Movie Reviews 2015

2015

Absolutely Anything.

Ant-Man.

Bridge of Spies.

Crimson Peak.

Child 44.

Ex Machina.

Inside Out.

Legend.

Mad Max: Fury Road.

Minions.

Mortdecai.

Spectre..

Spy.

Terminator: Genisys.

The Hateful Eight.

The Martian.

The Revenant.

The Ridiculous 6.

Tomorrowland.

Victor Frankenstein.

 

Silly enough to make you laugh and witty enough to make you think.

 

An anticipated reunion from Monty Pythons (even though just in voice) and a naughty directorial blink from my favorite Python Terry Jones. Although Jones should let the actors free to create some more super hilarious moments.

Good comedy that can give you a very enjoyable evening home.
I would watch it again

 

 

Great script, acting, action and disciplined use of special effects that don’t suffer from the usual Hollywood stupid. A level above many superhero flicks delivering some clever comic moments woven around the action scenes.

 

Michael Douglass gives us believable pathos in one of his all too rare credible acting performances. He plays the inventor with a conscience and father too busy to say I love you because he’s been on a mission to find his lost wife. After the end credits rolled I found myself looking to see who was involved in this well produced work of cinematography. Like a good wine it leaves a pleasant feel-good aftertaste. Applause all round from script writer to director.

I will watch this again.

 

 

One of the best cold war movies of the last decade.

 

An espionage story that develops with finesse through a spinning plot into an exciting thriller. Under the superb direction of Spielberg the movie stands out as an accurate recreation of the cold war era, rich in historical elements.

 

The characters are extremely fascinating and move across a deep emotional and psychological background with humanity and class. Suspense and a nail-biting end. A masterfully done film. Watch it! 

 

. . . Cinematographic art, crafted with popular yet polished technique.

 

A good crime drama thriller that could do even better.

 

A strong story and good directing, although at some points Espinosa could be more bold. An excellent performance from Hardy, and Gary Oldman. A good watch.

 

. . . Mildly interesting, sometimes dull and very informative look into a world Stalinist Russia in the early 1950’s.

 
. . . The script needed its subplots pruning and the directing needed a clearer focus on the main goal.  It also feels as if the cast’s efforts were poorly handled in the editing studio. And what’s with those stereotyped Russian accents?  Is this how to do movie making in the globalised 21st century? Seriously!  Also, the movie’s non engaging title was a marketing error for sure.

However, excellent work from Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman and Noomi Rapace who manage powerful performances yet snuggle deep into the narrative; that’s the stuff great actors are made of.  Their performances saved this movie from being a flop.

 

 

A horror movie that is not one of Del Toro’s best.

Predictable and at some points boring, but with a great production team that creates a stylish background for a rather dull story.

A bit disappointing but with good intentions; traditional but staid directing that delivers few scary moments to thrill the viewer. Still, enjoyable enough for a Halloween night.

 

 

Intriguing Indie Sci-Fi that punches well above its budget and earns respect from the nerds at M.I.T.

 

At last a genuine Sci-Fi thriller that makes you think deeply about science and the future.

 

This movie’s plot delves deep into the hypothesis that intelligence: the capacity to evaluate, calculate and perform logical deductions then understand at a conscious level; is not just a property to be claimed by the arrogance of humans.

 

This is not science fiction aimed at the juvenile adult inside ourselves who enjoys Marvel comic vids containing lots of explosions and fast paced violence. This is a movie for the intellectual inside, or a movie to progresses the juvenile into the intellectual. It is also a movie showing us a thought provoking side of a most probable future.

 

. . .An excellent sci-fi thriller with a fascinating script and amazing performances. Artificial Intelligence viewed through a new concept and combined with suspense and thrilling plot twists make this film one of the most exciting of the genre. Watch it!

 

 

Pixar’s 15th animation feature and one of best so far.

A smart story about the five basic feelings that live inside every human being: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger. A beautiful metaphor brought to life in a way that moves and thrills the viewer.

The mind works in mysterious ways, and this movie has lots of heart and soul in it that takes you deep into your inner universe. Full of color and action, it will surely win you over from the very start. 

Watch it or miss out!😊

 

 

The story of the famous British criminals, the Kray twins, or at least a good attempt to tell it with robust directing from Helgeland.

Tom Hardy in one of his best performances as both brothers, so believable that in some scenes you are under the impression that you see two different actors that look like each other.
Set amongst an amazing atmospheric recreation of the London underworld in the mid-60’s, this thrilling story presents the brutal contrast between the two brothers. Watch it!

 

Brutal not-exactly-sequel of the famous original, overloaded with action - how many vehicles can be destroyed in 120 mins?

Mad Max: Fury Road is worth the viewing for the robust performances and the thundering storytelling. Although some parts are monotonous, this blazing adventure bravely keeps on its shoulders the weight of its famous predecessor.
Watch it!

 

 

Unsuccessful spin-off from Despicable Me.

Minions lacks in originality and the story line is so vague that after a while you find it difficult to follow. Some funny moments but sadly the movie fails in thrilling us as much as the original mother film.

Watch it with kids, they going to like it for the looney action.

 

 

A silly action-mystery film with some witty and funny lines and a few moments of excellent adlib thrown.

 

It could do better with improved rhythm and nerve, also some of the jokes needed more polish or replacing and after a while the film becomes just another cartoony farce that went wrong… however, I loved Johnny Depp in the main role, but oh the wonders this character Mortdecai could offer us with a better and funnier script…

 

 

One of the most entertaining and memorable films of the franchise, a genuine Bond movie.

 

The last Bond movie for Mendes and Craig. And maybe that is the reason why it succeeds to be so much fun. Exciting moments of intense action are the canvas for the reintroduction of a famous enemy from Bond’s past.

Spectre may appear to some a little less atmospheric than its predecessors, but still is manages to be a thrilling adventure from the spy we all loved.

 

Great choice for a fun movie night indoors possibly with a martini, shaken, not stirred. 😊

 

 

Melissa McCarthy at her best.

 

An excellent comedy with lots of action and laughs and just a small number of failed jokes. It’s like James Bond on laughing gas. Jason Stratham demonstrates his thespian versatility by showing he can do excellent comedy, so stop typecasting him as a hardman! This movie won a number of awards for its quality. I must watch this again when I need a good laugh to cheer myself up.

 

 

One of the better Terminator movies. Watch it!

 

A satisfying addition to the famous war-against-the-machine franchise. Genuine action that pleases the senses, some well embedded humor, a clever story line with just a few misses but well done for the most part, and a nostalgic look with the reappearance of Arnie in the main role. 

 

 

The maestro once again shows Hollywood how original movies are made.

 

Tarantino is less disciplined in this movie compared to Django in that at times he shows off his craft like a virtuoso guitar player throwing in an impromptu rift mid performance.  He flaunts his skill with wordy dialogue into the face of the audience.  Lots of blood but since when has a Tarantino movie involving weapons been without a splash of gore.

 

• Be original not formulaic, offer the audience genuine surprises.
• If you must use clichés, parody them
• Be bold, take risks and go with your instincts avoiding the usual marketing cowardice.
• Don’t dumb down dumb up: I.e.  weave a lot of intelligence into the script but in a way that not everyone with an average level of consciousness will notice. 

 

 

How to do Sci-Fi and make it appear like science fact.

 

Matt Damon plays a man stranded on Mars  must use every brain cell of scientific knowledge to survive and find a way home.  Show this to your kids if you want them to be more enthusiastic about science and maths.

Intelligent and gripping with a well-crafted script that brings out moments of humour within the drama.

 

Outstandingly beautiful  epic set in the uncharted American wilderness of the 1820’s. 

A tale of survival that is excellent all the way through until two minutes before the ending.

 

A flop comedy western that has very little to offer. Boring and clichéd with little originality amongst its all too few funny moments. It fails to offer any deep or highly qualified entertainment. Avoid.

 

. . . This movie may succeed with totally unsophisticated movie novices or those with a way below average I.Q.  So sit them down in front of it and get on with those chores uninterrupted; otherwise move along to something more worthwhile.

 

 

A retro-futuristic adventure for everyone!

 

A funny and artistic ride that excites your imagination and takes you to a magical trip straight into the fantasy land. A genuine 100% theme-park fun movie like only Disney knows how to make.

 

Bold directing form Brad Bird that successfully bring to life all the retro atmosphere of the movie and Clooney at his best. A definite must-watch!

 

Disappointing.

 

A promising idea for a movie based on the famous horror novel by Mary Shelley … It gets off to a good start but it fails to deliver.

Very little thrills in it, despite the heroic efforts of McAvoy. A few sparks but not any flames.