niallmaggs

This first-time director manages to create an unbelievable and surprising horror flick that was hysterically funny at parts. The film is filled with good performances and fun characters with a realistic storyline and quite relatable to many people, not the supernatural bit though! ... the 'meeting the parents' bit! The scenes when the couple arrives at the parent's estate are fun and enjoyable to watch, much like the scenes when the supernatural stuff begins! The film as a whole is quite creepy and features a disturbing performance played brilliantly by Caleb Landry Jones. The film could be classed as a horror comedy though, mainly due to LilRel Howery's hysterical performance with his random outbursts that resulted in the entire cinema completely losing it! This benefited the film as it created a fun cinema experience that you can enjoy with a group of friends! Some may argue that the comedy element may take away from the horror aspect of the film but I'd have to disagree, there is a perfect mix between both that results in a fantastic modern horror flick and the best I've seen in a very long time! Also, this is definitely a contender for my favourite film of 2017 so far! I absolutely recommend this brilliant horror-comedy as it delivers on all levels and I can't wait to see more from Jordan Peel in the future!

Pitch Perfect 3 is your typical musical for teenage girls, not a particularly good film, but a most definitely enjoyable one filled with silly but humorous jokes, and witty dialogue.

The plot of Pitch Perfect 3 is so ridiculous and boring, but the comedy factor manages to make up for it, supplying the audience with constant laughs, particularly from Fat Amy played hilariously by Rebel Wilson, who can be irritating at some points, which is where the film suffers, however most scenes involving her are usually the best moments.

The lead character Beca, played wonderfully by the excellent Anna Kendrick, is also a high point in the film. Kendrick manages to carry the rest of the cast, mostly filled with mediocre performances, and stand out above them all due to the sassy, smart but adorably innocent character she plays. She's someone the audience can root for, and is easily likeable. However, a lot of the supporting characters aren't quite as pleasant or loveable...

Kay Cannon's script is of average quality but entertainingly witty. Some lines of dialogue are more cringe worthy than Anakin and Padme's romance in 'Attack of the Clones' (and that's saying something!) but you can't help but forgive such embarrassing dialogue and love it, because that's what makes it fun!

The direction is, again, average but the pacing is surprisingly flawless. There isn't one point that feels dragged or rushed, and the flow stays very consistent throughout. With a minimal runtime of just 93 minutes, there isn't much time for slow story building and development like Blade Runner 2049, but you couldn't expect much more from a film like this.

Like I said, the performances from the supporting cast are mediocre at best, but, once again, you wouldn't expect Oscar worthy portrayals in a teen musical like this one! The cast work well with what they've got, but what they've got isn't much. However, you can tell they have great chemistry, and enjoy working together.

The cinematography is unnoticeable, which would make it average, and just blends in. No IMAX mind-blowing wide shots or expert special effects, but maybe that's a good thing. There aren't any mind-numbing distractions, so you can just enjoy the bare bones simplistic structure, and there's nothing wrong with that at all!

Because it's a musical, it's going to contain music and dance. Was it good? Well I'm no singing expert, but it seemed alright to me... Some of the songs were embarrassing and plain cringe worthy, but you can't bash the effort the actors put into the routine, which displays their dedication, and just proves they want to make sure the audience have an exciting time.

There is also a stereotypical, unnecessary villain played by John Lithgow, who fits all the criteria for a cliché mastermind bad guy. There really was no reason for him to be there, and literally doesn't develop the plot in any way, and only has some relevance in the last fifteen minutes.

This is one of those movies that would be considered a guilty pleasure. You know it's not a great film, or the best of the year, nor does it try to be, however there is so much fun to be had with Pitch Perfect 3, filled to the brim with light-hearted humour which is simple, laid back and clean. A perfect family friendly movie and one that can be enjoyed by everyone.

Denis Villeneuve said he was VERY clear of the relentless pressure he was under, to not only stand up to the original, but to also please hardcore fans, myself included, of Ridley Scott's Cult-classic masterpiece.

Did he do it? not only did Denis manage to create an immersive cinematic experience, he created a masterwork of a sequel that will go down with other greats such as The Godfather Part II and Terminator 2: Judgement Day.

Blade Runner 2049 did everything a sequel should do, expand on the universe created by the predecessor (this one does just that!) and give audiences an intriguing storyline to follow. Again, this one does just that.

Obviously the film looks fantastic. You can even tell that from the trailer. Roger Deakins has, once again, given us an experience at the movies that no one can top. It is visually remarkable, the use of vibrant colour is eye candy for even the most artistic people; the dazzling palette of orange, red, pink, purple, green and blue is a feast for the eyes, it makes the 2 hour and 44 minute runtime an astonishing experience.

Hans Zimmer's monumental score is so reminiscent of Vangelis' iconic compilation of beauty, crime noir and bleakness in the form of music, which is exactly what the original was: beautiful, bleak, and embodies crime noir perfectly. Hans Zimmer has once again proved he is a mastermind when it comes to scoring!

Ryan Gosling as Officer K is a force to be reckoned with. The way the character is presented is harsh, we learn early on that K knows he's a replicant, but forces himself to deal with killing or 'retiring' his own kind. Ryan Gosling portrays him brilliantly. He shows emotion, persistence, he's oddly relatable, and the audience can really sympathize with him. In the original, there never was any characters that you could feel attached to, this is what Denis has done so expertly, we as the audience worry for him.

Harrison Ford is hardly in it but more than makes up for it with a down to earth portrayal, much like Gosling, and seems more humane and personal compared to his previous roles.

Another stand out performance was Sylvia Hoeks as Love. She is the henchwoman of Jared Leto's character: Niander Wallace. She is maniacal and showed sociopathic tendencies. She gives off emotion as well, and often brings out emotion from the audience. It's as if she's forced into killing. We, like with other characters, feel sorry for her.

The special effects are visually awe-inspiring and jaw dropping. The approximate budget of $150,000,000 really shows throughout. The slow pace is just great direction from Denis Villeneuve, and because of the almost 3 hour runtime, the majority of the film is expert story and tension building. It's refreshing to finally see a drawn-out storyline where the narrative has room to breathe between action sequences.

Most importantly, it makes you feel like your witnessing a marvellous spectacle of emotion, beauty and art.

Blade Runner 2049 is a masterpiece of a sequel, worthy of the hype and one of the best of 2017, and not only of 2017, but one of the greatest Sci-fi films of all time.

If I had to describe Justice League in one word, that one word would be 'awesome'. Somehow I don't think that one word will be enough for a full-length film review, but that was what I, and most of the audience, was thinking for the entire runtime. Justice League is tons of fun, with a light and laid back tone to it, unlike previous DCEU entries.

The overall plot is a continuation of Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, following the events of the film. Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) wants to put together a team with the help of Diana Prince, played by Gal Gadot, in what will be and already is her iconic performance as Wonder Woman. They both target The Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and, hopefully, Superman (Henry Cavill) to form the Justice League, and stop an evil force led by the fan favourite villain Steppenwolf, played eerily by Ciarán Hinds.

After the poor reception of Batman V. Superman and Suicide Squad, DC were hoping for a beacon of light to appear, this was the excellent Wonder Woman directed by Patty Jenkins; for the second time, the DCEU have released another entertaining follow up that will restore the fans faith in Warner Bros. and the DC Extended Universe, and may finally create some competition between them and Marvel.

The introduction of the iconic characters that make up the universe was short and sweet, but got the job done with a reasonably short runtime of just two hours. The action is non stop from beginning to end, with great humour and dialogue that put a smile on my face throughout. The comic relief is evidently The Flash, with embarrassingly nerdy lines that suit the character perfectly. The only main character that isn't explored satisfyingly enough is Cyborg. Little of his past is explained and your left feeling no more attached to him than when you first heard of him. The character is also quite dull and doesn't stand out when competing with others like Batman and Wonder Woman! Considering there was direction from both Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon, the film's pace and tone stay consistent, and the story remains coherent and understandable.

However the film suffers from a painfully weak villain that just feels like a throwaway character, and one that is very forgettable and is by no means chilling or spine tingling, unlike the comic version. Regardless of the frustrating flaws that stand out, Justice League is everything you would want it to be with resonating heroes and their relatable issues. Non-stop entertainment and fun is exactly what a superhero film should be, and that is exactly what Justice League is.

With the longest runtime in the whole franchise, the 2 hour and 32 minute duration strangely feels a lot shorter than that, which in this case is a good thing! There isn't one scene or act that bored me, and the excellent direction and narrative, by Rian Johnson, keeps you captivated instantly. The characters of Rey, Finn, Poe, Luke, Leia, and even BB-8 are fleshed out and explored thoroughly, we even learn more about their interesting pasts, and this is particularly important with the newer characters to the series like Rey and Finn etc. With The Force Awakens, we hardly knew anything about our main heroes, and you couldn't feel attached to them, but The Last Jedi excels at creating multi dimensional and layered characters; they don't seem like cardboard cut-outs in any way.

This is Mark Hamill's best performance as Luke Skywalker, now a slightly crazy, isolated Jedi myth who rejects the force and every one to do with it. The effort he puts Into his role spawns nothing but respect from critics and fans alike. The character of Rey has also improved vastly. She is now the definition of a badass Jedi! With a beyond brilliant performance by Daisy Ridley who shines as the main star of this sequel trilogy (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and the future untitled Episode IX) And because of the increased humour in this entry, the chemistry between Rey and Finn (John Boyega) is just so entertaining to watch.

The overall plot of Star Wars: The last Jedi is quite hard to explain; it's very complicated and complex, which is rare for such a well known franchise. However, it benefits from this. It's incredibly unique and doesn't feel like a rip off of a previous entry (Many accused The Force Awakens to be an almost identical replica of A New Hope) thankfully, this gives the haters no chance but to applaud the well constructed narrative...

The structure is interesting. The second half feels almost like another film within the film! This is due to the slow, story-building pace of the first half, then the heart pumping action and thrill of the second. It combines two styles of filmmaking and it's just brilliant! The shift of pace works really well and gives audiences great action to experience, while also supplying them with a great story to follow, which hooks them instantly with intrigue and wonder.

This is easily the best looking Star Wars film yet, with gorgeous cinematography by Steve Yedlin that just floors you with awe and astonishment. In particular a shot near the end, which is a throwback to arguably the most iconic scene in the whole franchise, will bring a tear to hardcore Star Wars fans without a doubt. You'll definitely know what I'm talking about when you see it. With such wide shots, you really get a feel of the immense universe which George Lucas created back in 1977. You could say the film looked epic, because it was.

The third and final act is some of the greatest filmmaking I have ever seen with extraordinary twists and turns which you won't see coming; the chills and goose bumps Star Wars fans, myself included, get just shows the passion we have for this magnificent series.

With few flaws, unless you don't like films that build story slowly, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a phenomenal entry into the franchise, maybe not one which is as rewatchable as the others, but the expanded building of the Star Wars universe makes for a great experience, and one which can't ever be replicated by any other film this year or ever!

The sequel to 2014's 'Guardians of the Galaxy' that surprised everyone who saw it, Marvel managed to assemble a team of heroes nobody had ever heard of and make an extremely entertaining and funny movie! The sequel is just like the first, with hilarious moments from all characters, fun action and a brilliant time at the cinema! This entry in the series is a lot funnier than the first as well, and possibly the funniest film in the 'Marvel Cinematic Universe' to date! The film does suffer from sequelitis, as it always would have, the sequel wasn't necessary as the plot was thin and it didn't need to have a whole movie made for it. It was just mainly a cash grab to bring the characters back together and to please the fans. As the first film was so surprising, there were high expectations for the sequel and I felt in terms of what it could've been, it didn't reach those expectations but Marvel still presented us with an action-packed comedy fest that delivered on all levels of 'fun'. Overall, I'd definitely recommend to all audiences and to avid fans of the 'MCU'.

'Wonder Woman' is the 4th film in the DCEU so far and most definitely the best by a long shot. As an avid fan of the DC universe, the DCEU, for the most part, was good, but I was slightly disappointed. 'Man of Steel' was the best before this one, but 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's' muddled plot, made even comic book fans confused, and the disappointment of last year's 'Suicide Squad' was a let down. So thankfully Patty Jenkins came along to save the DCEU, by directing one of the best superhero films I've ever seen and my new favourite film of 2017!

I think the main reason I loved 'Wonder Woman' was because,*cough* Gal Gadot *cough*, I loved the World War 1 setting. Watching her beat enemies up in the trenches and no man's land was entertaining and brilliantly filmed! Chris Pine's character brought comedy and lightened the tone, which is not DC's way, but it was nice to see a change. This made watching the film a fun and enjoyable experience.

The use of special effects as well was brilliantly done. The use of slow motion during fight scenes was mind blowing and made Wonder Woman even cooler then she already was!

What 'Wonder Woman' did right was creating the best origin story for a superhero we've ever seen. It explores Diana Prince's past when she was a child, and learning to fight and battle with the 'Amazon's' to defeat 'Ares'. Speaking of 'Ares', I was extremely pleased to see one of the best DC villains for the first time in a live action DC film! He was played brilliantly by David Thewlis, in a creepy and sinister performance.

Overall, Wonder Woman was good, but felt like the same superhero films we've been seeing for years.

War for the Planet of the Apes is the third entry into the new rebooted Planet of the Apes series, following our main character Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his companions as they fight a war with the humans.

The reboot trilogy is one of the best ever made, and can easily be ranked up there with The Dark Knight series and Lord of the Rings. They're so well crafted with excellent, modern CGI that looks unbelievably realistic and authentic.

Expectations were extremely high considering the two surprisingly brilliant predecessors, and it definitely delivers on every level with excellent action sequences, interesting character development, elements of comedy, and emotion.

The plot was extremely thought provoking and manages to create a conflict between good and evil, and gives us a balance of who is in the wrong? the Apes, or the humans? This is done so effectively as the audience will change and alter their opinion from side to side multiple times as characters express their argument, like who started it? who is being more brutal and ruthless? these questions are brought up throughout the film, making the audience question even their own opinion! This is evidence of excellent direction from Matt Reeves!

Andy Serkis as Caesar is phenomenal, he gives the audience someone to root for while also appearing badass and intimidating. He's clearly into the role and it shows through his adaptable voice acting for different situations, bringing out a variation of emotion from the audience and that shows what a brilliant, underrated actor he is.

Woody Harrelson as the Colonel is scary and intimidating, he is cruel and heartless, which is excellent writing, making the audience hate him with a passion, is expertly done. Woody is excellent, and gives us an evil portrayal of a despicable, deranged psychopath.

The other stand out performance was from Amiah Miller. She is absolutely great in this role, and at such a young age, she shows great promise in acting. Her performance was so original and realistic, and not stereotypical in any way, as her character is complex, which enhances the overall feel and tone of the movie.

The pacing was slightly inconsistent in the second act, as it did drag a little bit in parts, but the first and third acts really make up for the small pacing issue that really doesn't affect the film much anyway!

The score by Michael Giacchino is intense and powerful, and the editing was consistent and smooth, and wasn't jarring (thankfully!) The digital shooting and production is realistic but fantastical, which creates a brilliant cinema-going and transcendent experience!

The script was good as always, and includes sections of humour that lightens the dark tone. It's also entertaining and fun, and the dialogue between the characters is tense in situations, but also light hearted and comedic! Overall, War for the Planet of the Apes is one of the best movies of the year, and takes you on an emotional, heart breaking journey that closes this masterful trilogy perfectly, and one that will stay with you for a very long time.

Dunkirk is the latest masterpiece by the excellent director Christopher Nolan. It tells the story of the rescue of 400,00 soldiers during the second World War, while they were stuck on the beach of Dunkirk, and couldn't get home.

Nolan's direction in this is excellent, structuring the story into 3 perspectives: the land, following the troops on the beach, the sea, with the civilians fishing boats heading toward the beach to rescue the soldiers, and the air, following Tom Hardy and two other pilots in pursuit of a German Aircraft, bombing the soldiers on the beach. This method of storytelling is extremely immersive, giving the audience 3 different perspectives of what that experience was like. They get a feel of what was going through the soldiers' minds during the evacuation, and what life was really like. This results in an extremely effective and gruelling (in a good way) film.

Because this is a Nolan film, it's obviously going to look fantastic, with expertly crafted cinematography by Hoyte Van Hoytema, that gives the audience a beautiful experience at the Cinema, and keeps them captivated for the entire duration of the movie. They do a great job portraying life on the beach of Dunkirk in 1940.

The performances were all excellent, as always in a Nolan film, with standout portrayals from Mark Rylance as a civilian attempting to rescue soldiers, who brings out emotion and dedication to his role. Tom Hardy as the pilot is a man of few words but conveys a deep and interesting character, through his heroic actions. Harry Styles is clearly in the limelight due to his previous fame in One Direction, but gives a surprisingly good, but short performance that proves he is quite capable of acting as well.

The score by Hans Zimmer is phenomenal as always, that gives off a tone of dread and fear, while also being extremely suspenseful and gripping. Nolan and Zimmer are always a dream team and it is proven once again in this one more than ever!

The script was very small, but Chris Nolan stated that he wanted to tell the story visually, rather than through dialogue, so there isn't much of it, but the visual aspect is impeccable, that proves you don't really need a 4 hour long script to create a masterpiece.

Overall, Dunkirk is an excellent war film that floors you and holds you down with emotion and non stop destruction, its brutally relentless and chilling but that is Dunkirk's perfection, that gives us one of the greatest films of the year, and easily one of the best of all time.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a (apparent) sequel to the 1995 classic Jumanji starring Robin Williams, surrounding a mysterious board game. The 2017 film has the same premise, except this time it's not a board game, but a video game from the 90's.

Four students at a school receive detentions for different reasons, and end up together having to staple booklets. Spencer (Alex Wolf) discovers an old video game called 'Jumanji', the students set up the game and play it, but end up being sucked in, turning them into the form of the characters they chose. Spencer's character takes the form of Dwayne Johnson. The other characters actors' consist of Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black. From here onwards, there is non stop fun, action, great humour, and a glorious soundtrack!

The premise here really works well. The plot takes unexpected twists and turns that keeps the audience on their toes. But what makes it thrive, is the great chemistry between the actors, in particular Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart; this type of chemistry can't be scripted. The one liners exchanged between both are hilarious and they work really well together. We'll definitely be seeing these two together in more movies in the future. It's not just these two that have great chemistry, Karen Gillan and Jack Black also really fit in with Johnson and Hart. All of them each have their own style and bring something different to the crew, Whether it's Johnson's charisma, Hart's comedy or Gillan's striking looks, there is something for everybody to enjoy in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

And trust me, Karen Gillan isn't just there for her beauty, she's hilarious and a vital asset to the rest of the team. All of her scenes are memorable, whether she's dancing to Big Mountain's Baby, I Love Your Way while beating soldiers up, or taking flirting advice from Jack Black, she's constantly the star among the popular likes of Dwayne Johnson, which demonstrates her strength as an actor if she can outdo The Rock! Her performance is brilliant, and the video game character is a complete opposite to the real life Martha, played by Morgan Turner. In real life she's shy, anxious and unpopular. However in the game she's a complete badass! The way the filmmakers handled each character is really great. The tough Spencer is a nerdy guy in real life. Completely different to Fridge (Kevin Hart) who is a strong, tough, popular football player, but in the game, he's quite cowardly, small and weak. This aspect I really liked.

Henry Jackman's score is used really effectively. Every scene benefited with the heart pounding music. In particular, there is a lot of sequences where the tension and suspense is just incredible. The score also resembles the whole jungle premise, making the scenes feel real and not just seem like a movie set. The sound still stayed a reasonable volume and you can still hear the dialogue. In a lot of films, the booming sound is unpleasant, but in Jumanji the music is a great addition to the already-intense scenes.

The action was almost non stop. You're on the edge of your seat constantly and there is a great supply of thrills. The action direction was also very good. The lack of shaky-cam worked well, and even when it was used, the scene wasn't ever jarring or jerking. The sequences stayed enjoyable and you CAN actually see what's going on. These types of scenes were also shot brilliantly and the cinematography was simple but effective.

There were some instances where a couple of scenes went on for too long however, and the runtime could've been shortened by about fifteen minutes. The pace was also sometimes clunky and jumpy. It rushes the ending but spends too long on a couple of scenes in the second act. However, the majority of the film stays consistent and smooth.

There is also a lack of character development, and there are no real arcs to follow. We don't see any of the characters change throughout except for the end scene, but there is no gradual shift of attitude toward each other, they just start off disliking each other one moment; then just start loving each other...

The film also suffers from a painfully weak villain, who we learn very little about nor do we know why he's there in the first place. He isn't particularly fear inducing or scary, and is just a complete cruel idiot for no reason whatsoever. The climax is also rushed, underwhelming and a slight let-down.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is great fun and the comedy is brilliant and clever. The actors are excellent and their perfect for their role; they're most definitely likeable! The action is great and so's the chemistry between the characters, but does suffer from typical action clichés, however in the end, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is absolutely great!

So alien covenant is the 2nd prequel to the original alien from 1979, and a sequel to 2012's Prometheus. First off, this film is visually stunning with the mind blowing cinematography and the combination of color makes the film an aesthetically pleasing experience. As a fan of the original film, I was extremely pleased and walked out of the Cinema with a smile on my face. Not much development on the characters but the film digs deeper into back story and explains far more resulting in a back to basics horror that was what Prometheus tried to be. This film in particular, and the prequel, explore the evolution of the alien, ultimately becoming the creature that gave us nightmares. Overall the film was extremely enjoyable and not too far fetched, although the ending felt very sudden and anti climactic. I feel the film would of benefited more if there was an extra 15-20 minutes added on to give the fans a satisfying ending. I would definitely recommend to all fans of the series. I'd give it a 9 out of 10 and I'll definitely see myself revisiting this installment in the alien. Saga multiple times.

Quentin Tarantinos second feature film. And most definitely his best. Pulp fiction tells the non linear story of an unsuccessful boxer, a mob boss, 2 mob hit men, coffee shop robbers and a demanding wife as there lives interconnect in some way. The thing that makes pulp fiction stand out above the rest is the incredible and memorable quotes and dialogue protruding from the biggest variation of characters to ever be put on screen. It's one of the most rewatchable films and I have found myself revisiting pulp fiction regularly. If features incredible performances from Sam Jackson, john travolta, uma Thurman, ving Rhames, Eric stoltz, Maria de medeiros, Amanda Plummer, Harvey keitel, Bruce Willis and Christopher walkem.The relentless language and cursing makes for fun times and badass moments. Tarantino and Avery won Oscars for best original screenplay and for good reason, the dialogue is truly incredible and memorable. I highly suggest you watch this masterpiece if you haven't already.

Where to begin with the shawshank redemption, well first off it's my all time favourite movie and has been since the first time I saw it. The compelling story of friendship and redemption follows Andy Dufresne being sentenced to two life sentences for a crime he did not commit as he forms a beautiful friendship with Red, played by Morgan Freeman. The acting from the ensemble cast is extraordinary, With career defining performances from Robbins, Freeman, Gunton, brown and Sadler. The story is beautiful and always brings a tear of joy to my eye, mainly due to the incredible music composed by Thomas Newman. If you haven't watched the shawshank redemption, watch it. You will love it and "that's God's honest truth" overall a feel good masterpiece that is number 1 on IMDb's 250 greatest movies for good reason. Because it's the greatest film I have ever seen.