The World’s End (2013) 8/10

Starring : Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike
Director : Edgar Wright
Running Time : 110 mins

Gary King (Pegg) wants nothing more than to relive his youth by reuniting his estranged high school friends and completing the pub crawl they first attempted twenty-three years earlier, but as they progress through the pubs of Newton Haven they soon discover that everything is not as it seems and that humankind may be in danger of extinction if they don’t do something about it.

Although nowhere near as good as Shaun Of The Dead or Hot Fuzz, this third movie in Edgar Wright’s Three Flavours Trilogy has some great scripting and some wonderful comedy moments. The idea of mankind being replaced by mechanical beings of unknown origin isn’t that original, but the approach was funny and the lead up to the fight scene in the toilet makes the following events all the more surprising.

You’ll like this if you liked : Paul

Step Up Revolution (2012) 5/10

Starring : Kathryn McCormick, Ryan Guzman, Cleopatra Coleman
Director : Scott Speer
Running Time : 99 mins

Emily (McCormick) moves to Miami with her family and, hoping to become a professional dancer, starts hanging out with a local flash mob and falls for their leader, Sean (Guzman), but when it is discovered that a wealthy business man plans on developing their local area, the group decide to transform from a flash mob to a dance protest group in the hope of stopping the developers.

I’ve watched all of the Step Up movies, and I’m really sick of them. The plots are almost identical, just with different characters, and generally these movies revolve around how awesome the dancers are in both dance skills and personal views on the world. Also, I didn’t realise that flash mobs were illegal! This one has a bit of a twist, which I won’t spoil for people who really want to watch it, but the twist wasn’t enough to make this any more tolerable than the previous three movies. Step Up 5? Probably...

You’ll like this if you liked : Step Up 2 : The Streets

Thor : The Dark World (2013) 7/10

Starring : Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgard, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano, Jaimie Alexander, Rene Russo, Anthony Hopkins
Director : Alan Taylor
Running Time : 113 mins

When Jane Foster (Portman) discovers an anomaly that leads to another world, it attracts the attention of Thor (Hemsworth) who returns to Earth to check she is okay. They soon learn that Malekith (Eccleston), the last survivor of a race of Dark Elves, plans on plunging the universe into darkness using a weapon called the Aether, and an unholy alliance between Thor and Loki (Hiddleston) is the only way to help prevent their plan from succeeding.

This is an impressive sequel that takes the ground work from the original movie and successfully creates a new threat for them to battle. The action sequences are fun, though at times a little too CGI, and though the acting isn’t anything brilliant there are moments of both humour and drama. Fans of the original will love this, and the ending leaves a lot of questions unanswered, paving the way for more follow-ups. Plus, check the end credits for some sneaky information about the upcoming Guardians Of The Galaxy project.

You’ll like this if you liked : Avengers Assemble

A Separation (2011) 7/10

Starring : Peyman Moaadi, Leila Hatami, Sareh Bayat, Shahab Hosseini, Sarina Farhadi
Director : Asghar Farhadi
Running Time : 118 mins

Following a disagreement Simin (Hatami) decides to get a separation from her husband Nader (Moaadi) so that she can move abroad to make a better life for their daughter Termeh (Farhadi), but life gets even trickier when Nader is accused of causing their neighbour Razieh (Bayat) to lose her baby.

This drama starts off incredibly slow, and at times it gets confusing about what the hell is going on and why people are making such silly decisions, but if you take the human factor into account when approaching this movie you might find it is actually quite enjoyable, and you’ll realise when you reach the ambiguous ending that you actually want to learn more about what happens to the characters involved, but to be honest I didn’t think this was special enough to be nominated for an Oscar...

You’ll like this if you liked : Take Shelter

Red 2 (2013) 8/10

Starring : Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins
Director : Dean Parisot
Running Time : 112 mins

Ex-CIA agent Frank Moses (Willis) is doing his best to live a normal life with his girlfriend, Sarah Ross (Parker), but when ex-colleague Marvin Boggs (Malkovich) approaches them and advised that he and Frank have been listed on a document as being part of a covert operation codenamed Nightshade, the trio find themselves on a round the world trip trying to discover the whereabouts of some very dangerous nuclear weapons.

This was a fun-filled, action packed sequel to the brilliant original movie based on a little known comic book. The script is sharp and witty, and the performances and expertly given, with Parker making a surprisingly good expansion to her small role in the original. It was great to see Malkovich and Mirren back in action in such wonderful roles, and the addition of Anthony Hopkins really made this a pleasure to watch.

You’ll like this if you liked : R.I.P.D

American Mary (2012) 8/10

Starring : Katherine Isabelle, Antonio Cupo, Tristan Risk, David Lovgren, Paula Lindberg
Director : Jen & Sylvia Soska
Running Time : 103 mins

Promising medical student Mary Mason (Isabelle) finds opportunity knocking at her door when she unwittingly helps out a shady strip club owner with an emergency surgery on one of his employees. She is soon inundated with people wanting elective surgery, and she jumps at the chance of getting in some practice and making some much needed extra cash, but when she is drugged and raped by her college professor Dr Grant (Lovgren) she turns her attention to exacting revenge using the skills she has acquired.

I was surprised at how enjoyable this rape-revenge movie was, having expected it to be nothing more than a run-of-the-mill horror. Katherine Isabelle – best known for her title role in Ginger Snaps – is brilliant in this, and manages to convey her disdain for those she operates on while still showing that her character loves the money and attention. The supporting cast of misfits are both likeable and bizarre, but the ending leaves a little to be desired, even though the twist in the tale does come as something of a surprise.

You’ll like this if you liked : Maniac

The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013) 8/10

Starring : Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner
Director : Martin Scorsese
Running Time : 180 mins

Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio) just starts his first job on Wall Street as a stock broker when Black Monday hits and he finds himself looking for new work. He takes a job at a small company as a penny broker, selling stocks to the working class, and finds he is able to make thousands on the 50% mark –up. It isn’t long before he establishes his own company, selling penny stocks to the rich, but soon finds himself being investigated by the FBI.

This movie is filled with some darkly hilarious moments that will at the very least bring a smile to your face. DiCaprio is great in the lead as the money hungry Wall Street wannabe that manages to make a career out of manipulating people into giving him their money. I couldn’t quite get to grips with the idea that this movie glamorised what Belfort did with his life – in spite of the sex and drugs lifestyle portrayed in the first half of the movie - as many thing go downhill for him, and I can only assume that some reviewers may not have watched the movie to its conclusion or read into the subtleties about Belfort’s personality.

You’ll like this if you liked : Goodfellas

Before Sunset (2004) 8/10

Starring : Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy
Director : Richard Linklater
Running Time : 81 mins

Having published his book about his romance with a French girl called Celine (Delpy), Jesse Wallace (Hawke) runs into her on the final day of his book tour. The two try to pick up where they left off nine years earlier, discussing their love lives in the years between their last meeting, and how they remember details differently from each other.

This sequel to the 1995 classic Before Sunrise takes the relationship of the two protagonists to the next level. Nine years have passed since they last saw each other, but they manage to pick up where they left off, even though Jesse is apparently married with a son. The script is sharp and manages to trundle along in real time without you even noticing how much time has passed. The ending is ambiguous and doesn’t really tell us what happens next, so I guess I’ll have to sit down and watch Before Midnight to find out.

You’ll like this if you liked : In Search Of A Midnight Kiss

I Give It A Year (2013) 7/10

Starring : Rose Byrne, Anna Faris, Rafe Spall, Simon Baker
Director : Dan Mazer
Running Time : 94 mins

Against the advice of their friends and family, Nat (Byrne) and Josh (Spall) get married after a seven month whirlwind romance, but as their one year anniversary looms on the horizon, the two start to wonder if they made the right choice, with Josh becoming attracted to his ex-girlfriend Chloe (Faris) who has shown back up on the scene, and Nat falling for her charismatic client Guy (Baker).

This romantic comedy is a pleasant antidote to the traditional rom-coms that have been knocking around for the last whoever knows how many years. The leads are likeable in their ability to annoy each other throughout the movie, and the non-Hollywood ending manages to still feel quite conventional. A great comedy for long-time couples to watch, but new couples should be wary – this could ruin everything!

You’ll like this if you liked : The Knot

New York, I Love You (2009) 5/10

Starring : Bradley Cooper, Hayden Christensen, Andy Garcia, Rachel Bilson, Natalie Portman, Irfan Khan, Emilie Ohana, Orlando Bloom, Christina Ricci, Maggie Q, Ethan Hawke, Anton Yelchin, James Caan, Olivia Thirlby, Drea de Matteo, Julie Christie, John Hurt, Shia LaBeouf, Ugur Yucel, Taylor Geare, Carlos Acosta, Shu Qi, Chris Cooper, Robin Wright Penn, Eli Wallach, Cloris Leachman
Director : Faith Akin, Yvan Attal, Randall Balsmeyer, Allen Hughes, Shunji Iwai, Wen Jiang, Shekhar Kapur, Joshua Marston, Mira Nair, Natalie Portman & Brett Ratner
Running Time : 104 mins

In this series of ten short films, all connected by the city of New York, a series of couples find love in some very wide and varied ways.

To say the least, this movie is very schmaltzy. The stories are primarily verbal, with the action taking a back burner to the apparently romantic words of the characters involved. Fans of movies such as Valentine’s Day and New Years Eve may find this a pleasant watch, but this is far more artsy than the over the top stories found in the films of Garry Marshall.

You’ll like this if you liked : Valentine’s Day

To Rome With Love (2012) 5/10

Starring : Woody Allen, Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig, Ellen Page
Director : Woody Allen
Running Time : 112 mins

A series of romantic encounters are told against the backdrop of the city of Rome, including some standard romances and their farcical comings and goings.

This is a terrible movie that even a devout fan of Woody Allen would find difficult to stomach. There are some okay, though predictable storylines, such as the French farce of one man’s parents thinking a prostitute who has accidentally found her way into his hotel room is his fiancée, but all in all this is a self indulgent piece that really shows that Allen is losing his touch (if he ever truly had it) as he tries desperately to write realistic characters that come across as nothing more than whiny and hateful.

You’ll like this if you liked : Whatever Works

Love Birds (2011) 7/10

Starring : Rhys Darby, Sally Hawkins, Faye Smythe, Bryan Brown
Director : Paul Murphy
Running Time : 102 mins

When workman Doug (Darby) is dumped out of the blue by his long-time girlfriend Susan (Smythe), he feels like his world is collapsing around him, so when he finds an injured shell duck he decides to try and nurse it back to health in a sort of attempt to forget his troubles. When he tries to get information about how to help the ailing duck, he meets bird expert Holly (Hawkins) and finds himself falling for her.

This is a cute romantic comedy that really does a good job of showcasing the talents of Rhys Darby. The supporting cast of characters are likeable and funny, while the gradual relationship between Darby and Hawkins, though it feels a little forced, it at most times believable and does encourage the audience to route for them to stay together in spite of their character flaws.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Rebound

World War Z (2013) 7/10

Starring : Brad Pitt, Mirielle Enos, Daniella Kertesz
Director : Marc Forster
Running Time : 124 mins

Gerry Lane (Pitt) and his family find their worlds turned upside down when a bizarre and unknown infection causes people to be transformed into flesh-eating zombie like creatures. As a former UN investigator, he is coerced into taking on a dangerous mission to discover what the cause of the outbreak is, and to try to discover if there is any sort of cure before all of mankind is devoured.

In spite of being action packed and filled with visually stunning effects, this is a little bit on the humdrum side with very little actual character to any of the characters involved in the film. Everyone is pretty one-dimensional with barely any background or personality to make you care when they get eaten alive or whatever. Worth watching for the effects, but don’t expect to be wowed by the script.

You’ll like this if you liked : Transformers : Dark Of The Moon

The Invincible Iron Man (2007) 7/10

Starring : Marc Worden, Gwendolyn Yeo, Rodney Saulsberry, Elisa Gabrielli, John McCook, James Sie, Fred Tatasciore
Director : Patrick Archibald & Jay Oliva
Running Time : 84 mins

Tony Stark (Worden), an American billionaire inventor, is injured on a trip to China by a group called the Jade Dragons and is forced to rely on an artificial heart. When he discovers that the excavation site his people have been working on may lead to the release and resurrection of former ruler of China the Mandarin (Tatasciore), he dons a metallic suit of his own invention to stop him and takes on the mantle of the Iron Man.

The Marvel animated movies are a little hit and miss, but this was actually pretty entertaining. The characters are a little stereotypical and don’t really do anything great, but the storyline was interesting and, though little children may get bored, older kids will like the twists in the tale and the action sequences.

You’ll like this if you liked : Ultimate Avengers

Grudge Match (2013) 7/10

Starring : Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Kim Basinger, Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin
Director : Peter Segal
Running Time : 114 mins

Henry ‘Razor’ Sharp (Stallone) and Billy ‘The Kid’ McDonnen (De Niro) were boxing rivals who never go to fight their deciding match, due to Sharp deciding to retire. Thirty years later, while working on a computer game, the two get into a spat and the video goes viral, prompting promoter Dante Slate (Hart) to ask them to stage one final deciding match. The question is, does the public care who wins a fight between two sixty year old men?

This light-hearted drama that combines Rocky with Raging Bull manages to combine humour and drama in a pretty clever way. The overall humorous arc of two ageing fighters coming back to prove their worth is aptly twinned with the plots concerning their personal lives and how they’ve managed them over the years. De Niro is pretty good in this, but Stallone feels too serious for what is basically a comedy, and it would have been nice if he had a few more laughs in this.

You’ll like this if you liked : Rocky Balboa

What Doesn’t Kill You (2008) 6/10

Starring : Ethan Hawke, Mark Ruffalo, Amanda Peet
Director : Brian Goodman
Running Time : 101 mins

Small time criminal and alcoholic Brian Reilly (Ruffalo) is trying his best to get back on the straight and narrow and sort out his life, but his best friend Paulie McDougan (Hawke) convinces him to get involved in one last big job – the robbery of an armoured car that will set them up for life.

Based on the life of director Brian Goodman, this is a pretty boring and unconvincing movie that tries its best to portray realistic characters but ends up giving us characters that are one-dimensional and dull. Hawke and Ruffalo aren’t that great in this movie, and it’s little surprise it took five years for this to get a straight to DVD release in the UK.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Town