Lupita Nyong’o

Having grown up watching the Disney classics such as Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and The Jungle Book I was intrigued when hearing that Iron Man & Elf director Jon Favreau was working on a new live-action/CGI remake based on Rudyard Kipling’s story – anybody who follows me on Instagram or Twitter will know I’m not huge on this constant Hollywood obsession in remakes, reboots or re-imagining of the classic films of yesteryear, that being said I will always give a film the benefit of the doubt and I watch each one hoping for that gem, a remake that may possibly surprise and may even equal it’s predecessor !!

Well after visiting my local cinema complex I was not surprised I was blown away by what I had just seen – not many movies in recent times, let alone remakes have taken my breath away but Jon Favreau‘s epic take on this classic tale did just that – from its exhilarating opening watching the orphaned Mowgli race through the jungle to its heart racing climax with the villainous Shere Khan – The Jungle Book is gorgeous on every level, it’s seamless CGI is forgotten after the first few moments in the movie as your transported into a setting where animals fill your heart with song, laughter & maybe a lump in the throat, Favreau handles Mowgli’s heart warming encounter with Baloo the bear, the hissing, conniving of Kaa and the hilarious & complete epic-ness of King Louie singing that classic song “I wana be like you” with total respect of the original movie yet creates his own special deliverance of these beloved characters – his casting of the voice actors should be applauded and where on earth did he find the young Neel Sethi, this kid is perfect as Mowgli giving the film it’s heart, he’s certain to be a star of the future – Overall 2016’s The Jungle Book is a magical cinematic triumph, it’s a film that brings the feel good factor & family entertainment back to our screens and if you’ve seen Wolfgang Reitherman’s 1967 Disney classic then you may find yourself humming along to a couple of favourite tunes too – pure and utter brilliance, stop monkeying around & visit The Jungle Book at cinema’s now!! ★★★★½

One thing that really pisses me off is all those no good for nothing George Lucas haters out there and believe me I come across many on my social media feeds – how dare they complain about who shot who first, the digital effects on the prequels or their absolute dislike for characters such as Jar Jar Binks, the truth is clear if it wasn’t for Lucas the creator of one of movies finest franchises (yes prequels included) the cinematic world would be a much poorer place and we would not be getting extremely excited for J. J. Abrams’s latest Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens – here’s the latest trailer, a few new stills and a gorgeous new poster – enjoy but remember those goosebumps and that nostalgic feeling you may have whilst watching this trailer is all down to one man, he started this ride back in 77′ and his name is George Lucas !!

The Force Awakens is set approximately 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi

The film opens December 18th and stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Peter Mayhew, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendolyn Christie, Domhnall Gleeson, Andy Serkis and Max Von Sydow

12 YEARS A SLAVE (2014) – Movie Review ★★★★½

12 Years a Slave stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Lupita Nyong’o, Sarah Paulson and Brad Pitt – Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Solomon Northup a free black man from upstate New York who is tricked by two con men, abducted and sold into slavery and sent to New Orleans – the film is based on a memoir written in 1853 by Northup himself and brought to the screen by the director of Shame Steve McQueen. VERDICT the last time I felt this appalled at the cruelty of my fellow human whilst watching a movie was Spielberg’s Schindler’s List – McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave is one of those rare films that through all the heartbreak and unimaginable horror that’s taking place on screen, you find yourself submerged in the characters & unable to avert your eyes from it – unlike Tarantino’s dark humored Django Unchained, McQueen’s movie about American Slavery has nothing to smile about, it’s brutal, uncompromising and delivers an intense powerful history lesson to those who may have forgotten our past – along with a haunting soundtrack by Gladiator’s Hans Zimmer and a well worked script by U-Turn’s John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave is a picture driven by some courageous actors giving staggering performances, the likes of Chiwetel Ejiofor playing the lead of Solomon Northup, a family man snatched and sold into slavery, Michael Fassbender who plays Edwin Epps, a cruel plantation owner who whips and sexually abuses his slaves, and Lupita Nyong’o making her feature movie debut playing Patsey – McQueen uses his directing trait of intimate camera shots, taking the viewer as close to the action as possible, you almost feel the blood spraying from the backs of the victims as they are whipped and in some of the movie’s scenes you feel like you’re watching it all in slow motion, the camera pauses almost admiring it’s shot, a fine example of this is when when Northup is hung from a tree, his feet barley touching the floor, everything is going on about him whilst he struggles with every breath to stay alive – it’s great film-making allowing the viewer to feel the intimacy & at times suffocation of that particular scene, a technique all too evident in McQueen’s previous 2 pictures behind the camera – if I was being slightly negative I would have increased the movies run time slightly but overall 12 Years a Slave is Steve McQueen’s masterpiece, a beautifully shot, uncomfortable to watch epic and one that should be watched by all….