The Host!!!!

The Host.

After the hype and success of the Twilight series of films taken from the books by Stephanie Meyer her other book 'The Host' has been picked up and given the same hollywood treatment. This time round the book and film itself is set in the distant future where the Earth itself has been taken over by an alien life form. The alien life form then takes over and possess the main majority of the Earth and make them into "hosts".

The film begins with the main character Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) is running away from a group of silver suited people. As she runs through the corridors she eventually jumps through a window and falls to her death, led out on a metal slab she is sprayed with some healing spray and a new host is inserted into the back of her neck. Soon enough she wakes up, her eyes turn grey and she is alive again but this time being controlled by a new host (Wanderer).

Wanderer's job is to extract information about the location of the last remaining humans on Earth who have not yet been captured and taken over by an alien host. As Wanderer goes on through life she soon enough starts hearing Melanie's voice telling her not to do certain things and she is trying to fight back with everything that she does or says. As an incident takes place and she's stranded in the desert she lets Melanie take over and lead her to a safe place, finally meeting up with the other humans she is taken in by them. 

Re-united with her uncle, aunty and younger brother Melanie struggles to show them that she is still inside her own body and the alien host is just an outside shell. As the film progresses on and the whole story of Melanie, her brother, her love of her life Jake Howe (Max Irons) and of the other humans is told you learn about how they survive. The struggle for her family and loved ones to truly understand that she is still inside her body is also shown on screen. 

Of course their has to be a bad guy in the film which is Seeker (Diane Kruger) who goes to almost any length to catch and capture the free humans. As she gets closer and closer too them will it all end happy?, will Melanie ever get her own body back, will they all survive and not get caught and what will happen to Wanderer (Wanda)?

The film overall is a great teenage film as it is targeted towards the same demographic as the Twilight films, it's a simple sci-fi storyline that isn't too complicated. Their are other threads of story that I have missed out like how Wanderer falls in love with someone else but Melanie inside her dissagrees with it and stops her everytime they get close. The story of how to safely take out a alien host from a body is also touched upon and also the fate of Melanie's younger brother. 

The storyline is ok, at the start it has action and shows some good action sequences that get you hooked then in the middle it becomes linnear and slows right down, soon enough picking up with action sequences it then finishes. If more time was taken for the middle it would be a much better film but it has to be said it's interesting enough for people. 

Saoirse Ronan plays Melanie and Wanda really well and is able to portray two people who are in control of just one body. Her native irish accent doesn't even seep out and she passes off an american accent very well. Her fellow actors are at times a little bit wooden and seem to have only a certain ammount of facial expressions kind of like Kristen Stewart but they do a good job in the end. 

Overall a great teenage film that would be thoroughly enjoyed by a twihard fan or for someone who enjoys a simple, basic sci-fi film that you can watch, leave for a few days and watch again and not forget a thing. 

7/10.

The Croods!!!!

The Croods.

The second animated film of the year for me and it's Dreamworks newest outing in The Croods featuring an array of of well known voice actors. This time round Dreamworks have decided to touch upon the story of a stoneage family who go through "the end" and the journey they take to survive and the family problems they encounter along the way as well.

So onto the film itself, as I described above it is about a family (The Croods) who as they put it are the last remaining human beings alive. Father of the family Grug (Nicolas Cage) is an overprotective dad who tells the family anything new is BAD and will kill them all if they do anything new at all. Mother of the family Ugga (Catherine Keener) is a typical mother who fusses over her family and makes sure they're all ok and keeps Grug in-line at times as well. Son Thunk (Clark Duke) is a typical teenager, he has hardly any sense at all and runs around without any thought in the world and is easily amused. Smallest child Sandy (Randy Thom) is an animalistic little kid who runs around and awesome speeds and is generally a childish character. The older member of the family and the mother in-law Gran (Cloris Leachman) is an old wise woman who always has the line "I'm still alive". And finally we have Eep (Emma Stone) who is an inquisitive girl who wants to do nothing more than to venture out of the cave and explore new things.

As the scene is set you see how frightened the family is of the outside world and how much the father figure states that new things are bad for them. As you see the family go on a hunt for a dinosaur egg to feed the family you see how each member works within the family.

But soon enough Eep sees a bright light pass the cave and decides to follow it and leaves the comfort of the cave and her family. soon enough she gets into trouble and that's when a saviour comes to her aide, Guy (Ryan Reynolds) saves her from being eaten and thrusts fire into the air saving her. As she talks to him she soon realises that her family is not alone in the world and that their are other people out there. As she narrowly just makes it back to the cave to her family with the help from her father Grug she tries to tell family members about who she has met.

As the family cave is destroyed and the threat of being eaten again they finally call upon the help of Guy who comes running in to save the day again. He shows the family members some new inventions like fire and shoes. As each family member learns new things about the world and their eyes are opened their is one person who is not buying this new lifestyle, Grug. 

As the family carries on trying to find shelter before "THE END" takes place the family must learn to trust new things, trust Guy and last of all to accept new things as their not all bad. What happens next I will leave for you to watch, will the family survive "THE END" or will they all stand by Grug and stick to the old ways?

Overall the film is entertaining......for little kids, for adults they will find the film a little bit flat and at times a little bit ridiculous. The voice acting is ok but in my opinion Nicholas Cage just doesn't have that animated film style voice he sounds out of place and just too dull a voice for a kids film. The storyline is to be desired, a simple yet quirky storyline it's fun at times but for most of the time it's just tedious. 

Visually the colours are great, the coloured landscapes and animals featured all show off the animators skills and the 3D for the film just adds more depth to the on screen animation. But don't expect anything deep, thoughtful and emotional like a Pixar movie because you're not going to get it from this film. What you do get is a fun, bright coloured, kids film that all children will truly enjoy and adults wish would be alot shorter.

5/10.

Oz the Great and Powerful!!!!

Oz the Great and Powerful.

Oz the Great and Powerful sees the return of director Sam Raimi after a short hiatus from mainstream film making after his Spiderman franchise was cancelled and re-booted with a different director. But that's in the past and what he has created here is what is described as a prequel to the original 'Wizard of Oz' film released in 1939.

Starting out just like the original 'Wizard Of Oz' in black and white you see a carnival setting in Kansas as Oscar "Oz" Diggs (James Franco) and his associate Frank (Zach Braff) are performing a magic act. Soon enough Oscar is in trouble and ends up flying away in a hot air balloon, heading for the centre of a tornado he's blown around and around and eventually ends up in a colourful land,OZ.

Stranded in a whole new world Oscar meets the first witch of the film Theodora (Mila Kunis), she believes him to be the great wizard who has come to take the throne in the land of Oz. As he ventures to the great emerald city Theodora slowly falls for Oz, reaching the city at last he meets the second witch Evanora (Rachel Weisz). While he speaks to Evanora he is told that the wicked witch lies west of the Emerald City and he has to break her wand to rid her of her powers. As he picks up two companions along his travels, a flying monkey Finley (voice by Zach Braff) and China Girl (voice by Joey King) he eventually comes face to face with the third witch Glinda (Michelle Williams). 

As Oz meets Glinda he finds out what is really happening in Oz and who is really the evil witch of the three of them. Oz must then work with the the people of Oz to rid the land of the Wicked Witch and become the great wizard that he is destined to become. But will he succeed in his adventure and will the land of Oz finally be free of the Wicked Witch?

Overall it has to be said in my opinion that the film is visually absolutely stunning, the special effects used to create the vast visuals of the land of Oz and the Emerald City are stunning and make it feel fresh and interesting. The storyline of the film is good but at points you can easily work out what will happen next and especially if you've seen the 1939 you can work out how Oz makes his final presence made to the people of Oz.

As far as the actors go James Franco I feel is just a little bit too sleezy he comes across as a creepy, sleezy over the top magician but to me James took it that bit "too" far. Mila Kunis in the first half of the film is great and brings an innocence to the character of Theodora, then in the second half she turns into an over the top character with the same formulaeic traits you'd expect from a witch. Rachel Weisz stands out as she portrays Evanora perfectly and is able to convey two sides to her character well. Michelle Williams as Glinda brings a bright bubbly character to the story and she does well to portray her innocence and kindness to everything in Oz.

As a stand alone film you can see what attracts people to it as it has the visuals, the well known actors and it's set in the land of Oz loved by many people. It's an ok prequel to the original 'Wizrd of Oz' film and clears up the storyline of how the wizard became to be in the land of Oz. For me as an older movie goer I found it didn't sit quite well with me which is a shame as it could have wowed me but it didn't. A great kids film that no doubt will have kids and fans of Oz flocking to the cinema to see this film. 

6/10.

Side Effects!!!!

Side Effects.

From what is to be Steven Soderbergh's last full length directoral film 'Side Effects' is a film which tackles the subject of what happens when people are put on various medications and what it can lead too in life.

The film starts out with the character of Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) who awaits the release of her husband Martin Taylor (Channing Tatum) from prison. Soon enough the day comes around and she couldn't be any more happier but underneath it all she's depressed and can't cope. After an incident in a parking lot where Emily is hospitalised she is sent to see a psychiatrist, Dr. Jonathan  Banks (Jude Law) where she is prescribed a course of drugs to settle her mind, help her sleep and handle her anxiety. 

As Emily takes more and more different drugs with different "side effects" she starts losing it, as Dr. Banks consults and speaks to Emily's old psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones) he decides to give her a new pharmaceutical drug called Ablixa. With Emily now more active and happier she looks in control, little does she know of how much an effect the new drug is having and Emily's life suddenly spirals out of control.

Without giving too much away Dr. Banks investigates Emily's deterioration and what went wrong in her life. Was it the drug he gave her?, was it all Emily's fault? or was it a culmination of the wrong drug at the wrong time?.

The hows and whys of what happens next in the film is for you to find out for yourself. It is a great twist and turn, suspense filled, thriller that certainly had me guessing what would happen next only to be the total opposite of what I had guessed. It is a smart film that is cleverly thought out and will have you scratching your head even to the very end when the credits role.

Of course this is Rooney Mara's first lead role since her appearance in 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' she plays a depressed Emily with such fragility and vulnerability that you almost think to yourself your watching a real person breakdown on screen. It has to be said that the film is pretty much Jude Law's as he plays Dr. Banks with such intelligence and charm. He holds things together at the start and slowly loses everything but soon enough he comes back up to be the shining light at the end. Catherine Zeta-Jones gives a strong, powerful performance as a stern but at times naive psychiatrist, Channing Tatum stands as the hulking husband to the demure Mara and brings an air of strength and safety to Emily's crumbling world.

Overall 'Side Effects' is a great suspense filled thriller film, a film certainly for the older adults as the twist and turns of the films narrative could be seen as a bit much for a younger audience. With the surprises coming thick and fast during the film it has you on edge and has you guessing which I love as I like a film that challenges me mentally. 

As this is Soderbergh's last feature film that we know of as we lose him to theatre and the TV world of HBO this is a fine film to finish your movie career off with.

8/10.

Stoker!!!!

Stoker.

From the director of the Korean hit film 'Oldboy' comes Park Chan-Wook's first English spoken film and his début into the american movie world. And it has to be said that it is an absolute triumph and a film that is not only visually stunning but it is intense and just plain strange (in a good way).

The story of Stoker is that of the stoker family, mother Evelyn (Nicole Kidman), father Richard (Dermot Mulroney) and daughter India (Mia Wasikowska). As the family seem happy enough and everything is going right, tragedy strikes and Richard is killed in a car accident. 

Soon enough the funeral comes around and on the horizon is a dark figure in the sunlight watching the funeral proceedings. The mysterious figure emerges to be Richard's younger brother Charlie (Matthew Goode). With Evelyn striking up a rather intimate relationship with Charlie it's India who is almost infatuated by her uncle and starts to become a little bit obsessed with him. As the two finally start to talk to each other you get a feeling that something lies deep between them both and something strange is going on. 

As people go around to the house to see the mourning and ever more depressed widow Evelyn, they start to disappear and India is the first one to notice this. As the relationship grows and grows the mother catches them and wishes nothing but bad things for her daughter. With India knowing Charlie's full story of where he has been and what he has been doing for so many years she decides to take matters into her own hands. 

In the matter of a story the film does have a nice easy, simple storyline which anyone can easily pick up on and it's a nice free flowing feeling. Nicole Kidman plays the depressive mother well and portrays a woman on the edge and willing to do anything to get back her own happiness. The stars of the film have to be Mia and Mathhew, the daughter and uncle. As perverse as their relationship is in the film it leaves you interested, intrigued yet confused as to what will happen next between them.

With some films you watch it for the storyline and the explosions or the fight scenes but with Stoker you look for something more with it. You can tell that nearly every single shot in the film has been thought about and has a meaning and purpose to it. Scenes like the origin of the blood red coloured flowers in a field is a clever idea, the combing of hair that as you go down the hair blends and melts into a field of reids blowing in the wind. The use a single spider slowly crawling up India's leg to eventually go up her skirt between her legs all have a underlining meaning.

Some scenes are of course weird and can be seen as perverse. A scene where India is in the shower and re-calls a murder she witnessed she masturbates at this memory and climaxes at the image of the person being killed. The playing of a piano, India plays the piano and is soon joined by her uncle Charlie. As they both play the piano and the music becomes faster and more intense India gets more and more aroused and soon enough the final note is played and India lets out a massive sigh of almost inner sexual relief. But for the uncle Charlie to have disappeared it's as if was he really there at all?.

The film in my eyes is something of incredible cinema, every single shot and scene in the film has a purpose and brings tension and suspense. The storyline of the family is great and allows all three main actors to utilise their talents and bring to life these three characters who each have their own problems in life. For anyone who likes the works of the legend Alfred Hitchcock then this film is a DEFINITE to watch as you will be hooked and enticed by it. Terribly disturbing, terribly weird but oh so terribly beautiful.

An amazing edition to Park Chan-Wook's filmography and a great first english spoken film for the Korean director. If this is his first hollywood film then just imagine what his next creation will be like and just how interesting and quirky it will be. 

I don't usually add videos to my reviews but the video below shows some scenes I have mentioned in my review.

10/10.