Movie Reviews

The 5th Wave – Badass Verdict

Posted by absolutebadasses on April 3, 2016

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: Chloë Grace Moretz, cinema, films, hollywood, images, Jonathan Blakeson, like, love, maika monroe, Maria Bello, movie, movie reviews, movie stills, movies, poster, rick Yancey, scifi, the 5th wave, the fith wave review, young adult novels. Leave a comment

After being thrilled by Jonathan Blakeson’s excellent “The Disappearance of Alice Creed” I was intrigued to see how he dealt with an alien invasion movie with a slightly bigger budget and a cast of young upcoming Hollywood – sadly The 5th Wave was not what I hoped for, it lacked the grittiness, the devil of similar movies in its genre, the movie lacked energy and I felt considering it’s storyline was nowhere near dark enough – at times it felt like I was watching a really tame TV movie – the undoubted talents of Chloë Grace Moretz and Maika Monroe were wasted, with the latter being very underused having little screen time of which is a real shame as she steals every scene she’s part of – Overall as movies go The 5th Wave is a pretty average affair, it’s predictable, add’s nothing new to the apocalyptic world style of movie and most of all the reveal of the actual threat to earth is such a big let down – the film is watchable but only just ★★★

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Posted by absolutebadasses on December 22, 2015

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: a new hope, actors, actress, big screen, c3po, celluloid, cgi, chewbacca, cinema, Daisy Ridley, empire strikes back, film, film blog, film review, finn, han solo, imax, jedi, jedi master, John Boyega, light sabre, luke skywalker, Millenium Falcon, movie review, Oscar Isaac, poe, r2d2, return of the jedi, reviews, rey, star wars, Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens, storm trooper. Leave a comment

Being a film geek and a huge fan of the STAR WARS franchise I could not wait to reach for my light sabre and find my local IMAX and immerse myself into that world once more – my first experience of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia was back in the early 80’s, I was too young for New Hope & Empire but watched them both on Video (many times) before eventually Jedi arrived, I was only a kid in ’83, my film education just beginning and watching these characters the maestro George Lucas had created on the big screen for the very first time was something I will always treasure, and like most scfi fans around my age I have watched the original trilogy and its 3 prequels many many times – so after a long wait J.J Abrams Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens had arrived, a midnight screening, the packed cinema roared as the infamous opening credits began to rise…..

Having now had a few days to think about the movie, I have come up with some positive & negative feed back, this is my own personal views so please take it all with a pinch of salt – I will get the negatives out of the way early (and these views don’t necessarily mean I didn’t enjoy the movie, quite the opposite) firstly the writing by Toy Story 3’s Michael Arndt is too predictable, the film itself copying many of the same trait’s as it’s predecessors almost retelling Lucas’s masterpiece A New Hope – Snoke the master & his apprentice Kylo Ren who is too much like Vader, even dresses in black with a mask but is weaker and less imposing, Rey the film’s lead is a young, untrained yet powerful in the force girl who leaves her planet Jakku to fight with the resistance yep I know all very similar to the path Luke Skywalker took in the original trilogy, The First Order is basically a new and updated Empire, they even have a new droid BB8 who’s just like R2D2 excepts it’s shape and it maneuvers slightly different and there are also a couple of big spoilers that I will not divulge here but also remind one of the original movies – secondly the casting of Adam Driver as Kylo Ren is one of the worst in the whole of the Star Wars franchise, he just does not look the part and when he removes his helmet (mystery gone !! – and another big mistake by the writers) he looks so out of place, almost looking a like boy band member, his Anakin tantrums and getting his ass whooped by a novice is a sure way to make your new villain look almost laughable, this is a shame as Kylo Ren is such as badass name and deserves better….

Forgive my little rant on the negative of Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens but as I mentioned above the film also has some positives – firstly the new characters Rey, Finn and Poe played by Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac are all exceptional, their chemistry, energy and undoubted excitement over being in a Star Wars movie was there for all to see, they bring great hope & optimism for future movies in the franchise – it would also be rude of me not to mention another fine performance (ala Peter Cushing) by the wonderfully talented Domhnall Gleeson playing General Hux this Irish guy is one of the screen’s finest young actors so maybe his role could be beefed up a little bit more for Rian Johnson’s eighth movie in the series – secondly the quality of the action sequences, especially those involving the Millenium Falcon, that chase scene with Rey in the driver seat early in the movie made my hands all clammy and the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention – exciting was not the word – third and finally the biggest positive I could give The Force Awakens is all about sentiment, from the score by maestro John Williams to the return of some of the much loved characters from the old movies including Solo, Leia, Luke, Chewbacca (grrrwaaaaaarggggh), R2D2 and C3PO all of which have some screen time in this new movie, is what the Star Wars movies are all about – in fairness J.J does a fine job balancing the old characters with the new ones….

Yes the film has a lot of negatives and plenty of unanswered questions but overall as a big screen spectacle J.J Abrams Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens is a fabulously entertaining movie that fits well in the Star Wars universe – my advise is to see the film in 3D as the action scenes are incredible and the extra detail this brings to the movie is worth the admittance fee on it’s own – it’s a shame the writers and J.J took the easy route out in trying to replicate the old movies and not delivering something new and fresh to this world but when all is said and done the movie is a blast and one I look forward to watching again and again ★★★★

American Ultra (2015) – My Badass Verdict

Posted by absolutebadasses on December 9, 2015

Posted in: Movie Reviews. Tagged: action film, action movies, american ultra, american ultra 2015, badass movies, bluray, chuck, cinema, drugs, dvd, film, film review, films, fun, guns, hollywood, insane fun, intersect, Jesse Eisenberg, kristen stewart, movies, my verdict, onscreen chemistry, stoner, women. 1 Comment

“Three scouts who are also best friends attempt to save their town from a zombie outbreak, whilst doing so they learn lots about their friendship, lots about girls & lots about killing the undead”

I’ve seen a lot of movies this year but none as funny as Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse – it’s just packed with gut busting, jaw aching laugh out loud scenes, many of which are obvious homages to those of similar ilk – yes OK it’s shameless, dirty & gross out comedy but I really went with it & enjoyed the ride so much !!

I mean what’s not to enjoy? You got three scouts teaming up with a badass zombie killing cocktail waitress, a Dolly Parton loving scout master, the hot girlfriend and a cat loving psychotic old lady who lives across the street – If your humor follows the path of Cooties & Shaun of the Dead then “Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse” will tickles your Innards !! ★★★★

Brooklyn (2015)

Posted by absolutebadasses on November 11, 2015

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: 1950s, 50s, actress, brooklyn, brooklyn movie, brooklyn review, brooklyn usa, cinema, director, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, film review, filmmaker, immigrant, ireland, Jim Broadbent, John Crowley, Julie Walters, like, love, movie blog, movie review, movies, new york, nick hornby, USA, Yves Bélanger. Leave a comment

My latest venture to the cinema was to watch John Crowley’s immigrant drama BROOKLYN based on the novel by Colm Tóibín and starring a young lady that in my opinion is the Best Young Actress of her generation Saoirse Ronan

“Brooklyn tells the story of Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan), a young Irish immigrant who leaves her home town, to live in 1950s Brooklyn. After the initial shackles of homesickness Eilis begins to find her feet, she starts a new job, an exciting education and falls into a romance with a boy from the city. But soon, her new life is disrupted by her past, and Eilis must choose between the two countries and the lives that exist within”

It’s fair to say my draw to watching Brooklyn on the big screen was Saoirse Ronan, I’d not read Tóibín‘s book and the director Crowley’s previous movies have not caught my imagination and to be truly honest I thought them average at best. But it was an actress I have been following since 2007’s Atonement, the American born but raised in Ireland Saoirse Ronan that drew to me to watching Brooklyn at the cinema, and boy she’d didn’t disappoint either – Ronan doesn’t have to say much to convey the pain or joy she is feeling during the movie, her emotions can be found in her eyes & face, the power she wields with her expressions tells you more than a thousand words – but in fairness Brooklyn has some other really good performances, Emory Cohen who plays the young dreamy Italian Tony is fabulous, he’s a delightful young actor who’s mannerism’s & appearance suck you in allowing you to believe in the romance between himself and Ronan’s Eilis, their chemistry is gorgeous to watch – also deserving of a mention is the magnificent Julie Walters who plays Mrs. Kehoe the landlady in Brooklyn who’s house Eilis stays in, although Walter’s screen time is limited her character gives necessary warmth & humor to the overall film.

Overall: At its finale Brooklyn leaves you feeling elated, its a film you want to re-watch and one you wish to tell all & sundry about, it’s a simple story of life, family & finding ones home and although it’s early in his career I feel this could be John Crowley’s masterpiece – due it’s fabulous screenplay by Nick Hornby the movie is full of every emotion, a lump in my throat during one scene, laughing at Julia Walters in the next, the film really does give you this emotional roller coaster ride as you join Eilis Lacey on her journey of self discovery – I know some people are put off by watching this style of movie at the cinema but trust me Yves Bélanger’s gorgeous photography and an acting masterclass by Saoirse Ronan are reason enough to visit Brooklyn on the big screen – it’s memorable, well acted & well directed by Crowley give it a go, you won’t be disappointed ★★★★½

Although I’m a huge fan of both Hellboy movies, Blade 2 and Pacific Rim for me Guillermo Del Toro is at his best when tackling the genre of the Gothic Horror or Dark Fantasy – in 2001 came his deliciously gripping The Devil’s Backbone and in 2006 the weird and wonderful Pan’s Labyrinth both shot on a relatively low budget and both demonstrating this filmmaker’s eye for detail & his brilliant knack of telling a good story that entwines interesting, peculiar and watchable characters into his narrative – so when the first stills and trailer hit the web for his latest my excitement was at fever pitch – would Del Toro’s Crimson Peak live up to the expectations I had placed upon it? and how would the cast changes effect his way of thinking and the movie in general?

Del Toro’s movie takes us back to the late 1800’s, where personal tragedy sends a young aspiring author into the arms of a mysterious stranger, his loving sister and a new home in England

Crimson Peak is a beautifully crafted horror movie, reminiscent of the classic movies back in the 30’s and 40’s – it’s imaginative sets especially the Gothic mansion really does send shivers down the spine, Del Toro manages to create this living, breathing structure that’s partly open to the elements, devilishly spooky & so atmospheric – the attention to details is impressive and the film submerges you into it’s story almost to the point you actually feel like your living in Allerdale Hall – part of the movies story is Edith’s ability to see ghosts and theses scenes are handled sublimely well, in particular the moment at the beginning of the movie when Edith is visited by her mum and the scene in the corridor of Allerdale both gave me goosebumps, the effect is spine tingling – the movie also contains a pretty graphic and violent death scene that may shock some viewers, and although you can see it coming its delivered with devastating effect – the films backbone though is it’s cast, especially the trio of Wasikowska, Hiddleston & Chastain who’s chemistry unite, making you believe in the scenario’s their characters find themselves in – I wish somebody could have taken a picture of me in the cinema watching the films taut but electrifying finale – the range of emotion from Wasikowska & Chastain’s characters are terrifyingly good – Overall Guillermo Del Toro’s Crimson Peak is one hell of movie, it may not be Del Toro’s masterpiece but it’s a fabulous, haunting trip nevertheless and deserves to be hailed as one of the best in it’s genre ★★★★

“A righteous, no nonsense Sheriff, his old loyal Deputy, a crippled cowboy & a mysterious Outlaw ride across country on a rescue mission, to save a women from some rather gruesome, cave dwelling cannibalistic Indians”Leaning on the likes of John Ford’s Classic The Searchers for inspiration Zahler’s exciting take on the western burns like a stick of dynamite, it’s purposely slow to start leading to an enthralling, nerve jangling explosion in its finale – it’s content is dark & its pockets of violence graphic, but there is no question of its genre, this is no horror cowboy mash up its quite simply a hard hitting Western that relies heavily on its engaging story line, captivating photography and a bunch of cool, unflinching characters that are nailed to perfection by its terrific cast that includes Russell, Jenkins, Fox and Wilson

Maybe it’s the influence of Kurt “Cool” Russell or maybe it’s S. Craig Zahler’s gritty, peculiar and at times humorous script ? either way BONE TOMAHAWK is absolute badass, the film has some sort of aurora surrounding it, just like a great Tarantino picture no matter how ugly things get you cant help but smile & enjoy the show !! ★★★★½

Max (Taissa Farmiga) and some of her rather nerdy friends gets transported through a magical portal, that bizarrely, but brilliantly takes them into an 80s slasher movie titled Camp Bloodbath where the movies killer Billy is stalking his victims, armed with his machete exacting revenge to all who’s wronged him – Camp Bloodbath stars scream queen Nancy (Malin Akerman) who also happens to be Max’s mum, so as you can imagine things get deliciously confusing & delightfully funny – Well if you’ve never heard of Todd Strauss-Schulson you soon will – this is the best I’ve felt coming out of a horror picture at the cinema since Cabin In The Woods, Schulson delivers a love letter to the slasher genre that’s smart, innovative, sexy and downright hilarious – The Final Girls is horror comedy at it’s absolute best and I for one can’t wait for it’s bloody sequel !! ★★★★½

The Visit (2015)

Posted by absolutebadasses on October 19, 2015

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: comedy, films, found footage, found footage format, horror, into movies, like, look, love films, M. Night Shyamalan, Maryse Alberti, movie poster, movie review, movies, photos, The Visit, The Visit Movie. Leave a comment

Sometimes you sit down & watch a movie with zero expectations & have an absolute ball – M. Night Shyamalan’s The Visit is one of them movies – Shyamalan who wrote, directed & financed the movie himself has come up trumps, it’s a film that’s refreshingly original, deliciously quirky and creepy as hell – the movie runs on a budget of $5 Million, and centers around siblings who go to visit their grandparents for a week, Aussie Olivia DeJonge plays the role of the older sibling Rebecca, a keen young filmmaker who has decided to document the visit by filming everything – The Visit manages to create an eerie suspense whilst making you laugh at the various strange goings on at the grandparents isolated farmhouse – the film is a true return to form for it’s director Shyamalan & certainly his best film since 2002’s Signs – if you feel a little suffocated (like me) by all these constant remakes & Superhero movies out there and want your faith restored by original, well acted, low budget film making then please check out The Visit its a little gem ★★★★

Back in the late 90’s Ritchie was one of the most exciting new filmmaker’s to hit our screens, from his witty, violent debut Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels followed by the equally brilliant Snatch these film’s were packed with his trademark visual stamp of quick, witty storytelling with a side helping of brutality and colorful if not likeable characters, he was a filmmaker on top of his game but then things got complicated, Ritchie met and married Madonna and in my opinion his focus went, 2002’s Swept Away was a shocker and in 2005 and 2008 respectively came two average and somewhat lackluster efforts in Revolver and Rock’n’Rolla both movies written & directed by Ritchie with both failing to ignite the passion of old – then in 2009 after his marriage to Madonna was over the unthinkable happened, Hollywood came calling and Ritchie sold his soul to the devil, churning out two big screen, big budget Sherlock Holmes movies that sadly added nothing new to the genre and did very little to bring Ritchie out of his career spiraling doldrums – yes OK the movies did good business at the box office but in fairness these two films that starred Robert Downey Jr could have been directed by any action movie director, it seemed that Ritchie’s originality had vanished and was replaced by an imposter….

Four Years later…. and Guy Ritchie brings us yet another big budget, Hollywood action movie but before you * sigh and say really? * this one unlike the Holmes movies has a special ingredient, from start to finish Guy was totally involved in the writing process – so here’s what I thought….

MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E is super stylish, quick witted and contains some of the slickest action scenes I’ve seen in the cinema this year – keeping the setting of the movie in the 60s was a master stroke, the magic of the music, the gorgeous locations & dare I say it the striking beauty of its cast enhanced my overall enjoyment of the film – the relationship between Cavill’s Napoleon Solo and Hammer’s Illya Kuryakin is the real gut of the movie, as actors they oozed chemistry both delivering their finest screen work to date, Cavill looking more at ease playing a super spy rather than Superman and showing me that he is easily the front runner to replace Craig as the next Bond, it’s easily his best screen role to date – Ritchie’s witty screenplay allows each of their characters to come to the fore, Solo’s wisecracking and Kuryakin’s anger issues make for a delicious cocktail of respect & bad ass rivalry allowing us the viewer to have so much fun watching it all play out !! ★★★★½

So finally the wait is over and I have returned from an exciting, exhausting double bill of Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol & the latest Spy Adventure in the series Rogue Nation

“Ethan and the IMF team light the fuse once more and take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating a rogue organisation known simply as The Syndicate”

Mission Impossible Rogue Nation is SEXY, INTELLIGENT & ELECTRIFYING Tom Cruise shows why at the age of 53 he’s still one of the greatest action stars of his generation, he not only looks the part of super spy Ethan Hunt, but he’s an actor who appears fearless, completing death defying stunts, making the whole experience more believable and enjoyable – in the movie he’s well supported by newcomer Rebecca Ferguson who totally owns her role, killing it in the frantic & exhilarating fight scenes, and giving her character Ilsa Faust a dynamic of mystery, flair and beauty, Ilsa’s fantastic opening scene not only illustrates her intentions in the movie but also sets the tone of what’s to come – Simon Pegg returns as annalist Benji and is on top form cracking some great one liners & taking on a more action orientated role in which he handles deliciously well – as a big fan it would be rude of me not to mention the bloody brilliant Sean Harris who nails the villainous Lane, according to director McQuarrie Harris wasn’t too keen on a role in the movie but I am so glad he changed his mind as he’s not only a superb actor but gives Rogue Nation one hell of a formidable foe for Hunt & the team to deal with.

Christopher McQuarrie who co-wrote & directed Mission Impossible : Rogue Nation deserves a lot of the credit, his script & direction is smart, exciting & barrels of fun & in my humble opinion it’s one of this years best experiences at the movies – other members of McQuarrie’s team on the movie should be applauded none more so than master cinematographer and Oscar Winner Robert Elswit who’s work on Rogue Nation is pretty impressive, he’s great vision, the films action scenes are insane, beautifully shot especially the car & bike chases, Hunt hanging from the plane and of course the underwater (don’t run out of oxygen) scene that had me biting my nails, labored breathing like I was actually in the tank with Cruise

Overall: Mission Impossible : Rogue Nation is exciting, pulse raising, rip roaring cinematic fun that had me screaming for the next chapter whilst leaving the cinema, Cruise is far from this washed up star some idiot critics declared a few years back and has produced his best work yet on this franchise – you will be hard pushed to find a better summer blockbuster ENJOY ★★★★½

The Last Survivors (2015) – Movie Review

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 30, 2015

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: Adam Wingard, Barbara Crampton, bluray, cinema, dvd, film fan, films, Haley Lu Richardson, horror, horror movies, Leo Lee, love films, Michael Massee, movie, movies, post apocalyptic movies, scifi, The Last Survivors movie, the well movie, Thomas S Hammock, vlod. Leave a comment

I adore Post Apocalyptic movies, that sense of emptiness, them barren wastelands and characters that are usually infected, desperate or in some way void of humanity, these type of movies usually make for great movie escapism and Thomas S Hammock’s directorial debut THE LAST SURVIVORS aka: “The Well” is certainly one of the best of its type in recent years !

First & Foremost is the emergence of the film’s star 20yr old Haley Lu Richardson – some talent right there !! She’s not only convincing in her given role but she is kick ass in the action scenes especially the movies bad-ass finale and the atmospheric interior shots where she attempts to hide & escape the big bad and his masked cronies – Haley Lu is a name for the now let alone the future, she revels in the role of Kendal a teenager fighting to save what’s left of her farm from the villainous & greedy water baron, she’s an actress who has tremendous screen presence, exciting to watch and one I hope continues to take risks with her film roles, not settling for the mundane romantic comedies – Secondly Is the great support cast & small cameos throughout the film including veteran beauty Barbara Crampton playing Grace, a cameo from filmmaker Adam Wingard as a soldier, the brilliant Michael Massee as the stranger & Leo Lee playing Judas all credit to Hammock for reaching out to this talent and getting them all on board – And finally no Apocalyptic movie would be complete without a location to suit the film’s storyline and some Stella cinematography to back it all up and this scifi gem comes up trumps on both counts !

Overall: Absolutely loved The Last Survivors – shot on a small budget this gritty horror from a debut director is a joy to watch – yes the storyline has a few holes, but the movie is never dull, it’s tense at times and it’s action sequences brisk and effective – if you enjoy this style of movie then you will struggle to find one better ★★★★

“Strangerland centers around a couple living in a rural town in Australia who discover that their two teenage children have disappeared, lost in the vast desert that surrounds their home”

Don’t you just love Australian Cinema? Their movies often contain haunting & twisted narratives, jaw dropping visuals, eerie soundtracks and most of all the real good ones focus heavily on characterization whether that be in the form of psychological torment, emotional or both

Overall – Kim Farrant’s directorial debut Strangerland is a majestic piece of cinema, a little gem that’s dark, daring & tackles the harsh reality of infidelity & the unthinkable, possible child abduction or worse – at its core the film is an atmospheric mystery thriller that’s coated with sublime acting by Kidman, great support by Weaving and a pace that’s purposefully slow, which only adds to its unnerving, unsettling premise! ★★★★½

Ted 2 (2015) – Movie Thoughts

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 12, 2015

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: big screen, blog, comedies, film blog, film fan, film geek, film stills, films, funny movies, liam nesson, like, love comedy, love films, Mark Wahlberg, movie fan, movie thoughts, movies, new movies, photos, planet movies in 30 characters, series, seth macfarlane, ted 2, trailers, tv. Leave a comment

The last entry in the Jurassic franchise was 14yrs ago way back in 2001 and was a pretty ordinary monster movie so when the word came out that Spielberg who directed the first two movies in the trilogy had approached Safety Not Guaranteed’s Colin Trevorrow I was surprised and slightly apprehensive about it’s final outcome – Trevorro’s movie takes place 22yrs after the events of 1993’s Jurassic Park, Hammond’s original concept is now a reality and us humans can mingle and watch the dinosaurs whilst traveling on futuristic rides set around the landscape known as Jurassic World – but like all businesses the Park has to make money so the powers within create a new attraction, a Dinosaur that’s bigger, faster & more terrifying than anything that’s come before – well I won’t reveal what happens next in the movie but here’s my thoughts on Trevorro’s Jurassic World

For all you directors involved in remakes, sequels or prequels of classic movies of yesteryear watch Jurassic World – Colin Trevorrow demonstrates how to appeal to a whole new fan base whilst respecting the audience that fell in love with the movies predecessors – As a movie spectacle Jurassic World is a popcorn munching wet dream, the film’s pace is electric, it’s cast full of energy & the film’s visuals are simply jaw dropping – the raptors have never looked so good, the futuristic theme park makes you want to visit there and once your eyes stare down on that Dino-Hybrid the Indominus Rex I guarantee the hairs on the back of your neck will stand to attention, wait for a minute then hide for cover

Overall: Jurassic World is what every summer blockbuster should be – exhilarating, fist pumping fun that gives its audience a helluva ride – and with the welcome addition of John Williams spine tingling score, the many elegant nods to Spielberg’s original and its storyline paving the way for more sequels to follow makes this monster movie a nostalgic, heart thumping cinematic experience ★★★★½