Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Movie Review...

What is all the hype about? Is this movie really as good as Harry Potter, have a look at my thoughts below, let me know what you think in the comments below :)

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Release Date: 18/11/2-16
Budget: $180,000,000 (Estimated)

"We're going to recapture my creatures before they get hurt. They're currently in alien terrain surrounded by millions of the most vicious creatures on the planet; humans".

So I like it, I like it quite a bit, do I love it? I'm struggling to answer that with a yes, it is good and I know I'm super critical of movies recently but I'll tell you why later on...

The Movie focuses around Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) a young English Wizard who visits New York whilst en route to Arizona. He has a mysterious suitcase full of weird and wonderful creatures, from a stick insect with a heart of gold to a cute gold munching monster (which happens to be my favourite creature). Newts suitcase ends up in the hands of a No-Maj (A non-wizard) who is on his way to the bank to secure a loan for his new bakery business. Little to his knowledge that he has unlocked a dangerous amount of terrifying creatures into the wild.

Source: http://www.IMDb.com

Newt gets arrested for being an unregistered wizard, will he have the time to catch his creatures and return them to safety?

Although the creatures are a little cheesy for a better word, the concept behind each of their behaviours and characteristics adds a sense of emotion to the movie, simply put you fall in love with them, and don't want anything to come between Newt and his creatures.

The movie itself is full of suspense but has too many side characters/extras for my liking, it is also set in the 1920's, and movies set in this era just annoy me, I don't know why and I don't really have a reason, but this movie seems way beyond its setting and in my opinion has a more futuristic feel, it may just be the magic who knows.

Now this movie is meant to be standalone from Harry Potter, but it has been way overhyped in my opinion, there are only very few references to HP and it doesn't have the same feel to it. This movie is awesome in its own right, but when compared to Harry Potter it lacks somewhat.

However, we seem to be falling back into the world of Witchcraft and Wizardry and that can only be a good thing. I would anticipate maybe a sequel or two to this movie, and I'd be going to see them on release day.

Further Plot/Storyline:

"Holding a mysterious leather suitcase in his hand, Newt Scamander, a young activist wizard from England, visits New York while he is on his way to Arizona. Inside his expanding suitcase hides a wide array of diverse, magical creatures that exist among us, ranging from tiny, twig-like ones, to majestic and humongous ones. It is the middle of the 20s and times are troubled since the already fragile equilibrium of secrecy between the unseen world of wizards and the ordinary or "No-Maj" people that the MACUSA Congress struggles to maintain, is at risk of being unsettled".

Dweelan's Star Rating:

Passengers - Movie Review...

So I thought I'd start doing movie reviews again, just because it's something that I really enjoy doing! P.S. I hope you like the schnazzy new logo at the top :D

As always the views are my own, and for my (and hopefully your) entertainment only. I am not some amazing movie critic, but you'll get a down-to-earth honest opinion/review of the movie! :)

Passengers
Release Date - 21/12/2016
Estimated Budget: $110,000,000

"Nothing happens by accident"

It's hard to talk a lot about this movie without giving the main plot away. The first thing I will say is

Source: http://www.imdb.com

that this is definitely worth a watch. Jennifer Lawrence (Hunger Games) and Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) are the main stars in this gravity defying blockbuster. The movie is set aboard the Starship Avalon which is en route and in the middle of a 120 year voyage to a new colony far far away in the distant galaxy, where a new life can be made, and a whole civilization can be created.

Unfortunately not all goes to plan, and one passenger - Jim Preston (Pratt) is awoken 90 years early, with no way of return. Jim has to fight his way through obstacles and challenges to keep the Starship Avalon on course, and prevent it from crashing and destroying the 5000+ passengers on board. This movie has everything you want from a good action packed movie. There are no boring bits, and you will be glued to every scene. There are some pretty amazing dramatic scenes that will have you gasping for air (tiny little spoiler).

My favourite character in the movie is actually a bar tender/human android named Arthur played by Michael Sheen (Twilight), his sassy on-screen character and charming conversations make for a little bit of hilarity, sometimes a little bit uneasy considering you are stranded alone on a spaceship, knowing that you are 90 years away from landing. Seems pretty final, doesn't it?

The only thing that lets this movie down in my opinion is the ending, unfortunately it does not leave you in suspense, and there's no way there's any chance of a sequel being made, unless they focus on the back story or the time before the '50 years later' ending! It sucks that they have a left a huge chunk of the movie out, massively disappointing for a film of such a high standard, but I guess you can't have everything, and is sadly the reason it has lost so many stars from me.

Further Storyline (Source: IMDb)

"The spaceship, Starship Avalon, in its 120-year voyage to a distant colony planet known as the "Homestead Colony" and transporting 5,258 people has a malfunction in one of its sleep chambers. As a result one hibernation pod opens prematurely and the one person that awakes, Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) is stranded on the spaceship, still 90 years from his destination". 

Dweelan's Star Rating:

$110,000,000 $110,000,000 $

Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 - Movie Review...

Hey Guys, I know I promised you a movie review mid-week, but unfortunately I sprained my ankle, so mainly have been sleeping, but it has allowed me time to watch a load of amazing movies, all of which at some point I will review for you. here's the most recent one I watched, albeit a bit late.

As always the views are my own, and I know that not everyone will agree with me, but this is my take :)

Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2
Release Date - 17/04/2015
Estimated Budget: $30,000,000

"Keeping our malls safe".

Source: http://www.imdb.com

The sequel to Paul Blart: Mall Cop is finally upon us, and unfortunately for me, this movie lacks character and ambition, albeit it has some great comedic value, it has a samey approach to the original and frankly, this just lets it down.

Several years after the mall incident, Paul Blart is invited to stay at a Luxury Hotel in Las Vegas, as predictions go, you can probably work out what I'm going to say next! The hotel is over-run by thieves trying to steal the precious paintings, and artefacts from the hallways, and guess what there's an inside man working within the hotel who gives the baddies an all access pass to the hotels most prize possessions.

Will Paul Blart save the day again? - Of course he will!

I'm really sorry to have to say this, but this has went down as one of the worst movies I've watched in a very long time, it's funny in places, (Such as where he gets kicked by the back legs of a horse, or when he rolls down the stairs in a 'Bulletproof' suitcase) but I don't like predictable and downright silly movies! Ahh well neeeext!

Further Storlyline (Source IMDb).

"After six years of keeping our malls safe, Paul Blart has earned a well-deserved vacation. He heads to Vegas with his teenage daughter before she heads off to college. But safety never takes a holiday and when duty calls, Blart answers".

My Movie Rating: 

Fast & Furious 7 - Movie Review...

Fast & Furious 7
Release Date - 03/04/2015
Estimated Budget: $190,000,000

"One last ride".

This is it, one of the best ever movie franchises (in my opinion) returns with Fast & Furious 7, this is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Fast & Furious 6, and follows the story of Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) who seeks the ultimate revenge for hospitalising his brother Owen Shaw who was responsible for terrorist-like activities in the sixth instalment of the franchise.

Image Source: http://www.cinemablend.com

The whole team are back together, and what a blast it is (pun intended), this movie is full of high octane action from the word go, and is an emotional farewell to the late Paul Walker, who sadly died in a real life car accident.

A young hacker invents a program to track anybody, anywhere on the entire planet, it's the teams job to make sure that this program doesn't fall into the wrong hands, because if it does, this would result in catastrophic consequences.

This movie has definitely sealed itself as one of my all-time favourite flicks, so much so that I'm considering going to watch it again!

Further Storlyline (Source IMDb).

"Dominic Torretto and his crew thought they left the criminal mercenary life behind. They defeated an international terrorist named Owen Shaw and went their seperate ways. But now, Shaw's brother, Deckard Shaw is out killing the crew one by one for revenge. Worse, a Somalian terrorist called Jakarde, and a shady government official called "Mr. Nobody" are both competing to steal a computer terrorism program called God's Eye, that can turn any technological device into a weapon. Torretto must reconvene with his team to stop Shaw and retrieve the God's Eye program while caught in a power struggle between terrorist and the United States government".

My Movie Rating: 

The Imitation Game - Movie Review...

The Imitation Game
Release Date: 25/12/2014
Estimated Budget: $14,000,000
Won 50 Awards (Including an Oscar)

"Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine". 

The Imitation game follows the story of Alan Turing, and is based on real events during World War II.

The story follows the amazing work that Alan Turing and his team of Cryptanalysts undertook to crack the Enigma code!

Image Source: http://writingloudandclear.blogspot.co.uk/

The Enigma code was created to send encrypted messages to German soldiers, without the British being able to read them, this was to strike at the heart of Britain with the element of surprise, all the British could do was sit back, and watch the Country being torn apart.

This was before mathematician Turing did something amazing, did something that no one else could possibly imagine, and crack the Enigma Code.

When you watch this movie, you feel like you are part of something special, it instantly grabs you, and fills you with a sense of awe.

Benedict Cumberbatch' performance as Turing is second-to-none, from the humble BBC Drama Sherlock, to a multi-award winning movie, starring alongside the one and only Keira Knightley.

I was a little bit unmotivated to give this movie a go, because i'm not a big History or a World War fan, but this movie had me engrossed from the start, and is right up my street.

One of the best movies of 2014, and well worth a 5 Star review!

Further Storyline (Source IMDb)

"Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II".

My Movie Rating:

The Hundred-Foot Journey - Movie Review...

The Hundred-Foot Journey: Release Date - 08/08/2014
Estimated Budget: $22,000,000
Nominated for a Golden Globe Award

"Your home is where your family is".

The Hundred-Foot Journey is a feel-good movie which combines beautiful scenery, with great food and impeccable acting, heavily based around a collision of culture and values, but ultimately a love story in the making.

Image Source: IMDb

This movie has a gripping Storyline, and the writer has made a unique connection with the audience, after watching this movie, you feel like you know each and every one of the characters personally.

When the Kadam family are forced to move away from their home Country, due to a tragedy, they take the decision to move to small French village, not by choice but an accident in their vehicle causes them to break down, is this fate?

The Kadam family decide to purchase a derelict building exactly one Hundred feet away from  Madame Mallory's (Helen Mirren) Michelin-starred restaurant. 

Panic ensues, and this is the start of 'Restaurant Wars' between the two heads (Om Puri/Helen Mirren) in the midst of all of the problems, a great young chef 'Hassan' earns his way from being at the bottom of the pile all the way to the tippity top of his profession.

The comedic value added by Om Puri (East is East) and the impeccable french accent by Helen Mirren (The Queen) adds to the overall excitement of this film.

This is by far one of the best stories I have followed and one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time, I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone.

Unfortunately I have not given this movie a 5 Star review, because it can seem a little 'empty' in places, and I feel there were more opportunities in this movie for the characters lives to be explored a little more,

Further Storlyline (Source IMDb).

"The family of talented cook, Hassan Kadam, has a life filled with both culinary delights and profound loss. Drifting through Europe after fleeing political violence in India that killed the family restaurant business and their mother, the Kadams arrive in France. Once there, a chance auto accident and the kindness of a young woman, Marguerite, in the village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val inspires Papa Kadam to set up a Indian restaurant there. Unfortunately, this puts the Kadams in direct competition with the snobbish Madame Mallory's acclaimed haute cuisine establishment across the street where Marguerite also works as a sous-chef. The resulting rivalry eventually escalates in personal intensity until it goes too far. In response, there is a bridging of sides initiated by Hassan, Marguerite and Madame Mallory herself, both professional and personal, that encourages an understanding that will change both sides forever".

My Movie Rating: 

Focus - Movie Review...

Focus: Release Date - 27/02/2015
Estimated Budget: $50,100,000

Focus... The con is on!
A group of high profile tricksters carry out a series of heists and scoop 1.2 Million Dollars by conducting high volume, low risk pick pocketing.

Image Source: IMDb

The stakes are increased when the takings are gambled, but who comes out on top?

The game is upped when the marks are located, and the big con begins, a multi-million dollar deal is about to go down, who will fall victim, and who will be victorious?

Will Smith (Men in Black) and Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street) perfectly play the role of villain in a story of love, hardship and heartbreak.

Throughout watching this movie, it kept me in suspense most of the way through, it's comedic value gives you a little chuckle along the way, but the suspense literally has you hanging off your seat, with so many twists and turns, this movie will get you thinking from the start.

Within my movie reviews, I also wanted to put in the official Storyline from a site like IMDb just to give you more insight into the movie.

"Nicky Spurgeon (Smith) is an extremely accomplished con man who takes an amateur con artist, Jess (Robbie), under his wing. Nicky and Jess become romantically involved, and with Nicky's profession of being a liar and a cheater for a living, he realizes that deception and love are things that don't go together. They split, only to see each other three years later... And things get messy". Source: IMDb

My Movie Rating:

The Pyramid - Movie Review...

The Pyramid Release Date - 05/12/2014
Estimated Budget: Unkown

Good morning all sorry I didn't post anything else yesterday, thought I'd give you a rest from one of my rants for a couple of seconds.

My post today is about a movie I watched last night called the Pyramid. 

Image Source: IMDb

It's basically a story about a team of archeologists who discover a 3 sided pyramid underground, I mean the prospect of a 3-sided pyramid is daft enough in my opinion. 

So a team of diggers cracks it open and a huge explosion of toxic gas entails, leaving the guy for dead. 

This is their first warning, they shouldn't have carried on. 

Because of this the team are told not to carry on, but decide to send a Mars Rover inside to make sure their hard work is not for nothing. 

The rover is damaged by cat-like creatures so they go on a rescue mission to go and get this rover (which happens to be on loan from NASA) when they reach the robot, it is damaged and in pieces, and what do they do carry on the search for the rest of the robot. 

This pyramid turns out to be a prison for something that has been living there for centuries, and has a mixture of booby traps, dead ends, and a labyrinth of mystery. 

Will they ever escape the pyramid? 

I know the answer, but you'll have to watch it to find out! 

On another note the only actor of note in this movie is James Buckley (Jay from the Inbetweeners) he now has a beard, and plays the part of a scared funny guy, it's still hard to take him seriously in a kind of serious movie.

It's still worth a watch though, as even though it's classified as a horror, it's not scary, just a bit jumpy in places.

Further Storyline (IMDb)

"A team of U.S. archaeologists unearths an ancient pyramid buried deep beneath the Egyptian desert. As they search the pyramid's depths, they become hopelessly lost in its dark and endless catacombs. Searching for a way out, they become desperate to seek daylight again. They come to realize they aren't just trapped, they are being hunted".

Enjoy your day :) 

My Movie Rating: