The Dark Knight Rises - Official Teaser Trailer

I really enjoyed both Batman Begins and The Dark Night is one of of those rare sequels that is actually way better than the first movie (mostly due to Heath Ledger's phenomenal performance as The Joker) so I'm really looking forward to the final instalment: The Dark Knight Rises

The trailer looks great. I just can't believing we have to wait until the summer to see it...

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

I was worried that Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy would not live up to its hype. The cast is phenomenal: Oldman, Firth, Hardy and Cumberbatch are just a few members of the all-star line-up. Lots of people have been talking about how this is one of the best films of the year.

Thankfully, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy delivers. In a big way. There is a real sense of drama and anticipation, fantastic dialogue and an exceptional soundtrack that ties it all together in remarkable fashion. The acting performances are, perhaps unsurprisingly, world class. The individual performances alone are fantastic, but it's the way they all work together that really makes this film shine.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a Cold War thriller which focuses on a department in the British intelligence service. After an operation goes wrong Smiley (Oldman) is called out of retirement in an attempt to identify a suspected mole in the top ranks of the organisation.

This film focuses on the hard, gritty side of intelligence agencies that we rarely see in films like James Bond. Cocktails and Blackjack tables are replaced by smoke filled rooms and dark, damp safe-houses. Director Tomas Alfredson gets the tone and feel of the era spot on, and the film benefits greatly as a result. This is a must see movie as the summer season draws to a close.

 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: 8/10

Friends with Benefits

Friends with Benefits is one of an increasing number of movies that insists on putting the best bits in the trailer. I get why they do that, but some of the best moments in the film, the ones that should really make you laugh, you have already seen.

 That being said, Justin Timberlake was almost good enough in this to make me forget he was once in a boy band and Mila Kunis certainly gives guys a good reason not to feel too bad when their girlfriend drags them out to see this.

The stand out performance comes from Woody Harrelson, who plays a gay sports editor. Dylan (Timberlake) strikes up a friendship with Tommy (Harrelson) who provides some advice and great comedy moments.

 Friends with Benefits is a fun, throwaway movie. It's not going to make you think, the storyline is somewhat inevitable and the cast do an okay job. Chances are you're still going to go and see it anyway, and with the above in mind, you probably won't even be that disappointed.

Friends with Benefits: 5.5/10

Avengers Teaser/Trailer

So soon after seeing Captain America I just saw the sneak preview of the Avengers movie which you can take a look at here. There is a pretty big spoiler at the start of the clip if you haven't seen Captain America.

It's a blink and you'll miss it clip (Empire has screenshots) but you get a glimpse of Robert Downey Jr (Stark) , Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Mark Ruffalo (The Incredible Hulk) and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) who appears at the end of the Iron Man, Thor and Captain America movies.

Release is scheduled for some time in early summer 2012.

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Captain America: The First Avenger

The Story: You know you have seen a good film with an interesting story when the first thing you do after getting home is look up the extended version of the story online.

Captain America: The First Avenger much like many other superhero movies of the last few years is based on an extensive comic book series so they aren't exactly light on stories to tell.

After repeatedly being rejected for American military service during World War II Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) catches the attention of Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) who inducts him into an army research project that transforms the weak and feeble Rogers into taller, fitter version of himself, with the peak of every human ability.

Initially used as a mascot to raise funding for the war, Captain America eventually finds his calling when he springs into action to help his fellow soldiers.

I'm not a big comic book fan (they never really took off in the UK when I was a kid) but I love the interweaving of other stories, movies and characters, although I have to admit the Howard Stark part took me a minute... (Story: 2/3)


The Cast: I wasn't expecting much after seeing Chris Evans in both Fantastic Four movies but I have to say he did a remarkable job of playing the feeble, weak but determined Steve Rogers in the pre Captain America portion of the movie and carried it over nicely into the rest of the film.

Toby Jones and Stanley Tucci both take to the 'mad scientist' roles well and add a nice comparison between the requirements of good and evil.

Hugo Weaving is a little dry at times, and I never found his character quite believe able for some reason. I just didn't feel like I wanted him to get beaten as much as I should.

I have to confess to not having seen any of Hayley Atwell's previous work, but I must say she adds a nice mix of beauty and intelligence to the role, and doesn't fall into the classic superhero movie female lead, due in part to the great chemistry between her and the feeble Evans pre experiment. (Cast: 2/3)

The Action: From start to finish Captain America never really stops and even the quieter moments are full of drama and suspense. The battle scenes are fast paced and gritty and although some of the moves our hero pulls are somewhat over the top, especially with the shield, overall the action is enthralling and engaging. (Action: 2/3)

Everything else: No question that Campaign America: The First Avenger is getting a bonus point for the special effects alone. Turning Chris Evans into a scrawny, short and pale man for a large portion of the movie in such a perfect and seamless way is nothing short of phenomenal. (Everything else: 1/1)

Captain America: The First Avenger: 7/10

Cowboys & Aliens Trailer

Arizona in 1873. A spaceship lands. Cowboys fight the aliens. Can't wait.

Movie News

The Amazing Spider-Man is the hot topic at the moment despite a 2010 release date. There is a trailer up on the official site depicting Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) as Peter Parker. No footage yet of Rhys Ifans in his role as Dr. Curt Connors / The Lizard...


Coming of age tale Super 8 is also getting some love online as new clips are leased on the Empire website. Director J.J. Abrams tells the story of a group of friends who witness a mysterious train crash and begin noticing bizarre things happening in their small town.

Long awaited superhero movie Captain America: The First Avenger is about to grace our screen here in the UK. Chris Evans takes the lead role in the story of Steve Rogers, a research project volunteer who turns into Captain America, long before Team America: World Police even existed. You can see the trailer here.

The current Box Office top 5 lines up like this:

1. Captain America: The First Avenger
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
3. Friends With Benefits
4. Horrible Bosses
5. Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Captain America manages to knock Harry Potter of the top spot but no place in the top 5 for Zookeeper which is down in 6th and is really struggling this week.

Horrible Bosses

The Story: Horrible Bosses is about three men (Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis) who are all employed by bosses they hate. They decide that rather than quitting their jobs in uncertain economic times and giving out handjobs for $40 at the back of a bar like an unfortunate friend of theirs that they'll kill their bosses instead.

The plot itself isn't particularly believable (as in, I'd rather commit cold blooded murder than have sex with Jennifer Aniston) and the resolution of the movie makes almost no sense. However, the plot does do a good job of driving the humour which, after all, is the point of a comedy (Story: 1/3)

The Cast: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis all do a great job in the leading roles and the interaction and comedic situation is managed well. You definably feel like their relationships are genuine. The stars of the show however come in the form of their more experienced co-stars: Aniston, Farrell and Spacey all shine in their roles, although Spacey is the only one you really want to die. Jamie Foxx makes an appearance as a 'murder consultant' for the three would be killers in convincing fashion. (Cast: 2/3)


The Comedy: Horrible bosses is outrageously funny. You sometimes feel like the situations are a little too set up but overall there is comedy gold almost all the way through. The range of characters leads to a wide variety of funny situations and the cast certainly take full advantage. (Comedy: 3/3)

Everything else: Horrible bosses doesn't really offer anything beyond what you would expect, despite being a genuinely funny movie. The comedy is regular and original, but it's not executed in a particularly smart way. If you want to watch a fun film with a great cast then get yourself down to the cinema to see Horrible Bosses. However, no bonus points here. (Everything else: 0/1)

Horrible Bosses: 6/10

This Week In Movies - Breaking Dawn, Comic-Con and Paranormal Activity 3

Comic-Con is underway in San Diego and the Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival is drawing quite a crowd. The Friday schedule includes horror and comedy sections, although one assume they aren't at the same time, unless some awful parody movie is being released...

Much awaited Rise of the Planet of the Apes is getting a lot of interest at Comic-Con pending it's release. Reviews of the clips are good, and it looks like we're in for a real treat with some of the special effects.


The Paranormal Activity 3 trailer is out and well worth a watch. I think we can probably expect more of the same from this prequel, but the original movies were widely successful and I doubt this one will be any different.

Top 3 at the UK Box office looks like this;

1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part Two) $38,340,631
2 Transformers 3 $3,212,932
3 Bridesmaids $2,545,123

Just the 10 times more for Harry Potter than second place Transformers then...

Lastly, the movie on every teenage girls mind right now is the upcoming Twilight film - Breaking Dawn. Broken into two films the first one will deal with expecting parents Edward and Bella dealing with the Volturi and the wolf pack hot in their tracks. It's not out until November, but you can see the trailer here.

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Transformers: Dark of the Moon

I have to confess to not being a huge Transformers fan. I thought the first movie was great for the special effects but since I wasn't a fan of the story beforehand and didn't find the content particularly engaging I had all but written it off. I didn't make a special effort to see the second film and only saw it when it made its way to TV.

With this in mind Transformers: Dark of the Moon was really impressive. While the storyline may have lacked depth, this is definitely a film where the special effects and action sequences drive the movie rather than the other way around.

You have to realise that Transformers is a film about robots fighting - it really doesn't get more geeky than that. If you're expecting an intelligent plot with gripping dialogue and multiple themes you're going to be thoroughly disappointed.

The special effects in this film are absolutely phenomenal. Just at the time you start to think that the action is too fast paced and you can't actually see what's going on, they slow things down for you, adding nicely to the flow of the film.

The interweaving of the films plot with American History is a little weak and somewhat unnecessary in places, but it at least places some context on some of the events.

Shia LaBeouf does a good job in his return as Sam, and although his relationship with one of the robots is a little difficult to buy at times, his dialogue and general demeanor fit well with the rest of the cast.


The short appearances by Sam's parents are almost entirely pointless and could have easily been removed as they add practically noting to the film. You never feel like the relationship between them and Sam is genuine, and the banter about his getting a job is lost in the wider plot.

Megan Fox was always going to be a tough act to follow in the leading Lady stakes, but Rosie Huntington-Whiteley makes a genuinely beautiful alternative. She's also British, so director Michael Bay scores extra points there. They do utilise her in one too many beautiful-girl-in-front-of-epic-action slow motion shots but outside of that she does as good a job as can be expected in that type of role.

Overall Transformers: Dark of the Moon is a great crack at a sequal, and the special effects make up for pretty much everything else that's lacking. If you'd like to go and see a movie about robots fighting, then you'll love this, if you're looking for an in depth, dialough based throught provoking movie, you're probably better off going to see something else.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - 7/10

Movie News - Transformers 3 Box Office Hit, Monte Carlo Reviews Positive, Pixar Release More on Brave

Transformers 3 has been a huge hit at the box office, bringing in $162million already. This is a contrast to Green Lantern which is struggling at the box office so far admid some poor reviews. Both movies make use of 3D, so it just goes to show that content, use of the technology and the type of movie all have an impact on the success of 3D. Great article from the LA Times about its use for commercial reasons instead of creative ones.


Reviews for Monte Carlo look good so far, as does the 5th place in the box office one would guess.

Pixar have released more media for Disney fantasy Brave. Set in the Scottish Highlands, Brave deals with some darker themes that traditional Disney movies and could set a new genre of fantasy animations from Disney is successful.

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Bridesmaids

Important Note: I am male. While that normally isn't a problem where watching movies is concerned, when I went to see Bridesmaids there was roughly a 10:1 ratio of women to men, maybe more. Some of the jokes and situations in the film simply do not apply, and that does in some way change the overall feel and experience.

It's been a while since I saw people dress up for a movie, it might have even been as far back as the last Star Wars film. A number of women at the viewing I went to, one of the first in our area, were dressed up in bridesmaids outfits and wedding dresses (check out the Facebook page for examples). It's also been a long time since I left a cinema screen and walked out into the car park where people are still full blown laughing - such was the level of overall comedy and sheer number of jokes.

Let me start my saying that Bridesmaids is, in parts, an exceptionally funny movie. Before I saw it someone explained it to me as 'Better than The Hangover 2' which I think it definitely lives up to. It's a female slant on a male movie, much like Bad Teacher it applies some tried-and-tested male scenarios with a female dynamic.

Lillian (Maya Rudolph) picks Annie (Kristen Wiig) to be her maid of honor who has the task of organising the rituals of pre wedding organisation. Annie is a broke, disorganised and inexperienced, not the best qualities in this type of role. Unfortunately for Annie, Lillian has a new friend, Helen (Rose Byrne) who is beautiful, successful, popular and is married to a wealthy businessman.

Annie and Lillian battle it out in the movie and the contrast in values, standards and lifestyles in addition to the constant upstaging leads to some hilarious and at time cringe worthy scenes. Bridesmaids isn’t a move that is afraid to test the boundaries of this type of comedy, it really goes for it in a fully blown, taking a shit in the middle of a busy street kind of way.

Matt Lucas makes a few appearances as Annie’s housemate, but unfortunately his potential isn’t exercised and he adds little to the comedy, which is more a mark of how good it is elsewhere in the film than of Lucas' skill as a comedian.

While Bridesmaids is mostly genuinely funny and original comedy, there is a love interest that makes it tick the inevitable ‘chick-flick’ box involving a local cop played by Chris O'Dowd, who brings a charming and loveable spark to the story and provides some fantastic comedic situations of his own.

My first rating out of 10 puts this at quite a lofty 7/10 mostly for it’s originality based on a modern theme but it goes and extra point for the audience reaction and participation.

Bridesmaids: 7/10

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Bad Teacher

Bad Teacher is a comedy about Elizabeth Halsey, a school teacher who gets dumped by her wealthy partner after he realises she's only after his money.

This film is not one that takes itself too seriously. Elizabeth's character (Cameron Diaz) is a female version of many a leading man we have seen in comedies lately. The self obsessed, weed smoking, could care less attitude is one we have seen frequently - although the school setting does give some mileage for new jokes and a different, if somewhat predictable, story of redemption.

Elizabeth's style attracts the attention of Russell Gettis (Jason Segel) who brings some genuine comedy to the movie - much of it centered around her attempts to woo a wealthy supply teacher Scott Delacorte (Justing Timberlake) who has family money, far too much sensitivity and a passion for dry humping. Atlthough Timberlake's character is clearly supposed to be over the top, he doesn't quite take to the role as well as he did as Napster founder Sean Parker in The Social Network.


Some of the smaller roles in this movie make for the best scenes. Lynn Davies makes an appearance as fellow teacher Phyllis Smith, and adds some nice balance to Elizabeth's wild ways with a genuine sense of nervousness and caution in her approach to life. It's supposed to provide a contrast, but there is some comedy, both intentional and unintentional, in their relationship.

Dolphin loving Principal Wally Snur (John Michael Higgins) plays his part well and interacts nicely with the other characters. The end of year speeches are a perfect reflection of the awkward work team address and his excitable, animated discussion with various members of the faculty are hilarious in parts.

Bad Teacher was never going to be a great comedy, but it's not particularly bad either. If you have a cinema pass like me an a couple of hours spare one evening you could certainly do worse.

Bad Teacher: 2.5/5

(I think I'm going to have to start rating out of 10...)

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2: Final Trailer

The final Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 trailer is up:



The long awaited final instalment of the Harry Potter story is out in cinemas on July 15th. A mystery website that appears to be signed by J.K. Rowling has appeared, along with a Twitter page which has tweeted a couple of updates about the release of some 'exciting news'. There is also a YouTube announcement page completing the video/website/social media triangle.

Speculation is rife (and one would expect that was the intention) as to what the news could be. After a successful book and film franchise one of the most popular suggestions is that it will be some form of online game.

Those excited that Pottermore might be a new book will be disappointed however, as Rowling's people have confirmed that the project is not going to be a book release.

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The Hangover Part II

Two years after the Las Vegas stag party the cast return to take another crack at what was an original and exceptionally funny first movie.

Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis pick up where they left off in Vegas, this time in Thailand for Stu's wedding to his fiance, Lauren. Stu has good intentions, but what starts as a quiet drink around a campfire picks up in a dirty hotel room in Bangkok.

While Ken Jeong makes a hilarious return as Mr. Chow and Galifianakis applies his comedic genius to the film I can't help but feel they could have done more. If you have seen The Hangover and loved it you'll undoubtedly love this, but the novelty of some of the gags has worn off. The plot is very similar and they go over a lot of ground previously covered.

I can't help but feel for Justin Bartha who once again sits this one out as the point of contact back at the hotel while the rest of the gang tear around Bangkok trying to piece together their night out and find Teddy, Lauren's younger brother.

Despite the lack of originality, it's still a funny film and some of the scenes are hilarious. It's a shame they couldn't do more, but unfortunately this just feels like one of those movies they make to cash in on the success of the original, and judging by the $80m budget and $86m opening weekend, it looks like they did just that.

I think The Hangover Part II warrants some praise, and that three stars is more than fair.

The Hangover Part II: ***

Check out the trailer below:



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X-Men: First Class

No pressure on X-Men as the first movie to be reviewed on the blog. I'm sure director Matthew Vaughn was thinking about this day when he finished filming.

The first thing to say about this movie is that while you could easily watch it as a stand alone, it's really a good idea to have seen the other movies, or at least the first two, to get the most out of it.

The references to the original films are great, and First Class works hard to help you understand some of the relationships and dynamic in the earlier films. I'm not sure if we can class this as a sequel (or prequel) because the cast in the film is almost entirely different from the other X-Men movies, even if Wolverine does make a cameo.

The cast is absolutely phenomenal. James McAvoy makes a charming and perfectly cringe worthy young Charles Xavier and although I think if his character was based on the older version he later becomes he wouldn't be quite so playful, the role fits perfectly in this film.

Michael Fassbender plays an angry and relentless young Magneto exceptionally well, and I can see how the swagger and arrogance would translate nicely into the Bond role he's being associated with after Daniel Craig hangs up his bow tie.

I'm a Oliver Platt fan so it's nice to see him make an appearance as the 'I'm with the government but I'm on your side' man in the movie. Young British actor Nicholas Hoult, who has just about shed the 'oh he's the one from About a Boy' tag makes a great addition to the X-Men family as genius/mutant Hank McCoy and does a great job of telling the story of Beast.

Overall X-Men: First Class is a wildly entertaining action with a surprisingly well thought out story. The action flows nicely and doesn't feel forced into sections of the film. The cast do a fantastic job of telling the story behind X-Men and I hope it's box office success to date encourages them to expand on this part of the story and make a prequel sequel.

I haven't decided on a rating system yet, but I guess marks out of five is the standard apprach and X-Men: First Class gets a well deserved four stars.

X-Men: First Class: ****

Check out the official trailer on Youtube:



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Unlimited Cinema Pass Goes Live!

Welcome to Unlimited Cinema Pass!

It's important to point out that:

- I never go to movie premieres
- I have no inside knowledge
- I haven't studied film for about six years
- I live in the UK, so I'm likely reviewing movies that have been out for a while elsewhere
- I have little writing skill and my grammar, punctuation and spelling are way below average

However, there is one point that makes up for all of this:

I have an unlimited cinema pass that I use all the time, sometimes up to four or five times a month! I'm passionate about film and I love to share my uneducated, biased and usually unwanted views with as many people as I can.