Wednesday 31 December 2014

My Most Anticipated 2015 Films -- 7. Minions

     I love Minions. I really do. They add comedy to the Despicable Me franchise, and they aid the plot to. Even though I am a fan of the minions in the Despicable Me movies, I was skeptical when I heard that the Minions were getting their own film in 2015, but that all changed when I saw the trailer. The trailer had all the fun and careless violence that we know the minions for AND looks like it's going to have a plot! With actors like Sandra Bullock and Michael Keaton backing this film up, it will be fantastic.

Here is Minions' trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eisKxhjBnZ0 

Minions will be released on July 10th, 2015

Minions is starring: Sandra Bullock as Scarlett Overkill, Michael Keaton as an unknown character, and special guests Stuart, Kevin and Bob as themselves.

My Most Anticipated 2015 Films -- 8. Pan

     I love the story of Peter Pan. I love the adventures in Neverland. I love the battles with the pirates and the scuffles with the Indians. The past behind Peter Pan is a mysterious one, and I am very excited to have it all cleared up. The trailer for Pan was one of the most promising ones I have seen for any of these films on my list, and with the origin looking like a sad one, I can't do anything, but be excited.

Pan's trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHl8F60t-ss

Pan will be released on July 24th, 2015

Pan is starring: Levi Miller as Peter Pan, Garrett Hedlund as Hook, Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily, Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard and Amanda Seyfried as Mary,

Film Review -- Exodus: Gods and Kings

     Why do people love making Bible movies? And why do the make them so horrible?
     The movie Exodus: Gods and Kings is based on Exodus Chapter 1 - 20.

     WARNING: This review contains spoilers from the Bible book of Exodus. 

     Now at the beginning of a review, I don't usually start with this bold of a statement, but I'm going to say it anyway. Don't watch Exodus: Gods and Kings. 
     First, the title makes no sense. The name "Exodus" would make sense since the book the movie is based on is called Exodus, but where did the Gods and Kings part come from?? I don't have any guesses; let me know in the comments what your guesses are.
     The story behind the movie is really horrible. The film could not decide what it was. Was it an action movie or was it a bible story? I understand that the film makers want to have an fresh take on this story, but when the story feels inconstant and loses its heart and soul, there is no point in seeing this movie. 
     As I said, Exodus: Gods and Kings loses the heart and soul of the story of Moses. So many of my favorite parts of the original story are completely gone. The story of Moses in the bible is a fun, exciting and classic one, but this film has turned this great story into a dark and gritty tale of war. Their are also so many Biblical inaccuracies, namely the interpretation of God. I don't mind when someone adds something to a adapted story, but when they film makers cut parts of the original stories to make room for the new stuff, that really bugs me, and that is just what this movie did.  
     The plagues that God unleashes on the Egyptians felt really underwhelming. Instead of Moses going to Pharaoh, saying "Let my people go", Pharaoh saying no, then Moses unleashing God's next plague on the people, God just unleashes everything on the Egyptians in one really vengeful tidal wave. The plagues were also such a small part of this movie, and that helped to bring the underwhelm part of them. 
     Now here we are, the end of the movie, God is going to part the Red Sea and the Israelites are going to cross! And the excitement drops. It's low tide that cause the Sea to part! And after the Israelites cross and we get to the Ten Commandments, it's just blah. Nothing good came out of that scene. 
     "But this film can't be all bad?" you ask. Yes, it is all bad. With names like Christian Bale and Ben Kingsley in this film you may expect it to be better, but no. Even Christian Bale and Ben Kingsley were terrible in this film. In fact most of the acting was bad. And all the main characters were played by white people! 
     All in all, Exodus: Gods and Kings is a terrible film, the only credit I will give it is the CGI, costumes and the guy who played the first King was all pretty good. Now the rating. . . %10. So, yeah. Don't see this film, see Prince of Egypt instead. What did you think of Exodus: Gods and Kings? Comment below and let me know.

Exodus: Gods and Kings info:
Release Date: December 12th, 2014 (USA and Canada)
Rating: PG-13 (USA), PG (Canada)
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Christian Bale as Moses, Joel Edgerton as Ramesses II, Maria Valverde as Zipporah, John Turturro as Pharaoh Seti I, Sigourney Weaver as Tuya, Ben Mendelsohn as Viceroy Hegep, Hiam Abbass as Bithiah, Ben Kingsley as Nun and Arron Paul as Joshua,  

   
                        
  

Tuesday 30 December 2014

My Most Anticipated 2015 Films -- 9. Terminator: Genisys

     I have never seen any of the Terminator films, but I am very excited for this film. The trailer was really exciting. It showed some really great action scenes and a very formidable villain. But the reason I am most excited for this film is that the studio said that Terminator: Genisys is not a sequel or a reboot. How does that work? Maybe a shift in time? We'll find out when the film is released.

Terminator: Genisys' trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62E4FJTwSuc

Terminator: Genisys will be released on July 1st, 2015.

Terminator: Genisys is starring: Emilia Clarke as Sarah Conner, Jai Courtney as Kyle Reese, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Terminator, Jason Clarke as John Conner and Byung-hun Lee as T-1000, 

My Most Anticipated 2015 Films -- 10. Tomorrowland

     Tomorrowland? I thought it was Wonderland? Well turns out this is something else. Tomorrow land is "a secret place, where nothing is impossible" -Tomorrowland trailer. The reason I'm so excited for this film is that I want my questions answered. The Tomorrowland trailer asks so many questions, and I want to find out the answers.

Here is Tomorrowland's trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k59gXTWf-A  

Tomorrowland will be released May 22nd, 2015.

Tomorrowland is starring: George Clooney as Frank Walker, Britt Robertson as an unknown character and Hugh Laurie as David Nix,

Film Review -- Big Hero 6

     Most people don't know this, but Big Hero 6 is based on a Marvel comic book. Check it out!: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Hero_6

     The 6 in Big Hero 6 does not stand for the placement in the series (this is the first film), but rather the number of members in the superhero team.

     I had no idea what to expect walking into the theatre. I saw only one trailer, and that was just a small teaser that reviled nothing about the movie. I knew that this film was about superheroes, but that's all.
     Big Hero 6 is one of the best films I have seen all year. The voice cast is terrific, the animations are great, the characters are well created, and those are only a few of the great things about this film.
     The emotions our protagonist, Hiro feels are relatable. We have all felt sad, angry and happy. Sometimes a strong burst from those emotions can impact how we think and act. This story does take that to extreme, but we can all understand where it comes from. The characters in Big Hero 6 have problems we all deal with. The loss of a loved one, growing-up and helping a depressed friend. And because of how realistic our characters feel, the things that happen to them in this film can make you cry, laugh and be impacted emotionally.
     I loved the feel of Big Hero 6. When it was sad, it was sad. When it was funny, it was funny. It managed to juggle all sorts of emotions and tones, and it was still amazing. Even though Big Hero 6 is a kids movie, the film makers were not afraid to make a serious film. Sometimes film makers are afraid to put any relatable characters and any real emotion into a film (Frozen, I'm looking at you!), but once-in-a-while a film like Despicable Me comes up, and has plenty of emotion to make a really great film.
     The voice cast behind this film does an amazing job at bringing this film to life. The animators have created a really neat little city called "San Fransokyo". It's a hybrid of San Francisco and Tokyo. The action scenes are well created, and the design of all the characters are great.
     The only major down side to Big Hero 6 is it does not stay very loyal to the source material. Trying to tell you the differences between the comic team and the film would spoil the film, so I won't say anything here.

     At the end of the day, I will give Big Hero 6 %90. Have you seen Big Hero 6? What did you think? Until next time, goodnight, Y'all.

Big Hero 6 Information:
Release Date: November 7th, 2014 (USA and Canada)
Rating: PG (USA, Canada?)
Director: Don Hall and Chris Williams
Starring: Ryan Potter as Hiro, Scott Adsit as Baymax, T. J. Miller as Fred, Damon Wayans Jr. as Wasabi, GĂ©nesis Rodriguez as Honey Lemon, James Cromwell as Robert Callaghan, Daniel Henney as Tadashi Hamada,
   
   
   
         

Monday 29 December 2014

2015!!

     Well, with 2014 nearly over, I thought it would be fitting to release my most anticipated films of 2015. These are the films which trailers have peaked my interest and are important to the series. Since I cannot list all the films I am excited for in one top 10 list, I have included the "Honorable Mentions" section between number 2 and 1, these are the films that could not make the list, but I am still excited for. I will do more in depth post about each film later.

10. Tomorrowland

9. Terminator: Genisys (I did not spell Genesis incorrectly, that's just what the movie is called.)  

8. Pan

7. Minions

6. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

5. Ant-Man

4. Jurassic World

3. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

2. Paddington

Honorable Mentions: Kingsman: The Secret Service, Inside Out, Seventh Son, Jupiter Ascending 

1. The Avengers: Age of Ultron

What films are you most excited for in 2015? Let me know in the comments.

Film Review -- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

     Peter Jackson loves making Middle-Earth movies, and making money.
     Now, in case you didn't know, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the third and final film in The Hobbit film trilogy (which is a prequel to The Lord of the Rings film trilogy), and the sixth film under the banner of Middle-Earth (which The Lord of the Rings is a part of too).

WARNING: Minor spoilers from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey ahead.
    
     After seeing the atrocity that was The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, this film came as a small surprise. I walked into the theatre ready to hate this movie, but when the credits started to role, I was the first to applaud. But this film is far from bringing back the good ol' days of The Lord of the Rings. 
     The first issue I had with this film was the over use of CGI. Now CGI can make a movie look great and even more magical, but when the real-life shooting locations are replaced with sets and crummy CGI, the film looses its awe. The most bizarre thing about the over-use of CGI in The Hobbit and the real-life locations in The Lord of the Rings is that The Hobbit Trilogy had a total budget of $745 million, and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy had a budget $281 million, and The Lord of the Rings still looked better (and the final The Lord of the Rings film was released 11 years ago)!
     The second concern I had was how stretched this film felt. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is based on one-third of a CHILDREN'S novel and converted it into a 144 minute movie, and so the parts of the books which only takes up one chapter took up most of this movie's run time.
     And the third and final concern is this: at the time of writing The Hobbit (novel) J.R.R. Tolkien had no idea that he was going to write The Lord of the Rings, and so it did not have much prequel-ness, but when Peter Jackson advertised The Hobbit film trilogy as a prequel, he tried to bring connection to The Lord of the Rings films, but it seemed kind of desperate. Although I liked The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey beginning with something from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the connections made in this movie were ether unnecisarry and/or did not make sense.
     But this film is not all horrible, I enjoyed the fact that this movie was slightly more book-accurate than The Hobbit: The Deescalation of Smaug. The acting was amazing. Martin Freeman plays an amazing Bilbo, Ian McKellen always does a great job, Benedict Cumberbatch motion-captures a great Smaug, and the list goes on with beautiful performances by Richard Armitage, Luke Evans, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Lee Pace and many more.

     Now with all this said, I will give The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies %60. What did you think of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies? Comment below and let me know. Until next review, this has been Me for The Film Heaven.

If you want to see the difference in filming between The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, watch the trailers below:
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqmNuHyI9ok
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgNNb8bm_b8

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies information:
Release Date: December 17th, 2014 (USA and Canada)
Rating: PG-13 (USA), PG (Canada),
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Richard Armitage as Thorin, Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel, Lee Pace as Thranduil, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Christopher Lee as Saruman, Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins and Manu Bennett as Azog,    
          

Sunday 28 December 2014

The Film Heaven

From the creator of Seth on Movies, comes an amazing new film review blog. . .



The Film Heaven

     All the reviews on my blog will be spoiler-free from the movie I am writing about (unless stated otherwise), but the reviews may contain spoilers from other films. If a review contains spoilers from a film, I will tell you which one(s).

Enjoy!