The Program

This review may contain spoilers!

What this film presents is a masterful performance from it's lead actor as well as incredible journey into a character's psychology. I would give The Program an 8.5/10.

The plot of this film is quite incredible, the study of Lance Armstrong's psychology as well as his elaborate doping program is pretty powerful in this film. I really can't think of the last time I saw a film that did a downward spiral of a lead protagonist so well. The pacing of the plot is really well done, you're absolutely hooked throughout. The cinematography is jaw dropping, there are some really powerful shots interspersed throughout the feature with one of my favourites the opening shot of Armstrong biking up a hill. The score for this film is beautiful, the heavy dark undertones go hand in hand with Foster's excellent portrayal.

Jesse Plemons, who played Floyd Landis, is really interesting as a morally conflicted character in this film; this is my all time favourite performance from Plemons. Lee Pace, who played Bill Stapleton, really works well as this sketchy corporate lawyer; his last line of the film where he gently tries to tell Foster that Nike is distancing themselves from him is one of my favourite scenes. Dustin Hoffman, who played Bob Hamman, is very laidback in this film but it works quite well for the role he plays; Hoffman is very nuanced in his delivery of this concerned businessman who has a lot to lose due to Armstrong. Chris O'Dowd, who played David Walsh, was a perfect choice for this film; he really rivaled Foster and I loved the amount of passion O'Dowd brought to his performance.

However the best performance of the film came from Ben Foster, who played Lance Armstrong. This could quite possibly be one of my favourite performances of the year, Foster's work on this character is quite simply mind blowing. There is an underdog aspect to Armstrong that makes us like him at first, he's charming and quite funny. There's a great scene where we see him share a genuine moment of empathy with a child suffering from cancer, it's quite a humbling scene in the film and reminds us of Armstrong's humanity. However that's the last we get of moments like that, from there on out we see Foster portray the dark side of Armstrong. The threats he delivered, the lies he so genuinely spun, even his sudden aggressive outbursts were displayed immaculately by Foster. My favourite scene of the film is one in which Foster practices what he is going to say in front of the media to a mirror; the scene is significant because you see the true deceptive nature of Armstrong here while also encountering a feeling of fear because Ben Foster is just that good of an actor.

While I was a big fan of the plot I must admit the first twenty minutes of the story was quite rushed, there could have been more attention to the first use of performance enhancing drugs as well as Armstrong's bout with cancer. The soundtrack for this film wasn't the best (excluding Leonard Cohen's 'Everybody Knows'), the tracks were all over the place and there didn't seem to be any consistent direction the soundtrack was taking. The editing was one of the worst qualities of the film, shots dragged on for too long or cuts would just come at really awkward times.

 Guillaume Canet, who played Medecin Michele Ferrari, felt like a cartoon character in this film; he was playing his role far too over the top to resemble anything convincing. Denis Menochet, who played Johan Bruyneel, didn't really have much screen presence in this film; his performance diminished against that of Foster and Plemons.

Creed

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For a Rocky film this isn't the best I've seen, but as a boxing film it really holds it's own. I would give Creed a 6.5/10.

What really drives the plot of this film is the Rocky subplot, throughout the film we're learning about what's happened since we last saw Rocky as well as seeing Rocky battle with cancer. The importance of Rocky to this franchise was always going to overshadow Adonis Creed's story from the minute Sylvester Stallone appeared in the first trailer. The ending is one of the strongest moments in the film, the battle between Creed and Conlan is an intense moment of action and emotion that is masterfully directed, written and acted out. In fact all of the fight scenes in this film are examples of incredible fight choreography, the blows that land look as intense as they did back in the original Rocky films. The cinematography has changed a lot from the past Rocky films but it's definitely for the better, there is some incredible flow in how the shots take in the intense battles. The soundtrack and score have always been strengths of the Rocky franchise and Creed shares these strengths, the score is particularly powerful in matching some of the best scenes of the film.

Michael B Jordan, who played Adonis Johnson, is an incredible lead, he plays a character that's really raw and you can really feel the aggression emanating from Jordan throughout.

However the best performance came from Sylvester Stallone, who played Rocky Balboa. This is a character that is immortal for Stallone, I could watch this man play Rocky a thousand times and he would still be as powerful as he was in the first Rocky. Stallone embraces Rocky as a genuine figure, a character who connects with anyone on screen and resembles a community figure. You can feel the weight of experience he has in training sequences but what really makes Rocky special is the amount of love and care he carries. Throughout these films and no less so in Creed, Rocky displays how much he cares for Adrian, Pauly, Apollo, and now Adonis; he's the heart of these films.

This is long for a Rocky film, in fact it is the longest one and you feel every second of it. A lot of that stems from the main plot around Adonis, you simply do not care about him as much because he lacks the heart that Rocky has shown. That isn't to lessen Jordan's performance but it's frankly just an example of a weak script. There is a love subplot in this film that feels a little contrived, more of a hook up than two people who actually care about each other like what we saw with Rocky and Adrian. The editing of this film is one of it's greatest flaws, the choice to pause the film upon stat profiles of the fighters is really jarring and detrimental to the film.

Tessa Thompson, who played Bianca, spearheads the weak romance subplot of the film; she lacks chemistry with jordan and you feel like her techno music story takes up too much time. Phylicia Rashad, who played Mary Anne Creed, isn't really in this film enough; they try to establish a strong emotional bond between her and Jordan but it doesn't really pay off. Tony Bellew, who played 'Pretty' Ricky Conlan, is a bit of a poorly written antagonist; at the end of the film his character completely one eighties and acts kindly towards Jordan which felt out of character. Ritchie Coster, who played Pete Sporino, is a character that is a slave to the plot; all he does is set the plot up to advance and then we never see him again once he's fulfilled that purpose. Graham McTavish, who played Tommy Holiday, was a woefully underutilised antagonist; he had a lot of potential but was confined to only two decent scenes. Ricardo McGill, who played Padman, is an example of the Rocky franchise's weakness; if you're a secondary trainer you don't feel like a character but rather background furniture.

Hotel Transylvania 2

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While Hotel Transylvania isn't the best animated film this year it delivers a really strong theme for children and adults. I would give Hotel Transylvania 2 a 6/10.

I think the strongest thing about this film is it's discussion about accepting and loving others even if they are different from you, it was a true focus of the film and very masterfully presented. The animation in this film has progressed a fair bit from the first Hotel Transylvania, just look at the first time we see Vlad or when the gang is flying on Blobby to see what I mean. The score and soundtrack for this film is really well put together, I love the way the soundtrack is used to enhance moments of comedy.

Adam Sandler, who voiced Dracula, is a fantastic lead in these films; he really makes many of the emotional high points that stand out within the film. Selena Gomez, who voiced Mavis, really comes into her own in this film; I love seeing her character take on the responsibilities of a parent and demonstrating that it doesn't always come naturally. David Spade, who voiced Griffin, is one of the strongest comedic presences within the film; I enjoyed the running gag of his 'invisible' girlfriend. Dana Carvey, who voiced Dana, was a fantastic parody of the modern camping experience; the sly digs at over the top safety regulations was some of my favourite comedic moments. Rob Riggle, who voiced Bela, was quite an intense antagonist even if he wasn't in it long; this is probably one of Riggle's most fearsome characters yet. Mel Brooks, who voiced Vlad, wasn't in the film long yet displayed some of the best character development of the film; I liked the angle this film takes to bridge the gaps between all generations through this character. Sadie Sandler, who voiced Winnie, is one of the better performances of the film; she has so much chemistry with Blinkoff and you care about her character.

However the best performance came from Asher Blinkoff, who voiced Dennis. This film thrived on this character and performance, the innocent nature of the kid meant that the theme was delivered that much better. Through Blinkoff you get some of the most adorable dialogue exchanges as well as comedic delivery. As I've already mentioned the chemistry between Blinkoff and Sadie Sandler was really strong and one of the best aspects of the film; however his chemistry with Adam Sandler was another fantastic part of the film.

This film didn't have much sense of direction which let down the plot, we had a bit of an opportunity to see Dennis grow up, but then the film became a sort of road trip film and it concluded with a giant monster brawl. This scattered plot was crammed with just too much and it didn't aid the pacing of the story, in fact this film was barely an hour and a half long and it dragged here and there. The film took too long to introduce a clear antagonist, Vlad and Bela only appeared in the last fifteen minutes of the film. The comedy aimed more towards adults fell flat more often than not, it was a bit cringeworthy at times.

Andy Samberg, who voiced Jonathan, gets by by delivering the bare minimum at times in this film; he certainly doesn't match Sandler or Gomez for voice talent. Kevin James, who voiced Frankenstein, doesn't actually do much in this film; he fades to the background in most scenes. Steve Buscemi, who voiced Wayne, just doesn't pique the audience's interest be they young or old; scenes that focus on Buscemi you hope flash by quickly. Keegan-Michael Key, who voiced Murray, wasn't a good choice for this recast; he goes far too over the top with his performance. Fran Drescher, who voiced Eunice, works well in live action material but has an unbearable voice for voice acting; I was quite thankful she wasn't in many scenes. Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman, who voiced Grandma Linda and Grandpa Mike, could have been used a lot better in this film; instead they just felt like minor bit roles. Jonny Solomon, who voiced Blobby, represents one of my biggest irks about animated films; I hate main characters that just make noise and are the source of cheap humour. Jon Lovitz, who voiced Phantom Of The Opera, was one of the jokes that really fell flat in this film; it was probably an addition that should have been cut from the film.

Love The Coopers

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This film is the lump of coal that signifies a terrible Christmas film. I would give Love The Coopers a 3.5/10.

Whoever edited this film really didn't get paid enough, I mean aside from the acting it was the masterful cutting that really pulled this film along. The style of the film created from the editing meant that some beats landed and the action of the film had more flow than the script really allowed for.

Diane Keaton, who played Charlotte, was the best I've seen her in recent years; Keaton was fantastic at acting flustered and really embodied the quirky mother role. Ed Helms, who played Hank, gave such a genuine performance; one of Helms' strengths is his ability to connect with others onscreen and develop a really engaging chemistry with them. Blake Baumgartner, who played Madison, was a phenomenal child performance in this film; her recurring joke was one of the better aspects of the film. Amanda Seyfried, who played Ruby, had so much chemistry with Arkin in this film; she was a very vulnerable role and Seyfried gave a great performance. Marisa Tomei, who played Emma, was erratic in this film in quite an entertaining way; I loved her scenes with Mackie as they were probably some of the best of the film. Olivia Wilde, who played Eleanor, wasn't the most immediately likeable character but Wilde really made her enjoyable; I liked seeing her play against Lacy and I certainly thought that their banter was a great aspect of the film. Jake Lacy, who played Joe, was a really likeable character in this film; Lacy brought so much charisma in this performance and he really stood out for me. Anthony Mackie, who played Officer Williams, was one of the very few actors in this film who presented an important theme really well; Mackie played a gay man and we understood the hardships of his life really well just from a couple of scenes with Mackie.

However the best performance came from Alan Arkin, who played Bucky. Arkin was the most likeable and charismatic person onscreen easily. I liked watching his scenes with Helms and Seyfried, he really connected with them and delivered some great lines alongside them. Ultimately I think I liked watching him try to extend a helping hand to someone who desperately needed it, one of the more inspired moments of the film even if the writer failed that particular storyline a bit.

Love The Coopers is an example of sloppy writing at it's lowest, sometimes you barely understand how characters are connected which is the very basic premise of the story. There are so many interweaving plotlines in this film but many of them are written poorly. For example Arkin and Seyfried having a sort of romance was strange, the Democratic/Republican accidental love story was obnoxious, the marital problems between Keaton and Goodman could have been developed much better. More often than not entire scenes of character development were dismissed offhand, one of the most significant examples was how Tomei elected to take a new approach after leaving Mackie then dismissed that in the very next scene. The pacing for this film was dragged out and I was barely engaged by the end of it. The choice to make the dog the narrator of the film was probably the nail on the coffin for this agonising Christmas tale. The cinematography was quite basic and it was very clear that the director didn't have much vision when it came to their own film. The soundtrack was all over the place, but most prominently it was slow and the film suffered for it.

John Goodman, who played Sam, felt like he was barely trying in this film; frankly he just seemed tired and I wasn't convinced he really cared. Alex Borstein, who played Angie, was a bit of an absurd over the top character; she was far too intense to be taken seriously. Timothee Chalamet and Molly Gordon, who played Charlie and Lauren Hesselberg respectively, presented the most disgusting plotline of the film; the two kids got to learn the joy of French kissing and nearly boning in a hospital (Hollywood you really outdo yourself every time). Maxwell Simkins, who played Bo, didn't have the ability to play a major role; he just wasn't a great child actor. June Squibb, who played Aunt Fishy, probably didn't need to be in this film; she was mostly there for the lowbrow humour.

Secret In Their Eyes

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It's a good story with a great cast but the entire film lacks that wow factor. I would give Secret In Their Eyes a 6/10.

This is a pretty well written film, it excels in developing an intriguing investigative thriller. I think what this film did really well was analysing how losing someone personally connected to the law enforcement officers affected them psychologically in addition to having lasting impacts upon their lives.

Chiwetel Ejiofor, who played Ray, is a really likeable lead; Ejiofor plays charismatic roles really well but I think the scenes that he does really well is when we see how obsessive about the case he has become. Dean Norris, who played Bumpy Willis, gives a very genuine performance in this film; he's a good source of comedy and has some great chemistry with Ejiofor. Alfred Molina, who played Martin Morales, is an actor I have really missed watching onscreen; he plays an interesting take on law enforcement post-9/11. Michael Kelly, who played Reg Siefert, is always great at playing dislikeable characters; Kelly has a really strong onscreen rivalry with Ejiofor that makes his scenes really good.

However the best performance of the film came from Julia Roberts, who played Jess. Roberts isn't an actress I've seen much of recently, I honestly didn't know what to expect from her performance. However she starts out as quite a comedic likeable character that has great chemistry with Ejiofor, Norris and Kelly. However when her onscreen daughter is killed we're shown one of the best scenes of the film with an incredible breakdown from Roberts. From there on out she delivers a really harrowing portrayal of grief, she looks completely lost and is so changed from the character we had previously seen.

Despite my praise for the writing this film was bogged down by the romance subplot between Kidman and Ejiofor, it wasn't a film that really demanded a romance when it came to the tone. Which brings me to another issue, the tone of the film nver spiked; the severe lack of action or suspense made this film a little bland in places. The pacing for the film suffered as a result and you feel like the film could have culled a few unnecessary scenes. The cinematography in this film isn't creative; in fact you're treated to some rather repetitive visuals throughout. The editing certainly didn't help this, cutting was slow and sometimes lingered a little too long. The score for this film was much like the tone, repetitive and bland.

Nicole Kidman, who played Claire, is wasted in this film; from the get go she's pushed into an awkward romance with Ejiofor which means her only good scene of the film is an interrogation between her and Cole. Joe Cole, who played Marzin/Beckwith, is entertaining to me because he plays the worst antagonist of the film twice; the real problem here is that the role is just two dimensional for the incredible plot that is built up around him. Zoe Graham, who played Carolyn Cobb, desperately needed more scenes in this film; I found that if it weren't for Roberts I wouldn't have really cared about her death in this film.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part Two

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This isn't merely a perfect ending to the Hunger Games franchise, it's one of the best films I've seen this year. I would The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part Two a 9/10.

I think the place I should start off is that this is both parties political film and an intense character study film. The study we get within this film of a dictatorship being overthrown, as well as themes of propaganda and manipulation of power makes for a really interesting and engaging film. This is the best film in the franchise yet to discuss these themes that have been present throughout. The story also looks at the characters and how they have been personally psychologically affected by the events of the films. This results in some of the best acting I've ever seen from most of the younger or newer cast. this film is over two hours but it coasts by at a really well executed pace, everything that's in the film works for the most part towards providing a satisfying conclusion for the series. The score for this movie is intense, this is the best the Hunger Games has sounded in terms of sound. The special effects are brilliant, it's mostly explosions but there are so many new additions that look really good. The cinematography in this film is beautiful, it's one of the most artistic blockbuster films of the year. One of the best looking scenes is Snow's execution, you have to admire how well the shots are composed.

Jennifer Lawrence, who played Katniss Everdeen, has led this franchise incredibly for so long well and she puts her all into this film; you get so much emotional breakdown from her culminating in this amazing scene where she loses it in front of a cat. Donald Sutherland, who played President Snow, has really shined as the antagonist of these films in the Mockingjay two parter; I'm so glad we got a scene with him and Lawrence because they really match against one another really well. Philip Seymour Hoffman, who played Plutarch Heavensbee, performs brilliantly in his final film; Hoffman made Plutarch a really enjoyable and witty character. Julianne Moore, who played President Alma Coin, has come a long way since the last Mockingjay; I think it's great that she embraced the falsehood of Coin and often went over the top with her displays of emotion to convey this. Sam Claflin, who played Finnick Odair, really works wonders alongside Lawrence; he has a fantastic physical presence in this film and one of the saddest death scenes of the film. Mahershala Ali, who played Boggs, gives quite an intense tough performance in this film; he really has some good scenes with Lawrence and his death sets the bar for this film. Jena Malone, who played Johanna Mason, is really twisted in this film; I liked this aspect of her because you could really see the effects the torture had had upon her. Elden Henson, who played Pollux, stands out a lot more in this film because he has so much presence in the tunnel sequences; his display of grief when his brother dies is really intense and a bit of a scene stealer. Patina Miller, who played Commander Paylor, is someone I'm glad had a few solid scenes in this film; Miller brought a lot of charisma and strength into a character that you don't even really see in the books. Michelle Forbes, who played Lieutenant Jackson, excels in her tough soldier role; it was great seeing her challenge Lawrence in one really stand out scene.

However the best performance of the film came from Josh Hutcherson, who played Peeta Mellark. I'll be the first to admit that I was never a big fan of Hutcherson in the first couple of films; his hopeless romantic seemed bogged with cringeworthy dialogue and a rather two dimensional character. This film changed my perspective entirely, Hutcherson delivered some of the best acting I've seen this year. In the film Peeta is recovering from some really extensive torture and brainwashing; he has PTSD and is thrust right into a war zone. Hutcherson takes this challenging character on with a really layered performance, he is constantly showing Peeta's vulnerability and displaying all the effects this psychological damage has had upon him. Fantastic acting at it's best.

I didn't dislike much about this film's plot except for two major things. Firstly the love triangle story that seems to have prevailed across all four films was really strong in this movie. There was no need to be constantly contesting discussions about who would wind up with Katniss out of Gale or Peeta when there was so much more happening within the film. I was also really against the film's last scene, I appreciate that there was an anecdote about Peeta and Katniss having kids in the book but I don't feel like I needed to see that play out as it just meant the film ended upon a slightly weaker note.

Liam Hemsworth, who played Gale Hawthorne, is a very stock male lead in most films he's in and it's not different in this film; he spearheads this love triangle subplot and it just brought the film down for me. Woody Harrelson, who played Haymitch Abernathy, doesn't have anything to do in this film; he still pulls off some good one liners here and there but you don't really feel like Haymitch has anything more to contribute to these films. Willow Shields, who played Primrose Everdeen, needed to be in this film more if they really wanted her death to have an impact; I never really felt like Shields has had much presence in this series and it's no different in this film. Elizabeth Banks, who played Effie Trinket, suffers from the same problems that Harrelson does in that she feels redundant in this film; I thought putting a romance hint between Banks and Harrelson was a pretty cheap move too. Jeffrey Wright, who played Beetee, has no real screen presence in this film; in fact I'd be surprised to learn that he had any more than five lines. Paula Malcomson, who played Katniss's Mother, has never had screen presence in any of these films; but what angers me about it in this film is that we don't even get a good enough reaction over Prim's death from Malcomson. Stanley Tucci, who played Caesar Flickerman, has maybe one scene in this film, I say maybe because it feels like a bad cameo more than a scene. Natalie Dormer, who played Cressida, hasn't done a thing in the Hunger Games movies and she doesn't set out to change that in this film, Henson does a better show of grieving than she does. Evan Ross and Wes Chatham, who played Messalla and Castor respectively, have always felt like glorified extras; you don't really care when they die in this film. Gwendoline Christie, who played Commander Lyme, had a really bad cameo in this film; you just don't care that she's in it because her role has no impact upon the plot and her acting doesn't really stand out.

Spectre

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A good Bond film but if this is to be Daniel Craig's last then he's bowing out on a weak note. I would give Spectre a 7.5/10.

The general plot of this film is actually quite good, Bond as a rogue agent is always exceptionally exciting and it made for a really enjoyable first half of this film. The cinematography in this film was extraordinary, the imagery was really good and the way action scenes were shot was a huge selling point. The fight choreography and stunt work gives the film it's intensity, you are hooked upon the action from the very start. However what makes the film is the wonderful score and Sam Smith's 'Writing's On The Wall'; this is probably one of the best film scores I've heard this year.

Daniel Craig, who played James Bond, continues to bring a powerful performance as the franchise's protagonist; he really delivers one liners well and he has a presence that makes you believe he is truly a lethal agent. Ralph Fiennes, who played M, has really made the role of M his own which is no mean feat following Dench; his wry humour and strong sense of righteousness really make him Craig's equal in this film. Dave Bautista, who played Mr Hinx, was able to play the best antagonist of the film even though he only spoke a single word; he was an incredibly dangerous threat onscreen and had a really strong presence. Andrew Scott, who played C, was another enjoyable antagonist; I think Scott was perfect to rival Fiennes in this film and he really delivered the motive to control information a lot better than Waltz did. Jesper Christensen, who played Mr White, was a brilliant cameo in this film; in fact his scene was one of the best in the film.

However the best performance came from Ben Whishaw, who played Q. Introducing Whishaw as Q back in Skyfall was one of the best things to ever happen to the Bond franchise. Whishaw was made to play this technical wizard, he can ramble off the information about his gadgets at an astonishing rate. I love the humour we get from this role as well, his wit and many of his lines really stand out for me in this film. Whishaw and Craig share some fantastic chemistry onscreen, one of the best moments of the film is when Bond visits Q for the first time in this film.

Spectre is a long film, sadly it's too long and suffers from a poorly written second half, a weak villain and tired subplots. If anything the film will make you think of Quantum of Solace; for the second time the plot revolves around the control of a resource and the major villain claims direct responsibility for all the villains in the past film.So already the story lacks originality but then it tries to do what Skyfall did; it attempts to include old references that feel cheap such as the classic 'Bond. James Bond' or the Blofeld reveal (honestly who thought that was a good idea?). James Bond has always seduced women but in this film women and romance are treated as a commodity that Bond can receive without very much effort. Beyond all these plot flaws I also thought the editing had some flaws, specifically the cutting in dialogue scenes was boring and at times quite jarring.

Christoph Waltz, who played Blofeld, plays one of his worst roles in this film; not only is he quite predictably Bond's adoptive brother but he doesn't seem to have much purpose and if anything he feels like far too weak of a villain to be behind all the actions of the past few films. Lea Seydoux, who played Madeleine Swann, is one of the worst female protagonists in a Bond film to date, she has no chemistry with Craig and you are never really convinced by their romance. Monica Bellucci, who played Lucia Sciarra, was in this film for a very sloppy sex scene; it felt demeaning and cheaply written. Naomie Harris, who played Eve Moneypenny, is a performance I didn't like in Skyfall and I still don't like her in Spectre; Harris has no presence or chemistry alongside the rest of this talented cast. Rory Kinnear, who played Tanner, doesn't really do anything in this film; he lacks screen presence and I question why he hasn't been killed off yet.

Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse

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This'll be a strange review because the things I dislike about it are also strangely aspects I liked; suffice it to say it's one outrageous comedy. I would give Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse a 6.5/10.

One of the greatest things about this film is that it doesn't take itself seriously, it takes this ridiculous notion of boy scouts fighting the zombie apocalypse and just runs with it. You get a strange mixture of comedy within the film, there are certainly dirty jokes but then there is some really clever humour here too; most of the time the comedy lands quite well. I was hooked throughout this film and found myself enjoying it the entire time it played out, it really is just paced incredibly well. The editing in this movie is really well done, the cutting aids the speed that this film progresses really well. I feel like the soundtrack and score makes this film; opening the movie with the lip synch of 'Black Widow' by Iggy Azalea as well as Miller, Morgan and Droege singing Britney Spears' '...Baby One More Time' were some of the highlights of the film.

Joey Morgan, who played Augie, is an incredibly likeable character in this film; He brought out the best of the more dramatic elements of the plot. Sarah Dumont, who played Denise, may have an awkwardly written character but she plays it exceptionally well; Dumont is easily the most badass in this film and is thoroughly enjoyable to watch. David Koechner, who played Scout Leader Rogers, isn't as enjoyable as a zombie but in his scenes leading up to this he absolutely gave an incredible comedic performance; the neverending optimism of his role combined with the fantastic zombie deer takedown were some great displays of acting. Blake Anderson, who played Ron the Janitor, made the start of this film; frankly he was close to being the best part of this film as he really hooked me from the beginning.

However the best performance came from Logan Miller, who played Carter. Miller immediately nails the crude, cocky arrogance that the role demands which makes him such an entertaining presence in this film. Furthermore Miller is hysterical, he lands jokes constantly and knows how to make the best of a scene. Frankly I hope to see Miller in a lot more after this film because he really excelled in a leading role.

Right now to clarify what I meant by the good things are also the bad things, starting with the plot. While it's great that the plot didn't take itself seriously it was really frustrating to see lazy writing in which the characters miraculously gained a sudden advantage out of nowhere; for example when the bomb at the end of the film appeared it resulted in a great scene but justifying a sudden bomb isn't really possible. Beyond this the comedy in this film is really crude, you get dick jokes and sexual humour that sometimes are more cringeworthy than funny. The cinematography in this film isn't really anything special, it starts out with a lot of potential but quickly falls into showing a lot of simplistic shots. I also really didn't like how obvious special effects were in this film, bad enough they didn't look real but actors weren't reacting properly to where the effects were actually taking place.

Tye Sheridan, who played Ben, is not a leading actor; watching this kid attempt to give inspiring speeches or lead this film in any way was really hard because he just didn't have the presence to pull this off. Halston Sage, who played Kendall Grant, was just there to create a romance subplot and it felt so redundant; you didn't believe her and Sheridan should be romantically involved in fact this subplot just felt awkwardly executed. Cloris Leachman, who played Miss Fielder, has no screen presence in this film; but if you want to see an Academy Award winner attempt to bite someone's butt (I wish I was kidding) then you might enjoy watching her. Niki Koss and Patrick Schwarzenegger, who played Chloe and Jeff respectively, are the stereotypical bully antagonists of a film where teenagers are the leads; they're not original and they certainly don't give original performances. Drew Droege, who played Drunk Man, gives a really fake performance in this film; it's like he struggles to act because I literally felt like I was watching him acting.