Here Comes The Boom (2012)

I'm going to get straight to the point for this one, I found the film to be dull and boring as my attention strayed on numerous occasions. I think watching paint dry or a fish swimming round a bowl may have given me more joy and entertainment than Here Comes The Boom did. To be fair some people may like this film but PERSONALLY I didn't.

The film is about a high school biology teacher that has to enter the wrestling ring in order to raise money to save the music teachers job and keep extra curricular programmes going within the school that will be cancelled if funding is not provided. Here comes the committed teacher to save the day! But in no way what so ever did he bring the boom. It begins showing Scott Voss turning up to school and climbing through the window due to him being late making him seem more like a student than a teacher, this unrealistic situation sets the comedy tone for the rest of the film where you couldn't squeeze a laugh out of me if you tried. After a meeting held telling the staff that extra curriculum lessons will be being cancelled due to no money in the cash strapped school which would result in the music teacher losing his job, Scott Voss steps up to the plate and decides to raise the money. Kevin James who plays Scott Voss endeavour to play the rebellious teacher falls flat and fails to amuse and his attempts to woo fellow colleague Bella Flores played by Salma Hayek are dire. The lack of chemistry between the pair of actors does not help the film in the slightest.

The character's first attempt at raising the doe is through teaching night citizen classes but he soon realises that it just won't cut it and will not come close to helping to fund the money. It is only when one of the pupils called Niko wants extra tutoring which leads to an exchange between the pair as Niko will teach Scott in fighting which seems like a sure way of making money. The best points of the film are when the wrestling scenes in the ring are on, with the biology teacher having fight various hard nuts and after some lucky success he makes it to the big time match that will earn him $50,000 if he wins. Now for the main spoiler that will probably come as no surprise to viewers - he wins. Here Come The Boom wants to be that uplifting movie that makes you want a happy ending but I found that I wasn't bothered if he won or not as the plot was not complicated enough to keep any intrigue or suspense.

Verdict- A mediocre film that fails to make you laugh despite its attempts. I'd give it a miss.

Jack Reacher (2012)

The film opens up with five innocent people being shot by a sniper in a public area, kudos to the use of point of view shots that allowed us as a viewer to feel like we were the ones preying on the victims and pulling the trigger. The shooting process are sure to stir up feeling of vulnerability as each person was easily killed off and although the characters killed were not at all developed, you cannot help but sympathise and feel that they got cheated out of their lives. With the apparent criminal who shot them being arrested more or less straight after by the police, it is easy enough to think 'it's too good be true' and you would be right in thinking it. They got the wrong guy. The man writes on a piece of paper "Get Jack Reacher" and this is when the story starts to develop with what I found to be an unlikeable character Jack Reacher. I could not seem to connect to this soon to be supposed hero of the piece, I don't know whether this was due to Tom Cruise as the actor (who did not suit this role) or the general writing and dialogue of the character. Either way a mistake was made somewhere because surely the main character should be shown as charismatic enough to be at least the little bit appealing.

After seeing the story on the news, Reacher turns up himself without the police having to look for him. Reacher is sure of the man's guiltiness but with plots unfolding he finds out stuff that he didn't expect and becomes finding evidence in defence of the so called criminal. And while these developments are happening so is a borderline romance between Reacher and the defendants lawyer called Helen Rodin played by Rosamund Pike. The redeeming qualities of the film come from the script writing that provided smooth dialogue that also would make me cringe with one liners, the action sequences were thick and fast throughout so lived up to the films action, crime, thriller genre however many were unrealistic and the lack of realism caused me to roll my eyes. I think the film could have been perceived better if more tension was built with a darker atmosphere created especially since the plot is a dark one. Reacher eventually finds those who are really responsible for the crime but the film ends on a deadpan note that left me unsatisfied.

Verdict: A slightly entertaining film but I found my attention straying at points.

Gangster Squad (2013)

I really enjoyed Gangster Squad as it contained so much action to keep you gripped.

 I would have liked to see the gangster squad's individual characters more developed as I felt that as a viewer you only receive a brief overview on each of their lives, and although I understand it would have took a lot longer to give more background away I think the additional information could have made the characters more relatable. The best way I can explain it is by comparing it with the characters in Armageddon as each character in that film is given shared time which allows us to form some emotional attachment to them so that when something tragic happens in the film like a death, we feel a loss. Whereas Gangster Squad did not have this so I found as I was less attached to the characters I was less engrossed and involved in the plot.

Whip It (2009)

I'm not going to lie this is one of my favourite films and I cannot even pinpoint what I love most about it! The actors and actresses do a divine job in playing the characters and making them so relatable to real life people. With the dry humour and weird quirkiness that the viewers who may sometimes feel like outcasts and not understood can really connect to. The whole plot is centred around Bliss Cavendar  a girl from a small town called Bodeen in Texas, trying to find herself in a place that seems so repetitive and dull. She is stuck in a dead end job at the 'Oint Joint' diner with her best friend Pash and faces the heavy expectations of her mother in beauty paegants to which she appears to be a utter disappointment. Bliss is the typical misfit that only has a few friends and the allure of the film comes from seeing her  character develop.

The film begins with a beauty paegant that is a truly lovely set out scene with the audience watching the contestants give their answers on stage then appears Bliss and Pash trying to sort Bliss' hair out before she goes on stage. Her bright red ragged hair catches everyones attention as she walks on stage with a close up on her mothers face who looks absolutely furious at her daughter. Later on in the film when we see a couple of roller derby girls go past Bliss handing out leaflets, we get an indication of where the storyline is leading as her eyes seem to light up with the possibility. After trying out for The Scouts she earns her place on the team with her small frame and quick speed making her perfect for roller derby.  With Bliss joining the roller derby league in Austin she soon finds her inner toughness that we didn't know she had as she faces many obstacles to be where she wants to be. It is at a party that she encounters Oliver and the romance between them begins the blossom into something shown all the way through the film as it adds more to the coming of age story. When The Scouts begin to win some games which they never have done before, the hope of winning the league is insight. So the competition begins but with lots of twists and turns in the plot to keep things interesting. From a controlling mother to a cheating boyfriend who she thought loved her to a team of unexpected friends. All subplots intertwining to tell the tale of Bliss.

The finale of the film comes at the last derby match which you would expect the scouts to win but they don't but that does not ruin the journey they have all been on as they have become a tight knit family that all have each others back. We see Bliss earn the respect of the famous derby legend Iron Maiden  which leaves us all with that content feeling of a story that has been tied up nicely but not typically. 

Comparisons to the film Juno could be made here with the Ellen Page playing similar characters in the two films, but I personally feel that Whip It has more to offer with the amazing cast that never fail to plaster a smile on your face. Throughout the film, a fun highly charged atmosphere is created to keep you interested with a witty dialogue and some action from the derby scenes. 

 My Final Comment - It is a feel good film sure to lighten any mood. 

Think Like A Man (2012)

Think Like A Man has a nicely put together cast with all the actors working well to portray the different types of relationships. This film doesn't just show the good things about falling in love, instead it tackles the low points and how hard it is to make a relationship work. It focuses on four different couples that happen to be from the main group of male friends as the action goes back and forth from the the group of men talking to one of the four men and women dating this highlighting the different types of people and diverse range of opinions.

When a book is released by Steve Harvey giving advice to all women on how to date men and get them to eventually commit and fall in love, the books start flying off the shelves with all the women wanting to know what they can do to land a man. It highlights the distinct types of men such as the mommy's boy, the player and the dreamer and what to do to change them. After the guys all discover what is happening and how they are all being played they decide its game on and they will play the girls at their own game. The film has moments of humour but these aren't displayed evenly throughout, which I think it needed as a film like this needs to keep the atmosphere light although it appears to tackle the subject of people's emotions. It turns out that all the men and women actually did genuinely fall for each other causing them to try and win each other back as they all separate at one point. Therefore it is not the most realistic of stories but ends with a happy ending so if your looking for a film with a cheerful tone then this may just be the one for you as it contains both romance and comedy.

This Means War (2012)

I could just write Tom Hardy and Chris Pine are in this film therefore you should watch it but then that would not be helpful for the majority of people but for a fair few the eye candy would be enough to make you watch. However this film was so much better than I expected with it funny quips placed here and there, just enough to make a laugh escape from your mouth and it also has a well performed romance between the trio. Although I feel the bromance between Hardy and Pine was better done than the chemistry between the two actors and Witherspoon.

This is not just the ordinary love story of two guys competing for a woman's undying love, it has much more going on within the film to keep it upbeat with just the right pace and a lot of action to keep you glued to the screen. The film begins introducing FDR (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy) as two CIA partners who cross a russian crime boss that vows revenge on the duo after they kill his brother in an operation. Then comes Lauren (Witherspoon) with her sassy attitude that both guys fall for and begin to compete for. This is when the comedy begins as they both do checks on her to find out what she likes and scout out each others dates cue the sabotage! It appears that Lauren likes both FDR and Tuck so becomes stuck in a love triangle storyline that has been done many times before.

The one thing the agents did not expect was the criminal boss appearing in town and taking the thing that matters most to the pair - Lauren to lure them in and to get back at them. They must now work together again and combine efforts in order to save their girlfriend which leads to her eventually choosing between the pair. FDR and Tuck couldn't be more different with Tuck being divorced with a child who appears as the perfect gentlemen and FDR being the typical charming ladies man that actually has some hidden depth yet both intrigue her. The film ends with her choosing out of the two, I won't say which as it'll ruin the movie if you want to watch it.

Verdict: This film isn't the best of films or a must see movie but it is good fun and uplifting as it doesn't take itself to seriously, so give it a watch.

Big Miracle (2012)

Big Miracle is a film about three whales in Alaska that get stuck under the ice with only one blow hole in the thick ice between the family to breath out of. After being discovered by a news reporter and a young Alaskan boy; the news soon spreads around the town of Barrow and eventually becomes global, with reporters from all over the world coming to report on the powerful story. With the help of the news reporters ex Rachel Kramer who volunteers at Green Peace, the news spreads and a plan to save the magical three grey whales is created. People from all over join forces, with enemies becoming allies due to the cause; we see the American and Russian military combine efforts with the local natives to save the family that are named Fred, Wilma and Bam Bam.

A truly beautiful moment is shown when fiercely protective Rachel played by Drew Barrymore goes down into the water and swims with the three whales, showing a brief enlightening moment between human and animals that suggest a joint understanding between the different species. The vulnerability of the whales causes your heart to contract as the mother tries to keep her baby alive, brushing him upwards to the hole to breath when he is weak. The combined efforts from people all over help to achieve the goal of creating more holes along the ice to lead the whales back to the sea and safety, with Wilma and Fred following the holes the response to viewing this is an intense relief however it is short lived when we realise that Bam Bam is not coming up and had sadly passed away in a moment of realisation that makes you catch your breath. However the film ends on a happier note as the Russians help means that the two whales are released back into the sea and into freedom.

Due to the story being a true story that took place in the 1980's I felt more of a connection with the tale and found myself willing for the people in the film to join together in order to save these poor and helpless creatures and wanting to be part of the rescue. This film works so well as it contains so many different relationships that we can all connect to on some level from mother trying to protect son, to humans joining together to help save the whales, to the connection that is formed between the whales and the humans, all of which are truly endearing. I think it shows a side to human nature that we hardly hear about or see that is kindness, hope and love all combined to save what may seem like just a couple more lives but the family of whales are so much more than that, they manage to join people in conflict in a joint cause which is a celebration in its self. The film used animatronics for the whales instead of choosing to use CGI however it worked so well as the whales looked realistic and were believable in their movements and looks. Ken Kwapis did an amazing job in directing this film as a lot of his decisions were on point in making a emotional piece of moving art that had just the right amount of drama and realism in order to tell this true story.

Gone (2012)

Gone appears to be a slow starter in the beginning but I promise you it is worth watching so stick with it. The beginning shows Amanda Seyfried's character Jill walking through the woods like she is looking for something and as the audience we have no clue what, after she returns home to her sister we are treated to some extremely well done flashbacks to what has happened to Jill, it appears that in the past she had been kidnapped as we witness a scene of her with duck tape over her mouth whilst being held down. When the film quickly returns to the present day we see the effects it has had on her such as her apparent paranoia and we are shown Jill taking a self defence class showing she obviously feels a need to protect herself from a threat. The slowly developing plot allows us to understand what has happened to the character in her past and how this is affecting her whilst still keeping us intrigued. It is when her sister goes missing that the film begins to pick up some suspense and speed as Jill feels it is a race to save her life. However nobody believes her story, as she goes to the police to appeal to them to help, they brush her off and it is revealed she has had quite the traumatic life as both her parents died within a few months causing her to be put on suicide watch in an institution then after her supposed kidnap she was seen to have psychological problems as they found her on the corner of the forests telling her story but could not find any evidence of the story she was revealing to them.

With Jill having enough of them not doing their jobs she begins her own hunt for the kidnapper that had her once but has come back again and took her sister. Even I at one point was questioning her sanity as she ran around with a gun asking questions making her appear unstable. The twists and turns started to begin as each person she came in contact with gave her a new lead and piece of information to help her on her quest to save her sister, first the neighbour tells her a van was outside so she goes to the plumbing company which she finds a receipt at leading her to a warehouse company. All this time she is getting the answers she needs and whilst doing so she is avoiding the police which although unrealistic it keeps the highly charged plot moving with added action of police chases. It is at her friends house that she finds the essential piece of information she needs in the form of her kidnappers number apparently his name is Jim. How ordinary. After contacting him she follows his instructions to drive back into the dark forest and follow the path to a campsite. Jill does this all alone showing her to be a strong and brave female lead which is unusual as it is usually a male figure we see in the role of hero so it is a breath of fresh air to see a female lead saving herself and others.

After arriving there the pace picks up even more with a showdown between Jill and the kidnapper ending up with them both in the hole she was in the first time she was kidnapped. Revealing how angry he is that she was the only victim that got away. Once again she manages to evade him and eventually kill him. The confrontation will have you on the edge of your seatsand after three gun shots, petrol and fire he is well and truly dead. Returning home to find that her sister had been tied up under her own house all that time and is now safe and sound. The best part of the film being the end for me being when the police realised that Jill was right all along and when asking her what happened she replies that she imagined it all, giving them the treatment they deserve and  an overall satisfaction to the audience.

Amanda Seyfried is great in this role and the way she plays the character truly makes the film as she creates the appearance of a crazy character who is completely sane. Gone contains minimum characters as it is mainly based around Jill and her life journey, with the ending seeing her happy now that she has ridded the world of the man who kidnapped her and killed so many others girls. I recommend to watch this thriller as it contains the right amount of mystery and drama to make you want to know what happens next and allows you to form a connection with the lead character Jill.

Love Bite (2012)

I do not know where to start with this film, it seemed to get worse and worse as it went along. The plot seemed like it had been strung together in a matter of a few days with a lack of detail and depth to the story. It feels like only a few of the attempts at humour happened to work but the majority fell flat leaving me cringing on the sofa wishing I had not just seen what I did on screen. Love Bite as you can guess from the title is about a romance developing within the loosely tied werewolf plot.

The film begins showing four typical boyish lads hanging out together and talking about ooh surprise surprise girls and how they will try to pull them. When The Vaccines started playing I thought that this film had some potential with an appeal to a younger audience with a quirky taste but I was wrong as it went downhill fast. The story consists of a werewolf being in the town who preys and eats virgins *cue the non existent laughter* because their meat is more tender. The cast of a hot girl who is the suspected werewolf, two really good looking guys and two average guys who are the group of friends are the backdrop for the whole plot with the boys trying to lose their virginity and the girl who appears to tease the main character Jamie and disappears every full moon. Then comes the two suspicious cops that don't do their job when teens start to go missing in the going nowhere town Rainmouth, giving a hint that something is wrong with the cops as surely they would want to know what has happened.

In between this and the last half an hour of the film is a lot of teenage groping and kissing. Yawn. With Jamie longing for Juliana we finally find out that she is not the werewolf but actually a werewolf hunter. Following what should be a touching moment when Jamie's friend Kev played by the gorgeous Luke Pasquilino is infected by the werewolf and turns into one causing Jamie to have to shoot him, which he appears to soon forget when he sees Juliana and they begin to have sex but not quite as they are rudely interrupted. A few more deaths happen including one of the police men and the werewolf appears and is quickly dispatched by Jamie. And low and behold the werewolf was the other policeman. If this was the big twist in the film that was supposed to shock the audience then it failed because I spotted it a mile off so the mystery surrounding the creature was ruined early on.

Juliana in all this action appears to have been infected and Jamie just cannot bring himself to kill the girl he has fell for in just a matter of weeks so infects himself to show his love and devotion *note the sarcasm* so ironically the two people trying to kill the werewolves become the evil creatures themselves and embrace it a little too easily. One of the only parts of the film that made me smirk was the ending with Jamie and Juliana sat inside a cafe watching a church full of virgins and commenting on how hungry they are to the waitress yet they only order coffee. What the waitress doesn't know cannot hurt her.

The only redeeming quality of the film appeared to come from the sound and mise en scene setting of the fairground that was a perfect place for the chaotic action shown full of chasing, looking for others and disappearing between flashing lights. The locations within the film appeared limited to only a few including a cabin, a fairground, a boarding house, a chippy, a pier and woods proving to be a good choice to highlight the small town characters who struggle to do the things they want to do. I think the aim was to show a misunderstood lad stuck in a no good town and who wants to be something bigger and better which he thinks he can be when Juliana arrives to town and appears to be everything exciting and fun as she is an American who travels the world. However in a bid to show this they lacked the well needed emotion behind it as they tried to replace the bits these moments should have been shown with humour. The well needed balance did not exist which I think is why I feel the film was not successful in my eyes.

Ice Age 4: Continental Drift (2012)

I have decided to do a run down of the film and the plot along with my opinions. So here goes:

The family comedy begins once again with the comedic sketch of the ancient squirrel that can never get his hands on the thing he wants most - the nut/acorn. We are then introduced to the familiar and well loved characters of Manny and Ellie who are the two huge mammoths that we fell in love n the previous film of the sequel however this time there are new faces around including their own baby mammoth Peaches. This opening up the old father and daughter storyline that has been done in many films on many occasions where we see a father that would do anything to protect his child and from the off it is clear there will be some rebellion from the youngster. Peaches - "So tell me when exactly will I be able to hang out with boys." with Manny replying "When I'm dead plus three years just to make sure I'm dead."and there begins the overprotective father routine that every family can relate to hitting the raw humour of truthful reality.

Sid's family arrives and dumps the grouchy grandma whose voice in done very well by Wanda Sykes on him and he is expected to take care of her which is funny due to the fact that Sid is unable to take care of himself let alone somebody else. Yet again we are let sympathising with Sid as he is the same hopeless and idiotic character that we all know and love "Here granny, granny, granny, I have prunes for you" he croons.Back to the main motif of father and daughter, Manny manages to embarass Peaches in front of a group potential friends making her feel even more like an outcast and silly in front of her love interest Ethan. Although what Peaches fails to typically understand is she already has all the friends she needs in her pal Lewis who she takes for granted. After harsh words are exchanged between the two; suddenly the family get separated by the ice splitting  beneath their feet  showing Manny and Ellie reaching for each other helplessly. The close up shots show the pain of the obvious separation what is to come. And so the continental drift begins. Diego quickly saves Manny from a jump that he never would have made and we se the making of another adventure between the three amigos and the unexpected friendship between a mammoth, sloth and sabre tooth tiger. Once again they must stick together in a quest to make it home to their loved ones yet again.

With the ice caps melting we see the underlying tones of change and evolution from the way the world used to be to how it was becoming. Once more it is Sid's lighthearted humour and comedy that keeps us amused in what could be viewed as a dark scene as the float of ice they are stuck on is heading into a thunderstorm where they face more danger in the form of sea creatures such as a huge crab that is soon dispatched by a huge wave. The rest of the characters are now on a journey to the man bridge which they deem to be a safe place leaving their home behind with Ellie hoping to reunite with Manny when she arrives there.

Granny sloth makes an appearance as she happened to be hiding in a tree on the float and she slept through the storm drawing on the stereotypes of old people. We see she will be part of the struggle to get home with Manny, Sid and Diego.  The trio encounter a boat full of pirates full of various animals who begin to fire ice cannons at the float in a bid to get the three of them to surrender. It appears the pirates had taken over the float with a fade to black on the screen., with a return to the ship showing Manny, Sid and diego all tied up. Then we are treated to a colourful sing song by the crew of how the captain came to be with his villainous crew consisting of what looks like a very angry bunny and a dumb walrus which does not seem enough to strike fear if I do say so myself. They make a quick getaway turning over the pirate ship and creating a enemy in the captain that Manny may live to regret.

After saving the pirate female sabre tooth tiger, this looks like a bidding relationship between her and Diego bringing something new to the sequel that we haven't previously seen before. Diego is usually viewed as the cold character that always manages to do the right thing but it is few and far between that we are treated to sensitive moments between Diego and other characters making the moments more special. Succeeding in making it to a new island alive and finding away home they find they must ally themselves with creatures native to the island that look a lot like cute guinea pigs to steal the ship from the pirates that have also washed up ashore and seemed to have enslaved some of the guinea pig lookalikes that later turn out to have ninja like moves whilst rocking blue war paint.

And here comes the comic face off between the typical good versus evil with the good bearing shell shields whilst flying of leaves and the bad using sharp dangerous looking weapons. The diversion pays off including a touching moment where Diego appeals to the female sabre tooth to come with them however she decides to stay behind in an attempt to let them flee and protect Diego from the captain. But actions have consequences with a vow from the captain to destroy Manny and everything he loves.
With a flash of Peaches yet again hurting someone she loves by saying to Ethan and the other teen mammoths that Lewis is not really her friend in an attempt to impress them but finally gets the confidence to tell the group how she really feels and storms off with a muster of teenage angst.

Back on the stolen ship Manny, Sid and Diego fall for an illusion on the ship as they experience a vision of the one they love with Manny realising it is a trick by sirens he quickly saves his friends and they appear to be on the home straight with crazy granny appearing to feeding the food supply to her imaginary pet she calls Precious. Only to realise that the captain has arrived before them and have his family, after being tied up it appears the only willing and able to save Peaches is her hedgehog friend Lewis who although small shows great courage and bravery reflecting the meaning of true friendship.

Also arriving to save the day is granny's pet precious who does exist and turns out to be a huge whale causing laughs at Sid using the blow hole as a lookout point. Peaches manages to get to her mother Ellie using the skills she learnt from possums showing the further significance and importance of family with Manny remarking how she is all grown up which is an emotional point in the film. However an ongoing fight continues with Manny and the captain with Manny being saved by Sid, Granny and Precious and the Captain finally getting his comeuppance with the sirens.

The finale of the film approaching when the family is all happily and safely reunited together and although they have lost their home they have each other which is what really counts here. They find a new home in which the community are part of a herd that all look out for each other, Sid finds a companion in Granny, Diego falls in love with Serra the sabre tooth and Manny, Ellie and Peaches are finally how they should be- together. Manny has come full circle during the film allowing his daughter to now go out into the world and experience the life he was so afraid she would get hurt in at the beginning of the film.

Ice Age 4 ends where is begins with the squirrel unable to overcome his rodent impulses to get the nut/acorn although he has found a place of his own kind. I think I would have quite liked to see the squirrel who has been a main feature of the four films to have uttered a word for the what could be the final film in the franchise. Although it was an enjoyable film to watch I felt it wasn't as original as it could have been and did not stand out from the other films in the sequel. However the all star cast brought it back for me as it produced a great range voices that brought the characters to life from Queen Latifah to Simon Pegg to Nick Frost to Jennifer Lopez to Ray Romano, you cannot complain about the range you were given.

Frankenweenie (2012)

Today I watched Disney's Frankenweenie that was released in 2012 and found it to be very enjoyable, I don't know whether this because I was less expectant of what I was watching or whether its portrayal of the world created in the film just enveloped me into the story. The plot is a familiar story created by Mary Shelley called Frankenstein however disney has used Tim Burton to create a twist on the familiar tale and make it more approachable by a younger audience although it still contains the dark and sinister feel that Burton is known for but this just adds to the film as it helps to display the chaos and horror at bringing beings back from the dead.

Frankenweenie is about a young boy called Victor Frankenstein whose beloved dog Sparky dies when getting ran over during a game of baseball that causes a terrible amount of grief for the boy as he has lost what seemed to be his best friend. After a science lesson, Victor learns of a way to bring the dead to life using electricity in this case thunder to add a powerful and eerie effect. He goes to the graveyard and digs up his dog however we do feel the same repugnance and disgust we feel at the original story as he is not digging up random corpses in a bid to create a monster/ experiment, he is so full of grief he wants to bring back the thing he loves the most; so the creepy antics are forgiven and overlooked.

After succeeding we are treated to seeing a patched up Sparky with humour added when his tail falls off from too much wagging and Victors quick remark "I can fix that!" causes a chuckle. However this is not where the tale ends and as expected we are not treated to a happy ending straight away and there is quite a battle to get there. A child in Victor's class called 'Edgar' who put the creep into creepy see's that Sparky is alive and immediately uses that information against him. I have to admit that Edgar was one of my favourite characters throughout the film as he provided a underlying humour and it was hard not to laugh at his dinosaur walk and the teeth that were too big for his mouth.

Edgar betrays Victor's secret to the rest of the class and they all want to bring things back to life in order to win the science fair which reflects the innocence of children in not understand their actions and how actions do have consequences which they soon see when their creations appear as monsters and turn on them from a huge godzilla like tortoise called Shelley (very appropriate name) to lots of gremlin like sea monkeys bounding about the street. After seeing what they have created they all come to Frankenstein for help maybe due to the fact he knew how to creates so maybe he could be the one to destroy also. The encounters with the beings causes havoc around town and one by one the children get rid of the scary creations. The best death by popcorn was one that had me laughing as the sea monkeys exploded upon contact with the salt and I also let out a bit of a snigger at the face off between the big tortoise and the little creature that looked like a guinea pig mummy, I was preparing for a battle between the two and was surprised and amused when the tortoise just stepped on the guinea pig and that was the end of that action.

The final face off is between Elsa Van Helsing and her pet dog and a bat cat and in steps he two heros of the piece - Victor and his dog Sparky who fight til the death at the windmill. Only three are left standing and our heartbreaks for a second time when Victor loses Sparky again. But that isn't the end, the community gather together and all devote their car engines in a bid to return Sparky to life and when it seems like it hasn't worked we are again treated to a flick of the paw and quick wag of a tale. Sparky lives again!

I really liked this film and even though its in black and white throughout it didn't put me off, if anything I feel it added to the intrigue and spooky tone of the film. Burton once again brings a story to life with the whole piece, from the characters to the plot to the settings. I expect that families would enjoy watching this film together as it has something to offer everyone, but I do warn the characters could be seen as scary by some children when I saw the diverse classroom full of children I did cringe back from the screen a bit and the wide eyed and creepy animations I saw on my TV but grew to understand and love the range of weird and strangeness of them as the film went on. The only thing I questioned was why when Sparky was brought back to life although he was physically altered he remained the same dog personally however when others were brought back they were immediately turned into monsters, I think this hole in the plot could have been explained better, I put this down to the fact that when Victor revived Sparky he did it out of love not greed or pride so Sparky remained normal.

Personally, I feel the film would get a rating of 3.5 out of 5 as although I liked the film and would watch it again in a heartbeat, I would have liked to see a bit more action. Frankenweenie managed to get some emotion out of me though as it pulls at the heartstrings with the relationship between man (Victor) and mans best friend (Sparky) and when I finished the film I could not help but go give my dog a cuddle and be thankful. The film is full of beautiful animation, I particularly liked when Victor was lay in bed and the shadows of rain bouncing on his window was cast across him and also thought the scenes in the pet cemetery had a impact like when Sparky was afraid and ran back to where he was buried and hid by his gravestone. With its mixture of humour, darkness, action and emotions, I recommend watching this film.

The Help (2011)

The Help is the first movie I will be talking about as it is one of my all time favourite films and believe that everybody should watch it.

The Help takes place in 1960s Mississippi which tackles the controversial subject of civil rights between races and class.

From start to finish this film will captivate your attention with its flowing storyline that keeps moving at a steady pace enough to keep you interested and let you understand what is happening.

Having also read the book, I can say that the actors truly emulate the characters they are given to play and give a ridiculously good performance that allows the audience to connect with each individual character, even the ones we love to hate like Hilly.

Welcome

Hey, I've decided to take the plunge and start blogging about my views on films. I am a media studies student and absolutely love watching films and one day I would love to be a part of producing them. As part of my A Level course I created a film trailer, poster and magazine which made me realise that film is something I want to be a part of, no matter what aspect it is. So this September I am starting university to further study media studies but will also be doing film studies to enhance my knowledge on the area and the best part about it is I am studying something I love.

So I'll be blogging about new films I watch, my all time favourite films that I think everybody needs to see at least once and those films that make you want to turn over. I will also be posting about TV programmes and series that get me wanting to share my opinions about them with others.

So give my reviews and posts a quick read, post back comments if you agree or disagree with what I think as I  would like to hear a diverse range of ideas and views. Thankyouuuuuu!