THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

When The Hunger Games was first released almost four years ago, I had no idea it was going to be the successful franchise it is now. I was fourteen when I watched the first film and began reading the books and each film just got better and better. This is definitely the case with Mockingjay Part 2, the thrilling and emotional conclusion of the franchise. 

I would also say that this is the film that, I think, is the most faithful to the original book of the same name. There were so many parts in the film that I remembered reading about when I first read the book three years ago. Whilst I was reading the books, I didn't know how the cast and crew were going to make a film adaptation in a creative and successful way. Nevertheless, they managed to do it.

Jennifer Lawrence returns, for one last time, as Katniss Everdeen, the main protagonist. In the first Hunger Games, she only intended to protect her younger sister, Primrose (Willow Shields), from fighting in the violent games. She didn't think she would survive, let alone start a revolution against the Capitol. However, by the end of the Games, she and fellow District 12 tribute, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), won despite the rules clearly stating that there should only be one Victor. This is what starts the rebellion. In Catching Fire, Katniss is forced to go back into the games for a special version known as the Quarter Quell, much to her dismay. She forms allies with new characters, Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin), Beetee Latier (Jeffrey Wright) and Johanna Mason (Jena Malone) who are part of a secret rebellion plan formed by the Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Katniss doesn't know this until the end of the games and she is rescued by Plutarch who explains she is the Mockingjay, the symbol of the revolution. In Mockingjay Part 1, Katniss is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and is finding it difficult to cope without Peeta as she doesn't know if he's dead or alive. She meets the President of District 13, Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), who is unsure that she is the right person to be the face of the revolution due to her struggles. However, Katniss proves her wrong and films short films, known as 'propagandas', to distract the Capitol and to persuade the people of Panem to join her fight against President Snow (Donald Sutherland). However, things don't all go to plan because, when Peeta is rescued, he tries to kill Katniss. This is because he's been hijacked which means that the Capitol has corrupted his memories of her to make her appear violent or a threat to him.
Now, Mockingjay: Part 2 picks straight up where Mockingjay: Part 1 left, with Katniss recovering from her injury. Despite her struggles, she is still willing to be part of the fight against the Capitol but President Coin refuses and sends her to District 2 to film a propaganda, much to her annoyance. She is desperate to kill President Snow for everything he has done and goes on a rogue mission to join her fellow soldiers to take over the Capitol. President Coin is not happy with this and sends Peeta who still has negative views on Katniss and continues to have violent acts of rage towards her. However, he is slowly recovering from his disordered views of Katniss and he begins a game called 'Real Or Not Real' to help him know the truth. This was one of my favourite parts in the book as I thought it was a clever way to help Peeta understand his disorded image.
Director Francis Lawrence has stated that this is the most violent out of all The Hunger Games and he's not wrong. At one point in the film, Finnick mockingly states, 'Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 76th Hunger Games' and it truly is like that. The Capitol itself is like an arena with thousands of booby traps and bombs, known as Pods, lying on every corner. Katniss and her team of soldiers, one of which includes friend Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth), must avoid all of these traps in order to make it to the President's mansion.
I had read the books so I knew what was going to happen but I was still shocked at how brutal certain people's deaths were. One specific death scene had me in tears when I first watched it as the character was one of the most likable in the series and the character died in such a violent way. There was also another death scene which had me in tears but wasn't as violent as it was so sudden. These deaths may come as a shock to people who haven't read the books.
There are several new characters played by some of the best actors. Despite being only on screen for a short time, they still manage to pull it off. In fact, every actor in this film was amazing, especially Jennifer Lawrence. She is perfect as Katniss and really understands her character well. Throughout the films, I think she's definitely matured and grown into the role. I've also got to mention Josh Hutcherson as Peeta. In The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, Peeta had a charming personality but in this film, he's lost that charm due to the Capitol torturing him. He goes from being violent one minute to being really emotional. Josh really managed to make me feel sympathy for him.
I think this is a great conclusion to one of the biggest film franchises and I would definitely say that it's the best of the four films as there's plenty of violence, suspense and emotional moments.
With brilliant acting, intense scenes, amazing special effects and great directing, this is one of the best book-to-film adaptations I've ever watched.
9/10
Read my review of The Hunger Games here.
Read my review of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire here.
Read my review of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 here.

SPECTRE REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

One of the most anticipated films this year, Daniel Craig returns as the iconic spy, James Bond, in this action-packed film. There have been mixed reviews about this film but, I have to say, I really enjoyed this film and think that it is one of the best in the entire franchise.

I remember when Skyfall was released in 2012 and it was the first Bond film I'd seen in the cinema and I loved it, it became one of my favourite films of that year. However, the more I watched it, the more I got bored of it as I knew what was going to happen. This is why I was really excited for Spectre. I have to say it did not disappoint. 

I loved the opening sequence which is crucial in any Bond film because it draws the audience in and prepares them for the upcoming action in the film. The sequence is set in Mexico and has Bond chasing Marco Sciarra, who works for the villain. Sciarra is seen wearing a ring with a mysterious symbol on it, Bond believes that this will lead him to the main villain and chases Sciarra into a helicopter where they begin to fight. The opening sequence contains one of the best stunts the film as it shows Bond hanging out of the helicopter. Fortunately, the sequence ends with him taking the ring and throwing Sicarra out of the helicopter before flying back to London. While this opening sequence is amazing, I don't think it compared to the opening sequence in Skyfall which had (SPOILER ALERT) Bond being shot at by Miss Moneypenny. Although, it was only a minor injury, it left the audience in suspense wondering if he was alive. 

I was really amazed by the plot. (SPOILER ALERT) Since M's death in Skyfall, MI6 has been going downhill with the new head of the Centre of National Security wanting to get rid of the 00 programme which makes Bond's mission his hardest yet. He is taken off field duty by the new M (Ralph Fiennes) but it isn't long until he steals a car and goes out onto the field anyway. This is the first time where Bond really is on his own. There are no cool gadgets and he ends up driving the only car he has into a river during an intense car chase. Meanwhile, back in London, Q (Ben Whishaw) and Miss Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) are doing everything possible to keep their jobs and protecting Bond from M. In Skyfall, we didn't see much of their characters, however, in Spectre, we see how much they want Bond to succeed even if it means losing their jobs. 

With every Bond film, there's a 'Bond girl/woman'. In Spectre, there's two. Lucia (Monica Bellucci) is the first woman we see but there isn't much to her character. She's only in the film for a total of 10-15 minutes and is only there to give Bond crucial information. I think this was one of Spectre's flaws, if I'm honest, as Bellucci does have the potential to be more than a 'Bond woman'. However, we soon forget about Lucia when we meet Madeline Swann (Lea Seydoux), who has more personality than any of the Bond girls put together. I would say she's up there with Vesper (from Casino Royale, played by Eva Green) as one of the best Bond girls. She's brave and doesn't even like Bond, at first. After the two work together, they fall in love. Most of the Bond girls are just there for Bond to sleep with and have no personality and aren't even likable so this was refreshing to see.

And, of course, we have the Bond villain. In Skyfall, it was Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) who was a great villain, very creepy and sadistic, so I was wondering how he could be topped in this film. Fortunately, Christoph Waltz manages to play Oberhauser brilliantly. When we first see him in a secret meeting that Bond attends, we don't really get to see his how evil he is. However, later on, when Bond meets with him in a facility in the desert. It is soon revealed that all of the previous Bond villains (Silva, Le Chiffre from Casino Royale and Dominic Greene from Quantum of Solace) were all part of the same organization: Spectre. This means that Oberhauser has been secretly watching Bond, knowing his every move and has been waiting for the right moment to kill him. This was really interesting and a great twist because I would never have guessed that all the Bond villains had been working together to try and defeat Bond. This makes Oberhauser a lot more scarier as we never know what his next move is. There's even a scene where Oberhauser tortures Bond for information, however it's not as gruesome as the torture scene in Casino Royale which shocked audiences for its brutality. 

I have to say that I did enjoy watching this film and I would have to say that it's up there with Casino Royale and Skyfall as one of the best Bond films. If you compare it to the very first Bond films, you can definitely agree with me when I say that they have matured since then. If you're looking for a good action film, I'd recommend Spectre.

7/10

THE MARTIAN REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Based on Andy Weir's novel of the same name, Matt Damon stars as astronaut, Mark Watney, who has been left stranded on Mars and must find a way to survive there for at least three years before the next NASA mission. With only a limited amount of supplies, Watney must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. However, millions on miles away, NASA have discovered that he's alive and must figure a way to get him home before he dies of starvation. Full of drama and suspense with some witty and sarcastic comments from Damon's Watney, this is, by far, one of the best sci-fi films of this century, in my opinion.

I hadn't read Weir's book before seeing this film so I had no idea if Watney was going to return home safely or not. I was expecting a full-on dramatic sci-fi with many tense moments. I wasn't expecting to laugh as much as I did. However, this is not a comedy, it's because of Watney's humour and uplifting spirits that we never lose hope for him to get back home. Throughout the film, he uses a video blogging camera to document his life on Mars and remains optimistic even in his most difficult moments. 

Since this is a 12A (PG-13 in US), director Ridley Scott has had to tone down the violence and gore you normally see in most of his films. However, it wouldn't be a Ridley Scott film without at least one gross-out scene. This scene is within the first 10-15 minutes of the film and it's where Watney has to remove a small piece of debris from his abdomen and then staple his stomach back together. If you are squeamish, I'd suggest looking away for this scene. This was created to show the intensity of Watney's injury. 

The editing in this film in is really good. The films begins with the astronauts on their manned mission and within five minutes, a storm hits and the astronauts are forced to leave early. We are never left thinking 'Is Mark Watney alive?' because, obviously, that's the whole premise of the film. Despite this, we are constantly thinking (unless you've read the book and know what happens), 'Will Mark Watney get back home alive?'. Well, that's what I was thinking, anyway. The film then cuts back to NASA learning of the fact that Watney's is still alive and this is where they begin their planning on how to get him home safely. During this, I thought 'Why not ask the other astronauts to go back to Mars and get Watney?' but it's not as easy as that. NASA haven't told them that he's alive and Commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain), who decides to leave Watney's 'dead' body behind, has been left feeling guilty. Even when they find out that he is alive, it's a massive struggle between choosing to go home to their families or spending another three years away trying to rescue Watney.

(SPOILER FOR INTERSTELLAR) Many have compared this to Christopher Nolan's Interstellar and I can understand why. Matt Damon's character gets left behind on a planet, just like in this film, and it also stars Jessica Chastain, however the two never had a scene together. This is why Damon was a bit reluctant on starring this film but Scott informed him it was 'completely different' and I agree. There are more differences than similarites between the two films and I would have to say I enjoyed The Martian more than I did with Interstellar. I'm not saying Nolan's Interstellar is a bad film, it's brilliant, it's just that I thought this was more enjoyable and easier to watch, in my opinion.

The special effects are brilliant too, it could easily win an Oscar next year. I'm hoping so anyway!

I would recommend this to fans of Interstellar, Gravity and Prometheus. 

8/10

EVEREST REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

I've been looking forward to watching this ever since promotion for this film began in late August/early September. I saw advertisements about this 'dramatic' expedition up the biggest mountain on Earth - Everest. Apart from this incredible story, one thing that got interested was the cast. This film stars Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin and Jake Gyllenhaal as three of the mountain climbers hoping to reach the top of Everest. 

This is based on the true story of Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) who, sadly, died after reaching the top of Everest.

I think this film manages to tell this tragic story in a really compelling way. Because this happened in 1996, before I was born, I had no idea about this tragedy until watching this film. I didn't know if the climbers were going to reach the top and, when they did, I was unsure if they were going to be able to get down. There was tension from the beginning of the climb until the end of the film. This is a truly dramatic film, I was on the edge of my seat throughout and, at some points, I had to hide behind my hands as I couldn't bear to watch what was happening. This film is not one for the faint hearted, I'll tell you that.

Jason Clark is brilliant as the optimistic Rob Hall, the leader of the climbers. He does his best to make sure that everyone reaches the top of Everest and back down again but, despite his efforts, he and three other climbers died whilst trying to make it back down. 

Towards the end of the film, I had tears in my eyes, especially during the scene when Rob is communicating with his pregnant wife, Jan (Keira Knightley), who is trying to convince him to climb the rest of the way down. I was incredibly moved as I couldn't imagine what it must've been like for Jan. 

Overall, with a compelling story and memorable characters, this is definitely the most dramatic film of 2015.

8/10

SPY REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

If you're looking for a great comedy film with the best comic actors, this is it. 

This stars Melissa McCarthy as Susan Cooper, who is a desk-bound CIA analyst and spends most of her time helping out agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law) by giving him directions through an earpiece. Unfortunately, one of their missions goes terribly wrong and Susan is forced to go out into the field for the first time. 

First off, Paul Feig is one of my favourite comedic directors. He directed one of my favourite comedy films, The Heat, which also stars McCarthy in one of her best roles. Before watching this, I was worried if he would be able to top this and Bridesmaids, another great comedy film. After watching this, I realised I shouldn't have worried because he managed to create a hilarious film. McCarthy is hilarious as Susan, I couldn't picture her being played by anyone else. I also enjoyed watching Miranda Hart in her first feature film role as Nancy, Susan's best friend. Nancy panics a lot which makes her great to watch. Jason Statham was surprisingly funny as Rick Ford. I honestly never imagined he would want to do a role like this as he is best known for his action movies like The Transporter and The Expendables. However, in this film, he is really funny and has great comic timing. Yes, his character is annoying but that's what makes him so funny. 

With the best comedy actors playing some of the most hilarious characters, brilliant directing from Paul Feig, this is definitely one of the best comedy films I've ever seen.

7/10

PIXELS REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

When my Mum showed me the trailer for this back in June, I thought it looked really good. The idea of retro video games taking over the world really appealed to me. In the past, I have wondered what it'd be like if the video games we played took over the world. And here's the result. I do think that it could've been better but there were quite a few funny moments which I enjoyed.
Since this is directed by Chris Columbus (who has directed comedy classics such as Home Alone, Home Alone 2 and Mrs. Doubtfire), I was expecting a lot from him. Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as aforementioned films but it's still pretty good.

This is based on the short film by Patrick Jean and stars Adam Sandler as Sam Brenner, Kevin James as Will Cooper, Josh Gad as Ludlow Lamonsoff and Peter Dinklage as Eddie Plant. The film begins with Sam and Will as kids in 1982 playing arcade games such as PacMan and Donkey Kong. Their arcade playing skills gets them sent to the Arcade Game World Championships. Brenner is doing great until he comes up against Eddie Plant, the record breaker for Donkey Kong. Unfortunately, he loses. 

Now, 33 years later, those skills will come in handy when aliens misinterpet video signals of them playing the video games as a declaration of war and Brenner and his friends are the only people who can stop this pixelated war.
Okay, the first 40 minutes made me roll my eyes a bit. There were a few funny lines here and there. What annoys me is that whenever a female appears in the film, she has to be a love interest for the main protagonist. And this is what happens to Michelle Monaghan's character, Violet, whose husband has just recently left her for a younger woman. Brenner turns up at her house to install a home theatre system and he finds her crying in her walk-in wardrobe. The two really don't get on first so why the director forced a love story in there, I will never know. This is a film about classic arcade games trying to destroy Earth, there didn't have to be a love interest in there. Violet works for the President and helps Benner and his friends destroy these Pixels,
The best scene in the movie is when Pacman shows up and it's up to Brenner, Ludlow and Eddie to destroy him. This is where I laughed the most as it was one of the most funniest scenes.
Before watching this film, I thought it had a similar aspect to Ghostbusters in the way that something unnatural has come to destroy Earth and it's up to four guys to destroy it and they're both comedies.
Overall, it's not the best comedy film as it could've been better. I would suggest taking the love story between Brenner and Violet out and focusing on the Pixels trying to destroy Earth.
6/10

PAPER TOWNS REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

I went to seen an advance screening of Paper Towns before its release in the UK on August 17th and I loved it. I had just began reading the book which is brilliant so I was expecting a lot from this film. Lots of people had criticised Cara Delevigne's performance as Margo Spiegelman as she is best known for being a model but I can't understand the criticism. The writer of the book, John Green, stated that her audition was one of the best that he'd seen and that she was perfect for Margo and I agree. This is her biggest acting role this year and there was probably a lot of pressure for her to be good. To be honest, when I was watching the film, I forgot that Cara was a model and saw her as Margo, she was really good. She also has a great working relationship with her co-star Nat Wolff, who plays Quentin.
The film begins, like the book, when Quentin was a kid and Margo had just moved in next door. This is where their friendship begins but after they start high school, they begin to drift apart and Margo soon becomes part of the 'popular' gang while Quentin becomes friends with Ben and Radar. Whilst Quentin narrates, he tells us that he has fallen in love with Margo and wishes to be with her. Of course, this isn't possible as she already has a boyfriend. One night, though, Margo climbs into Quentin's room through his window and takes him on an all-night adventure that consists of Margo getting revenge on her boyfriend who she has caught cheating on her. After their wild adventure, though, Margo doesn't appear at school for a few days and Quentin soon realises that she has gone missing. All hope isn't lost though as she has left clues for him to decipher that will lead to her.
This film is about the true meaning of love and friendship and ends with a twist that I wasn't expecting.
While there are plenty of funny moments in the film, there are a few emotional scenes too.
I'd recommend this films to fans of The Fault In Our Stars.
7/10

INSIDE OUT REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

People have said that this is Disney/Pixar's best film and I agree. The tagline states 'Meet The Little Voices In Your Head' and that summarises the film. The film focuses on a 11 year old girl named Riley who has just moved to San Francisco and the conflict between the five emotions (Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear and Anger) as they try to handle being at a new school and new house.

I think that this is a very clever idea and I can't understand why no one has thought of it before. The target audience for this film is younger children but I think that teenagers and even adults will enjoy it. It does a great job at explaining why you sometimes feel happy one minute and then sad the next. It is a film that everyone will be able to relate to. I definitely felt myself relating to Sadness. When Riley starts her first day of school, Sadness takes over and this is where things begin to go wrong. Joy doesn't want Riley feeling sad on her first day of school and tries to stop Sadness but they both end up being sucked through a tube and finding themselves Riley's long term memory and must get back to the control room. This leaves Disgust, Fear and Anger in control of Riley's emotions which causes conflict between her and her parents. Will Joy and Sadness be able to get back? You'll just have to watch and see.

The voices include: Amy Poehler as Joy; Phyllis Smith as Sadness; Mindy Kaling as Disgust; Bill Hader as Fear and Lewis Black as Anger. All five actors are great as their emotions, especially Amy. She has such a joyful voice which makes her perfect for Joy.

If you are a fan of Disney/Pixar films, I can guarantee you'll love this film. I would also recommend it to people who have a hard time explaining how they feel as this gives a great understanding of how the mind, metaphorically, works.

Definitely Disney/Pixar's best film.

8/10

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Matthew Vaughn is probably best known for directing films such as Stardust, Kick-Ass, and X-Men: First Class. With Kingsman: The Secret Service, he returns to the comedy genre and has provided viewers with over two hours of solid entertainment with an action-packed narrative at the centre.

Gary "Eggsy" Unwin (Taron Egerton), whose late father secretly worked for a spy organization, lives in a South London housing estate and seems headed for a life behind bars. However, dapper agent Harry "Galahad" Hart (Colin Firth) recognizes potential in the youth and recruits him to be a trainee in the secret service. Meanwhile, villainous Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) launches a diabolical plan to solve the problem of climate change via a worldwide killing spree.

Like Kick-Ass, Kingsman is also based on a comic book series titled The Secret Service. While it's not an 100% accurate adaptation of the comic books, Vaugh has created it with his own vision and style which works. He doesn't try too hard to gets laugh and succeeds in crafting a entertaining film that blends action and comedy together really well. Most of the humour comes from Firth's surprisingly funny performance as Galahad. According to Stunt Coordinator and Second Unit Director Bradley James Allan, Firth did about 80% of his own stunts, which is really impressive and adds to the entertainment of the film. This is probably one of Firth's best roles since he won an Academy Award for portraying King George VI in The King's Speech. 

As the main antagonist, Jackson clearly has fun as Valentine and his lisp adds to the humour. Both Firth and Jackson don't take their roles too seriously and makes their performances all the more enjoyable. What's most funny about Valentine is that, despite his plan of violence and destruction, he is very squeamish. Even when he shoots someone, he looks away in disgust. 

Despite both Firth and Jackson giving solid performances, it's Egerton who gives the stand-out performance as Eggsy in his debut feature film. In the beginning, we perceive Eggsy as an immature teenager, however, we learn that he has a difficult background, due to his father, who is a member of the Kingsmen, passing away during a mission when Eggsy was just a child. This leads to us feeling sympathetic towards him and it gives him more background. After meeting Galahad, he begins training to become a Kingsman and becomes involved in various tasks. It's during these tasks that Eggsy starts developing into a true hero. 

When Vaughn was directing Kick-Ass, he certainly didn't hold back on the violence and the same can be said about Kingsman. Because it has a 15 rating (Rated R in the US), the violence is pretty high, especially during one memorable sequence halfway through the film, where a group of characters in a church go on a mad killing spree. This sequence is incredibly fast-paced and it isn't until it finishes that we catch our breath. A similar sequence occurs near the beginning of the film where Galahad attacks a group of men in a bar, much to Eggy's amazement. The fast-paced action is where Kingsman succeeds the most.

The first half of the film revolves around Galahad teaching Eggsy and finding out more about Valentine's plan. However, midway through the film, Eggsy must use his new-found skills to go to Valentine's lair and stop him before the human race all kill each other. This leads to Eggsy fighting against Gazelle (Sofia Boutella) who is Valentine's assisstant and has sharp blades where her feet should be. The climax is really tense as we see a violent massacre happening across the world. 

The similaries to the James Bond films are pretty obvious, from the spies and gadgets to the villain. Even Eggsy develops into a Bond-like character towards the end of the film. 

Looking back on the films that were released in 2014, I would have to say that Kingsman: The Secret Service was definitely one of the most entertaining and original. It's action-packed and full of humour and showcases Egerton's impressive performance in his debut feature film.

After Kingsman's release in 2014, it went on to make over $414 million at the box office and, because it was successful with both critics and audiences, a sequel, Kingsman: The Golden Circle is due to be released towards the end of 2017. 

Overall, because it's stylish, subversive, and above all fun, Kingsman: The Secret Service finds director Matthew Vaughn sending up the spy genre with gleeful abandon.

7/10