Brilliant To The Awful - Movies Watched In 2015

I haven't seen the first 2 installments but based on this one I'm sure they're a lot of fun. It's a silly, entertaining flick with plenty of action that also brings belly laugh after belly laugh. Danny Trejo and Danny Glover are brilliant together and share great chemistry. Sure, it's predictable but how can you not like this movie when everybody onscreen is having fun. It is what it is: two old guys fighting for what is right and a decent blend of humour and action. I liked it.

The movie based on the book "Man Into Woman", a diary kept by one of the first people to go thru a trans-gender experience, dictate the pace of the whole movie. Both Alicia Vikander and Eddie Redmayne give excellent performances, bringing to the surface their emotions and tragic gut wrenching journey of their feelings. It does however capture the essence of the times (1920s Europe) of how society viewed this and the utter lack of knowledge of the medical establishment at the time. I did not expect much from the movie and was pleasantly surprised by the crisp editing, transitions, and attention paid to era details. The movie does have good closure towards the end, even if it is a bit tragic. Well worth a watch.

The 8th movie by Quentin Tarantino is another masterpiece by the maverick director. Simply no one these days makes a movie like him, from expertly crafted long takes, fantastically snappy dialog, and incredible production design, his movies truly are experiences you will never forget. The story is precisely handled by Tarantino and becomes like many of his movies, a genre mix, this time of western, comedy, detective thriller and a mystery. The script is intense, with some of the best monologues I have seen this year. Its 168 minute run time is well paced with an undeniable flow. I personally loved the structure and thought the flashback sequence was perfectly executed. It's an exceptional achievement by Tarantino and all the cast and crew involved.

A brilliant documentary charting the rise of now retired undefeated boxing champion Joe Calzaghe. It tells the tale of Joe's rise to fame in the South Wales valleys and his big time fights that would cement his legendary status as a classy boxer. It focuses a lot on Joe and his trainer father Enzo's relationship and how Enzo would bring the best out of Joe when the chips were down in certain fights. We don't get to see enough of Joe the person just the fighter. If you are a fan of boxing or Calzaghe you should watch this.

Nothing like a good documentary about people doing spectacular things to inspire you to do great. Three mountain climbers attempt to reach the top of an impossible mountain. Despite failing to reach the top their first time around, the impossible task does not stop them from trying again.

It's an amazing insight about mountain climbing as we watch these men doing what they love doing and were met to do. It's seems crazy what they are doing and the documentary does not hide how crazy it is but it also makes you understand that they had to do it cause this is their passion. The footage from Jimmy Chin was perfect at capturing the harsh conditions of the weather on top of Meru. One image that really got to me was when the mountain started to poor down hard ice. You could not even call it rain or hail. It seemed brutal. Then they would switch it up with beautiful shoots of climbers going up the hill in such a beautiful atmosphere. I could feel the crisp air. Meru is a visually stunning journey accompanied by brave and inspiring fellows. It is more than most movies wish they could convey. Superb.

A good horror movie about a couple and their baby who move into a cottage near a forest somewhere in secluded Ireland. They disturb the fairy creatures who live in the forest and they set about getting their revenge on the couple. The scares in The Hallow come on on quite early. This should make the impatient viewer quite happy. There is a nominal amount of ratcheting up the tension in this movie which is followed by an abundance of reasonably well executed creature scares. The creatures themselves tap into a supposedly Irish mythology about spirits and fairy like creatures that "assimilate" those who violate their forest haven.

There's a lot to like here. The setting is suitably creepy, the premise is well established and convincing. What's also refreshing is the couples very sane reaction when confronted with the creatures, that is, to run like hell. Perhaps the only downside to this movie, I felt, was its early introduction of the monsters. I believe this movie would have been more effective with more gradual tension. That said, The Hallow still hits all the right horror buttons and does so in a convincing and creative manner. Great to watch.

The movie of the year - no doubt about it! This engrossing movie will finally land Leonardo DiCaprio his first Oscar and man does he earn it. The movie is about a fur trapper Hugh Glass who is left for dead by his men after being mauled by a bear which is truly stunningly executed. The scene is not too short nor too long. It's just perfect and realistic enough. We witness a man pushed to the brink of his death who keeps going to survive led on by his revenge. Tom Hardy is terrifying in a character of pure selfishness and does not allow a hint of sympathy. DiCaprio in his most physical role to date is outstanding. You are able to feel his pain and suffering. From beginning to end I was at the edge of my seat, willing Glass to survive so that he can extract his revenge. Overall this is a brutal, violent and rough movie, but it's also beautiful, the views are breath-taking, with powerful performances and superb directing. A must-see.

A wonderful movie depicting a pivotal moment in women's history - that of the suffragette movement and the fight for the right to vote and equality. It ties real historical events into a realistic story about the hardships women dealt with just a century ago. This historical drama incorporates realistic period costumes and accurately spot-on settings to depict how women were considered less competent and less deserving of rights than men. The brutality of the police against these women was disgusting. Carey Mulligan did an exceptional job of playing a woman who is at first conflicted and caught between what she knows is the right thing to do, with the consequences it will have on her life. In fact all of the actors in this movie were superb. Definitely a must-see to see how far we've come during the past 100 years and an inspiring movie for women. Highly recommended.

A geologist senses there is something wrong on his last day at work in the observatory measuring movements in the mountain Åkneset, which lingers high above the Geiranger fjord. The others think he exaggerates, but then more happens. An avalanche triggers a huge tsunami which is heading towards the town of Geiranger.

This Norwegian disaster movie is quite impressive. The story builds up great excitement and tension, and the viewer start to care about the geologist and his family. Given the movie had a small budget, it looks like a Hollywood production with it's special effects. Some of the scenes are very well done. The underwater scenes are totally believable, and so is the devastation the giant wave leaves behind. There's nothing new about the story or with the characters but if you're looking to be entertained you can't go wrong with it.

The movie is a biopic of author Bill Bryson, who has lived out the last two decades exploring Britain and authoring books before returning to New Hampshire and living peacefully with his wife. After the death of someone he knows, he comes up with the idea to hike over 2,000 miles along the Appalachian Trail as a testament to the will of a person and to become reacquainted with the soil he left decades ago with a friend he hasn't seen for ages. Robert Redford and Nick Nolte are excellent and make a perfect team together. It's like a mature buddy movie where the gentle comedy and the musings on life from the two friends play against the stunning cinematography that's shown. If you're a fan of Bryson and his books I'm sure this movie will appeal to you. I really enjoyed it.

You know and expect cinematic brilliance when it's a Tom Hanks‬ and ‪Steven Spielberg‬ movie, and that is exactly what ‪‎Bridge Of Spies‬ delivers. Be it the story, acting, screenplay, dialogs, casting, editing or the background music score, it is all spot on! Tom Hanks is as always brilliant but watch out for Mark Rylance, who will leave you mesmerised with his very real performance of Rudolf Abel. Spielberg treats each frame with such care that you are just amazed at the authenticity and reality of it! If you do watch movies with a keen eye, you will notice how easily and almost perfectly, Spielberg transitions between story lines. Go watch it if you genuinely enjoy brilliant movies! This is a movie for people who truly appreciate the art of classic cinema, but with entertainment.

This movie tells the true story of identical twin gangsters Reggie and Ronnie Kray, two of the most notorious criminals in British history, as they build their organized crime empire and terrorize London during the 1950s and 60s. Tom Hardy is the reason you see this movie. His double performance was captivating, and the special effects that made this binary show possible were just as impressive. Within mere minutes of this movie you completely forget that one man plays these two characters. Hardy is able to convincingly disappear into each, playing the sane Reggie Kray with charming subtlety and the insane Ronnie with unnerving humour.

And while Hardy is excellent, the rest of the movie is sadly not. As an overall movie, it's not that compelling to watch. Historically speaking, it's intriguing for sure; it's just not something that'll keep you on the edge of your seat for over 2 hours. This has a lot to do with the tonally incoherent nature of this movie; it doesn't know what it wants to be, juggling drama and comedy quite unevenly. If you want to watch a more interesting take on the Kray twins, watch the Kemp brothers' 1990 version instead.

Simple, straightforward and predictable, the second Pixar's production of the year might not be creative as usual, appear to be familiar and formulaic plot but overall still has no problem to become a holiday enjoyment of the young and the old one. The main part of the story sets between human and the dinosaur based on a reversed formula which the dinosaur talks; it is a smooth A to Z educational animation which is filled with a lot of positive values that intends to influence the young adults. Presented in colourful photorealistic sets, it is visually stunning and there are certainly some beautiful scenes without any single dialogue, which effectively works well. The adventure of grow and learn, cherishing family bonding and appreciating the value of friendship are the three major elements of usual Pixar's trademark, not only adorable, charming and family-friendly, but also emotionally engaging at certain times. Overall The Good Dinosaur is a simple story with a joyous heart.

This tells the true story of the Essex, a whaling ship and it's crew who encounter a gigantic sperm whale. This gigantic whale causes the Essex to sink. Now, it is up to Owen Chase, the first officer and the rest of his crew to somehow survive the harsh conditions at sea and also be alert for the return of the whale. The true story of this movie, inspired Herman Melville's famous novel, Moby Dick.

In the Heart of the Sea is a spectacular movie with a brilliant storyline. The CGI is perfect and the whales in the movie look extremely realistic and intimidating. Director Ron Howard perfectly captures the suffering of all the crew members of the Essex. He makes sure that the movie is not just about the special effects and adventure but also adds dramatic set pieces. Chris Hemsworth gives the best performance of his career as Owen Chase. Hemsworth's dramatic weight loss for the movie, shows the dedication and hard work he put in for his role. This is a must watch movie.

"Dracula Untold" is an underrated action movie with the story of the origin of Dracula. This movie has a dramatic and full of action story, disclosed through great screenplay, special effects and music score. Luke Evans is perfect in the role of a prince capable of an ultimate sacrifice to save his beloved family and people. It is funny to see comments by many viewers that this vampire action movie does not have historical accuracy. It's not meant to have any! That's why the title of the movie says "untold". I thought it was a perfectly balanced movie with the right dose of action, emotion, intrigue and a great ending. Give it a shot.

The movie is essentially a buddy comedy where a talk show host played by James Franco and his producer played by Seth Rogen head to North Korea to interview Kim Jong Un. Before they go the CIA however gives them the task of assassinating the leader. It plays on the opposites that are the characters with Franco's being a somewhat dumb, naive and hotheaded character with Rogen's being more level headed.

A lot of the comedy is derived on the interaction and dialog of Rogen and Franco but it is here that I find it doesn't always work. Franco's character is just far too over the top, a bit obnoxious even, and just gets on your nerves quite quickly. The plot line gets pretty absurd quickly but that is of course to be expected. The movie has it's moments and it is funny at times but I find it ends up being just mediocre and you keep wishing that Franco's character wouldn't speak as much. Passable entertainment but nothing spectacular.

Pan is a decent movie with a well developed storyline and a great cast. It's an enjoyable family movie that I believe critics have been too harsh on, it's an original take on the beloved Peter Pan that tells the story of how he became the "boy who never grew up", with a charming performance from Levi Miller, a young and promising actor, as well as a great supporting cast from the likes of Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund and Rooney Mara. I think the biggest mistake this movie makes is that it tries to be different from the original story. It is also surprisingly dark. It's not the perfect family movie you'll see but it is still enjoyable with charming performances and great special effects.

This movie is based on the story of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit's walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on August 7, 1974. A must watch for all movie lovers. Joseph Gordon Levitt does a phenomenal job playing Philipppe and exudes unbridled enthusiasm, irresistible charm and innate bashfulness inherent to the character. Mind blowing direction and cinematography. Director Robert Zemeckis has done a wonderful job in recreating the actual events of Petit's life. Ben Kingsley add to the story immensely, including completing the angles for the romance and comedy little inserts which further enrich this movie's experience. The actual walk itself on the wire is jangling edge of your seat stuff. This movie takes you on an emotional ride but in the end leaves you with happiness and makes you ponder on your own dreams and develop faith that you can achieve them. Excellent stuff.

This is a decent cannibal flick. Yes,it is also a big mess. You've got Stone Age cannibals, a Jim Jones-type cult, hired assassins and brutal animal butchery thrown on-screen every five minutes just to keep the viewer awake. As for the gore, one has to wait an inordinate amount of time for the crimson to really start flying, but the last half-hour has some truly revolting mayhem on display. One native has his penis cut off before being speared. A woman has her breast cut off then eaten; another girl is completely dismembered. "Eaten Alive" is quite nasty at times, but it is a joke in comparison to "Cannibal Holocaust" or even "Make Them Die Slowly". If you love Italian splatter cinema you won't be disappointed.

Wolfen is something different to the many monster movies floating around. If you watch this expecting to see the usual mix of slash and gore then you will perhaps be disappointed or as was in my case pleasantly surprised. Wolfen is not a Werewolf/Horror movie although at times it does attempt to be so, which is where the confusion arises for the viewer. On one side we have the Wolfen portrayed as highly evolved beings merely protecting their environment yet on the other side they shown to be remorseless killers as and where the plot dictates. However do not let this paradox put you off a movie that is both scary and genuinely thought provoking.

The scenes set in and around areas of urban decay, particularly that of the church, are chilling and suspenseful. Whilst the Wolfen POV camera work is groundbreaking and still effective by today's standards. Wolfen on the whole is a well made movie, excellent use of music (or lack of it)to generate suspense and quality actors and acting help bring you into the story behind the Wolfen. Definitely a horror movie with a difference that deserves to be checked out.

This is a home invasion/survival movie in which a family is subjected to being attacked in their home by a gang of masked individuals. This movie brings no novelty, but does a great job at delivering the great tension and suspense associated with this specific genre of horror. Where the movie truly excels, is that it adds some really clever elements of crime and comedy to the genre, making it really unique. The movie does a fantastic job at giving you true/false hints about who could be involved in the invasion; and you really spend an hour wondering if it's true and who could it be? Second, the movie, which starts on a serious tone, gradually and subtly incorporates comedy elements in it. Towards the end it is hilarious, but never overrated or absurd, keeping the film on the horror track at all time. There is also great deal of gore in the film, and gore-hounds will find their lot of brutal kills. The main actress, and the character she plays, also needs to be mentioned for she is, at the image of the movie, a real bad-ass! You're Next is both true to the genre and innovative. The balance between horror, crime and comedy is really good.

M. Night Shyamaian has directed a lot of duds recently. This movie, however, is a somewhat return to form though it is far from being up there with his best. The movie consists of a camcorder documentary by two children, a 15-year-old girl and an 13-year-old boy, who go and visit the grandparents they've never seen. Initially the pair come off as nice until night time when strange things begin to happen at the house the kids are staying.

The acting is great. Olivia De Jonge is incredibly talented, but the show stealer is rapper/ladies man Tyler, played by Ed Oxenbould bringing some much needed comic relief to counter the tense atmosphere of the movie. Nana and Pop Pop set the mood slowly, the tension builds at every interaction, and one thing is certain, they will make you hesitate to send your kids away to their grandparents at the next school break. Not wanting to give away too much, I will finish by saying, there is a very slight Shyamaian trademark twist, maybe more obvious than his previous ones, but overall this is a stripped down basic horror piece, that will keep you on edge and make you paranoid of old folks after finishing watching it.

This movie is proof that not every movie needs to have Academy Award winning performances, a gripping plot and special effects to be enjoyable. Mannequin is certainly not a spectacular piece of cinematic achievement, but its simplicity and light-heartedness is what makes it great! The entire plot is quite silly and full of holes, but the movie is pure fun. Andrew McCarthy is endearing and Kim Cattrall is fun and witty as the bubbly mannequin. This movie is rife with great one-liners and funny situations and of course a great musical montage. A delightful rom-com from the 80's.

Set in 1976 Swansea, "Hunky Dory" follows charismatic drama teacher Viv as she attempts to stage a rock-opera version of Shakespeare's "The Tempest", set on Mars. Predictably, the play serves as a catalyst to examine and solve some of the students' problems. What the plot lacks in originality is more than made up for by the stellar ensemble cast. Minnie Driver provides a strong, believable lead performance, supported by Aneurin Barnard, as troubled student Davey, and backed by a surprisingly good cast of relatively unknown young actors.

Without a doubt, the best thing about "Hunky Dory" is the great soundtrack, which is performed entirely by the talented, young cast. The film features a staggering selection of classic 1970s rock artists, such as Pink Floyd, The Who, The Beach Boys, with an emphasis on David Bowie, whose album the film takes its title from. Overall, it is an entertaining, if schmaltzy and clichéd, movie.

This low budget Canadian horror/comedy qualifies as a landmark in the tried-and-truested werewolf movie genre. The above-average chiller about an alcoholic, never' do well, Sheriff's deputy breaks new ground with its outrageous comedy and things you might not have seen before. The story is about Sheriff's Deputy Lou Garou. He amounts to no role model, and he is the least qualified individual to serve and protect. Lou loves to booze it up, and he munches on donuts. But come the full moon at night and Lou transforms into Wolfcop!

This movie is just a lot of fun to watch and definitely doesn't take itself seriously. Considering the budget for the movie, the transformation effects as Lou sheds his human skin to become Wolfcop is really good. I went to watch this with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. The movie also has a 80's charm to it that I liked and it reminded me a bit of movies back in the day. It may not appeal to all tastes, but it was engaging, amusing, and lively. Wolfcop 2 hits the screens next year!

An orphaned young girl is sent to stay with her poorly Uncle but is immediately set upon by a frightening figure in black who warns her to leave the house. The figure always seems to vanish into 'nowhere'. Who is trying to scare the girl away and why?

A brilliant British CFF production with it's nod to Scooby Doo in it's unmasking of the villain. Although leaving out any blood or gore, there was something to be said for establishing a simple, spooky premise and allowing it to play out to its natural conclusion (rather than its supernatural conclusion), which was achieved here with some class. The cast is wonderful with a great performance from it's young lead in Sarah Hollis Andrews who had achieved fame during 1975 in BBC1's The Secret Garden. Although not a particularly frightening movie, this quaint children's movie is worth checking out.

Funny and grossly violent horror comedy with a very accurate title - a trio of scouts find themselves in the midst of a zombie outbreak and resort to their mad skills in survival by saving the day for humanity as well as gain some self-respect in the process. Great mix of comedy and graphic terror with some firsts for the sub genre (zombie penis anyone?) that plays smarter than it should be thanks to a fun screenplay. In terms of comedy think 'The Inbetweeners' meets 'American Pie' - so expect plenty of slapstick and some toilet-humour. But it's funny toilet-humour, with plenty of good gags and some genuine laugh-out-loud moments. Although the storyline is traditional, there is a great deal of inventiveness, certainly enough to keep the modest ardent zombie fan happy. I loved it.

What a charming movie. Unlike most animated movies nowadays, this doesn't rely on crude, modern humour to be funny. It manages to stay innocent throughout, and still bring laughs to both older and younger audiences. The concept of the story is simple. Charlie Brown wants the new girl to like him, and not see him as a loser as everyone else does. Sounds a bit cliché, but the way the movie executes it makes it a sweet, original story. The animation is stunning. I have yet to see anything like it. It looks like stop motion mixed with CGI. The characters stay true to their comic and classic cartoon selves. The Peanuts Movie is a refreshing movie. It was nice to sit back and see something that is both innocent and fun. I certainly enjoyed the movie, and not only do I recommend it for anyone who likes Charlie Brown, but I recommend for, well, anyone. I think anyone can enjoy this movie. It's a must see. 8 out of 10.

In the future a team of soldiers who are tasked with protecting the last female in the world who can give birth, try to make their way out of a maze of underground tunnels while being hunted down by a deadly alien creature.

A relentless and grim indie-movie, reminiscent of The Descent, in terms of tight spaces, part homage to Alien with it's creature design. It's a dark movie with tight metal shafts, torch lit, choking soil filled tunnels as Tank and company try to find their way out. Lead Nicole Alonso's performance as Tank and costume peaks interest. The practical creature design deserve a mention being well hidden until the closing act. Given the nature of the movie, the dialogue is sparse and the sound design is effective. This is a slow burning low budget feature (costing $8k) that will certainly disturb claustrophobics. It does a lot with its limited budget. Well worth checking out

Wow, that's all I've got to say about this movie. After the disappointing prequel trilogy, director JJ Abrams nails it to deliver the Star Wars movie that the fans demanded. It's a perfect tribute to the original trilogy which introduces new characters and sees some familiar faces return from the past. The standout character is Daisy Ridley's Rey. Rey shines onscreen in every scene she's in. A strong positive female lead. I look forward to seeing how her character develops over the trilogy. Harrison Ford is also fantastic as the returning Han Solo. The movie was perfect in every way - full of thrills and spills, some funny humour and drama. You couldn't ask for anything more really if you're a Star Wars fan.

Although this boxing movie has Rocky Balbao in it, the story isn't all about him. It's about the son of his longtime friend Apollo Creed who wants Rocky to train him to be a boxing champ. From start to finish, this film exhilarates and crackles with brilliant on screen performances and masterfully directed fight sequences. It wholeheartedly captures what was so brilliant about the first Rocky movie: the characters. It's like a complete reinvention of what made the Rocky movies a big hit in the first place all done under the stylish direction of Ryan Coogler. There are major nods, throwbacks and flashbacks to the previous Rocky movies. The main fight is awesome, powerful and will definitely bring out some nostalgia during the final round. This movie is definitely an experience and a beautiful tribute to the Rocky series and will hopefully start something new. An awesome movie.

This is an exploitative movie about bored youths killing and sleeping their way across the land of convenience stores and cheap motels or is it a cry for help for the disaffected, nihilistic American youth of today?

Rose McGowan and two guys hit the road. Some people would call it America. The Doom Generation calls it Hell. The number 666 saturates the landscape. Their motel room number, the price of their chili dogs, in fact, every number is 666. It all makes sense since they are in Hell. A Hell they may have created with their nonstop violence and meaningless sex? Rose McGowan has a "Pulp Fiction" Uma Thurman-type haircut which looks great on her. There's plenty of blood and guts as the killer trio seems to find a reason to kill some loser at every stop. It's not for everyone's taste but I liked it.

The sleeper hit of the Summer. The plot follows a married couple as they transition into a new job, new house, new neighbours, new friends, basically a new life. As they shop for furniture the husband encounters an old acquaintance from high school, with a creepy demeanour and an obvious grudge from something that happened in the past. The movie is a great psychological thriller with the director also giving a fantastic performance as the man with a grudge. The best performance though in the movie goes to Jason Bateman. Transferring from a comedy actor into a serious role is hard but he pulled it off. This movie gets you thinking after the credits roll about how words from the past can really hurt and damage people! Go watch it, you won't regret it! What goes around, comes around!

A superb boxing drama. It follows a powerful boxing world champion who is undefeated. His main source of support is his tough and beautiful wife. He survives and succeeds as long as she's around because she's his emotional source of support, as well as a great manager who knows and understands his mercurial nature. Unfortunately, a tragic turn of events leaves him widowed, and because of his temper he neglects himself and exposes his daughter to drugs and violence. This will place new demands on him. The question remains whether he will be able to conquer those challenges and regain control of his personal and professional career. Jake Gyllenhall is excellent as a broken and tortured man who loses his way and finds an opportunity to rise to the top again thanks to a new trainer played wonderfully by Forrest Whittaker. There are some powerful boxing pieces - every punch is felt, every potential knock out takes our breath, and watching the winner take the prize is indeed an exhilarating experience. With a brilliant script and top notch acting by the cast, this is a fantastic movie not to be missed.

Between Evil Dead 2 and Darkman, the Raimi Brothers wrote this movie. It is supposed to be a parody of those biker movies playing at the drive-ins in the 60s. The whole concept of the biker girls stealing babies to have the females raised by wolves while the boys (useless) are sold on the black market and the male bikers quest for a truly good light beer should tip one off that they have entered a surreal world the Raimi brothers alone could create. The jail scene with the male bikers would be worth the price of admission alone to hear them try to pass themselves off as a traveling gospel group and then breaking out in a dynamite version of Rock of Ages! The female bikers are hot and Bruce Campbell is funny as he always is. Not the best from the Raimi Brothers but it will make you laugh.

A creepy prequel to The Conjuring. This is ultimately a horror movie depicting a poor new mother who seems to deal with a terrifying entity all on her own. Picture perfect husband is so positive, that he is oblivious to the problem that plagues his wife and newborn baby. Obviously the doll is a conduit for the evil presence that is after the mother's soul and uses her love for her child to get it. Its a solid premise that is muddled and overachieved by inconsistencies and strange decision-making. There are certain actions that takes place in the movie which are never fully explained and this kinds of spoils it somehow. However, the doll is extremely creepy, the movie is packed to the brim with startling moments, a scary, black demon creature and good performances that create genuine tension and paranoia. It might not be brilliant but those that love a good fright will enjoy it.

Mockingjay Part 2 serves as a great and somewhat satisfying finale of the Hunger Games franchise. To be clear, the movie is entertaining, and fans of the previous movies will surely be happy, but just know the franchise clearly peaked with Part 1. There is a good mix of entertaining action sequences mixed with romance. However, at this point the romantic triangle feels so forced it's more of a distraction, than a sub-plot. The action helps make the movie entertaining, but what really makes the movie is Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. At the this point Lawrence has made Katniss Everdeen an extension of herself, to the point that she embodies the character. She is awesome in this movie. In short I really enjoyed the movie and I think it's a good ending to the series.

One of the worst ninja martial arts/action movie you'll ever see. It excels in truly terrible acting, action sequences and dialogue. Even the music soundtrack sounds like it's been ripped off from the Miami Vice TV series. It seems that two movies have been spliced into one to create this crapfest. There is absolutely zilch to recommend here. Just stay away from this abomination. I'm doing everybody a favour here!!!

This is a very funny and extremely gory horror comedy from New Zealand. It is similar in vein to Braindead and The Evil Dead 2 in that it doesn't take it itself seriously at all. The amount of slashed body parts and the inventive ways they use to do it is just hilarious. The script might not be the best ever but that's not what it is about with a movie like this. The movie's central theme is around metal music, which even though I'm not a fan of, actually makes zero difference to its enjoyment factor. It was laugh-out-loud funny and so gruesome that you couldn't take your eyes off it. Sometimes in these kinds of movies the acting and effects can be really average, but here the effects were fantastic and the actors were perfect for their characters. It seemed to me like everybody involved in this movie had a lot of fun making it and I hope by watching this you will too.

A really good British horror movie about a mother and her 2 children who move into an old farm house and find the place haunted by plague children that were killed there hundreds of years earlier. When it chills, it hits just the right spots. Interesting characters, some very nice touches with the creepy imagery and lighthearted humour, and a certain touch of eeriness that a lot of big budget horrors tend to be missing. Director James Crow does a brilliant job of slowly building the tension and allowing for genuine character development so that the audience are totally drawn in to the young family's story. I did find the ending to be poor though and kinda spoilt what had gone down before it but that's only a small gripe. Well worth checking out.

This is Daniel Craig's 4th outing as 007 and he doesn't disappoint. SPECTRE brings the humour from the Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore days back; along with the glamorous locations and the exquisite cast! All the elements of a classic Bond movie seems to have made it in this one! The humour, the locations, the women, the crazy gadgets, the top-secret villain lair, the villain himself (and must I say that Christoph Waltz' performance in this one was brilliant!) and of course, James Bond himself. I think this is one of Daniel Craig's best performance as 007. Honestly, if you haven't seen this movie, you need to!

A group of female friends travel to the woods for a fun weekend of camping and hiking... that turns into a nightmare. The story is simple, and there is nothing wrong with that, but with such a simple story, it needed to deliver on everything else it was offering, and sad to say, it didn't for me as it was rather predictable. I didn't think the acting was all that good. The violence and gore was OK. I had a lot of mixed feelings for this movie: on one hand it could of been something good to watch, on the other hand, it was just useless. Not worth bothering with really.

Cooties is a horror/action comedy that takes place in a town where a virus has transformed only the kids into zombie-like killing machines and it is up to a bunch of teachers including Elijah Wood, Alison Pill, and Leigh Whannell, to survive the onslaught of those little devils. This movie is definitely not one to be taken seriously, there is a huge emphasis on the silly over the top comedy, and logic and realism is mostly thrown out the window for just some silly, mindless, child head smashing entertainment. The cast was actually pretty good, they played their roles really well and most of the humour was pretty well timed, some of it a little predictable but was still funny. I liked Elijah Wood in this movie, i thought he played a very likable character, was funny, and you are always rooting for this guy to come out on top.

The ending was kinda meh, it ended very abruptly just as it got a little more interesting. There was also quite a bit of gore in this film and I'm not bothered by it but for people who don't like silly humour and gore then you are in for a nightmare. If you have ever wanted a movie where you could watch multiple kids get smashed in the face by a baseball pitcher machine and laugh about it then watch this movie!

Mr. Holmes, played by Ian McKellan is a wonderful movie to watch and enjoy. No CGI, no high pace action, no guns or superheroes. Just superb acting and an excellent script. The great detective is seen in his waning years, losing his memory and on the edge of senility. And there is this old case that bothers him and that forced him to retire. He knows something went wrong, but he can't quite put the finger on it. Nevertheless he tries to write the story as he recalls it, not with the embellishments as his old friend Dr Watson would have done. The story develops slowly and allows us to enjoy the acting of all three main characters and the slow progression of the case as Holmes himself is slowly losing it. A delightful movie to watch.

I genuinely loved this movie. The actors were all incredible, and the chemistry between the three main characters is perfect. It's a really fresh and original take on the whole "spy movie wherein they must prevent global catastrophe". The plot line is fresh and full of its own twists, and the movie itself does a beautiful job capturing the 60's and its European setting. The movie boasts the perfect combination of comedy and action; they are cleverly intertwined throughout. I especially enjoyed how the movie managed to be constantly funny without being vulgar and crude. If you're looking for a an action-filled, fast-paced comedy-drama, look no further! I really loved this movie and I'm very much looking hopefully forward to a sequel!

A lot of people are saying that the Monty Python team took inspiration from this movie to make Holy Grail. It isn't as bad as what some are saying. True, it could have been better though. There are some good points: with the thick rolling fog, deep forest, dark castles and rocky seacoast; this movie delivers on locations and on atmosphere. The acting is decent enough and Ciaran Madden is stunning as the heroine Linnet. What a shame that the fight scenes are badly choreographed and the plot is a bit flimsy. If you like Camelot/Arthurian fantasy movies it's only just worth checking out. There are far better movies in this genre out there.

Love him or hate him, this is an excellent documentary about the world's best football player. It's a behind the scenes look at his life and it shows Cristiano's relationship with his young son, the rest of his family and his agent. Call him arrogant on the pitch, he couldn't be more humble whilst off it. I got to know a different side to the man after watching this movie. He's a great person who really looks after his family. This is a must-see documentary for any football fan.

Guillermo Del Toro spends almost 10 years to make his imaginative horror love story onto the big screen, it works well as a periodic Gothic romance thanks to its beautiful setting and sumptuous costumes yet falls short due to its predictable plot at the very opening of the movie. It's a movie full with paintings, dreams, terrifying fantasy and the addition of several modern types disturbing scares that really fit perfectly into the story but the supernatural are far more lesser than expected. Both Mia Wasikowska and Tom Hiddleston deliver solid performance while Jessica Chastain surprises audiences the most in which she is able to have fun expanding the full potential of her eerie character physically, mentally and emotionally well. Despite the disappointing story line and the CGIs of the spirits which look like those in Mama, this artistic and sombre movie on a woman trapped in the social conventions is worth a watch for its creativity of combining both modern and classical elements. It's not Del Toro's best movie by a long shot though.

Goosebumps is a fun, family friendly movie. It captures the nostalgia from back when I was a kid, and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie throughout. The essential storyline is, monsters are released from R.L. Stine's manuscripts and cause mayhem through the town. We follow as the main leads attempt to put an end to the madness. The actors do a decent job throughout, and Jack Black really excels as R.L. Stine. Aside from him, the main cast is made up of relative unknowns, however they do an adequate job. The special effects are very well done, and the monsters look real. Overall, I don't feel this movie is going to win any awards, but if you just want to have a fun time then go check it out.

This is a poor amateurish no-budget fan boy production that I thought (or hoped) would be gory and sleazy, but actually it's just very pathetic and boring. If you're going to bring homage to the genre of horror without any money or equipment to work with, at least making something that is fun and entertaining. This is boring trash and easily one of the most unendurable things I've ever witnessed in my life. The acting and directing are atrocious, the lighting and sound handling are embarrassing and there isn't a single moment in the entire movie that qualifies as even remotely memorable. This movie is extreme torture and literally impossible to sit through without the consumption of heavy drugs!!!!