Avengers Age of Ultron Review (Spoiler Free)

Finally the Avengers have returned to our screens and it was well worth the wait.

Avengers: Age of Ultron brings back all of your favourite Avengers including some new faces such as Aaron Taylor Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen and James Spader as the title villain. So what you probably want to know is if Avengers Age of Ultron is as good as the first. To be honest at the moment I don’t know and will have to watch it a few more times to figure that out. The fact that I am even considering it hopefully demonstrates the quality of this film.

Avengers AOU takes the action, humour and brilliant character moments from the first avengers and pushes them further than ever before. If you have seen the trailers that much is clear as AOU takes earths mightiest heroes to multiple locations for some of the most jaw dropping action scenes I have ever seen. Newcomers Scarlet Witch (Olsen) and Quicksilver (Johnston) are fresh takes on this universe as they are fighting against the Avengers for a large proportion of this film and Scarlet Witch in particular causes some havoc for the team. The best new character introduced however is Ultron himself. As a huge fan of Ultron in the comics I wondered how they would give personality to a machine however the minds at Marvel surpassed all my expectations giving us a character as relentless and terrifying as the Winter Soldier but with a likeable personality comparable with Loki. It is almost unheard of in a film when the villain has some of the funniest lines especially a film with Robert Downey Jr. Even though his methods are horrifying you can sort of understand where Ultron is coming from in his need to cleanse the world.

The returning cast are all fantastic however for me the standout was Hawkeye who gets a much larger role in AOU after he was left short changed in the first outing. A love story between Black Widow and Bruce banner has seemingly came from nowhere and initially I wasn’t a fan of the idea however Ruffalo and Johansson chemistry onscreen made me actually buy into it towards the middle of the film. Captain America has a more central role than he did in the first film and really shows that even though Stark may be the loud guy Cap is 100% the leader of the Avengers. On the topic of Iron Man I really though t he would have a more prominent role in the battle against Ultron however without going into spoilers there is another character who fights Ultron a lot more than Stark ever does.

In terms of negatives I am really just nit-picking as there wasn’t really anything which stood out as bad. There is a small period of the film where Thor vanishes to do his own little mission with his friend Dr Selvig which did take me out the film slightly even though I understand why the scene was there. On other small nit-pick is the ending of the film and this is something which I have noticed in quite a few big blockbusters recently, the film ends rather abruptly. Imp not asking for a Return of the King 30 minute ending but too many big action films go from one massive all-encompassing action scene to credits in two minutes and in Avengers AOU in particular I felt like this was a common though after speaking to people after the screening. As I said small nit-picks. Avengers: Age of Ultron is everything I wanted and I can’t wait to go and see it again.

9.5/10

Star Wars the Force Awakens teaser 2 review

So. the newest teaser for Star Wars episode 7 has just dropped and it has proven that a grown man can cry. Trailer which is fully narrated by Luke contains all new footage giving us more shots of the main protagonists and brief glimpses at returning characters. There is also finally a good look at the sith from the first teaser Kylo Ren. The trailer concludes with yet another shot of the Millenium Falcon being chased down by a tie fighter and then we get the line. "Chewie ...... were home" and we get our first look at Han Solo and Chewie in all there glory. I didn't think I could be more excited for this movie. Turns out I can be.

Here is a link if you have not seen it yet

Fast and Furious 7 Review

Fast and Furious 7 is the latest in the ever growing Fast and Furious franchise starring the usual cast of Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnston, Michelle Rodriguez along with newcomers Jason Statham and Kurt Russell. To get this out of the way early this film was obviously affected by the tragic death of Paul Walker during filming and it is noticable when Walker is not present or is filmed from an obscure angle.

 Does this effect the film though? Apsolutely not. While Furious 7 is not the best in the franchise it does everything you would expect from a Fast and Furious movie including big over the top action scenes and some phenomenal one liners. Tyrese Gibson is a particular highlight on that last point with his character Roman throwing out more ridiculous one liners than usual. Fast and the Furious wouldn't be the same without some crazy action and that is here in abundance. If you thought Fast 5 & 6 defied physics then Furious 7 will make them look tame. A car jumping through buildings 90 floors up is one of the more believable stunts in the film. Seriously. However you don't go to this film to watch realistic action scenes you go to see the Rock fire a minigun at a helicopter while Vin Diesel says "family" for the hundredth time and if that's what you want then Furious 7 is the film for you.

It is however not a perfect film. I have never really liked Jason Statham as I feel like he always plays the hard man who hardly says a word and he does the same here. Even though it is clear why he hunting the protagonists down it would be better if his character was a bit more fleshed out. Another issue I took with the film is the criminal underuse of Dwayne "the rock" Johnson. He is without question the biggest action star in the world right now but for some reason after an epic fight with Statham he vanishes for near enough the whole film and then returns for a brilliant action scene at the end. When he is in the film he is by far the best thing about it so I cannot understand why he was so underused.

I could not conclude this review without mentioning how brilliantly the filmmakers and the studio handled the death of Paul Walker. They never tried to capitolise on his death in the marketing of the film and don't make any obvious references throughout the film to his death until the last 5 minutes when they pay a beautiful tribute to him and the character he will be remembered for. The plot is ultimately unimportant when the full package is this good.

8/10

Top 10 Animated Disney Movies

Whether through their classic animated films, PIXAR or live action one thing is for sure, Disney has had an impact on everyone. I have always said that Disney films are the worlds greatest antidepressant because no matter how bad a mood you are in a Disney film can always cheer you up. For this top 10 list I will only be looking at Disney Classics which is the 54 film list of Classic Disney animated films from Snow White to Big Hero 6. To make it clear this does not include any PIXAR film so movies such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Incredibles and UP are excluded. This is my personal top 10 so there are some films which are not on my list that some may believe ought to be however I have my personal favourites.

10. Peter Pan

I'm not going to say much about Peter Pan. While it is a Disney film I really enjoy it only really made it onto my top 10 list because there wasn't any others I felt should be on it. While it is a film I enjoy there are 9 Disney films I enjoy a lot more.

9. Dumbo

Dumbo is one of the shortest feature films ever with as running time of 64 minutes however in that short time Dumbo takes me through the emotional ringer an I always finish it with a smile on my face.

8. Atlantis

Possibly the most surprising choice on my list as this film does not follow the stereotype of most Disney animated film as it is not a musical. I have always found this film a pleasant change to the classic formula which had some really interesting backstory and action scenes.

7. Jungle Book

Like Dumbo the Jungle Book is another short but magnificent tale however the characters and the songs are perfect and fill you with joy throughout the film.

6. Robin Hood

Disney’s Robin Hood is actually my favourite Robin Hood film. It is so true to the original story except with animals. Obviously. There are some great characters and wonderful jokes. I watched this film near enough every week as a kid and really want to get it on Blu-Ray.

5. Tarzan

I could put this film here on the soundtrack alone. The Phil Collins songs in the film are breath-taking and set the tone of the film brilliantly. Tarzan is yet another Disney film which plays with your emotions several times throughout the film. Why do you do this to me Disney?

4. Big Hero 6

The most recent Disney classic and it is now one of my favourites. Disney wonderfully introduced a new character in Baymax who will hopefully be the driving force of this franchise for many years to come. For more of my thoughts on Big Hero 6 check out my review here http://reidsmovieround-up.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/big-hero-6-movie-review.html

3. Hercules

Even with the release of two live action Hercules films last year this is still by far my favourite Hercules film. It is such a fantastic film which combines adventure, music, comedy and some typical Disney emotion. Even though the villain is near enough Scar from the Lion king hades is still one of the funniest villains in Disney history.

2. Aladdin

Aladdin has some of the best music in the Disney universe and a phenomenal story in which the show is stolen by the genie played by the late Robin Williams. Aladdin also contains my first ever love. Princess Jasmine. Em moving on.

 1. The Lion King

Was there any doubt?

Lion King redefined how we look at animated films forever and I truly believe it should have been nominated for best picture in 1995. The first film that ever made me cry and it still gets me today. It has spawned two sequels and a Broadway show which is also fantastic. The Lion king is and will forever be the pinnacle of animated films to me and Disney will be the masters for many years to come.

The next top 10 list is going to be PIXAR films.

Blu-Ray Pickups 16/03/15

Yet again I have been on a trip to HMV. I went for the 5 for £30 deal as I am still trying to build up my Blu-Ray collection.

 The first film I chose was David Fincher's Se7en. If you have not seen this film I will say it is not an easy watch due to some of the disturbing scenes however if you can get past that Se7en is one of the best films ever made.

Next up is a film I have only seen once when I was about 15 and can hardly remember, American Beauty. I love Kevin Spacey so I am definitely looking forward to watching this soon.

The next film I chose to get was Top Gun. this film is NOT a chick flick. I absolutely love Top Gun, it is defiantly one of the most quotable films of all time. Anyone else feel some weird sexual tension between Iceman and Maverick ?

Contrary to popular opinion the Sixth Sense is not my favourite M. Night Shyamalan film. The next film I picked up is my favourite. Unbreakable is not just a great film but it is also an original superhero film. The partnership of Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson is brilliant and the ending leaves a lot to the imagination. I cant recommend Unbreakable enough.

The final film I picked up was The Untouchables. It's a film I have never owned on any format so it was definitely time to get it on Blu-Ray. If you have not seen Untouchables, what is wrong with you?

Top 10 Action Films

Here we go with yet another Top 10. This time it’s my favourite action movies of all time. I have a few rules for this top 10 first of which is that I’m only counting pure action movies. That means no superhero movies or fantasy/sci-fi. I will do a Top 10 adventure movies that will include Indiana Jones. Don’t worry! Let’s get into it.

10. 300

We need more movies like this. Possibly one of the most quotable films of all time.

9. Dirty Harry

Speaking of quotable films. “Do I feel lucky? Well do you Punk?” this is by far my favourite Dirty Harry film even though Magnum Force is pretty good as well.

8. Speed

Speed is the definition of a non-stop thriller from the moment the film starts. Yes the bus defies physics when it jumps the gap but who cares? Speed is awesome.

7. John Wick

The most recent film on my list and another Keanu Reeves film. I really enjoy this movie as I just love movie protagonists who are as precise as John Wick. I like to think if someone killed my dog I would go full John Wick on them.

6. The Untouchables

As an overall film this would probably be number 1 on this list but as an action film there are some better options. Sean Connery makes this movie with his dry wit and some brilliant lines.

5. True Lies

This film is so stupid but that’s what makes it great. I’m not sure if Arnold has had so many great one liners in one film. It also contains possibly the best death of a main villain ever.

4. The Raid

This film is has possibly the most basic plot of any action film but then that’s what makes it great as it all takes place in one location and is basically a 90 minute fight.

3. Terminator 2: Judgement Day

This would be many peoples number one and I would not argue that at all however there are two films which I like more and had to put ahead of this. The T-1000 is however possibly the best action movie villain ever.

2. Die Hard

Ok you knew this was coming if you saw the picture at the top of the post. Die Hard is an unbelievable action movie but also a really funny movie because of the brilliant dialogue between John McLane and the villain Hans Gruber.

1. The Rock

“Welcome to the Rock”.  As much as it pains me to have a Michael Bay film at number 1 I just couldn't ignore The Rock. Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage break into Alcatraz to stop a former army general portrayed by Ed Harris from launching deadly missiles at the city of San Francisco. How is that not awesome?

Star Wars episode 8 release date confirmed and standalone title announced

Star Wars episode 7 The Force Awakens is still 8 months away but we already have a release date for episode 8. May 27th 2017 is the confirmed release date for the untitled film.

We also got a title for the first Star Wars standalone film from Godzilla director Gareth Edwards. The standalone will be title Rouge One. The film starring Felicity Jones is said to be “the first film in a unique series of big-screen adventures that explores the characters and events beyond the core Star Wars saga.”

Rouge One is due for release December 16 2016.