Cinema Review - Horrible Bosses

Horrible Bosses recently hit the big screen and with such a stellar cast, including the likes of Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day it was clear to see from previews that this was going to be a big contender for one of the best comedies of the year. With support coming in the way of Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell and Jennifer Aniston, star power was there in abundance so it was just down to whether the storyline and gags could live up to expectations.

We find ourselves following the lives of three single men, each in their thirties, working for bosses they absolutely despise. Nick's (Bateman) boss Dave Harken (Spacey) is an harsh and evil individual who is harsh with time keeping and is blackmailing Nick into staying in the job he is currently in. Kurt (Sudeikis) on the other hand had the perfect boss until he had a heart attack and now his son (Farrell) has taken over the work empire, which unfortunately means Kurt has to now work for a boss who snorts cocaine all day and has an endless supply of prostitutes loitering in his office, he's a tool. Finally Dale (Day) has a very different boss (Aniston), a woman who is sexually harassing him non-stop, begging him to be unfaithful to his fiance and give in to his desires.

Three men with three very different bosses pushing them to the end of insanity. There is only one way to resolve their problems, the bosses must be killed. So our three guys head out to the roughest area imaginable to find their hitman to hire and soon come across one 'Motherfucker' Jones (a hilarious Jamie Foxx). Jones aids them in strategies to get the bosses killed in return for their hard earnt cash, something which produces some of the funniest scenes in the film. 


With the knowledge of their hitman solidified in their minds it is now up to the three men to take the initiative and rid their lives of the one thing that is holding each of them back. Will they have the balls to commit the perfect crime each or will they continue to live meaningless lives under the weight of their evil bosses?


Clearly from the previews this film was never going to be one of those where the funniest parts are shown in the trailer. With a lead trio in the form of Bateman, Sudeikis and Day you instantly have a winning combination. Then couple that with a supporting trio of Spacey, Farrell and Aniston, and you are laughing (literally). With names such as these on the roster you know you are going to get bang for your buck and the gags and laugh-out-loud moments just keep coming in what is definitely one of the funniest films to be conjured up in 2011.


It's hard to say who the stand out act is amongst the immense talent but a special mention must go out to uniquely talented Charlie Day. If you have ever watched It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia then you know what you are going to get with Day, and if not then you are certainly missing out. The guy delivers all his scenes with such hilarity that it is no surprise that he is now taking the jump to the big screen. Hopefully there will much more Charlie Day coming in future films. Additionally, a cameo appearance from Ioan Gruffudd must be noted too, with Wales' favourite actor unleashing a cringeworthy and unexpected scene which will have you splitting your sides, not to miss!!


Film rating: 4 out of 5 stars


The lowdown: Horrible Bossess, with its amazing cast and different storyline succeeds where other comedies have failed in producing a barrel load of laughs and an engaging plot with some good twists along the way. Much better than the Hangover 2 and certainly on a par with Bridesmaids. 

Cinema Review - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2 3D

Captivating audiences worldwide for the last ten years, the Harry Potter saga sadly draws to a close with the second part of The Deathly Hallows. A fantastic box office reign has led the Harry Potter films to be amongst the most successful franchises in Hollywood history; 7 books split over 8 films proving J.K. Rowling really does possess a magnificent writing talent. So how does the final chapter fare compared to the previous films?

David Yates’ fourth outing behind the camera begins as Part One ends, with Voldemort in possession of the Elder wand, the most powerful wand a wizard can have. With this wand Voldemort is near invincible and a showdown with Harry Potter is inevitable. As is the destruction of Hogwarts, with Voldemort’s legion of followers and Death Eaters surrounding the once serene school, ready to strike at the teachers and pupils at his command.

Meanwhile, Harry, Ron and Hermione continue their mission to destroy the Horcruxes, the sources of Voldemort’s power. With Harry continuing to experience visions from the Dark Lord’s mind, we delve deeper into the relationship between the boy wizard and the evil lord and there are revelations aplenty. Their quest for the Horcruxes eventually leads them back to Hogwarts and a reunion with close friends and teachers, resulting in a full scale battle between good and evil; a suitably epic spectacle for adults and children alike.

With the powers of good and evil clashing in a battle of mass proportions some previously fringe characters come to the forefront and shine just as bright as our regular heroes Harry, Ron and Hermione. Following a fantastic battle, we come to an epic conclusion that we have been waiting for for some time now, Harry Potter or Lord Voldemort, who will prevail in a fight to the death? Go see it to find out!!

Never has a finale to a film series received such widespread worldwide coverage than J.K. Rowling's final outing for everybody's favourite boy wizard, and what better way to end on a high. David Yates has essentially created an unforgettable ending to a film franchise that will live long in the memory and will be passed down through many generations. 

From the beginning spectacular shot of the Death Eaters poised over a waiting Hogwarts to the superb inevitable fight to the death between Harry and Voldermort, this film has classic written all over it. Although the shortest of the Potter films this by no means makes it the least fulfilling, very much the opposite in fact. With all loose ends being tied up and some frankly award-winning visuals and performances it is no wonder people are flocking to view what is clearly a front runner for one of the films of the year 2011.

Radcliffe, Watson and Grint all show they have grown in stature since the series began and the likes of Alan Rickman and Ralph Fiennes continue their dominant reign as the main evil-doers with such ease. Couple that with a broad array of British talent, from young newcomers to established Brit favourites, and you have the perfect British film at your disposal. It's safe to say that Harry Potter will forever be known as one of the best and most successful film series in history and there is no sweeter way to finish than with easily the best instalment of them all. 

Film rating : 5 out of 5 stars

The lowdown: Having grown up with the Harry Potter films through the years this was always set up to be the main event and by all means this has succeeded. Wonderful acting, breathtaking visuals and a ground-breaking conclusion to a fascinating story all make this the film to beat in 2011. Only downside - the 3D is slightly unnecessary but does not deter from a true movie masterpiece. 

Cinema review - Bridesmaids

OK, so Bridesmaids has been out for pretty much a month now but here finally is the belated Fanatical Film review. 


Opening with a hilarious scene between Kristen Wiig and Jon Hamm, Bridesmaids instantly hits you as being a film that certainly does not hold any punches and provides true hilarity throughout. As you would expect from any film involving comedy king Judd Apatow, a barrage of laugh-out-loud moments await from the very get-go and Bridesmaids is no exception.


Annie (Wiig) is a thirty something living in Milwaukee whose life seems to be going nowhere. Her cake shop business has gone under and she now works at a jewellery shop, she rents an apartment with two slacker siblings and her sexual partner is only interesting in the physical side and not a full blown relationship. 


When her best friend Lillian announces she is getting married, Annie is thrust into a massive commitment to the wedding, she is named as maid of honour. Attending the engagement party, Annie soon meets the bridesmaids she will joining at the wedding and realises that they all have their own crazy persona's she will have to cope with throughout the entirety of the wedding preparations. 


Lillian's husband-to-be's sister is an overweight sex-crazed loud mouth, the husband's boss' wife Helen is a prim and proper lady who wants to take over the maid of honour role and friends Rita and Becca are at two ends of the spectrum, one hates married life and one is a newlywed loving every minute. 


Needless to say, Annie's job soon turns out to be a massive weight on her shoulders and with Helen putting forward her ideas for the bachelorette party and other events it soon turns out the women are heading for Vegas. Cue a sublime aeroplane comedic scene and the plan fails, with the women finding themselves missing out on their destination of choice. 


Furthermore, things go from bad to worse for Annie, with food poisoning affecting the bridesmaids' fittings and chaos ensuing shortly after at the bridal shower. Moments which will have you wincing and laughing out loud simultaneously. 


It is no wonder that Bridesmaids has received such a warm reception from audiences and critics alike, with its kind blend of comedy, romance and warmth lighting up the cinema screen. Comparisons to The Hangover are completely irrational and if anything Bridesmaids manages to successfully usurp this year's outing from the Wolfpack. 


Expectations of a women-heavy comedy with excess profanity and toilet humour were somewhat low admittedly but Wiig and co totally bring their A game to the table and deliver a highly entertaining and rib tickling outing proud to be out there amongst the recent high rolling comedy movies. with Wiig performing to a high standard she is a hard person to be outshone but the clear stand-out in the crowd is Melissa McCarthy as Megan. From her first appearance in the movie to her very last she shows us how she can pack a punch in the comedy stakes and it would be brilliant to see her more in such films, comparisons could see her as the female Zach Galifianakis. 


Film rating: 4 out of 5 stars


The lowdown: A highly entertaining Apatow-produced comedy which surprises gleefully with its exceptional female cast. It's easy to say this will be one the best comedies seen by audiences for 2011. 

Cinema Review - Larry Crowne

Tom Hanks is one of Hollywood's star players, the gentleman's gentleman and a star held in extremely high regard by his peers. At the pinnacle of his career, Hanks has starred in many an exceptional film so who can blame him for wanting to head behind camera again for his second directorial outing, Larry Crowne. 


Starring as the film's lead, Hanks portrays your run-of-the-mill American working at a department store earning his keep. Earning employee of the month on a regular basis, Larry is a lively man who loves his job. Unfortunately things come to a sudden end when he is fired from the job and left with a house to pay for on his own and no opportunities offering themselves to him. 


Finding out that his sacking was down to the fact he never went to college and got qualifications, Crowne is determined to better himself. Therefore, he goes to college in order to get those qualifications and make a new life for himself. 


Joining a group of very diverse students, Larry soon blends in with the younger generation and thoroughly enjoys his time as a college student, joining a moped crew and unexpectedly falling for his teacher Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts). Larry Crowne's college adventure is not just that, it's a turning point in his life.


Let's put things straight, dubbed a comedy drama Larry Crowne is little of either. Okay, a little humour every now and again fires it's way through to us through quirky Hanks and yard sale enthusiast neighbour Cedric the Entertainer but little in the way of brilliant humour. In terms of drama, the film is more romance and friendship based than dramatic. 


Hanks and Roberts' chemistry showcases years of experience in film, both rebounding of each other with such ease but this does not save the film from being little more than mediocre. Smaller roles from the likes of George Takei and Cedric the Entertainer are wasted opportunities and the story trudges along without really grabbing your attention as much as it should. 


Film rating: 2 out of 5 stars


The lowdown: Larry Crowne is a harmless and heartfelt film simply for those who enjoy a good love story. Predictable and nothing that hasn't been seen before, it will be one of Hanks' more forgettable outings in his fantastic career.  

Cinema Review - Transformers: Dark of the Moon 3D

The Transformers franchise has seen somewhat of a criticism storm since the drivel that was Revenge of the Fallen. Michael Bay was criticised for lack of a decent plot, boring characters, unnecessary humour, to be honest the list could go on. Let's fast forward to present day and the release of his third, and final (apparently) outing behind the lens of the robot-heavy trilogy. 


This turn around he takes note from recent superhero success X Men: First Class and incorporates his story into real life events; the landing on the Moon in 1969. According to the story, the mission to the Moon was not simply for history purposes, it was indeed to recover evidence of an alien spacecraft crashing on the far side of the moon. The spacecraft, known as the Ark, contains pillars with the technology to save Cybertron and these are recovered by NASA and kept under lock and key. 


Cut to present day and low and behold, with the Autobots now working closely with humans as allies, the Decepticons are once again planning their next move. Their plan soon surfaces that they aim to recover the hidden pillars and wreak havoc by transporting Cybertron to Earth and ruling over the human race. The one thing they require to do this is the recently recovered Sentinel Prime (voiced by Leonard Nimoy), whom Optimus Prime and his crew have recovered from the Ark on the moon and resurrected. Sentinel is one of the most respected Autobots of his race and his knowledge is of huge importance.


Meanwhile, while the serious events occur, we are reminded of Earth's 'hero' on two occasions, Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf), who has a new girlfriend in the beautiful Carly (Rosie Hunitington-Whitely) but is still on the search for a job following his abandonment by the government. Cue some job interviews including some hilarious cameos from the likes of John Malkovich, and a star turn from creepy work-mate Ken Jeong. 


Soon enough, predictably Sam and Carly become embroiled in the raging battle between the Autobots nad the Decepticons, with Chicago turning out to be the battlefield for what turns out to be an epicfinal hour of the film, coming to a fantastic climax.


So Transformers should be your run-of-the-mill action movie with plenty of bang for your buck and generally an enjoyable thrill ride. For all the action-filled scenes in the movie Michael Bay hits the nail on the head with no problems, after all action and explosions are his speciality. It's just a shame that he still manages to fall short in the third outing with a lack of direction and some really disposable characters, most notably the Witwicky clan and Sam's girlfriend. 


The Witwicky's; exceptionally irritating with their apparent humour and Shia LeBeouf appears to just want to speak at an extremely fast rate and tries to replicate Star Wars' famous 'Nooooo' with the screaming of 'Optimus!'. And as for the Megan Fox replacement, where do you start. Rosie Huntington-Whitely is a Victoria's Secret and should stick to the day job. There is no doubting her credentials as a stunning woman but acting-wise she clearly does not make the grade and cannot command a scene to save her life, Bay lost out when Fox walked out believe it or not. 


As for the 3D, well this is the single most breathtaking 3D experience that you will have the pleasure to watch since Avatar. Visually, Michael Bay has it perfect, with some fantastic slow-motion transformation scenes and switches from vehicle to robot. Also is has to be noted the scene in which we witness and follow army personnel in wingsuits flying across the Chicago battlefield, one of the unforgettable 3D moments of recent times.


In terms of action and 3D ability Transformers 3 is a great success but with flailing performances from some of the film's leads and some extremely unnecessary scenes totalling the film up to a 2 and a half hour running time the film is massively let down. 


Film rating: 3 out of 5 stars


The Lowdown: Certainly a huge improvement on the previous installment but still does not touch the original franchise opener. If only you could just watch the final hour and you would have a highly entertaining action movie, unfortunately a dragged out storyline lets us down. Autobots roll out!

Cinema Review - Green Lantern

DC comics' films have been very few and far between compared to the comic book-to-movie juggernaut that is Marvel. With Batman and Superman (in the very near future) carrying the torch for the company it was time for a new player to enter the game, in the form of Green Lantern. 


With 'Mr Charisma' Ryan Reynolds in the role of Hal Jordan supported by Gossip Girl's Blake Lively on paper the green hero didn't really have much going for it, with more of a teen drama look about it. But if there was one man to bring the Lantern to screen it was Martin Campbell, the man who brought to screen possibly one of Bond's greatest outings. Unfortunately this was far from the case.


The film opens with a somewhat convoluted world of characters explained in a little less than a few minutes, where we are introduced to the planet Oa, home planet of the Green Lantern Corps. The Corps contain an individual from each sector of the universe who have the responsibility of retaining peace and order. Some time ago, one of the Green Lanterns, Abin Sur, defeated a fearsome enemy known as Parallax and imprisoned him, only for the bringer of fear to escape in present day and fatally wound the Lanterns' most influential protector. 


Abin Sur, close to death, crash lands his ship on Earth and is soon found by irresponsible test pilot Hal Jordan. It soon becomes apparent that the ring that all Green Lanterns wear has chosen the first ever human to join the Corps after Abin Sur passes away. Jordan is then transported by the ring to Oa where he experiences the world of the Green Lanterns and becomes acquainted with some of the warriors from other galaxies including Tomar-Re (voiced by Geoffrey Rush) and Kilowog (voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan). Finally he meets the leader Sinestro (Mark Strong), who opposes the idea of a human as a Lantern. 


After the news of Parallax's escape is confirmed by Sinestro, a galaxy-wide search begins for the evil fear-bringer. Meanwhile on Earth, an autopsy of Abin Sur's body by Dr Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard) unleashes an evil, with a sample of Parallax's DNA from the body of the hero transferring to the doctor. This evolves constantly inside Hammond and eventually he gains powers of mind control, fuelled by the fear-inducing DNA inside him. 


Hal is soon summoned into action by this evolution in Hammond and is forced to protect the woman he loves, Carol Ferris and the people around him before the bigger threat of Parallax arrives on Earth, hell-bent on ridding the galaxy of the planet. His time to prove himself as a Green Lantern arrives. 


After viewing various trailers for this superhero romp the expectation levels were not high at all and following the viewing of this film nothing changed. It is fair to say that Campbell has created nothing more than an average film, with few positive points to surface. Granted, the CGI used can look impressive at times but is immensely over-used and it is almost as if Campbell is trying to stick two fingers up at Branagh's Asgard, albeit greatly underwhelming compared to the Marvel option. 


Reynolds is in usual lead character form, with humour ruling over all else and his jokes soon grow tiresome, the pick of the worst being a reference to Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear. Equally, if not more disappointing is Lively as love interest Carol Ferris, wooden, uninteresting and easily spared, Lively does not command her scenes whatsoever and is an unnecessary distraction. 


One outstanding performance does shine though, and that is from the hugely underrated Peter Sarsgaard, who portrays the unwanted Hector Hammond pristinely as a tormented soul under the influence of evil. Despite Sarsgaard's stellar performance, Lantern's villain duo is weak and hardly threatens our main hero with much oomph. 


DC comics foray into new territory for viewers is a welcome change but unfortunately such a complex universe as Green Lantern's required much more explanation and depth. Reynolds and Lively are far from perfect in the lead roles and a pitiful villain all contribute to what is just another below-par superhero film.


Film rating: 2 out of 5 stars


Closing comments: Green Lantern is easily forgettable amongst many far superior superhero outings on the big screen. Ryan Reynolds should have stuck with Marvel and focused solely on adapting Deadpool.  

Cinema Review - X Men: First Class

After the critics reception to the third X Men instalment and Wolverine, the Marvel franchise needed somewhat of a refresh and this came in the form of an origins story revolving around the main two characters in the X Men Universe, Magneto and Professor X. If ever there were two characters in X Men that needed their pasts delved into it was these two and Matthew Vaughn has made this possible; but is it a story that is worth paying attention to?


Enter the 1960s, John F Kennedy is President, Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) is on the brink of becoming a professor and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) is on a path of destruction in order to get to his mother's killer, Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon). When it soon becomes apparent that Shaw and his associates are looking to start World War Three the government reaches out to Xavier to put together a team of mutants to stop humankind's biggest threat. 


In pursuit of Shaw, Xavier and the government, including best friend Raven (Jennifer Lawrence), the future Mystique, soon cross paths with Lensherr and, despite his willingness to release his anger at every possible moment, agrees to band together with them to stop Shaw before war is unleashed. A sparkling friendship soon develops between Xavier and Lensherr and a mutant team is banded together in an effort to restore peace. 


With Shaw also having his own team of mutants to hand he pushes the boundaries to get what he wants, humankind once again suffering, but not if Xavier and Lensherr have anything to do with it. Once Shaw's plans are unveiled it is full hands to the pump and other mutant heroes, the apprentices of Xavier's school of mutants come to the forefront and the foundations are laid down for the new future of the X Men.


Without a shadow of a doubt the X Men franchise has been re-ignited and is stronger than ever. In a bold move to invigorate new life into the saga, Vaughn has unleashed a fantastically mesmerising film that gives a great insight of two of the great comic book characters.


It is simple to say that he also hit the nail on the head with casting, a charismatic Michael Fassbender leading the way with his superb showing as Erik Lensherr and an equally impressive turn out from James McAvoy as Charles Xavier. Both are convincing in their roles and support from the likes of the excellent Kevin Bacon and rising stars Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult (as Raven and Hank McCoy, respectively) just enhance the viewing pleasure.


The two hours runtime flows seamlessly, with Fassbender commanding each scene with such personality and a great turn from tamed lion to unleashed evil. McAvoy mirrors Patrick Stewart's wise and calculating Professor X down to a t and Kevin Bacon's Sebastian Shaw is a suitably evil nemesis. 


As the second Marvel release of the year, First Class easily surpasses the earlier success of Thor and is a clear front runner early in the field for the best superhero movie of the year, better yet Fanatical Film would regard it as the best in the X Men saga, including X2 which was a pure gem. So we know just ask for one more thing, continue the saga with yet again another massively gripping and genre defining sequel.


Film rating: 4 out of 5 stars


The lowdown: Matthew Vaughn has brought to screen a perfect origins story and the great combination of powerful story, superb characters and flowing action make this the superhero movie to beat this year.