the least and in all honesty, they aren't the problem. The film's biggest problem is due to how terrible the story is. 

The trailer for this film doesn't show the real story so let me fill that in for you. The trailer shows Smith's character Howard write letters to Love, Death and Time who seemingly visit him in real life, much to his disbelief. The film would like you to think that it is actually Love, Death and Time that come and visit Howard. However, in the film the three entities are played by three theatre actors. The actors are hired in order for Winslet, Norton and Michael Pena's characters to prove that Howard is incapable of making decisions for the advertising company. Basically, this sets up that all 6 of these people are awful humans who are exploiting a mans depression for their own gain. This would be fine if the film was setting them up to be characters who you were to dislike but instead, they make side stories for them where you are made to feel sorry for them. How do you possibly expect that to happen when the main story is about them conspiring against someone who is mentally ill? Astonishing.

The character of Howard is a very strange one too. We've all tragically lost people and of course it is very hard to deal with that. The film however jumps years after the tragedy where you'd expect Howard to have became a bit better, definitely not in the state he is in the film. Howard refuses to do absolutely anything but yet still goes into work everyday. It's set up very weirdly as if someone was struggling that badly, they wouldn't even bother at all. All it's added for is to make more drama but it just doesn't really help. If they had made these events happen soon after the tragedy, then you could understand why he's struggling so badly but his work commitment that the film is based around is very odd.

The film is painfully obvious at times with its symbolism and not clear enough when trying to be deep. The opening of the film showcases how Howard's life is going well at work then cuts to a couple of years later where Howard knocks down a whole table full of dominoes. This signals how his life as came crashing down, just a bit too obviously as it tries to be deep. It backs this up though by showing how messed up Howard is as he cycles directly into oncoming traffic. It was melodrama at its finest as the film strives to be something deep but it really isn't. The film's title 'Collateral Beauty' comes from a line used in the film. At time a character will be talking to another, helping them out when they are down and will try to explain to them that there is 'Collateral Beauty'. The problem is, the film treats this as if it is a common phrase that everyone knows and doesn't explain it at all. There are a few moments where they say the term and you expect them to continue by explaining it. However, it is used as the main point of the advice and isn't continued at all that leaves you a bit puzzled. The film also pulls a twist at the end that is even more ridiculous than everything previous. I won't spoil it but it involves one of the awful 'Collateral Beauty' moments.

For what it is worth, the film's cast does have some OK moments. Helen Mirren is entertaining to watch throughout the film as she brings some charm to the film. Naomie Harris also does well as Madeleine as well who seems to be the only decent person in the film besides Howard. Smith does do fairly well in his role but he won't be up for that Oscar yet again. The rest of the cast is fairly disposable with Ed Norton trying to pursue an awkward love angle with Keira Knightley that just seems creepy rather than endeering. Nobody is particularly bad in the film, it's just that they don't have much to actually work with.

There is so much talent within this movie which is a real shame as this is a truly awful movie. The story is so ridiculously stupid as this film tries to be an Oscar type movie, whilst failing miserably at doing so. This is a truly awful film that you should avoid at all costs.

Final Verdict = 

So have you seen 'Collateral Beauty'? If so, what did you think of it? I hope that this review was helpful for if you were planning on seeing the film or not. I urge you to stay away from this one. Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my review, it is much appreciated!

By Angus McGregor

'Passengers' Review

'Passengers' is a sci-fi disaster film starring two of Hollywood's biggest stars Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt. This has all the potential to be one of the years best with great star power and an interesting story but would it actually deliver?

5000 passengers are on board the 'Avalon', a spacecraft that will travel over 100 years to reach its destination where they will start a new life away from Earth. A malfunction happens and disturbs the hibernation pod of Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) waking him up 90 years too early. After a year of loneliness, he wakes up a woman, Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence) to solve that. As the two grow closer, secrets are spilt as the ship comes close to great danger with Jim and Aurora the only ones who can save it and the passengers on board.

'Passengers' works fairly well early on as it establishes that the ship isn't indestructible and malfunctions, waking up only Chris Pratt's character Jim Preston. We see Pratt shine here as he has to amuse himself for the time being which does show some of his comedy talents. But as expected, he becomes bored of this lifestyle, even to the extent of becoming depressed. Pratt does well again, this time showing more of a dramatic side. The situation he is in leads him to some dark moments which is fairly understandable. This leads him to wake up a fellow passenger, a decision that brings up a great discussion.

Preston becomes overwhelmed at first of the beauty of one Aurora Lane. The film really wants to get the message that Jennifer Lawrence is beautiful in this film. Apart from the obvious naming her after 'Sleeping Beauty', the film wants to show Aurora as touched up as possible when exercising, eating or doing anything really. Aurora is completely oblivious to what has happened to her and believes that she was accidentally woken up like Jim was a year prior. This does bring a very interesting premise to the film as you know that the truth will end up coming out. This brings a great deal of tension to the film as you await this truth being found out. Once Jennifer Lawrence is introduced, we see great chemistry between herself and Pratt is fantastic and it is enjoyable seeing two of Hollywood's biggest stars on screen. The romance seems realistic as the two bond over everything they do and take comfort within each other's company. The two are likeable actors which does help the film, but only for so long.

The main talking point that has caused some controversy with this film comes once Aurora finds out that it was Jim who woke her up. For me, I didn't like how this revelation was brought up simply out of the blue by Michael Sheen's robot bartender character. This seemed to be forced entirely to create some drama which ultimately did not work. At this point, the film does lose a lot of its quality. We see the fallout of the decision as Aurora completely loses it and cannot stand Jim at all. This part was actually handled fairly well but the film then throws in Laurence Fishburne. Fishburne is a great actor but his character is thrown in for one reason, to solve a problem with the story and disappear. He is brought in so that Aurora and Jim have access to parts of the ship that are restricted to passengers before he is quickly killed off. This was a very poor part of the film as it seemed to be thrown in for that reason alone which was incredibly obvious. 

Once Fishburne's character is gone, the ship's troubles become worse, leading Jim and Aurora having to work together in order to save everyone on board.The film should have capitalised on this aspect, having the two work together with Aurora still unhappy about the situation. This would've shown the human spirit a lot better than it did the film with the ending being much more engaging and emotional. Aurora looks back at a video message sent from her friends back on earth where one friend says that she hopes Aurora finds someone to be with. This is apparently enough for Aurora to completely forgive Jim for what he did and fall straight back into love. This is what has caused most controversy about this film and I'd be lying if I said that this doesn't effect the film heavily. At this moment, you lose faith as you can't behind the motives of Aurora in this situation. Maybe they could've crafted something to get them back on decent terms but the film jut lazily throws her back into love with Jim. After this, you don't really care about what happens to either character.

The finale for this is quite the space spectacle as Jim and Aurora work together to save the ship. This involves Jim having to go outside of the ship and deal with many dangers. This full scene looks incredible - as does the rest of the movie- but there is one glaring problem, you've lost all interest in caring for these characters. The decisions that have been made lose the audience in a finale which really needs you to care. This goes to show, you can have a beautiful and well-shot action scene but if you don't care about the stakes, it is ultimately worthless. That is the main problem as 'Passengers' rounds up.

'Passengers' most definitely isn't as bad as everyone has been saying it is. The film for the first half works fairly well and works around Jim's action delicately as you anticipate the payoff. The payoff, however, is ultimately the downfall of the film. Pratt and Lawrence do well together and the film is shot beautifully with great looking sets but the film loses you towards the end. Disappointing as this film could have been so much more.

Final Verdict = 

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

By Angus McGregor