Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

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This is quite possibly one of the worst Tim Burton films I've ever seen. I would give Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children a 4/10.

The film's real strength is the world Burton delivers, the concept of the Peculiars and the Hollows is fascinating and there's a lot of content to draw upon. The special effects used within the film look really great; some of my favourites are the  air raid, the living skeletons and the designs for the Hollows.

Eva Green, who played Miss Alma LeFay Peregrine, did a great job portraying the film's title role; her intense almost methodical demeanour gave way to a truly touching bond between her and her young charges. Allison Janney, who played Dr. Golan, gave a very serious performance as a therapist within the film; she was truly one of the only interesting and realistic performances at the start of the feature. Ella Purnell, who played Emma Bloom, seems really engaged in the fantasy of it all; one of the most immersive and enchanting performances within the film. Finlay MacMillan, who played Enoch O'Conner, gives a very serious and grim character within the film; MacMillan really develops the role to become less cruel and more caring towards Jake and his fellow Peculiars. Lauren McCrostie, who played Olive Abroholos Elephanta, was a very kind yet timid character; McCrostie develops a nurturing caregiver type role who works hard to look after the other Peculiar children. Hayden Keeler-Stone, who played Horace Somnussen, presents a very intelligent and proper character; playing a child character who has to be very worldly and superior isn't always the easiest role to make likeable but Keeler-Stone certainly manages it. Georgia Pemberton, who played Fiona Fruanfeld, gives forward a very resilient role; she seems tough compared to some of the other Peculiars often rising to many of the challenges put before her. Pixie Davies, who played Bronwyn Bruntley, was one of my favourite Peculiars of the film; Bruntley really owned the physicality of the role which helped you believe she possessed the strength we see her use. Joseph Odwell and Thomas Odwell, who played the Masked Ballerinas, are the type of performances that are only good if the actors can take on physically displaying characters without any lines; the Odwells do a great job at making you fall in love with these Masked Twins. Cameron King, who played Millard Nullings, is a performer who I'm not sure if he acted through special effects or voice performance but either way he stands out; King's character is one of the funnier ones we're presented with.

However the best performance came from Samuel L. Jackson, who played Barron. Jackson doesn't step too far outside the box in this one but it's his simple performance that makes his role so enjoyable. The motivations and methods we see in Barron are no different from most other animated or blockbuster villains but Jackson clearly has such fun playing up these cliches. Jackson toes the line between emerging a rather creepy antagonist and a rather diabolical mastermind, I had a good time when Jackson was onscreen.

If you're going to do a film that relies so heavily upon time travel then you might as well do it right, watching the story and characters attempt to explain the numerous 'time loops' is hard to watch and plenty confusing. The film is also long with weak pacing, yet despite this lengthy run time the narrative does a poor job at establishing genuine relationships between most of these characters. By the end of the feature you'll probably be surprised to realise that you don't empathise with very many of the main cast. The narrative tries to force a romance subplot or two every so often and that's just hard to watch and out of place. The start of the film is unbearable to watch and takes far too long to get under way, you're constantly dealt with a frustratingly artificial depiction of an 'ordinary' turned extraordinary American life. The cinematography used in this film is really disappointing considering this is a Burton film; however most of the shots seem lazy and simple creating a rather lousy aesthetic for the film. The editing is so slow, the cuts happen too swiftly at times causing some of the nicer shots to be cut off too soon before you can really appreciate it.

Asa Butterfield, who played Jake, is one of the worst up and coming actors at the moment; Butterfield often visually looks like he's acting as opposed to embracing and portraying a character. Judi Dench, who played Miss Avocet, was absolutely wasted in this film; I have no idea why Dench was cast in one of the most forgettable minor roles of the year but here we are. Rupert Everett, who played Ornithologist, was a really over the top and hard to understand character; Everett was probably the wrong casting choice to play one of Jackson's personas. Chris O'Dowd and Kim Dickens, who played Franklin Portman and Jake's Mom respectively, were just really stale two-dimensional performances; Dickens was entirely forgettable while O'Dowd had no connection with Butterfield at all. Terence Stamp, who played Abraham Portman, was the worst actor in the film; this is one of the worst performances of Stamp's character and I couldn't stand when his character was onscreen. Milo Parker, who played Hugh Apiston, was one of the more forgettable Peculiars; Parker didn't seem to connect with the other child actors so much which certainly let down his performance. Raffiella Chapman, who played Claire Densmore, might have been one of the cutest Peculiars but she didn't have much of an opportunity to shine; Chapman's character never got that much screen time no she never really made her presence known. O-Lan Jones, who played Shelley, was this ridiculous and over the top minor role at the start of the film; the classic Americans getting crazy with their guns trope was kinda lazily used here. Nicholas Amer, who played Oggie, was a relatively normative performance who gave a lot of exposition to the film; yet the zany mannerisms of the character made him seem just a bit too absurd. Shaun Thomas and Justin Davies, who played Dylan and Worm, were these pretty stereotypical young miscreants in the film; their weird rapping moment was completely out of tone with the rest of the film.

Bridget Jones's Baby

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The same entertaining humour and cast but with an almost embarrassing attempt to stay relevant to a new, younger audience. I would Bridget Jones's Baby a 6.5/10.

I really enjoy the awkward comedy that's at the heart of the Bridget Jones films and this one keeps up the tradition really well, there were many scenes where I found myself consistently laughing at the situations Bridget found herself in. The relationship between Bridget and Mark coming to a final, enjoyable and definitive conclusion is also one of the film's greatest triumphs. The soundtrack for Bridget Jones's Baby was brilliant, several throwbacks to songs from past films as well as funny use of music released more recently.

Renee Zellweger, who played Bridget, brings back her charming and relateable protagonist in full force; Zellweger has such mastery of this role and has complete ownership over Bridget beyond a doubt. Colin Firth, who played Mark, manages to bring out this rather socially awkward yet exceptionally likeable character back for a third time round; Firth and Zellweger have a lot of chemistry onscreen together which is a big part of why a third Bridget Jones film is so successful. Joanna Scanlan, who played Cathy the Makeup Lady, was a really fun minor role; I took a lot of delight in seeing how complicit she got in Bridget's antics. James Callis, who played Tom, is the only one of Bridget's friends group to have an exciting introduction; he has so much energy when he's onscreen and I thought he really made his mark. Patrick Dempsey, who played Jack, is instantly so charismatic when he appears in the film; I liked how over the top his role was particularly in terms of discussing what will help prepare for delivering the baby. Ed Sheeran, who played himself, was a genuinely great cameo; his scenes at the festival were comedic high points of the film.

However the best performance came from Sarah Solemani, who played Miranda. Solemani is very clearly putting everything she has into this film and having a hell of a time doing it. Miranda is a new character who I find immensely likeable and a lot of fun, she's certainly got a ton of screen presence. This was the funniest character of the film and her scenes were my favourite of the film.

There's a desperate struggle in this film to keep the tone of the old movies alive while attempting to be relevant to a new audience that is several years younger than those who watched the first films. Simply put this doesn't work, every time a joke about Gangnam style or modern technology is made it grates against the simple comedy and relationship between Bridget and Mark. It also struggled to be relevant as a sequel a lot of the time, there were slumps in the film where the plot had to work out what it was trying to achieve. The end of the film has a very genuine conclusion right up until the point that it tries to completely flaunt out a fourth film, by bringing Hugh Grant's character 'back from the dead' the film showed that it only cared about the money it was going to make instead of presenting a genuine story. The cinematography has a few unique and nice-looking films scattered throughout the film, unfortunately the film tends towards simplistic and easy shots that mean the visual style of the film is lacking. The editing follows the cinematography exactly, there are some great moments where the editing coincides with the comedy but otherwise the cuts are slow and have a negative impact upon the film's pacing.

Gemma Jones, who played Mum, is and always has been the weakest link of the Bridget Jones films; her over the top and honestly unbearable character is a waste of screen time. Jim Broadbent, who played Dad, barely puts any effort into his performance in this film; I don't know if Broadbent doesn't have a fun time making these films or if he just didn't have a great script but this was not a great performance. Sally Phillips, Shirley Henderson and Jessica Hynes, who played Shazzer, Jude and Magda respectively, are all friends of Bridget's from past films who are just forgettable minor roles in this film; the gossipy dinner conversations that made these characters notable are sadly dead and gone. Neil Pearson, who played Richard Finch, sadly didn't have very much screen presence in this film; Pearson was never really given the opportunity to make his character shine comedically as he has in the past films. Kate O'Flynn, who played Alice, was just a strange antagonist in this film; O'Flynn plays a role that just did not feel like a real person and that made this character hard to watch. Enzo Cilenti, who played Gianni, was a bit of a goofy minor role that did not fit into this film well; the character of Gianni feels like a bit of a weak racial joke ultimately. Emma Thompson, who played Dr. Rawlings, is a role that has two very different sides; Thompson could've been an intensely serious role or a dry comedic one but as the film attempts to make her both the performance feels like two conflicting characters. Celia Imrie, who played Una, is a character who was a waste of time in the original films and is even worse in this one; frankly there was no call for Imrie to be in this particular film at all.

Don't Breathe

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Well if Daredevil and this film have taught me anything it's that you do not mess with blind people. I would give Don't Breathe a 6/10.

This film plays around with a very morally grey story, the protagonists are thieves and show tendencies towards greed throughout and the blind man isn't a victim so much as he's a rather terrifying kidnapper, murderer and rapist. There's a lot of focus put towards tension and getting you on the edge of your seat, this is done effectively through several scenes in which you're left wondering how on earth the main characters are going to escape the blind man. The cinematography is very good, the shots used really capture and explore the setting; everything feels specially crafted and thought through. The score helps build the tension, I also liked how the sound was mixed to create some very gripping sequences.

Stephen Lang, who played The Blind Man, is a rather terrifying force in this film; Lang's ability to portray a role who is convincingly blind as well as savage and threatening is commendable. Jane Levy, who played Rocky, is a pretty solid leading protagonist; her consistent drive to get the money and escape fuels this movie from start to finish. Daniel Zovatto, who played Money, really sells the gangster robber persona; Zovatto's intense aggression towards other characters as well as his intense fear when confronted with his death really makes him stand out.

However the best performance came from Dylan Minnette, who played Alex. Minnette is a real up and comer who I'm enjoying seeing more and more of, he was good in Ghostbusters but he's great in this. His role serves as the moral conscience of the main group of thieves, I liked seeing him lay out the options and consequences as the film took a darker and darker turn. Minnette brings forth a character who is constantly fighting for Rocky's attention and the group's protection; his bloody scraps with the blind man are some of the best scenes of the film.

This film does have several very tense scenes but you only ever feel uneasy; to be clear this movie is marketed as a horror but never really creates a successful feeling of existing within the horror genre. I also found that the revelation that the blind man was kidnapping and raping girls so he could have a new daughter was a bit far fetched, it felt like a poorly written plot twist that was only included for the shock value. The editing for this film started off well but started getting a bit generic pretty quickly, this affected the pacing negatively for some of the film.

Emma Bercovici, who played Diddy, is one of the worst child actor performances I've seen this year; her line delivery was appalling especially. Franciska Torocsik, who played Cindy, could've been interesting if her character had been given any real screen time; as it was her swift death felt like wasted potential. Christian Zagia, who played Raul, was a completely unnecessary role to this film; there wasn't any real call for a broker role and his relationship with Zovatto was unclear at best. Katia Bokor and Sergej Onopko, who played Ginger and Trevor respectively, didn't portray parental figures very well at all; the family dynamic in this feature was very hastily done and it showed.

Storks

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I wasn't expecting a film about storks to have so much to say in regards to family values and anti-corporations; absolutely the best animated film out at the moment. I would give Storks a 7.5/10.

There's a really strong sense of comedy at the heart of this film; family dynamics and modern corporations are parodied and mocked in a really fun way. I loved the messages about the importance of family and how family doesn't have to be conventional, there's a really beautiful montage where families are united with their babies and we see same-sex parents, men and women, single mothers in what is the most touching aspect of this film. The storks are also part of this big corporation within the film, there are some strong barbs made about companies and yet another great message about abolishing the idea of the 'perfect worker' and instead acting like an empathetic individual within the workplace. The score is really fun and adds a lot of energy; the soundtrack is also used powerfully and very comically.

Andy Samberg, who voiced Junior, is already well established as one of the greatest comedic actors out there at the moment and he brings all of that to this film; Samberg crafts a role who develops really well by the end of the feature. Kelsey Grammer, who voiced Hunter, made for such a great antagonist; his parody of a corporate exec was really funny and made for an interesting animated villain. Jennifer Aniston and Ty Burrell, who voiced Sarah Gardner and Henry Gardner respectively, do the over the top hard working parent roles really well; I enjoyed seeing them progress into becoming more attentive parents towards their son. Anton Starkman, who voiced Nate Gardner, brought the charm of an innocent child looking for a new sibling to life in this film; it was a simple voice performance but it had a lot of impact. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, who voiced Alpha Wolf and Beta Wolf respectively, were a fun part of the supporting cast; Key and Peele's comedic dynamic really brought a lot to the scenes that they were in.

However the best performance came from Katie Crown, who voiced Tulip. Crown had a really vibrant presence in this film, she was absolutely funny and able to hold her own with the likes of Samberg, Key and Peele. Yet what makes her stand out is her capacity to bring forth a character who you can really empathise with, this is a young woman who has had to grow up alone without a family and she wants nothing more than to find a family of some sort (both for her and Diamond Destiny).

The start of this film takes a long while to get underway which unfortunately affects the pacing in a negative way; the comedy is geared towards adults and it doesn't do a good job of connecting you with the characters. The animation isn't the best either, a lot of the characters are very simply animated and the same goes for the backgrounds (however the ending starts adding more of a focus upon colours which adds more quality to the film).

Danny Trejo, who voiced Jasper, is a role that really should have been given more screen time; a little bit more focus to this character would have made his backstory stand out and make him more enjoyable. Stephen Kramer Glickman, who voiced Pigeon Toady, is the most annoying character of the whole film; Glickman's choice of voice for this particular role made the character unbearable to listen to.

The Rehearsal

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If Hunt For The Wilderpeople and Mahana is the best New Zealand had to offer this year then this film must be the worst. I would give The Rehearsal a 2/10.

There are elements of the film that focus upon Stanley's study into becoming a good actor, this aspect of the plot is probably the film's biggest and most unique strength. The cinematography also looks really good, every shot manages to capture details in such vivid quality and there's some interesting experimenting with framing.

Miranda Harcourt, who played Livia, stole the show out from under Fox as a mentor figure; Harcourt brought the gravitas and compassion that you'd normally associate with a teacher role.

However the best performance came from Kieran Charnock, who played William. Charnock is a fresh example of some good young talent within New Zealand, he brought a ton of energy and presence to his role. I found the role of William to be a lot of fun, he was absolutely able to create a believable comedic performance. I also enjoyed how Charnock really committed to aspects of his character, the way he'd come up with absurd suggestions or perform long monologues that captured the audiences attention.

This film pushed for a very abstract feel to the film which ultimately didn't really work out very well. The Rehearsal didn't seem to really know what it was about; is this a coming of age story? A story about performance versus reality? Is it about an underage sex scandal? There was a constant stream of confusing moments including but limited to: a variety of characters who may have been gay or bi-sexual but without any follow through, a character killed in a way that didn't serve the film, the creepy relationship between Stanley and Hannah and of course the ending of the film. This overloaded directionless film was tough to sit through, that's the nicest way I can describe the pacing problems. The editing felt sloppy, often cuts seemed to just happen very abruptly and there was no smooth flow at all. The soundtrack was horrid; the score was more a collection of noise and poor sound mixing rather than anything that actually resembled music.

James Rolleston, who played Stanley, continues his run as a hit and miss performer; Rolleston's inability to craft a character who is very likeable or even understandable costs this film big time. Kerry Fox, who played Hannah, feels more sexual predator than mentor in this film; Fox struggles to connect with the cast itself in this film and her role at times is over the top. Ella Edward, who played Isolde, has no chemistry at all with Rolleston; this is one of the worst romance subplots that you'll see this year. Alice Englert, who played Thomasin, is one of the most forgettable roles in the supporting cast; in fact Englert has no real screen presence until about halfway through the film. Michelle Ng, who played Frankie, could have been an interesting role if her character had been given any depth at all; as it was she was merely used to give William's death some impact. Rachel Roberts, who played Victoria, fails to bring any emotion to her performance; she's more plot device than character in this particular film. Erroll Shand, who played George Saladin, was almost unnecessary in regards to the amount of screen time this role was given; Shand didn't give his role any type of edge that would have made him stand out in this film. Marlon Williams, who played Theo, seemed to only really be in this film for his ability to sing; Williams' character didn't have very clear relationships with any of the other characters in the cast which made him forgettable most of the time. Tandi Wright, who played Naomi Lancaster, presented a rather two-dimensional upper class mother figure; suffice it to say Wright's performance was over the top and a bit high strung.  

The Secret Life Of Pets

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An extremely adorable film but also not very memorable. I would give The Secret Life Of Pets a 6/10.

This is a charming and simple story about two dogs working out their differences and becoming a family, certainly nothing new but still a classic film narrative. There are also some great comedic scenes scattered throughout the feature; the cat versus dog dynamic was fun and the montage where you see what pets do while their owners are away is the best sequence in the film. The animation looks really nice, what I appreciated was how vibrant and colourful the film looked. The soundtrack was also exceptional with some very surprisingly good choices added to the mix; the score was also well done and had a classic animated film vibe.

Louis C.K., who voiced Max, made for a great protagonist in this film; he managed to portray a character who felt very emotive and sympathetic. Eric Stonestreet, who voiced Duke, took a bit to really get underway but his laidback delivery does grow on you; I really liked Duke's backstory with his owner as that added a great deal to his character. Kevin Hart, who voiced Snowball; is just crazy and a scene stealer from his introduction; Hart puts his all into this delivery regardless of his character's storyline being a bit confusing and absurd at times. Jenny Slate, who voiced Gidget, brought a really spunky character to the mix; I enjoyed Gidget's drive and at times intense motivation in her search for Max. Ellie Kemper, who voiced Katie, brings forth a rather sweet persona into the film; Kemper's character adopts strays and you can hear the kindness and love for her pets in her voice. Albert Brooks, who voiced Tiberius, was a scarily intense role at first; but Brooks works on making Tiberius grow on the audience as he learns to get along with the rest of the pets. Dana Carvey, who voiced Pops, was senile and a bit mad; Carvey delivers one of the most fun and quirky characters of the film. Steve Coogan, who voiced Ozone, was a great minor antagonist; he brought out a rather shifty alley cat who felt menacing.

However the best performance came from Lake Bell, who voiced Chloe. Bell's role was clearly meant as the more consistent comedic relief of the film and she certainly delivered. I had a lot of fun watching the running gags around this role and the clever cat stereotypes used to illicit a laugh. Yet it goes beyond just that; Bell crafts the patronising, superior tone of a cat rather well in her line delivery. I guess when it comes to this film I'm definitely more a cat person.

This film's simplicity and inability to do anything new makes the story labour and drag at multiple points; there wasn't a lot of substance to Secret Life Of Pets and I wondered if the writers ran out of content in a few scenes. The addition of Snowball and his fellow discarded pets seemed a bit over the top in how they were portrayed, their storyline didn't blend with the rest of the film very well.

Hannibal Buress, who voiced Buddy, was one of the truly boring characters within the film; he wasn't funny nor did his role add to the narrative. Bobby Moynihan, who voiced Mel, gave a role that just went a bit too over the top with his performance; Moynihan desperately tried to make his role a fun bit of comedic relief and failed spectacularly. Chris Renaud, who voiced Norman, had one of the most annoying voices of the whole cast; I truly wish this role had been scrubbed from the cast. Michael Beattie, who voiced Tattoo, was a pretty unimpressionable character within this film; I found Beattie's voice to be a bit bland which meant Tattoo had no screen presence.

Blair Witch

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This isn't the best sequel to The Blair Witch Project but it's certainly a well done homage. I would give Blair Witch a 6.5/10.

You have to give it to Blair Witch, it remains intensely scary even if it's a very different type of scary than what we've seen in the original film. Within the original horror was created from a careful narrative build, atmospheric tension and brilliant acting; whereas in this film it's loud sound editing and some of the greatest jump scare horror I've seen all year. When it comes to the story what works best is how the characters discuss and explore the lore behind the Blair Witch; sure it's a lot of exposition but it's all kind of fascinating to listen to. The cinematography also looked pretty good albeit not quite as good as the original film, I really enjoyed how technical advancements in camera technology was incorporated to explore new ways of capturing the horror genre.

Callie Hernandez, who played Lisa Arlington, gave one of the most genuine performances of the whole cast; she was charismatic with the group while portraying desperation and terror incredibly and also crafting an empathetic quality towards McCune's role.

However the best performance came from Brandon Scott, who played Peter. When it comes to horror films these days I enjoy seeing performances that feel real as opposed to stereotypical. Scott brings forth this very charismatic jokester who really brings a lot of spirit to the first act. Yet Scott doesn't play up his role as the 'clown' instead there are a few layers to this character; his aggression towards Robinson's role and his concern for Reid's are good examples of this. The blind terror we get out of Scott when he becomes the first victim of the Blair Witch sets the bar for the rest of the film.

Just as there's some great work at capturing what was so good about The Blair Witch Project, there are also several moments within the film that reflect upon everything that's wrong with the horror genre today. Firstly the Blair Witch is actually shown, a move that felt admittedly cheap and a bit scornful of the predecessor. The characters themselves weren't developed or given much depth; most of the cast seemed unnecessary or stereotypical. Blair Witch tried to create these teen romance subplots and conspiracy theorists turned evil henchmen subplots that felt extremely out of place in the context of the film; absolutely a bid to create a feature length run time. The editing was also a bit lazy, the cuts were primed towards setting up jump scares and you could see this visually. There wasn't really so much a score to speak of nor anything really resembling a soundtrack.

James Allen McCune, who played James, was such a bland protagonist; at a point his role maniacally descends into searching for his sister and it feels like a very forced transition. Corbin Reid, who played Ashley, came across as the generic ditzy primadonna who isn't really suited to the woods; Reid's character goes through so many pointless plot points like the creature inside of her skin or even her death scene where she's trying to get the drone. Wes Robinson, who played Lane, felt like a very over the top conspiracy theorist character; his role only got worse and more confusing as the film went along. Valorie Curry, who played Talia, had no purpose in this film whatsoever; I find there's usually at least one unnecessary role in a film and Curry just happens to be it in Blair Witch.

Blood Father

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If this is Mel Gibson's big return to cinema then I am excited for what he's gonna do next! I would give Blood Father an 8.5/10.

At first approach this film keeps to the basics of any good standard action film, however there is a gritty undertone that can only be brought to life from the desolate desert setting of the film. At every point it can this film subverts your expectations and avoids playing up the spectacle; what this film values is creating realistic situations and characters. I was hooked on this film from start to finish, it's very well paced. The cinematography looks amazing, every shot captures either the intensity of the scene or frames the setting and characters extremely well. The editing aids the pacing immensely, hitting all the right cues and keeping the progress steady. The action sequences looked terrific, the final fight of the film felt primal and dirty; without a doubt some of the best action I've seen this year.

Diego Luna, who played Jonah, was a really menacing antagonist whose wild behaviour really started the film off well; when we see Luna again by the end of the film his desperation and almost pathetic attitude added even more layers to his character. William H. Macy, who played Kirby, was a rather likeable role and had some nice chemistry with Gibson; I found his delivery to be quite comedic and entertaining. Miguel Sandoval, who played Arturo Rios, just connected with Gibson and brought one of the best scenes of the film to bear; he brought a more honorable type of criminal to the film and simultaneously had a very quiet form of menace when he confronted Luna at the end. Richard Cabral, who played Joker, took over as the main antagonist for Luna briefly and he was superb to watch; he had an intensity and a ferocity to his performance that really made him stand out. Raoul Max Trujillo, who played The Cleaner, is one of those physical henchman characters who could've been forgettable had it not been for Trujillo's skilled acting; anyone can act well with a vast chunk of lines but to create an interesting character through body language and facial expression alone takes a lot of talent.

However the best performance came from Mel Gibson, who played Link. Gibson's performance is just unreal in Blood Father and it's absolutely a major part of why I've given the film such a high rating. Action heroes are a dime a dozen these days so it's hard to stand out from the crowd, in my mind Gibson has created a role that is very unique and special. His rough and rugged exterior is tempered to the criminal world Link lives in, and this is a character with the capacity for violence within him. I loved how Gibson delivered his dialogue, it really showed his range; from caring father to wild outbursts to extremely funny remarks. Link is a survivor, a mad dog, a recovering alcoholic and of course, a father.

Blood Father does take a while before the film gets really tense like it was at the start of the film, unfortunately this means a significant chunk of the film feels a bit safe. I also wished the father/daughter relationship between Link and Lydia felt more genuine. The score for the film was incredibly forgettable, there were many instances where the music just didn't add anything to the scenes.

Erin Moriarty, who played Lydia, felt like she was all over the place when it came to the acting in this film; Moriarty didn't do a good jump of constructing a character who seemed in the least bit realistic. Michael Parks, who played Preacher, was such an unusual role in this film; Parks doesn't put much energy into his character and didn't have the connection with Gibson that his role demanded. Thomas Mann, who played Jason Motel Clerk, was a really out of place minor role; Mann did not fit the tone of this story and seemed an odd addition to the cast.

Sully

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Well it's a Tom Hanks film, of course it was going to be amazing. I would give Sully an 8/10.

This film really excels about creating a psychological story around the character of Sully as he comes to terms with the water landing and ensuing media circus and hearings. There are a lot of moments that are just rife with moral messages, it's a nice film that really lifts your spirits. The cinematography is really nice and smooth, for a film filled with dialogue scenes there is certainly a visual quality that holds your attention. The editing is also really good and accompanies the cinematography well; the plane crash as a special effect looks masterfully constructed.

Aaron Eckhart, who played Jeff Skiles, hasn't had a role this good since Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight' Eckhart brings a great laidback feeling of charisma to the film and has a nice rapport with Hanks. Mike O'Malley, Jamey Sheridan and Anna Gunn, who played Charles Porter, Ben Edwards and Elizabeth Davis respectively, made for good antagonists as a collective; their drive to pin the blame of this scenario upon human error was well portrayed by each of these three in their own unique way. Max Adler, Sam Huntington and Christopher Curry, who played Jimmy Stefanik, Jeff Kolodjay and Rob Kolodjay respectively, seemed like really fun and relatable minor characters when first they appeared onscreen; I think Curry in particular deserves commendation for his display of desperation at the thought of losing his son. Patch Darragh, who played Patrick Harten, was really good in the airport control role; he brought a lot of passion to his performance that made you really feel for his character. Michael Rapaport, who played Pete the Bartender, was an enjoyable comedic minor role; his reaction to Sully's celebrity made for a memorable scene.

However the best performance came from Tom Hanks, who played Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger. By this point it's no real surprise to anyone that Hanks is the most memorable performer in any given film he's in; I mean he's one of the all time acting greats. In Sully Hanks presents a character who is very calm and reserved in his manner, yet this conceals a much harsher reality of how Sully is dealing with the plane going down. The night terrors and restlessness of Sully is very apparent and Hanks does a good job of showing him lose concentration. Yet there are tow scenes that really steal the show for me; firstly the joy Hanks displays when hearing all passengers survived is brilliant, and the final scene where he defends himself resolutely is powerfully done.

This film has some real high points throughout but ultimately the tone doesn't really change all that much; everything that plays out happens at a slow rate. Ultimately it would be fair to say the story trades pacing for a good narrative. There were also a few scenes thrown in clearly to to add to the run time and these felt quite out of place. The score isn't utilised very well, even in the scenes where it's presented it doesn't make the desired impact.

Valerie Mahaffey and Delphi Harrington, who played Diane Higgins and Lucille Palmer respectively, didn't really have a good mother/daughter chemistry; frankly as far as the passenger performances went they were some of the most forgettable. Holt McCallany, who played Mike Cleary, seemed to be important at the start of the film but was swiftly forgotten about; probably for the best as McCallany certainly wasn't leaving much of an impression. Laura Linney, who played Lorraine Sullenberger, felt like a waste of a screen time; Linney is very bland and has a character who offers nothing to the film at all. Jeff Kober and Blake Jones, who played LT Cook and Sully at 16 respectively, gave one of the worst scenes of the film; the reason for showing this scene wasn't very clear and felt completely unnecessary. Chris Bauer, who played Larry Rooney, is sadly just taking over for McCallany it seems as an unimportant friend of Sully's; funnily enough Bauer is just as forgettable as McCallany. Jane Gabbert, Ann Cusack and Molly Hagan, who played Sheila Dail, Donna Dent and Doreen Welsh respectively, didn't really add much to the landing scenes; it would have been nice to see these three roles get a bit more focus.

Pete's Dragon

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How do you manage to make a film about a dragon so boring? I would give Pete's Dragon a 4/10.

This is a film with a lot of heart, it's exceptionally sweet and uses slapstick comedy a lot to get a few chuckles out of the audience. What really gives the story of this film life is the relationship between Pete and Elliot (AKA the dragon), the touching bond between these two results in several very emotional and powerful scenes. The cinematography is also quite good, the director of the film clearly has a great eye for framing and capturing the stunning environment that the film takes place in.

Robert Redford, who played Meacham, proved once again why he's one of the finest actors out there; Redford delivers lines in a beautiful way that really steals whatever scene he's in. Isiah Whitlock Jr. and Steve Barr, who played Sheriff Gene Dentler and Deputy Smalls respectively, brought a great comic presence to the film; these may have been minor roles but they're ability to make me laugh made their performances really stand out. Esmee Myers, Gareth Reeves and Levi Alexander, who played Mom, Dad and Young Pete respectively, really opened the film exceptionally well; I thought the instant charm of this family dynamic was rather heartwarming and made the ensuing scenes all the more tragic.

However the best performance came from Oakes Fegley, who played Pete. Disney always does so well at casting great up and coming young talent and Fegley is just another great example of this. There are several well renowned actors and actresses amongst the cast but none shine anywhere near as brightly as this young actor. Fegley does so well at creating a bond with a character who was little more than a special effect, the emotional link between boy and dragon is all thanks to Fegley's talent as a performer. Beyond that I loved seeing the mannerisms of Pete, how society seemed alien to him and how he moved differently from having lived in the woods.

Pete's Dragon is an unbearably predictable film, it plays out exactly as you'd expect and doesn't work hard to surprise you or make you feel any strong emotion. The film starts with a very quick pace then slams on the brakes for the rest of the film, the pacing was horrible and the narrative really dragged itself along. The story about Pete and Elliot may have been interesting but the introduction of the rest of the ensemble let the film down big time; none of the ensemble characters were developed very much and every time the film focussed upon them things became dull. The editing was poor, the fading transitions felt tacky and overused. The special effects weren't great for a film so heavily dependent on a central CGI character; Elliot looked pretty bad bar his facial expression detail and the other CGI animals were even worse, the only good effect of the film was the dragon fire. The score for this film felt really tacky and a bit plain, the soundtrack wasn't much better and felt kind of tiring.

Bryce Dallas Howard, who played Grace, could have bothered to show a bit of emotion in her performance; as it was Howard presented a very stiff role that felt out of place in a family film. Oona Laurence, who played Natalie, isn't a very good child actress; she had a lot of scenes with Fegley and couldn't really match up to his acting technique. Wes Bentley, who played Jack, really was up to nothing in the film; he felt really out of place in most of the scenes he was in and he had no chemistry at all with Howard. Karl Urban, who played Gavin, made for a downright awful antagonist; Urban just didn't suit slapstick comedy nor did he feel nasty enough to really encompass the villain of the film.

Sausage Party

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This is both pretty messed up and pretty entertaining all at the same time. I would give Sausage Party a 6.5/10.

It was astounding to me that this film was able to present an animated feature that completely took the conventions of something you'd see in a film like Toy Story and turned it around to suit a restricted rating. I mean beyond a doubt some of the jokes and scenes in here are brilliant, I was truly stunned by how some of this film actually played out. Not to mention that for the most part just like any animated film this has a rather clear story that you can get entertainment out of as it goes along. The animation looked pretty good, I really liked seeing how the different aisles within the supermarket looked and how food characters were constructed. The soundtrack for the film is incredible, even having a brilliant use of a Meat Loaf song and it's own original song for the film.

Bill Hader, who voiced Firewater, presented a rather entertaining parody of a Native American role; I loved seeing how worked up he got over how his song had been twisted and changed over the years. Salma Hayek, who voiced Teresa, was a really likeable role; I actually really enjoyed the lesbian/bi-sexual storyline that was playing out between her and Wiig's characters. Jonah Hill, who voiced Carl, brought his usual confident presence to the film; I liked the banter Hill delivered and his death scene was a rather intense moment within the film. Nick Kroll, who voiced Douche, made for a great psychotic antagonist; his really hyped up persona and manic voice while killing other food made him memorable. Danny McBride, who voiced Honey Mustard, was perfect as the unhinged introduction to the truth about 'becoming a meal'; McBride did a good job of escalating his performance to the moment where his role throws himself in front of a shopping trolley. Craig Robinson, who voiced Grits, was a minor role who really made his presence felt in this film; I enjoyed his very casual delivery of comedic lines. Seth Rogen, who voiced Frank, made for a great protagonist; his drive to discover the truth about the 'Gods' and subsequent horror upon finding the truth is delivered really well by Rogen. Greg Tiernan, who voiced Potato, kicked off one of my favourite scenes of the film; his joy turning to horror when his the first victim of the 'Gods' is really interesting. Scott Underwood, who voiced Gum and Twink, brought out a nice parody of Stephen Hawking through his portrayal of Gum; however his camp performance when it came to Twink was also quite entertaining.

However the best performance came from Kristen Wiig, who played Brenda. Wiig is a performer who I've seen in a variety of films over the past couple of years and she's never really been the role to stand out; that changed with this film. Wiig crafts a character who's just as funny as any of her cast mates but is also interesting from the number of different discussions about actual problems in real life she creates. Wiig knows exactly what she's trying to get across and achieve in each scene and you hear that in her performance. She constructs a role who can be wickedly fierce when she wants to be but who also has her own insecurities about her life within the supermarket. This is Wiig's best comedic performance to date in my opinion.

This film doesn't shy away from taking the comedy a bit far, several scenes are damaged by the direction the comedy decides to go. This film was also let down majorly by it's ending; the giant food orgy at the end is revolting and the meta-awareness of being cartoon characters was a stupid decision to end the film upon, it felt as if the writers had just given up.

Michael Cera, who voiced Barry, is a performer who I've never really liked and certainly doesn't make his mark upon this film; frankly I felt like the film focussed too much upon Cera's rather forgettable role. James Franco, who voiced Druggie, gives the film one of it's worst scenes; yet beyond this Franco just didn't seem to have the voice talent to create a significant character. Bill Hader, who voiced Tequila, did a poor job with this role in contrast to what he did with Firewater; this was a character who was a bit too zany and over the top in Hader's delivery. Anders Holm, who voiced Troy, gave a really stereotypical performance in this film; his generic bully role was quick to forget. David Krumholtz, who voiced Lavash, seemed to be in this film just to remind us that Hollywood has about another million Arabic jokes still to go; I was honestly so tired of the jokes around this role by the end of the film. Edward Norton, who voiced Sammy, was one of the blandest voice actors of the whole cast; his rivalry and then romance with Krumholtz's role seemed extremely forced and weighed the film down. Paul Rudd, who voiced Danny, was a pretty weak minor antagonist; the final 'mash-up' between him and Kroll's role just felt awkward and unnecessary.

Nerve

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Yeah, yeah we get it...ooga booga social media is scary. I would give Nerve a 6/10.

This film is fantastic at creating a strong atmosphere that is a big part of why this film has such good pacing, for instance a lot of the 'dares' characters receive throughout the film result in scenes brimming with tension. This is a movie that will deliver you a sharp kick of adrenaline at periodic points. I definitely enjoyed the cinematography used, a film like this demanded quirky shots and the director certainly delivered that much. One of the film's strengths was the score and in particular the main theme, however the soundtrack that focussed upon electronic based music went hand in hand with what this film essentially was.

Dave Franco, who played Ian, made for a great leading protagonist; he was very charismatic and one thing I always like about Franco is that he's easy to like. Emily Meade, who played Sydney, was a really fun and wild role at first; as the film went along however I thought Meade did a great job of playing up the vulnerabilities of her role. Josh Ostrovsky, who played Dirt Beard, had one of the funniest scenes in the film; his brilliant delivery of comedic lines made his performance stand out. Samira Wiley, who played Hacker Kween, delivers presence in bucketloads; Wiley creates a really wild and fun minor role who enjoyed while she was onscreen.

However the best performance came from Emma Roberts, who played Vee. Roberts is an up and coming actress who I've really enjoyed watching ever since We're The Millers and it's clear how far she's come in this film. This is a role that starts out as awkward and diminutive at first but as the feature carries along she becomes bolder and far more self-aware; it's great character development and Roberts does a fine job of portraying this. I think what makes this character so likeable is that Roberts makes her relatable, you can really put yourself in this character's shoes and understand how she thinks throughout the film.

The problem with this film is it's a very atmospheric and pretty film that disguises a rather simple script. The romantic subplots that are in play throughout the film are tough to swallow, the chemistry with Roberts and Franco escalates alarmingly quickly. The start of this film also takes a bit long to establish the characters and get to the aspect of the film we as an audience actually want to see. The ending also suffers by taking things a bit too far, suddenly there is a 'prisoner' element that feels a bit forced and culminates in an ending that is absolutely melodramatic. The way this film talks about technology makes it clear this writer has no idea how the internet works and furthermore the anti-internet stance feels a bit preachy. The editing is nothing stand out, I thought the constant use of graphics got a bit too in your face after a while.

Miles Heizer, who played Tommy, was one of the most cringeworthy roles of the film; his obsession with Roberts' role got a bit creepy and it was a struggle to relate to him. Kimiko Glenn, who played Liv, was an extremely bubbly role that got annoying pretty fast; she often fell under Meade's shadow. Marc John Jefferies, who played Wes, lacked screen presence in this film; Jefferies felt like a bit of an unnecessary role. Machine Gun Kelly, who played Ty, was an extremely weak antagonist; Kelly struggled to perform and deliver his lines well. Brian 'Sene' Marc, who played J.P., was a thoroughly forgettable performer; he served his purpose of being eye candy but didn't do much else. Juliette Lewis, who played Nancy, looked like she had no idea what she was doing in this film; you felt like she was going through the motions but didn't understand the script at all.  

David Brent: Life On The Road

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One of the most cringeworthy comedies of the year. I would give David Brent: Life On The Road a 4/10.

This film hits a few strong comedic points which really allows Gervais to show off his talent; there is no doubt the film thrives on awkward humour. Beyond some of the strong moments of comedy what this film provides is a sort of poignant reflection upon the character of David Brent, you certainly sympathise with him quite a bit by the end of the film. The soundtrack throughout this film is pretty well picked out, though the use of Gervais delivering his own comedic lyrics is even better.

Mandeep Dhillon, who played Karen Parashar, was one of the more charismatic characters of the film; Dhillon had a few good scenes where her empathy for Gervais or her sticking up for Bennett made her performance stand out. Jo Hartley, who played Pauline Gray, was a rather timid role who I actually thought came across as quite sweet; her stand off with Brooke's role at the end of the film is one of the most satisfying scenes. Tom Basden, who played Dan Harvey, was a fairly abrasive character throughout the film; however there's a moment of empathy near the end of the film that really makes you see his role in a different light.

However the best performance came from Ricky Gervais, who played David Brent. Gervais wrote this film with himself literally playing the title character and for what it's worth he really carries the film. If ever you're laughing in this film or feeling sympathetic towards Brent then that is because Gervais has pulled that emotion out of you. His awkward, babbling role goes on a journey of self-discovery and if nothing else Gervais really commits.

This film is yet another indicator of what works well in a TV show not working out so well upon the big screen. While this film has some comic highs these are few and far between, most of the jokes fall flat or go a bit too far. The story around Brent being a social outcast essentially polarises him to the viewer as well, seeing scenes where he pays people to spend time with him or lures women to his room through his mini bar gets pretty cringeworthy. The cinematography that made The Office so famous feels out of date on the big screen, it's a style seen so often before that you find the film visually unappealing. The editing was another serious flaw and created pacing issues for the film itself, shots tended to drag on for way too long.

Abbie Murphy, who played Serena Wilson, made a comment about being typecast as the 'bitch' during the film and that's exactly what happened; Murphy certainly didn't provide any more depth to the role than that. Andrew Brooke, who played Jerry 'Jezza' Collins, was a real blockhead role; he just shouted and antagonised characters aimlessly which got a bit dull to watch. Miles Chapman, who played Andy Chapman, was a rather boring business role; Chapman was possibly one character too many in the office scenes. Tom Bennett, who played Nigel Martin, just wasn't as funny as Gervais in their scenes together; he certainly attempted to rise to Gervais presence but ultimately just wound up in his shadow. Doc Brown, who played Dom Johnson, was a rather neutral role that never really rose to much; ultimately he was just in this film so Gervais could have an avenue for racist jokes. Andy Burrows, Steve Clarke, Michael Clarke and Stuart Wilkinson, who played Foregone Conclusion's Drummer, Bassist, Keyboard Player and Guitarist respectively, all wound up falling into the backdrop in this film; their roles revolved around avoiding Gervais so that took away their opportunity to stand out. Nina Sosanya, who played Dr Vivienne Keating, was a rather uninteresting minor role; she tended towards the stereotypical in her performance which resulted in a pretty throwaway scene. Diane Morgan, who played Briony Jones, was a minor role that was introduced way too late into the film; Morgan just wasn't funny and ultimately set up a rather weak punch line. Ashley McGuire and Roisin Conaty, who played Mo and Cat respectively, gave one of the most cringeworthy scenes of the film; what we got from this pair was just an odd and disgusting scene of courtship. Alexander Arnold, who played Pog, was a rather bland performance; he delivered lines in such a stiff way.

Chasing Great

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Someone seriously needs to tell documentary creators than an hours worth of footage in slow motion doesn't look good no matter the camera quality. I would give Chasing Great a 4/10.

There are a few really nice looking scenic shots scattered throughout this film, these are incredible images that emphasise the beautiful landscape McCaw grew up within. The narrative that unfolds within the documentary has two very strong strengths; McCaw's childhood is perhaps the best aspect of the film and the chronology of his rise to rugby captain makes for an interesting portion of the film as well.

There are numerous interviews within the film and a select few served the documentary extremely well. The interviews with Richie McCaw guide the majority of the film and while they can be repetitive at times they also present a humble, honestly ambitious figure who unveils how he thinks and what brought him through his long career effectively. Both Graham Henry and Steve Hansen, All Blacks coaches at different stages of McCaw's career, provide some of the strongest insight into McCaw's drive as a player; they are both also some of the best interviewees within the film. Barney McCone, who was McCaw's childhood coach, was a more unique interview who was quite a fun character and a very friendly Kiwi bloke.

This film doesn't have a great sense of structure, there are long periods where the documentary seems to have a linear focus and then sudden moments where it starts jumping between the past and the end of McCaw's career. A greater majority of the film focusses upon McCaw's last eight years on the field and it's horribly boring; the story goes round and round in circles often getting a bit repetitive and there's even a portion that focusses upon allegations in which McCaw cheated which really messed with the tone of the film. For the most part the cinematography is otherwise really bland and lacks vision or it's high quality but terribly framed. The editing feels like it was clipped together by an amateur, a sluggish pace is set and so many individual cuts are jarringly noticeable. There isn't really a score for this film, it's mostly a bunch of bass sounds played over a swelling rise in noise; the use of Lorde at the end really is just a further example that this film has no idea what it is.

Just as I said there were some good interviews there were also some pretty awful ones. Gemma Flynn is a particularly glaring one, she seems to be visibly nervous in front of cameras which has the negative effect of pulling you out of the film and also creating the impression that there's no chemistry between her and McCaw. Fellow rugby players whether they are teammate or rival are interviewed, such as Dan Carter or Schalk Burger; sadly these interviews are quite wooden and you don't get a sense of connection towards McCaw. Margaret and Donald McCaw, Richie's parents, are shown briefly in a few quick interviews but their lack of screen time creates a distance from the all too well presented childhood narrative. There's also the troubling cheating aspect that I mentioned earlier, the film would have been much better if the interviews with Alain Rolland and Stuart Barnes had been completely cut out.